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September 11, 2013

WSCU’s Dave Sugnet Named to US Collegiate Freeskiing Team for 2013 World University Games

Dave Sugnet on his way to victory at Collegiate Nationals in Sun Valley. Photo: WSCU Mountain Sports

Western State Colorado University will have a representative at the World University Games Winter Universiade in Trentino, Italy this coming December.  Dave Sugnet, 23, originally of Durango, Colorado, was recently asked to join the team after he took 1st place at US Collegiate Nationals at Sun Valley, ID in March, 2013.

David on top of the slopestyle podium at Sun Valley. Photo: Ellie Atkins

David on top of the slopestyle podium at Sun Valley. Photo: Ellie Atkins

We’ve featured Dave here on West Elk Project a lot and we are super stoked our buddy is going to Italy.  Locally known as “Dirty Dave” or “Satchmo”on the hill, the Crested Butte resident and Gravity Groms coach has been honing his skills at Crested Butte Mountain Resort since he started at Western in the 2008-09 season.  He actually started the Park and Pipe team at Western State College in 2010 the year before it became WSCU. Last March, he won the Slopestyle event at the US Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding National Championships in Sun Valley.  The result put him on the short list for the US team for the World University Games.

Dave Sugnet in a truck driver at the Blunck Bag Jump Event. Photo: Will Dujardin

Dave Sugnet in a truck driver at the Blunck Bag Jump Event. Photo: Will Dujardin

The World University Games started in 1923 in Paris, France while the Winter Universiade (that’s University combined with Olympiad with an e added for good measure) specifically began in 1958 in Zell am See, Austria.  The games are governed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), a Brussels, Belgium-based organization established in 1949.  This year, the 26th Winter Universiade will be held in Trentino, Italy over December 11th-21st.  Over 3,600 participants will represent 57 countries at the biggest event in the Winter Universiade’s history.

Dave got the call from the USCFST coach, Jon Peot, he also coaches the CU-Boulder Freeskiing Team, early this September.  Dave explained: “I am so honored to be invited to this one-of-a-kind international event. I can’t thank WSCU enough for allowing me the opportunity to pursue my dreams as a skier and starting the Mountain Sports Park and Pipe Team. I feel super lucky to be one of a few student athletes in the country who have this opportunity.  Hopefully it will encourage students to join the many options on the WSCU Mountain Sports Team and go for it.”

Check out this edit explaining Dave’s winning run at Nationals.

Sugnet has been training this summer on the trampoline and made a quick trip to Woodward at Copper in July to get on the skis again.  He plans on training on the big jumps along the I-70 resorts as soon as they open in preparation for the December event, which is very early in the 2013-14 ski season.  We’ll be with Dave the whole way, make sure you check back with West Elk Project for updates on the Line Skis, Full Tilt Boots, Anon Optics, and ColoradoFreeskier.com athlete.

You can read more about the Winter Universiade at Trentino on their official website universiadetrentino.org



About the Author

2. Will Dujardin
Will Dujardin is our content editor at West Elk Project. He competes in big mountain competitions and coaches the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team. Skiing is his life and he likes to mix it with other fun things like DH mountain biking and traveling.




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