Eric Nagoette Memorial Fund CHARITYSMITH

ERIC NAGOETTE MEMORIAL FUND

Established in 2005 by the Far West Freestyle Division, in memory of Eric Nagoette, with the hope that his spirit of commitment and love for freestyle skiing remains a part of the Far West Division for years to come. Eric died tragically in a skiing accident in while pursuing his goal of becoming a member of the US Freestyle Ski Team.

About Eric
"If there were a book on how to live life as a teenage skier with aspirations to be the best, Eric Nageotte-Lowe would have been the author. The book would have devoted chapters to things familiar to this teenager's life: punk music, extreme skiing and girls. But Eric's book would have also included chapters about loving the outdoors at Lake Tahoe, the importance of family and teamwork, and what it takes to have and to be a trusted friend.

Pursuing his dream of making the U.S. Ski Team, the 18-year-old South Tahoe High School graduate died Monday at a New Zealand ski resort, practicing mogul skiing in what was to be a three-year commitment to become the best.

"He was truly an awesome kid with a kind heart, and he was a tough, driven kid who did everything he could for the love of sport," said Jere Crawford, who coached Eric for Heavenly Ski Foundation, an organization that helps local children and teenagers learn to ski competitively.

Known as the "Rad Rider" among friends and family, Eric skied competitively in free-style moguls for the Far West division of the organization, winning last year's dual mogul contest at Squaw Valley. It was his lifelong desire to become a member of the U.S. Ski team, and he took the first step this summer by attending the New Zealand Summer Mogul Camp at Treble Cone.

According to witnesses, Eric was eating lunch in between practices at the top of the ski mountain. He left to resume practice, skiing down a groomed slope and moving at a high rate of speed. Family members were told that he hit a ravine and crashed, sustaining head and neck injuries.

Eric was wearing a helmet.

News arrived Tuesday of Eric's death among teammates, family and friends. Many described Eric as having three passions: One for skiing, one for the lake and the other for his family.

"He was skiing before he could even walk," said his father Ron Nageotte, who along with John Lowe, shared the responsibility of raising Eric along with Eric's mother, Toni Lowe.

He also has two sisters, Danielle, 14, and Alyssa, 11.

Eric would refer to both Ron and John as dad. The three of them would ski together every winter, with John, Ron and Toni attending all of Eric's ski competitions.

For Eric's 16th birthday, John and Ron took him helicopter skiing in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. It was a moment both men would never forget.

"Eric had the first powder run down the mountain. It was beautiful," John Lowe recalled. "After watching what he had done, the guides looked at us and said he skied it with perfect form."

When Eric was five years old, he and Ron were skiing at Heavenly when Ron smacked face and body first into a tree. Lying unconscious, little Eric skied for help, and returned with a ski patrolman.

"He saved my life that day," Ron said. "I only wished I could have been there to save his."

Eric received a plaque from Heavenly Ski Patrol for his action.

Eric's mother Toni described her son as mature beyond his years, with a warmth and compassion for everyone he met.

"He was sentimental. He watched his words. He never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings," she said. "He was such a beautiful young man in so many ways. He was my son and a part of my soul."

His conscience and awareness for others around him came into play once when he was skiing competitively in Idaho. While in the tiny ski town of Kellogg, Eric and several ski teammates were walking down the street when a group of young adults passed them and made racial slurs at some of his Heavenly teammates.

"It really bothered him. The comments were upsetting because racism is something that he hadn't really seen before," John Lowe said. "He never saw people as being ethnic, just as people."

As a member of the Heavenly ski team, bonds of friendship are made that resemble something of a brotherhood. In between ski runs and times spent on the mountain, there are conversations in cars, on chair lifts and in restaurants that go beyond friendly chit-chat.

"He was as great buddy on the ski slopes and off. We always pushed each other, we always challenged each other and we always watched out for each other," said teammate and friend Sho Kashima.

With Kashima, Eric's words always resonated. When they weren't talking about skiing, they talked about politics and girls.

Every once in a while, Eric would come up with affirmations and quotes that he'd share. One in particular stuck with Kashima.

"Eric would say, 'We walk around thinking, does this person like us? Does that person like us? We think too much of what other people think of us. We should stop worrying about what other people think and just live.'"

- Jeff Munson, Tahoe Daily Tribune, published Sept. 8, 2004

 

 

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