PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 1) – On the eve of the Visa Freestyle International World Cup, Deer Valley Resort has renamed its unique freestyle aerials tow lift “The Hurricane” in memory of the late Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. The tow is used to shuttle aerials athletes to the top of the jump for the annual International Ski Federation World Cup.
The 2010 Olympic silver medalist in freestyle aerials, Peterson won two of his seven World Cups at Deer Valley including setting a world record two-jump score of 268.70 in January of 2007 landing his trademark Hurricane – three flips and five twists.
While Peterson was a native of Boise, Idaho, Deer Valley was the aerials hill that he called home. Immediately following the press conference in Deer Valley's Snow Park Lodge, resort officials posted the sign at the bottom of the lift on the right side of the aerials jump, reading:
THE HURRICANE
In memory of Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist, who earned the highest ever aerial score when he landed his signature Hurricane Jump at Deer Valley on January 11, 2007.
Also at the sign's unveiling US snowboarder Graham Watanabe, a close friend of Peterson's and acting spokesman for the family, announced the formation of a foundation in Speedy's name dedicated to treating mental illness.
"As anyone who met Speedy knows," Watanabe said, "You didn’t just know him; you experienced him. It’s an honor to be a part of what the family has built – The Speedy Foundation.
"This sign in his honor is an extension of what The Speedy Foundation hopes to achieve. We’re hoping to never forget Speedy and to extend his vision. He suffered from depression and wasn’t one to hide from it. He battled it head on and wasn’t afraid to let people know it was something that needed to be dealt with and understood. His goals of spreading awareness and advocating for mental illness is something we’re embodying with The Speedy Foundation."
ABOUT THE SPEEDY FOUNDATION
The Speedy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding mental illness, preventing suicide and fighting stigma through education, research, and advocacy. It was formed in 2011 in the loving memory of Idaho native Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, an Olympic freestyle aerials medalist whose life was characterized by his service to others. The Speedy Foundation raises money to support education and research to help prevent suicide and engages with advocacy groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to increase awareness of suicide prevention with the public. For more information go to www.thespeedyfoundation.org.
