A Colorado skier who died while attempting a dangerous jump over a highway was motivated to take risks because he shared a birthday with iconic daredevil Evel Knievel, a childhood friend told reporters.
Investigators confirmed that Dallas LeBeau died on Tuesday, while trying to "perform a high-risk skiing stunt by trying to clear the width of Highway 40." Friends shared that LeBeau, 21, was a lifelong skier who encouraged others to take up the sport.
"He wanted to do things that nobody else had done. He always said his birthday was the same day as Evel Knievel," childhood friend Devin Shirk told KDVR.
Evel Knievel - whose real name was Robert Knievel - gained prominence in the 20th century for his daring motorcycle stunts. Notably, Knievel planned to jump over the Grand Canyon but injuries prevented him from ever completing the stunt.
Shirk remembered his friend as a kind person, who loved skiing and wanted others to also try the sport.
"He encouraged other people to start skiing too. That was one of my favorite things about him too, is even if it wasn't jumps, he would just be like, 'You just gotta try skiing - it will change your life.'"
Shirk created a GoFundMe for LeBeau's family and asked people to donate to "give [the family] one less thing to stress about."
"He was one of the most joyful and kind people you could ever meet," the GoFundMe, which raised more than $40,000, read. "He was always raising good spirits and loved to ski ever since he was two."
Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade association for ski resorts, described LeBeau's death as a "tragic accident" in a statement to KDVR.
"CSCUSA offers our sincere condolences to the victim's family and friends," the statement read. "Whether skiing, snowboarding or participating in another resort activity, we encourage everyone to keep safety top of mind as we head into the spring season."
