How a Colorado trooper saved a Dew Tour competitor off a gridlocked highway, helping him onto the podium
Courtesy photo
Responding to vehicular accidents during the winter season is a major part of the job while working for Colorado State Patrol. What troopers don’t expect, however, is to see a professional skier hiking his way through a crash scene while trying to get to Copper Mountain Resort for a competition, but that is exactly what happened on Saturday, March 9.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Devin Sparks arrived that morning to the scene of a head-on collision between Copper and Leadville on Colorado Highway 91 and was in the process of documenting the crash and assisting the victims when he noticed a man with ski gear hiking his way north to Copper.
The skier was not inexperienced, confused or lost. The man happened to be U.S. professional skier and three-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper.
Goepper was stuck in traffic following the crash and was getting worried that he may not arrive to Copper in time to compete in the 2024 Dew Tour men’s superpipe final at 10:30 a.m.
“I immediately started my plan B and knew I needed to leave my car or I wasn’t going to make it to the mountain,” Goepper said of his thought process. “I realized I wasn’t going to make it with the traffic, so you gotta do what you gotta do.”
Not wanting to risk how long it may take Sparks and the other Colorado State Patrol troopers to safely reopen the road, Goepper decided to ditch his truck on the shoulder, unload his ski gear and begin trekking down Highway 91 toward Copper in his black Vans and his Dew Tour start bib.
When Goepper eventually reached Sparks at the scene of the crash, the Summit County-based trooper told him to stop, causing Goepper to grow scared that he was going to get in trouble for disturbing the scene of the crash.
“He was walking through the crash scene on the inside shoulder, and as he walked past us I kind of asked him to stop,” Sparks said. “I told him to wait by my car and that I would give him a ride into Copper, knowing where he was going because of the bib he was wearing.”
Goepper enthusiastically accepted Sparks’ offer for a ride down to Copper and promptly loaded himself into the patrol car with his Volkl halfpipe competition skis partially hanging out the driver’s side window.
Separated by the glass partition in the middle of the squad car, Sparks — who is originally from Indiana — soon realized he had a fellow Hoosier who also happens to be an accomplished skier in the back of his squad car.
“I recognized him as I got closer to him and talked to him because I am from Indiana,” Sparks said. “It just happened to be a pretty big coincidence.”
Goepper, who turned 30 on Thursday, grew up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, before going on to become a professional. He spent the first part of his professional career as a slopestyle skier, winning bronze in the event at the 2014 Olympics and silver at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
After three Olympic medals, Goepper decided to retire at the end of the 2022-23 season, citing burnout, but it was not long before Goepper was back on his skis chasing after more podium finishes.
At the end of 2023, Goepper made his debut in halfpipe, dropping into Copper’s superpipe and competing at the U.S. Grand Prix. In his first time competing in the event in years, Goepper placed fourth overall behind experienced halfpipe veterans Alex Ferreira of Aspen, Hunter Hess of Oregon, and Birk Irving of Winter Park.
Goepper continued to hone his craft in the superpipe throughout the season, earning third in Mammoth back in February, which was his highest finish in the halfpipe until arriving to Copper via squad car for the Dew Tour.
Despite all of the stress and unplanned events earlier in the morning, Goepper — clad in his signature competition blue jeans and bright red flames helmet — spun his way to second-place overall at the 2024 Dew Tour with a top run score of 91.
“Sometimes you have to get the job done no matter what,” Goepper said of his performance. “I was extremely thankful for the cops.”
With a second-place trophy in hand, Goepper was not only astonished to end his season with the highest finish of his rookie season in the halfpipe, but also extremely grateful for Sparks and his efforts to get him to the competition. As a gesture of his gratitude, Goepper went on to sign and send Sparks his starting bib alongside a handwritten note.
“It was that day that he helped make my dreams come true, and I wanted him to know how much it meant to me,” Goepper said.
“It was very shocking to receive it honestly because it was his highest place,” Sparks said of getting the bib. “It was a great honor to receive that for helping him out on the side of the road and doing my job.”
Although he is accustomed to having the occasional unusual encounter while out on patrol, the interaction with Goepper is one that Sparks will remember for a long time to come.
“It was just a great encounter,” Sparks said. “Very respectful guy — very nice, very kind, really down to earth. We had a great interaction, and to meet a pro skier from Indiana after growing up there was really a great coincidence on the side of the roadway on a work day.”
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