Who was Ellery Curtis and what happened to her? Tributes pour in as Dartmouth College All American skier dies at 26

Ellery Curtis, a former All-American skier at Dartmouth College, has died at the age of 26.

Affectionately known as Ellie, she succumbed to a head injury sustained during a skiing crash on Saturday afternoon at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe, California. According to New York Post, she was pronounced dead on the scene, the Placer County Sheriff’s Department revealed.

Ellery Curtis was a senior at Dartmouth College. She earned second-team All-American honors by clocking in at eighth position at the 2022 NCAA championships in Park City, Utah. Per New York Post, she ranked seventh for the women’s alpine skier All-East Second Team in the East.

Everything we know about "beloved" Ellery Curtis as tributes come pouring in

According to People magazine, the 26-year-old crashed while skiing down the Ahhh Chute trail, located on the Palisades’ KT-22 lift. Per The New York Post, the trail is described as "challenging."

By the time deputies arrived at the scene in response to a distress call at 3:45 p.m., Curtis was dead, sheriff’s spokesperson Elise Soviar told the outlet.

“Our hearts go out to her family and all who loved her as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” Soviar said in a statement.

The Palisades Tahoe ski resort told the LA Times in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” to learn of the incident and referred to Ellery Curtis as a “beloved skier.”

In the wake of her demise, tributes have been pouring in from all those who knew her, including her Dartmouth coaches, John C. Dwyer and Anny Jenny. The pair told LA Times in an email:

“Ellie Curtis was a hardworking, passionate and driven student athlete whose passions went beyond the snow. Ellie was kind, caring and loved to be involved in many organizations and environmental projects.”

A spokesperson from Dartmouth said:

"[Curtis was] an exceptional member of the Dartmouth family whose spirit, compassion, and drive left a lasting impression on everyone she encountered.”

Matt Lorelli, the senior editor of Powder, was skiing with Ellery Curtis on the day of the incident, The Daily Mail has reported. He met her merely hours before her demise.

"Ski patrol responded to the scene within two minutes but Curtis ultimately passed away from her injuries," he said, according to the Daily Mail. "Ski patrol did everything they could." He also said of Curtis: "Her smile and love for skiing were immediately infectious."

Dartmouth women’s Alpine ski coach John Dwyer told Valley News in a statement:

“Ellie was amazing. She was one of the hardest workers I’ve had in my 10 years at Dartmouth, and that’s off the snow also. She was a tremendous student.” Her former coach also referred to her as “dedicated to being the best skier she could be,” and added: “She was fast and unrelenting and there was nothing that was going to get in her way.”

According to KUTV, after she graduated from college, Ellery Curtis shifted to San Fransisco to work as a regulatory analyst at the California Public Utilities Commission.

"Ellie was a valued member of the CPUC, and she will be deeply missed,” a spokesperson for the company told the outlet. “She came to the CPUC to protect the environment she cared about so deeply and was very excited about starting her career here. Our hearts go out to her family, friends, colleagues, and all who were touched by her kindness.”

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According to People, Ellery Curtis leaves behind her parents, Charles Curtis and Katherine Dolan, and her sister. Her family is expected to announce her funeral in the coming days.

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