A Tribute to Dave Spencer

ASA's co-founder, Dave Spencer, died in November of 1986 of cancer. Without his indomitable spirit and tireless efforts, the ski program would never have taken flight. For the hundreds of skiers who have seen their lives transformed, Dave was a unique role model. The many volunteers who learned their teaching skills under Dave's tutelage became a vital part of our program. And for those who never knew Dave, his legacy lives on every day at ASA.

The following article was written by BJ Boucher, long-time volunteer and member of ASA and first appeared in the Winter 98 ASA newsletter.

Walking in another man's shoes

No one can walk in the shoes of Dave Spencer, an outstanding athlete, gourmet cook, loyal friend, founder and tireless promoter of the ASA program.  The titles and accolades bestowed on the young man whose life spanned only 26 years are innumerable, and at the recent gathering of friends and family at Purgatory, tears and laughter were shared as his life and gifts were celebrated.

On a beautiful December day the legacy of this dynamo of energy became obvious to everyone sharing in the celebration.  Dave's immediate family, aunts and uncles, high school buddies, college friends and ASA associates, plus many current volunteers who never met Dave tried to ski on one ski, as Dave did so well.  They attempted maneuvering the bi-ski mastered by physically challenged athletes who enjoy the program begun by Dave.  They created a glow of delight for Dave's life as they shared stories and anecdotes, and the warmth was felt by every person visiting Purgatory that day.

Dave was a mischief maker, no doubt about it.  His antics ranged from almost blowing up the chemistry lab in high school while making nitro-glycerin with his lab buddy, to inciting University of Wisconsin football fans to dance on the roof of his Minnesota licensed car after defeating Minnesota's football team.  He could play with the toughest and party with the heartiest, but all the stories about Dave Spencer end with praises like, "He was the most fun loving, open-hearted, caring person I have ever known." or "He never met an enemy, and he could lift anyone's spirits." or "He laughed at himself and made you feel comfortable with his disability.  He never saw anyone else's disabilities or shortcomings."

Dave was a master of life, and a joy to know.  Ever hear the story of how he went water-skiing once and decided to "drop a leg?"  Sue Ehrhardt, Dave's first single track outrigger student, relates this memory.  "Dave came to see us in California to talk to Ross's Kiwanis group about his program.  He had on his prosthesis and it was making a squeaky noise every time he put his weight on it.  I asked him about it, and he explained that he was out water skiing with a friend who had a video camera.  Now people do well to drop a ski, but Dave decided to video the ultimate ski experience and drop a leg.  This meant he was wearing his prosthesis on the lake.  Well, a prosthesis is made of sponge and he almost drowned as he worked to drop the water logged prosthesis in front of an amazed crowd.  He said he had water in his leg."

When it came to participating in sports, from football to darts, Dave played hard.  He played cornerback with his Minnesota high school team, and high school classmate George Benda compares him to "Rudy" of Notre Dame fame. "He was all heart," George remembered.  "He'd growl and make this huge effort even though he was small.  Nobody practiced or tried harder, and you should have seen the expressions on his face.  He could scare anybody."  He certainly scared a group of dart players in Telluride when, after almost being hit by one of their darts, he picked it up, plunged it into his leg and explained that he had a high level of pain endurance.

High school buddy Nick VanOhlen who came out to ski with Dave each spring at Purgatory related Dave's genius for planning Snowdown parade costumes.  There was the time he dressed as "Chester Molester" while another friend was "Lester Polyester."  Another year saw the two parading as a bathtub with only three legs.  The crowd gaped in amazement.  How did they hide the other leg?

Nick and Dave made their first spring ski trip to Colorado's Breckenridge while in high school, sex education books in the back window of the car.  Dave loved spring vacations and once journeyed to the Florida beaches where he was seen posing as a college reporter collecting information about the schools attended by all the pretty girls.  That information went into his own little black book.  "He was a Casanova," stated Brian.

If you are a gourmet cook and have a degree in food science, you are expected to pursue a career as a master chef.  Dave's greatest years as the renowned chef happened during college.  He shared a house with several roommates only blocks from the University of Minnesota campus, and while other students lived on macaroni and cheese, Dave prepared gourmet meals for his crew.  Dave even negotiated a deal with the Animal Husbandry Department, purchasing beef that kept their table laden with steaks and roasts according to college friend Brian Haight.

Dave's determination kept him in college and competing in sports despite the loss of a leg at the hip to cancer in 1980.  College friend Becky Haight, one of the "Mill Street Maggots" as they  called themselves recalled, "We played basketball, and he could run and dribble the ball, skipping on one leg as fast as me.  He challenged me to do floor to stand-up squats, I did two legged squats, and I though I could beat him.  Well, he did three times as many as I could do.  He was an incredible athlete."

Dave Spencer wanted to ski professionally, and he turned down six job offers from major companies to come to Purgatory and convince the ski school that he could teach skiing.  Within the first year Dave knew he had a gift that he could give to other people, with or without disabilities--the gift of joy in life.  That is the gift he gave us all on a December day of celebration, and he will continue to give it as our community of volunteers, students, board members, employees and other people associated with the ASA program grows bigger and bigger.

Hey Dave, Wherever you are! I bet you knew this was going to happen. Didn't you?