On Wednesday afternoon, we celebrated the life of a legend and an extraordinary supporter of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, along with countless friends, family members, and icons of the ski world. Jim “Moose” Barrows died peacefully on June 28, 2024, surrounded by his friends and family in Steamboat. Moose was a former member of the U.S. Ski Team, World Pro Ski Tour athlete, U.S. Ski Team Men’s Downhill coach, Olympian, and Colorado Ski Hall of Fame inductee. He attended and skied for the University of Colorado, winning several NCAA titles.  His famous crash at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, labeled him with the “agony of defeat” tagline. But what stands out about Moose more than his athletic accomplishments is his passion for giving back. Because of this unwavering spirit, Moose was awarded the Yampa Valley Community Foundation Legacy Philanthropy Award in 2021. Many many SSWSC athletes and families have benefited from Moose’s generosity through the Athletic Achievement Scholarship funded by the Moose’s Loose Golf Tournament. A native of Steamboat Springs, Moose relied on help from members of the Steamboat Springs community to support him when he was on the national team, so Moose, along with two friends, Paul Thayer, and Hank Kashiwa, wanted to host a golf tournament that would bring in funding from Steamboat and around the country to create a youth scholarship fund to support young Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes. The vision for the tournament was to ensure future local high-potential athletes had the same support from the community Moose received when he was young and to raise funds to help young athletes participate in programming they would not otherwise be able to afford. Since its inception over 40 years ago, the tournament has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support young athletes. The Moose’s Loose Golf Tournament will continue in his memory this year on September 18, 2024, and for years to come. Thank you, Moose, for your contributions to skiing, the Steamboat Community, and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Photo of Moose courtesy Colorado Snowsports Museum.

MOOSE BARROWS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

To sustain Moose’s legacy, specifically scholarship funding for the Moose Barrows Athletic Achievement Scholarship, SSWSC is working with the Barrows family and Moose’s many friends, teammates, and colleagues to establish a dedicated fund within the SSWSC endowment to support scholarships in perpetuity, Moose Barrows Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund and the annual golf tournament will create sustainable funding for the Moose Barrows Athletic Achievement Scholarships to support young athletes for years to come. Young Steamboat athletes will continue to make him proud and represent his spirit of excellence.

DONATE TO THE MOOSE BARROWS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
If you want to donate directly to the Moose Barrows Memorial Scholarship Fund? Go to our donations page here, CLICK DONATE NOW and on the form, choose Moose Barrows Memorial Scholarship Fund. Thank you for your support in memory of Moose!