Honoring the Life and Legacy of Adam Risvold
Celebrating Adam’s Spirit of Adventure and Love for Skiing
In 1988, a 4-year-old boy named Adam Risvold clicked into his first pair of skis and took off down Buck Hill. From that first run, skiing became his passion, his peace, and his lifelong joy.
Buck Hill was where Adam discovered his love for skiing, his sense of freedom, and the thrill of flying down a slope with nothing but snow beneath him and sky above. It’s where friendships were formed, laughter echoed, and dreams began. Now, that same hill that sparked his love for skiing will forever carry his memory.
This season, the Steve and Char Risvold have funded six new and two refurbished freestyle park features at Buck Hill in loving memory of Adam. Designed for all abilities, from first-time riders to advanced park enthusiasts, these new features celebrate Adam’s adventurous spirit and the community he cherished. Each feature will proudly display a plaque reading “In Memory of Adam Risvold.”
The Spirit of Adam
Adam was, in every sense, one of a kind. His smile could brighten any space, his laugh was contagious, and his kindness was boundless. He had a way of making everyone feel like a close friend, because to him, they were.
Adam was creative, thoughtful, and full of humor. Friends describe him as a “hobo wizard”, a free-spirited mix of wisdom, mischief, and heart. He loved deep conversation, art, good music, and the rush of mountain air. He lived life with intention, curiosity, and an unshakable sense of authenticity.
He had a special love for terrain parks – hitting rails, catching air, and sharing the moment with friends. Those bluebird days, full of laughter and challenge, were his favorite. Adam’s kindness and love for life made him unforgettable. Though his time here was far too short, his impact endures in the lives he touched, the laughter he sparked, and the snow he loved so much.
Turning Grief Into Legacy
After Adam’s passing, his family searched for ways to keep his memory alive in a way that reflected who he was – joyful, fearless, and full of heart. “Immediately after Adam’s passing, our friend Pastor Jeff Marian told us to feel the grief and lean into it,” recalls his father, Steve Risvold. “That feeling is our love for Adam. Holding on to it keeps us close, but sharing it allows his story to live on in others.”
Two years ago, Buck Hill introduced Adam’s Box, a park feature built in his honor. Since then, thousands of skiers and snowboarders have ridden across it, each one unknowingly becoming part of his legacy. That single feature inspired the Risvold family to expand the project into something even greater.
This winter, they’re funding the creation of six new freestyle park features, manufactured by Coastal Jibs, each bearing Adam’s name and the refurbishment of two existing park features. These features will offer progression for all skill levels, helping skiers and riders learn, grow, and fall in love with freestyle terrain the same way Adam did. Through these new additions, Adam’s legacy continues as a living, riding, sliding celebration of joy.
Buck Hill: Where Adam’s Story Began
Buck Hill was where Adam learned to ski and where he learned to dream. “Buck Hill was his foundation,” says Steve. “It’s where his love of skiing took hold, the springboard to countless mountains, friendships, and adventures that followed.”
The Risvold family sees this project as a way to give back to the community that gave Adam his start. “The Buck Hill community has been a source of strength for our family,” says Char Risvold, Adam’s mother. “Through this project, we give back a piece of Adam to every new skier and snowboarder. Each fall, each laugh, each small victory on these hills carries his spirit forward, reminding us all that beginnings matter.”
Today, Adam’s nieces and nephews are learning to ski on the same runs he once did, a beautiful reminder that his spirit still guides the family and that his joy continues to ripple through generations.
A Celebration on the Slopes
To celebrate Adam’s life and the unveiling of the new park features, Buck Hill will host the Adam Risvold Fun Jam on Thursday, December 18th.
This free event will be a day of community, riding, and remembrance – a chance for skiers and snowboarders to come together in the spirit of fun that Adam embodied. Riders of all levels are invited to experience the new features, share stories, and enjoy a day dedicated to friendship, laughter, and movement.
More details will be announced soon, but one thing is certain: the Fun Jam will capture everything Adam loved most – freedom, camaraderie, and joy in motion.
The Legacy of Joy
Stand at the base of Buck Hill on a bright winter morning and you’ll feel it – laughter echoing across the slopes and the sound of skis carving and snowboards gliding. In those moments, Adam’s spirit is everywhere. He’s there in the courage it takes to try something new. He’s there in the friendships made on the chairlift. He’s there in every smile that comes from sliding across the snow.
Through these park features, Adam’s love of life continues to inspire. His story will encourage countless others to fall in love with the same sport, the same hill, and the same boundless sense of possibility. This is a gift. A reminder that passion doesn’t fade, and love doesn’t end. It changes form, finding new ways to move, to teach, and to bring joy.
For the Risvold family, these park features are a living reflection of Adam’s heart. The new freestyle elements will soon become favorite spots for riders of all levels – places where laughter, progress, and community come together. And every time someone rides them, Adam’s story will continue.
As Steve so beautifully said, “Each fall, each laugh, each small victory on these hills carries Adam’s spirit forward – reminding us all that beginnings matter.” Because Buck Hill was Adam’s beginning. And now, it will forever carry his memory—guiding every skier and snowboarder who finds joy here, just as he once did.
Adam Christopher Risvold | June 20th, 1984 – August 10th, 2022
He lived with fearless adventure, a gift for laughter, and a heart full of kindness. This hill was his beginning and now it forever carries his memory.