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Our SkiSailor

Ursula

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
With a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, I am posting this. Our SkiSailor did her last run on this earth. She gave it all, she fought the cancer with all her might. She lived longer than any of her doctors predicted, but the C finally took the toll. She passed away this morning at 3:48 ET In the arms of her family.
Wendy, you changed her life with this forum and your organized trips. That is how she came to Big Sky and became an outstanding ski instructor. The forum kept her company in many sleepless nights. So, Thank You, Wendy, for touching our lives in such a way!

May we all be able to make more powder runs with Laura in our minds, more hikes in the woods, more bike rides in nature, more sailing trips on boats, and more discussions about how skiing can be fun!
 

MsWax

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I am so incredibly sad to hear this. My family and I took our first trip to Big Sky this winter and she was so helpful with her trail recommendations and advice. I know we would not have had the wonderful experience we did without her. I never met her in person, but she will be missed.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I was thinking about her and another Diva that we haven't heard from in some time. Ursula, I know you took under your wing and that she enjoyed life because of it.

I met Laura at Diva East many years ago, before the Cancer. Heaven has another angel.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
I'd known Skisailor/Laura since early 2011, when she attended Diva East (first east gathering) at Sugarloaf, ME. We'd skied together quite a few times since, prior to her relocating west. So very sad to read this.

I have many lovely pictures, which I will post as soon as I can.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I am so very sad to hear this. Grateful that I got to spend time with her at diva west last year.. Laura was actually the first diva I met in person when I attended my first Diva East at Whiteface in 2012, and has always held a special place in my heart since then. She fought a long and hard fight, and will be so missed.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Oh No- I am beyond heartbroken. What sad news.
Please let there be a heaven that gives her endless powder runs!!
She was one of the toughest but NICEST persons on the planet-
She Fought the cancer battle with grace and dignity and many had no clue how sick she was.
And what an incredible skier and teacher-
I too am grateful to have known her and skied with her.
Heaven gained an angel and now she is one of the brightest stars in the night sky.
My sincere sympathies to her family and all of her friends.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
What terrible news. I didn't realize she was sick. I met her at the first Diva West at Big Sky. She was so welcoming and helpful.
 

lisamamot

Angel Diva
Oh, no, not Laura - my heart is breaking. I too met Laura out at Big Sky on my very first Diva trip....she was such an incredibly kind person, an amazing skier and teacher - her positive spirit was just an all around delight and I enjoyed every moment with her. We spent time with her on a family trip out there as well years later....she took me up to the peak and I was fortunate enough to get to spend a bit of time skiing with just her and I. I will cherish those memories and pictures.

Hugs to her family and everyone that loved her - such a loss to us all.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Okay, now that I've had a chance to process this a bit, I can post.

Laura. What can I say. I met her first virtually through the forum, and then in person at the first Diva East at Sugarloaf in 2011. You know how sometimes you meet someone and you just click? Well, that was me and Laura. I love all of you, but Laura was something special. We became really good friends and had an absolute blast together. Laura stayed at my house a number of times and some of my most memorable ski days were spent with her. She even went on the famous Ski Safari (10 ski areas in 10 days!) with me, RachelV, QuiverQueen, and vanhoskier in 2013. We went all over New England in some brutally cold weather, and had so, so much fun. When she moved to Big Sky, I didn't see her nearly as much. But we usually met up at the Diva West trips, and even though she was far away, I was glad she had moved because she was so, so happy.

Laura was probably one of the best skiers I know. She had beautiful form and grace, and just flowed like water down the mountain. Sure, all of us here love skiing, but Laura LOOOOOVED skiing. My husband said she was the only one he knew whose passion matched my own. Personally, I think it was even more. She was also a fabulous instructor, generous with her time and knowledge, and an absolute pleasure to be around. @Ursula , if you read this, I can't tell you how much your friendship and mentoring meant to her. But you know that already.

Divas, we lost one of the great ones today, and the world is a sorrier place for it. My heart is broken, and I will always cherish the memories of the great times we had together. She was my friend, and I will miss her.

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ride_ski

Angel Diva
Oh this is such terrible news. I know we were all really pulling for her and hoping that she would beat the odds. Laura was such a joy to be around and ski with. On my DH's and my first trip out west to Utah (before we attended any Diva West trips), Laura drove out to spend a few days with us at Alta/Snowbird. Following that, we had many more times to ski with her. And the last Diva West at Big Sky she was so great to me after I broke myself. DH and I will miss her very much. He loved skiing with her as much as the rest of us did.
 

Marigee

Angel Diva
This news makes me very sad. I met Laura at Sugarloaf at Diva East in 2011. She took @RachelV and I cross country skiing the day temps were below freezing and the lifts weren’t running. We were both new to cross country skiing, and she helped us learn the ropes. I am really glad I was able to ski with her in March 2019 At Big Sky. I took a lesson with her and with just a few tweaks she was able to help me with a problem I had been having with my skiing. I will miss her enthusiasm and knowledge on this forum, and will always thing of her when I am at working on my skiing form. RIP Laura, hope you are ripping down the slopes in Heaven.
 

mountainwest

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So sad to hear this news. I’m glad that I finally got to meet her at Diva West this year after finding her posts on this forum very helpful for many years. She was an amazing skier, and I am sad that I won’t be meeting up with her at Big Sky next season. I didn’t realize and couldn’t tell that she was fighting cancer. She will be missed.
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
This news makes me very sad. I met Laura at Sugarloaf at Diva East in 2011. She took @RachelV and I cross country skiing the day temps were below freezing and the lifts weren’t running. We were both new to cross country skiing, and she helped us learn the ropes. I am really glad I was able to ski with her in March 2019 At Big Sky. I took a lesson with her and with just a few tweaks she was able to help me with a problem I had been having with my skiing. I will miss her enthusiasm and knowledge on this forum, and will always thing of her when I am at working on my skiing form. RIP Laura, hope you are ripping down the slopes in Heaven.
enhance
 

MaineSkiLady

Angel Diva
Many, many more pics. Also videos. Will share when I have more time.
 

Mistletoes

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Such very sad news. Although I never met her, her posts were always a must read. She conveyed a sincere love and passion for the sport, everyday women in it and the outdoors. Her contributions to this forum will be missed dearly. Wishing all her family and friends hurting at this time peace, health and goodwill.
 

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