Olympic Snowboarder Remembers Fatal Hit and Run Victim Mallory Dies With Special Message
The victim of a suspected Santa Barbara drunk driver was remembered by her friend Greg Bretz, who is also an Olympic snowboarder.
Bretz had a special message for Mallory Dies on the bottom of his board when he competed, and won the DEW Tour iON Mountain Championships recently in Breckenridge, Colo.
It read, “This run is for you Mallory.” The “O” was in the shape of a heart.
The competition was televised and a clip with the special message on the board is on line on YouTube.
Dies passed away last week after she was hit by a suspected drunk driver on Anacapa St. in Santa Barbara December 6th.
The 27 year old bartender was remembered in several emotional events this week including a memorial at Shoreline Park overlooking the ocean Monday, and a fundraiser at Blush restaurant on State St. Sunday to raise money to cover medical costs.
Bretz and Dies had met several times on his trips to Santa Barbara to see mutual friends and had developed a bond. The snowboarding star has told friends he will have Dies’ name on his boards in future events and in the Olympics if he makes it for the February games.
Bretz was 12th at the 2010 Olympics, and lives in Mammoth Lakes.
The event last week was the first of five Olympic selection events for freeskiing and snowboarding, and Bretz says he is confident he will make the team for the upcoming games.
