Obituary: Rick Vetromile

September 16, 1944 – February 16, 2026

Longtime local Rick Vetromile died peacefully at his Willits home on Feb. 16, 2026, after facing health challenges for several years. The previous evening, friends and family had gathered round, reminiscing and talking story about this man who will be remembered as a giant in the world of snowsports education – and who will be deeply missed.
Fellow ski pros were drawn into his orbit by his contagious passion for teaching and his relentless drive to help colleagues and guests achieve greatness on the mountain. Rick was inclusive throughout his career. His generosity of spirit, and his unflagging openness to mentoring other pros, made his Smuggler living room the hub for evenings of movement analysis and watching ski racing footage. His time and attention were offered freely to all who sought him out. He spent a lifetime challenging generations of skiers to seek the perfect turn. His legacy created a ripple effect of excellence.
Rick was born Sept. 16, 1944 in coastal Norwalk, CT, enjoying a childhood of both skiing and sailing. He raced for Nasson College’s alpine team in Springvale, ME. He moved to Aspen in 1967, hired by then-director Curt Chase to join his ski school staff. Rick made Aspen his home, spending 58 years with the Aspen Skiing Co. as an instructor, trainer and examiner. He served as Aspen Mountain’s lead trainer for decades, pushing the team to remain curious. Beyond his SkiCo family, he moved the entire industry forward through his work as a clinic leader and examiner for PSIA, serving a stint as Vice-President of Education. He sparked spirited debates among other top educators countrywide and guided countless ski pros in improving not only their skiing but also their teaching skills.
Summer months found him drawn to his lifelong love of the ocean. He headed to the Pacific Northwest for more small-boat racing while he worked on refurbishing wooden boats. Then the new sport of windsurfing caught his attention.
Meanwhile, he had met his future wife, Denise Benham, during a locals’ ski clinic. Together they began a life of adventurous undertakings, traveling to the wilds of northern Australia to work offshore for a South-Seas pearling company – and to windsurf. On one return trip to CO, they stopped on Maui. Discovering big waves and high winds, they decided this was where they wanted to live part-year. They found employment within the windsurfing industry and were married there in 1985.
Rick became a force in the windsurfing community on Maui. As director of Hi-Tech’s Maui Race Series, a summer-long venue for slalom racing, he set courses and presided over rapid-fire heats of racers, guiding them through the rules of racing. Some 100 windsurfers (locals as well as sailors from the mainland and other countries) competed in amateur and professional divisions from 1986 to 2019.
Daughter Dominique was born on Maui and raised in the family’s dual environments: wind, sand and sea in the summer; snow, cold and high-altitude mountains in the winter.
Rick was a lifelong learner, attending the Rossignol Race Camp each spring at Mammoth, as well as staying engaged in road biking and scuba diving. He carved out time for family trips to Tanzania, Uganda, Alaska and the Galapagos. He and Denise left Maui one summer to travel in Europe while Dominique was studying in Italy – he loved being a dad.
Rick is survived by his loving family: his wife of 40 years, Denise Benham Vetromile; their daughter Dominique Vetromile Crawford; treasured son-in-law John Crawford; twin brother Bobb and older brother Thom (both of Sandpoint, ID); sister-in-law Lori Benham; and mother-in-law Laura Benham.
His ashes will be spread on Aspen Mountain and within a “living reef” memorial park off the Florida coast. Those wishing to send condolences may contribute to the Scott Kane GoFundMe, a gesture championing Rick’s sense of community and generosity. A celebration of life will take place before the ski season ends.