OCR Text |
Show rryvr1 www THE PARK RECORD www park record.com Profil B-5 e WEDNESDAY, MAY ! 7, 2000 ifm'mmjjwwawjfft!im 4 se5&3& m4frMmU!iw Aft Parkites outdoor adventures pale Series of personal tragedies combined with timely marriage help bolster will of Park City man by Dorekt Jensen OF THE RECORD STAFF Like most active kids growing up in the boundless American West. Dustin Sturges was wide-eyed and restless, pursuing pur-suing every mountain activity his energy would allow. Saddled at age three with the incomprehension incom-prehension of his parent's divorce, the youngster was whisked to Colorado and iater Park City, where he would seek solace sol-ace from the uncertainty of a broken family in high energy friends and the glorious glo-rious mountains of the Wasatch range. Increasingly bored with the strictures of school. Sturges turned rebellious toward both the teachers he no longer respected and the system he deemed too confining. As an outlet, the wiry, energetic boy found music, a means through which his singing and playing guitar proved therapeutic. But it was his intertwined con- necoop with his friends and the outdoors, along with a longing for normalcy in his family, that kept Sturges grounded while growing up at 7.U00 feet. That is, until a string of tragedies, culminating with the suicide of his mother on the dawn of the new Millennium, shook the mmm already troubled foundation out from under Dustin Sturges' feet. Youth on the rocks Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1976 only to move to California and back, followed by a shift to Fort Collins. Colo. all while htf was si H a toddler. Sturges learned early w hat it fell like to be displaced. dis-placed. After his parents' divorce. Sturges spent time with his father in Colorado only to move again when he w as six - this time to Park City. Hoping to join his brother, who was a Park City teacher who sold real estate. Sturges father moved the family to tlw Wasatch Back, w here he would soon discover dis-cover worthwhile contracting opportunities. opportuni-ties. ' t Sturges would discover Parley's Elementary and a host of women his father dated whom Dustin would later refer to as "my surrogate mothers." "It was great. Dad was dating Donna VanBiiren for a long tune, he said KEJUmFllKCUE Unsurpassed views of the Park dty Mountain Resort This four bedroom home is situated perfectly on the Perk ' ' Meadows Golf Course. Features include: four fireplaces, fire-places, over four bans. 5.000 ' square feet end a separate studyoffice. Th.s home is a dream come true! fnhjM Laewen S7S3.KM This Jeremy Ranch home is perfect per-fect for entertaining and having ; tun! four bedrooms, three fuH baths, two fireplaces and 5,520 sq. ft Stunning Great Room with 32 ceilings, solid Oek cibmets. leaded antique glass, and tons of foom and storage. Golf course lot For 24 hour recorded information please call 1 -800-787-5920 Ad 3003 KkrityMjwf - y - tOLOexLUS - KEW KC-E w1T9l ACKEttE ; ' This brand new home in Francis is amazing! 1.24 acres with mature trees, an oversized ' three car garage, four bedrooms, bed-rooms, two and a half baths, 2.400 square (eet jetted tubs. Imagine Rving in this brand ew home wth nice views and acreage! For 24 hour recorded . information please can" 1-100-787-5320 Ad 2C03. it'."-: iOieXClaxinS b:ElAXFT.CSfC:TT;ECX located on the Park Meadow GoK Course, this 2 bedroom loft 1.75 bath condo with 1.S3 su,feetismc9fy maintainei ihroushout Offering txcclaat views and a petcsfJ kZZxj. ttas . condoweaHntloRSI Ksf A Ltny rststst was my atom for a lot of years." Shortly after. Dustin's real mother moved to Park City. From second grace on, the boy split time between his contentious con-tentious parents. "I just kind of bounced back and forth. It wasnt difficult for me. They did a good job of keeping that (arguments) too themselves." Dustin said while flowing, "but I wasnt the easiest kid." By age ei&ht, this time with another "surrogate mom," Dustin stayed occupied occu-pied by singing harmony on an album recorded in Provo by a local folk band. He would later attend gigs with his dad and the folk singer - occasionally getting onstage to sing. 1 got to go to Wyoming and see Yellowstone." beamed Dustin. while sitting sit-ting at his Prospector home not far from an acoustic guitar. I had to teach her to ski so she could get up to where they were going to spread his ashes. " - Dustin Sturges Since learning guitar. Dustin has been playing ever since. About three years ago. Dustin and Scott Wilson, a climbing buddy he's known since the second grade, released a CD they recorded in Salt Lake. Since then, he has played frequently fre-quently with Zafod's infamous live music taxi. During this year's Sundance Film Festival. Dustin played his first live gig at the Sundance Resort's Owl bar. "It was nice - it was mellow." he added. "I just played for food and tips." While reminiscing about his teen years. Dustin admits he struggled in school, skipping the better part of his first two high school years, "If I didn't respect the teacher. I wouldn't bother showing up for class." he said. Once in a hole academically, he a$ forced to make up the credits through correspondence courses during his final two years of high school. "With Park Lily being a little prep SJefeMaeyf kicked. me zi7 r JLv ...enrajtt" yr sfa prijj r r , KcurnAiN RESoai realty , - r-?"r' out the door," he added. After graduating with a 1.9 grade point average Dustin tried college though "it wasnt serious -! took Kucg Fu and French." During his time away from the desk. Dustin retreated to the mountains. As a former Park City ski team member until he was 12. he tr.J freestyle where he competed for a year. Finding it again, too structured, he spent his teenage years snowboarding. But at 18, realizing the freedom of the back country. Dustin returned to skis - and even sought work at a local resort. "I applied for ski patrol at every single mountain around here, but found that unless you're 21 they wonl let you throw bombs!" he said, frustrated that he was wasting his EMT license. Instead, Dustin decided to throw classes. He taught ski school lessons at Park City for one year followed by four at the former Wolf Mountain. During the stint, he also ran a program at the Norwegian School, where the Parkite taught 1 1-13-year-olds how to ski. Prior to that. Dustin taught himself how to rock climb. It allowed one more avenue to escape from the pressures pres-sures of school and teenage angst. "We all went out and started rock climbing like idiots.' he said. "I'm amazed we didn't kill ourselves. We didnt know what we ere doing." In 2995 Dustin climbed for 200 days straight. During that time, he also launched a short-lived climbing chool in Park City called Tazmanian Adventures. After a year, the project petered out. Peaks aad alleys In the midst of Dustin's formative years in Park City, the lively outdoors-man outdoors-man faced unthinkable personal trials. As a freshman in high school. Dustin befriended Ryan Eslinger, who moved to Utah from Peach City. Ga. Eslinger. whose parents would later finance Dustin's album, became a close friend despite suffering from the maladies of schizophrenia. "He really had a hard time with it." Dustin said. "It is an ugly disease." Forced to take a high level of drugs to control the symptoms. Eslinger began to deteriorate in Dustin's eyes. "He was so jacked up on all the stuff they were giving giv-ing him. he didn't know if he w as cormn' 3 - against bouts with life ft BUI CONU. ZCOC AiTvongst a healthy rash o! outdoor gear, Dustin Sturges finds room to sit on the tailgate of his truck. The 23-year-old has overcome a laundry list of hardships hard-ships to launch a successful Internet gukfing business. At 19, Es'ingershoi himself. Delivered by the tragedy, however, was Fslmgcr's former Peach City girlfriend. girl-friend. Rachel, ho came to Park City two years later to pay her condolences. Once in town. Rachel met and quickly bonde-1 with Dustin. 1 had to teach her to ski so she could gel up to where they were going to spread his ashes Dusim said. 9 - 1 ill aaJWV.I $351008 1 $415,008 Kat7 & Lany Pavsasa SO.4550 After a bnef stmt in Memphis. Rachel returned to Park Citv in the spring of "98. Together with Eslinger s parents. Rach'.'l and Dustin oo a trip io the Waterpocket Fold south of Capitol Reef. On an ensuing trip to California they became close - and were man ted one year ago this month. But 'hile Rachel proved to be a sta- CKEAT SEER VALLEY LOCATION The Powder Run condominiums are wonderfully located in lower Deer Valley. Situated steps to Snow Park Lodge and on me fre4 Park City bus route. Mountain Resort Realty c jrrentty has two outstanding condos for sale. Both offer 2 bedrooms. 2.S baths and 1,500 square feet You must see to appreciate! WEBER RtYER FtQKTASE IN OAKLEY Four bedroom home situated n a fabulous location backs up to fixes and the Weber River1 The unfinished tower level offers 1.450 sq. ft. a bath & kitchen already plumbed, and its own entrance The finished upstairs ofers 2.700 sq. ft and a wonderful floor plan. Both floors could be combined for a total of 4,1 50 sq. ft Kaeky a. Larry Ptarete 141453 WKSEtm K8KE II tXATICJ RETREAT UnobsJucted views of mountains moun-tains end ski resorts from this wonderful 4 bedroom. 3.75 bath home with h separata office den. Situated on the Part Meadows Golf Course, this home Ht comphts with fabulous landscsping. new paint thrcugh-out thrcugh-out and new granite countertops m the Uchea KglariiNewea CSIBCXZmL VIEWS! Few properties offer true ski-inski-out convenience and unobstructed ski run views! This one bedroom, two bath condo gives you this and more; private deck, fireplace, underground under-ground parking and lock-out capabilities for grcatar rental options. Newly deccvated. 4 w eaw pppwwaan .hcwu-jm-m i UltD 83.775exL23 - '- iv 3 -V. I L IBIliaiiaia1eBaBjBfaHMaaHaaEMB |