Industry News
Former pro-skier David Lesh was yesterday cited for illegally swimming in Hanging Lake and snowmobiling in a Keystone Resort, CO terrain park.
Lesh, 35, founder and owner of Virtika clothing company, faced six misdemeanor charges in the US District Court in Grand Junction, CO.
In April Lesh posted images on Instagram of him riding a snowmobile in a terrain park at Keystone Resort. The resort had been closed to the public since March 15th when the Colorado Governor ordered all ski areas closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The incident was one count of the allegations.
A further five counts were tied to Lesh’s alleged entry of Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon on June 10, an incident again documented on Instagram.
The Hanging Lake charges include:
- Entering an area closed for the protection of threatened, endangered, rare, unique, or vanishing plants, animals, or fish when entering the Hanging Lake National Natural Landmark Area
- Entering an area closed for the protection of special biological communities
- Entering an area closed for the protection of property
- Entering an area closed for the protection of historical, archeological, geological, or paleontological interest
- Entering a prohibited body of water
- Each charge holds a potential penalty of not more than six months imprisonment, not more than a $5,000 fine or both, according to the document that was filed. The U.S Attorney’s Office indicated it would not seek imprisonment
Each charge holds a potential penalty of not more than six months imprisonment, not more than a $5,000 fine or both, according to the document that was filed. The U.S Attorney’s Office indicated it would not seek imprisonment. Lesh is due in court on September 21st to face the six new charges.
Back in June, Lesh was fined $500 and ordered to perform 50 hours of public service this summer for illegally riding his snowmobile near the summit of a snowless Independence Pass near Aspen, CO in summer 2019.
Lesh is no stranger to ‘bad publicity’, often engaging in stunts that garner public attention. In August 2019 he crash-landed his plane into Half Moon Bay off the California Coast, live streaming the plane sinking and the whole rescue operation.
- Related: VIDEO: Former Pro-Skier David Lesh Crashed His Plane into Half Moon Bay Off California on Tuesday
Back in July 2014, Lesh was arrested and charged with arson, following a fire at the Virtika warehouse in Boulder, caused during the filming of a promotional video.
Lesh, a Denver, CO resident, posted pictures on Instagram in April of himself snowmobiling in a terrain park at Keystone, with the caption “solid park sesh, no lift ticket needed.”
#NEW Excuse the language, BUT moments before this video was taken, these two went down with their plane. Incredible!
No injuries, other than a few jellyfish stings.
Details 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼https://t.co/du3ta4kICe #abc7now pic.twitter.com/gChI2Mv68O
— Amanda del Castillo (@AmandaABC7) August 21, 2019
