Lawsuit Filed Against Park City Ski and Snowboard, UT, Over Teen’s Cliff-Jumping Injury

The parents of a Park City, Utah, teenager have filed a lawsuit against Park City Ski & Snowboard (PCSS) and affiliated organizations, claiming their daughter suffered severe injuries after being encouraged to cliff-jump during a team trip in 2021. The athlete, identified in court documents as H.K., was 14 years old at the time and had trained with PCSS for years as a competitive alpine skier.

As reported by ABC4.com, the lawsuit was filed in May 2025 and states the incident occurred during a summer training camp at Mt. Hood, Oregon, during an off-snow activity. On June 30, 2021, H.K. and roughly 21 other youth athletes visited Punchbowl Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, where coaches allegedly directed them to leap from cliff heights ranging from 20 to 70 feet. H.K. completed several jumps before a final jump ended in disaster. She landed on rocks below, shattering bones and suffering severe nerve damage in both feet and ankles. The injury has required multiple surgeries and extensive physical therapy, with ongoing chronic pain and permanent effects on her athletic future.

The lawsuit alleges gross negligence by PCSS staff, stating that the cliff-jumping activity was neither disclosed to parents nor part of any formal training plan. The girl’s parents, Malcolm Kostuchenko and Susan Burlazzi, say they were told the camp would involve typical “dryland” conditioning—hiking, swimming, and related activities—not high-risk stunts. PCSS does not operate a cliff-jumping program, and the coaches leading the outing were reportedly not trained or qualified in overseeing such activities.

The complaint argues that H.K. and other youth trusted their coaches implicitly due to their professional standing and connection to elite-level athletes. That trust, her parents say, was profoundly misplaced. They contend the coaches’ encouragement of the activity, without proper safety measures or parental consent, constitutes a breach of duty and a failure to protect the wellbeing of the athletes.

“This case is about a young girl who was catastrophically injured after her coaches, without her parents’ knowledge or consent, pressured her to jump off a cliff,” the family’s attorneys said in a public statement. “Her injuries are permanent. Her pain is daily. Her dreams have been stolen.”

Despite her injuries, H.K., now 18, continued to compete with PCSS through the 2025 season. However, her parents say she continues to struggle with pain, reduced mobility, and limitations that have impacted her career trajectory.

The lawsuit names Park City Ski & Snowboard, the Utah Athletic Foundation, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, and several individual coaches. The family is seeking financial and punitive damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, and long-term consequences of the incident. The case, initially filed in Salt Lake County, is expected to be moved to Summit County (home to Park City). No court date has been set. PCSS has declined to comment on the pending litigation.