BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah — A confrontation between a snowboarder and a homeowner with a shotgun in Big Cottownwood Canyon has gone viral after being caught on video, with the snowboarder saying it was a scenario that he could never imagine.
The video was shot by experienced snowboarder Loren Richardson who says it's a scenario he never imagined.
"We’re all out here having fun. I hope no one dies snowboarding by someone shooting them. It’s wild. I still can’t grasp that happened," said Loren Richardson.
Richardson says he and a few friends were renting a cabin near the homeowner seen in the video, a place they picked specifically for its ski-in, ski-out convenience.
"They have gates you can get there and the whole area brings us right to our cabin," he said. "And that’s what we did."
According to Brighton Mayor Dan Knopp, the property the group was staying out has no way out other than to cross someone else's property. When Richardson was out filming while snowboarding, he came upon the homeowner who immediately pushes him and says he's trespassing on private property.
"Do it again and there will be holes in you," the property owner threatened.
Richardson is heard apologizing while walking away as the man yelled, "I have every right to protect my private property!"
A few yards away, the group of snowboarders meet up as Richardson shared what happened to him.
"They’ve got no trespassing signs, we get that. But what’s not acceptable is standing there with a gun and menacing people," said Knopp.
The mayor added the city is working with Unified Police, hoping to deescalate the tension between homeowners, local skiers and boarders and avoid anything like what happened from occurring again in the future.
"We’re a small community," said Knopp, "we usually handle this ourselves. I’ve got a couple of his friends talking to him. We want it to just take a notch down.
The problem in the area near Old Prospect Avenue, which is city-owned, is that skiers and snowboarders who backcountry ski have to go through some private drives to get there.
"I’ve got dozens everyday coming right by my window. And the way I look at it is, they were skiing there way before I built my house. So you’ve got to respect it from both sides, but the way it’s getting handled right now is not good. So we’re working on it," said Knopp.
Richardson films skiers and boarders, and then shares it all on social media. On this current trip alone, he has visited at least a half dozen resorts.
"This was not what I wanted to film. Ever," he said.
Richardson and Mayor Knopp hope the encounters don’t get worse.
"In the comment section, I’m reading everyone’s posts," explained Richardson. "There’s neighbors saying he does this and things like that … it’s like what!? How could someone be living on a resort and having a snowboarder go by and have a gun at him?
"It's like living on a golf course and not expecting golf balls at your house."
For now, the message to everyone is to remember the peaceful setting and enjoy their time in the great outdoors.
While the incident did not occur at Brighton Ski Resort, officials there said, “we want to convey our profound concern and highlight our ongoing collaboration with the private landowners within the community, the Town of Brighton, and the Unified Police Department. Together, we aim to prevent any recurrence of such occurrences in the future.”
