Denys Liboz, 1943-2011

My good friend Denys passed away this morning at 9 am in Phoenix, Arizona, surrounded by his daughter, son and brother. I met him for the first time in 1974 when I began working for Look bindings. He already lived in Lake Tahoe and was the brand's racer chaser in the United States. I think we “clicked” right away. He was a no-nonsense man, a doer and never hid behind false appearances. A tough guy to some, he was genuine, a rare quality, already back then and even more today. I'll always remember the days we occasionally skied together in the Alps, during the US ski team fall training and at some of the World Cup venues. I've always admired – and also envied – his brute strength and bottomless stamina.

My wife and I stayed once at his home in Lake Tahoe and this might have been the beginning of our infatuation with the American West. A bit later, at a 1978 sales meeting, we skied again together in new powder snow on Aspen Mountain; We were ripping down the hill like crazy along with Tom Leroy; an unforgettable ride! I perfectly remember the many occasions we'd enjoy a morning run together along the San Francisco Bay; Denys always set the pace and led the way... Later, our relationship focused more on business and less on fun-oriented activities, but Denys had already made his mark on me and I continued to admire his independent spirit, his ruggedness and his inner strength.

About a decade ago Denys was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a terrible ailment that he fought teeth and nails and seemed to have overcome in spite of having to deal with some severe chronic consequences. We would stop at Lake Tahoe every time we'd drive to California and get together. We had lunch for the last time this past August in Tahoe City. Late 2010, his illness returned with a vengeance and by that time, Denys no longer had any strength left to keep on fighting. All along, Denys had been an inspiration to me and I've grown to appreciate him even more as he struggled with his ordeal; his fighting spirit made a strong, positive and everlasting impression on me.