“The snowboarding community lost a hero on Sunday [December 23, 2012]. Drake Edwards was an incredible human being, he touched my life and the lives of everyone he knew with his massively kind heart and patient, caring and peaceful attitude. Drake and I were Lodge counselors at High Cascade together this past summer, and the entire HCSC community is crushed by the loss of our friend and brother, we’re honored, grateful and proud to have called Drake Edwards a part of our team.
Drake represented all of what High Cascade and snowboarding are all about, friendship, kindness, responsibility, respect for everyone and everything, trust, generosity, teamwork and most importantly fun. The best part about waking up every day with Drake is that no matter how tired or beat we were from the previous day of counseling little rippers and shredders, Drake was always so stoked to get back up on hill, and share his passion and stoke with those around him.
I remember my first week of camp, training with Drake and thinking how hard it was going to be to sleep comfortably with this hairy blonde dude snoring away every night in the bunk above me, little did I know that after a days work in the lodge at HCSC we’d be able to sleep through practically anything. Drake’s snoring never actually bothered me, and I was always amazed that no matter how much I teased him about it, or how exhausted we were, he never once took it badly, he could laugh at himself like nobody I ever met.
Campers and employees alike looked up to Drake, he was a staple of happiness and that awesome attitude that only a guy like him could really embody, not a mean bone in his body, one might cliché. I don’t know if I could even count the amount of times Drake put the sheets on my campers beds for me, or saw them off at 4 am on departure day when I or another lodge counselor accidentally slept through our alarm.
To Drake’s friends and family at SPU, the community of West Linn, Warner, Jennifer and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, I want everyone who loved and cared for Drake to know that by being apart of our lives, and thousands of campers lives this summer and in seasons past; Drake was snowboarding. Drake embodied the spirit and attitude of the sport that he loved so, and he helped us get back to the very basics of what we all shred for, the fun and enjoyment of life, love, friendship and family. We all loved him so much, may he shred in peace.”
-Mike Grasso, fellow HCSC Counselor and friend to Drake
Photo and quote via: TransWorld Business
Drake Aron Edwards Memorial Scholarship: The Drake Aron Edwards Memorial Scholarship was created to remember and encourage the spirit of counselor Drake Edwards who so embodied High Cascade’s mission of Life Improvement through Snowboarding. This scholarship will be awarded to the applicant who best demonstrates their efforts to improving lives of others and is available to first time campers, only. To learn more about Drake, click here to see a great “Day in the Life of Drake Edwards” video made for his freshman year of college at Seattle Pacific University.
“Some people express themselves through art, others dance, or even stamp collecting, but I do it through Snowboarding. The creative process that occurs when you’re using a piece of wood and some frozen water is second to none in my mind. It’s a huge part of who I am. Enjoy!”
- Drake Edwards
For more information about the Drake Aron Edwards Memorial Scholarship and other Scholarship opportunities at High Cascade Snowboard Camp click here.
HCSC Staff installed a HCSC Rail in memory of Drake at the legendary Rail Gardens in SLC, Utah.
Shred In Peace, Drake. You are missed.
Tags: Drake Edwards, Friends, fun, HCSC, High Cascade Snowboard Camp, RIP, summer
This is so great to see. Drake was an amazing person and his presence will be sorely missed. Last year during session 2 the first day was a rain day, and everyone was so bummed except for Drake. I had never seen someone so excited about going to OMSI, and I have a feeling I will never see anyone so excited to go to OMSI ever again. I never saw Drake frown or lose his temper, and he was just as stoked, if not more stoked than any camper to be at High Cascade. He truly loved snowboarding and he loved High Cascade, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone with that much passion for snowboarding. I can imagine that working at the lodge as a counselor for a whole summer you might get a little sick of having to deal with kids, but Drake was never anything but stoked. Stoked to be at High Cascade, stoked to snowboard, stoked to tramp skate, stoked for everything. Although I only knew Drake for a brief couple of weeks, I will never forget him. I’ll be shredding for Drake until I can shred no more!