A rising young skier’s sudden death in a California hot tub has left his family grieving and searching for answers after what they described as a baffling drowning.
Holden Parazette, 26, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, died on July 9 in Huntington Beach, with officials still investigating the circumstances of the tragedy, according to the Daily Mail.
His parents, Andy and Danielle Parazette, said their son drowned in a hot tub and stressed that neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in his death.
The local coroner’s office has confirmed that the inquiry into Parazette’s death is still ongoing, the outlet reported.
Parazette’s life had long been shaped by skiing. He joined the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club when he was just 6 years old and later developed into an elite racer.
After finishing high school in 2018, he captured a U19 giant slalom championship race at the Junior Nationals the next year, then continued his skiing career at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Parazette graduated from Middlebury in February 2024 with a degree in physics before enrolling at the University of Utah, where he was pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering while working with the ski team.
In a tribute, the University of Utah Ski Team remembered Parazette for his “unforgettable laugh” and his gift for helping others keep things in perspective.
“Once a Ute, always a Ute,” the team wrote in a tribute.
Behind his accomplishments was a hardworking young man dedicated to his family’s Jackson Hole community since he was a baby; his parents told the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Even after becoming a championship skier, Parazette remained remarkably unfazed by his own success.
“At the end of the day, it’s about having fun and doing what you like,” he told the News & Guide after his 2019 Junior Nationals victory. “And it seems pretty cliche, but for me, it’s just that I’m skiing.”
His family described him as an intellectual introvert who was intensely curious, comfortable in his own skin, and constantly challenged those around him to consider another point of view.
“Holden was a deep thinker, and for a young man, all the things that he did and experienced, he was definitely comfortable with himself,” Danielle said. “He was not your typical teenager.”
After graduating, he traveled around the world, but remained especially close to his brothers.
When his brother Noah left for college, Parazette sent him a note saying: “You’re the man. Keep making good friends and calculated bad decisions. Don’t forget to have fun at college, and I’m always a phone call away.”
“He was Holden, no matter what,” Noah told the outlet. “He wouldn’t change, but he would also try to form a connection with every single person he met.”
