A promising young skier from Wyoming mysteriously drowned in a California hot tub, leaving his devastated family searching for answers.
Holden Parazette, 26, of Jackson Hole, died July 9 in Huntington Beach. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
His parents, Andy and Danielle Parazette, said their son drowned in a hot tub and stressed that drugs and alcohol did not play a role.
The local coroner’s office has confirmed the investigation is still ongoing.
Parazette had spent most of his life on the slopes.
He joined the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club when he was just 6 years old and went on to become an elite ski racer.
After graduating from high school in 2018, Parazette won a U19 giant slalom championship race at the Junior Nationals the following year.
He later attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where he continued skiing while studying physics.
Parazette graduated from Middlebury in February 2024 with a degree in physics before moving on to the University of Utah, where he pursued a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and worked with the school’s ski team.
The University of Utah Ski Team remembered him for his “unforgettable laugh” and his ability to keep life in perspective.
“Once a Ute, always a Ute,” the team wrote in a tribute.
Despite his impressive accomplishments, Parazette was reportedly never consumed by his own success.
After winning the Junior Nationals event in 2019, he told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that skiing was ultimately about enjoying himself.
“At the end of the day, it’s about having fun and doing what you like,” he said. “And it seems pretty cliche, but for me, it’s just that I’m skiing.”
His family described him as intelligent, curious and deeply thoughtful.
His mother, Danielle, said he was unusually comfortable with who he was from a young age.
“Holden was a deep thinker, and for a young man, all the things that he did and experienced, he was definitely comfortable with himself,” she said. “He was not your typical teenager.”
After college, Parazette traveled around the world but remained especially close to his brothers.
When his brother Noah left for college, Parazette sent him a note offering advice and reminding him that he would always be there.
“You’re the man. Keep making good friends and calculated bad decisions,” he wrote. “Don’t forget to have fun at college, and I’m always a phone call away.”
Noah said his brother had a rare ability to connect with people without changing who he was.
“He was Holden, no matter what,” Noah said. “He wouldn’t change, but he would also try to form a connection with every single person he met.”
Parazette’s sudden death has stunned those who knew him as both a talented athlete and a thoughtful young man with a promising future.
For now, his family is still waiting for answers about exactly how a 26-year-old championship skier ended up drowning in a hot tub.