Santa Fe Ski Team coach dies at age 29

Stefan Seigmann, a coach for the Santa Fe Ski Team, died on April 9 in a car accident at age 29. Seigmann was born on August 2, 1987 in Salzburg, Austria, to Hubert and Lisa Seigmann. Seigmann grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico, where his magnetic smile and larger-than-life personality won him friends from around the world.

In his youth, Seigmann spent years on the Sierra Blanca Ruidoso Ski Team, where he raced competitively and honed his skills as a ski coach. In 2012, he joined his father, Hubert, in coaching the Santa Fe Ski Team. For the next five ski seasons, he helped kids of all ages discover the joy of skiing and build the self-confidence to tackle the challenges of the race course. He always pushed the athletes to do better, and at the same time taught them to love the sport. He was a fixture in the Southern Series, and highly respected as a coach wherever his team competed.

Seigmann was an avid outdoorsman who loved to ski, hike, bike, camp and fly fish. Always up for an adventure, he loved every minute of his busy life. He was passionate about photography, and beautifully chronicled his travels throughout the world. When he wasn’t on the ski slopes, he worked as a Surgical Tech at Christus St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe. He took great pride in fully researching each procedure he assisted with, and he was highly respected by nurses and doctors alike for his attention to detail, his generous spirit and his compassion for his patients.

His family was one of the most important parts of Seigmann’s life. He loved working side-by-side with his dad, Hubert, and he had a special relationship with his mother, Lisa. He loved and admired them both, and was one of the rare individuals who shared that love openly. He was always close with his extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Most importantly, Seigmann welcomed all of his many friends and acquaintances into that special group known as family. He embraced everyone he met, and spread his joy for life liberally. Few people positively influenced as many people as Seigmann did.

A celebration will be held at Ski Apache in Ruidoso, New Mexico on Saturday, April 29 at noon. The celebration will be held on Easy Street, so please wear comfortable walking shoes.

Release from the Santa Fe Ski Team