Park City ski family seeks damages after daughter’s cliff jumping injuries

Punchbowl Falls in Oregon. Photo: Brandon Johnson

PARK CITY, Utah — The parents of a Park City teenager are suing Park City Ski & Snowboard (PCSS) and several affiliated organizations and staff members, claiming their daughter was seriously injured during a team outing in Oregon that wasn’t disclosed to families.

The civil complaint, filed in Utah’s Third District Court in early May, alleges that 14-year-old H.K., a competitive skier with PCSS, was encouraged by coaches to jump off cliffs at Punchbowl Falls while on a summer training trip to Mt. Hood in 2021. During one of the jumps, the teen reportedly landed on rocks and sustained major injuries, including multiple broken bones and nerve damage, to both feet and ankles.

PCSS confirmed that H.K., who is now 18, continued competing as an athlete with the club through the 2025 season.

Her parents, Malcolm Kostuchenko and Susan Burlazzi, are seeking damages and allege that PCSS staff acted negligently by planning the outing without proper safety measures and without informing parents in advance.

“Defendants were responsible for the supervision and safety of H.K. but, in complete dereliction of their duties, Defendants actively encouraged H.K. and other children to repeatedly jump off the cliffside at Punchbowl Falls from heights of approximately twenty to seventy feet above the water. Defendants never told H.K.’s parents that they intended the youth athletic team to go cliff jumping, which H.K.’s parents only learned about after H.K.’s catastrophic injuries,” the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, PCSS coaches had told families the trip would include typical “dryland” afternoon activities—such as hiking, swimming, and games—but did not mention cliff jumping.

The complaint states that H.K. was not trained in cliff jumping and that PCSS coaches were not qualified to supervise such a high-risk activity. The lawsuit also says that the location—Punchbowl Falls—is widely known to be hazardous, and that no parental consent was obtained for the activity.

PCSS, along with the Utah Athletic Foundation and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation as well as members of the club’s leadership are named as defendants. Several coaches on the trip are also referenced in the filing.

The family says the teen’s injuries required multiple surgeries and will have lasting effects, both physically and emotionally. The complaint states that she has continued to deal with pain and mobility issues, and that the injuries have affected her ability to ski and pursue athletic goals.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for medical expenses, emotional distress, and other costs related to the incident. They are also asking the court to consider punitive damages.

At the time of this report, the court had not yet scheduled a hearing. The lawsuit was originally filed in Salt Lake County, but according to court records the matter will be moved to Summit County.

PCSS offers year-round training in various winter sports for youth athletes and is a well-established part of Park City’s competitive ski scene.