John Dakin - Communication executive
John Dakin, a lifelong communications executive for several leading ski industry organizations, passed away at his home in Edwards, Colorado, on April 12, 2025, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 71 years old.
A lifelong Coloradan, Dakin was born in Grand Junction and learned to ski at a young age in Breckenridge, where his family had a cabin. Dakin earned two degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU), where he began his career in journalism and communications.
He served as the sports information director for the University of Colorado ski team in the 1970s, when the Buffaloes won eight consecutive NCAA championships. In 1981, Dakin became the U.S. Ski Team’s chief media officer after Bill Marolt, formerly the CU head coach, asked him to move to Park City, Utah, where the team is headquartered. During his tenure American athletes rose to the top of the sport for the first time in the World Cup era—Phil Mahre won three consecutive overall crystal globes (1981–83), and Tamara McKinney became the first U.S. woman to capture the overall title in 1983.
Dakin moved to Vail, Colorado, in 1986, initially to work in the communications department of Vail Associates (now Vail Resorts). A year later, he transitioned to the Vail Valley Foundation, just as it was preparing for the first of three World Alpine Ski Championships held at Vail and Beaver Creek, in 1989, 1999 and 2015. He spent 28 years as the nonprofit organization’s vice president of communications, working to increase awareness of events including the annual World Cup ski races and the development of the Birds of Prey race arena at Beaver Creek. Dakin also served in various roles in media operations for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
He left the Vail Valley Foundation in 2015 to become the vice president of communications for the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum (now Colorado Snowsports Museum). Dakin retired in 2020 and was inducted into the museum in 2022 for his role as a sport builder.