Industry News
Kaiden Bogda, the man accused of punching a ski coach affiliated with Steamboat Winter Sports Club in January, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree assault Wednesday. First reported by the Steamboat Pilot, a plea agreement between Bogda’s attorney, Public Defender Chris Hamsher, and Deputy District Attorney Zach Rosen was accepted by Routt County Judge Erin Wilson during a plea hearing at the Routt County Combined Courts in Colorado.
- Related: Police Use Social Media to Identify Skier Who Allegedly Assaulted Ski Coach at Steamboat Resort, CO
According to the Routt County arrest affidavit, the assault happened on the afternoon of Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Steamboat Ski Resort. The affidavit states that, “The victim reported that a skier had verbally confronted him while coaching a group of young athletes because of where he was standing in relation to a terrain feature.”
Following this initial encounter, Bogda reportedly followed the coach and his students as they left the terrain park, with Bogda and the coach continuing to argue while going down to the base area. Eventually, Bogda caught up to the coach, grabbed him, and punched him in the head multiple times. Bogda allegedly skied away after the confrontation ended with the two colliding. The coach sustained injuries that required medical attention due to the assault and was diagnosed with a concussion later at the Yampa Valley Medical Center.
After the incident on the mountain, the Steamboat Springs Police Department was notified, which led to Bogda’s identification through social media. He was arrested on January 14 at an O’Reilly Auto Parts store and charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and failure to remain on the scene of a skier vs. skier crash.
Bogda’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11th, where the other two charges against him will be dismissed, according to the Steamboat Pilot. He could face up to 60 days in jail or four years of probation, as stated by Judge Wilson to the local magazine. While Bogda is on probation, he will stay banned from visiting Steamboat Resort and Howelsen Hill in addition to being prohibited from contacting the coach.
