Parents Sue Park City Ski Club Over Cliff-Jumping Injuries

The parents of a Park City teenager are suing Park City Ski & Snowboard (PCSS) after their daughter, H.K., sustained serious injuries in a cliff jumping accident four years ago.

Her parents, Malcolm Kostuchenko and Susan Burlazzi, filed the lawsuit against PCSS, the Utah Athletic Foundation, and organization leaders.

The suit, filed in Utah's Third District Court in early May, alleges PCSS coaches encouraged the 14-year-old H.K. to "dangerously jump off a cliff" while at a summer training camp at Mt. Hood, Oregon, in 2021. During one jump, she landed on rocks, suffering multiple broken bones and sever nerve damage in both feet and ankles.

“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,” the lawsuit states.

The suit also claims that PCSS staff acted negligently by organizing the activity without parental consent or proper safety precautions. The parents claim they were told the trip would be focused on typical "dry-land" training activities, like hiking and swimming-- but that staff made no mention of cliff-jumping.

The complaint argues that neither H.K. nor her coaches had training or qualifications for such a high-risk activity. Punchbowl Falls is widely regarded as dangerous, and the family says they only learned of the incident after the teen’s injuries required multiple surgeries.

Despite the accident, PCSS confirmed that H.K., now 18, continued to compete with the club through the 2025 season. Her parents, however, say she still struggles with chronic pain, reduced mobility, and lasting impacts on her skiing career.

The lawsuit names PCSS, the Utah Athletic Foundation, and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, as well as club leadership and several coaches who attended the trip. The family is seeking compensation for medical costs, emotional distress, and other damages, and is also requesting punitive damages.

Court records indicate the case—originally filed in Salt Lake County—will be transferred to Summit County. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.