Mike, also known as "Luke" and "Sluggo" was extremely adventurous, spirited, kind, ambitious and caring. Mike graduated from The University of Colorado with a business degree and MBA from Denver University.Following college Mike moved to Dillon, Colorado. There, he worked as a ski patroller and running Keystone's rafting program. He met his Wife Annie in Dillon where they ski'd together and were married 3 years later. They had 2 Sons, Dirk and Gabe. In 33 years at Keystone Mike served as Director of the ski patrol, mountain manager, property manager and General Manager at Keystone Lodge and Spa. He headed up the ski patrol in New Zealand's first major ski resort. Mike lived for skiing, hang gliding and kayaking, always pushing the limits of the sports. He and his Son Dirk kayaked many advanced white waters in North and South America always enjoying the comraderie of their Father/Son relationship. Mike hang glided in many of the Canyons outside Denver and Boulder. He was active with the Family and Intercultural Resource Center in Dillon,and was a exceptional contributor and supporter of his community.
Above all else Mike had a lot of character. He was always patient, helping and guiding those new to skiing or kayaking.He was very encouraging and great fun to be with. He sought out the best in people he worked with, his friends and anyone around him. Mike's sense of humor was unique. I remember taking a ski trip with him in College from Denver to Salt Lake City in a blinding snowstorm at night and early morning hours.Mid way through the trip he asked me to reach for a box in the back seat. I said "what is this"? He told me to open it. Lo and behold it was a portable record player. I said to him "Mike, there is no way a record is going to track when we are going 65 mph." He responded, "Oh, yes it will". Grab that Who's next album and put the player in your lap. Amazingly it tracked. For 4 hours I had leg lock but we had the time of our lives. That's the unique Michael(Luke) Slottow I knew, and many of us knew. To conclude, when Mike passed 80 Sigma Nu Fraternity Brothers donated funds to have a 750 lb Cast Bronze Buffalo made in his honor and to honor other deceased Fraternity Brothers. The Buffalo is named after Mike (Sluggo) and erected in front of the Sigma Nu Fraternity house in Boulder. It's a wonderful, heartfelt tribute to Mike's life and legacy. He is truly missed. Godspeed, Mike.
Brad: Thank you for writing about Michael. Mike and I spent a fair amount of time together in HS. MIke was always getting into something, generally very mischievous, with no intent to harm. Very playful. One winter, late after school, Mike decided to do snow donuts in the ETHS parking lot. He would swing his dad's car around and hit piles of snow with the back side of the car. Unfortunately, Mike hit what he thought was a snow pile but in reality it was the cement base covered in snow (around 3 feet high) of a broken light pole. No one was hurt but it was pretty funny listening to MIke explain to the police and his dad how the rear end of the car became impaled 3 feet off the ground.
I met Michael and Brad in Nichols Jr High
I think when they wrote Ferris Bueller's Day Off they used the 3 of us are role models
When ever I think about Michael I always smile and then remember the crazy and wild things we all did
Jumping off chair lifts when skiing for example
I miss him and the fun the always ensued
I met "Slottow," as I called him, at Nichols. I remember once going over to his beautiful white clapboard house on the lake next door to the Dawes Mansion for a sleepover, some point during which he told me the most outrageous thing that kept me up the rest of the night. One day at school he asked (told) me to go with him to city hall so he could be the first person that season to get a license for his sail boat, after which we headed straight for the lake. It was very windy that day, but Mike held the sail taught, which practically lifted the boat into the air. "Lean back" he kept yelling to me. I obeyed, but leaned too far back and fell into the water over and over again, which meant Mike had to let out the sail to retrieve me. (I do give him credit for that.) He finally headed back to shore to leave me on the beach and headed back out again. I obviously failed my job as his ballast. His energy and fearlessness were amazing.
I believe I ran for President of our class against Michael. He wrote to one of the news agencies about our contest when Richard Daily was running. Next thing we knew, we were being interviewed and on 5:30 news. I lost by 2 votes. I thought he deserved it for coming up with such a great campaign strategy. Sorry to hear of his passing. Oeace be with you.
Joe kudos to you for going with the flow that day with Mike. He had no fear of anything. The bigger the challenge, the more he liked it.
How he loved to sail. Those Starfish, Sunfish wars are quite memorable.
Brad Stein
Mike, also known as "Luke" and "Sluggo" was extremely adventurous, spirited, kind, ambitious and caring. Mike graduated from The University of Colorado with a business degree and MBA from Denver University.Following college Mike moved to Dillon, Colorado. There, he worked as a ski patroller and running Keystone's rafting program. He met his Wife Annie in Dillon where they ski'd together and were married 3 years later. They had 2 Sons, Dirk and Gabe. In 33 years at Keystone Mike served as Director of the ski patrol, mountain manager, property manager and General Manager at Keystone Lodge and Spa. He headed up the ski patrol in New Zealand's first major ski resort. Mike lived for skiing, hang gliding and kayaking, always pushing the limits of the sports. He and his Son Dirk kayaked many advanced white waters in North and South America always enjoying the comraderie of their Father/Son relationship. Mike hang glided in many of the Canyons outside Denver and Boulder. He was active with the Family and Intercultural Resource Center in Dillon,and was a exceptional contributor and supporter of his community.
Above all else Mike had a lot of character. He was always patient, helping and guiding those new to skiing or kayaking.He was very encouraging and great fun to be with. He sought out the best in people he worked with, his friends and anyone around him. Mike's sense of humor was unique. I remember taking a ski trip with him in College from Denver to Salt Lake City in a blinding snowstorm at night and early morning hours.Mid way through the trip he asked me to reach for a box in the back seat. I said "what is this"? He told me to open it. Lo and behold it was a portable record player. I said to him "Mike, there is no way a record is going to track when we are going 65 mph." He responded, "Oh, yes it will". Grab that Who's next album and put the player in your lap. Amazingly it tracked. For 4 hours I had leg lock but we had the time of our lives. That's the unique Michael(Luke) Slottow I knew, and many of us knew. To conclude, when Mike passed 80 Sigma Nu Fraternity Brothers donated funds to have a 750 lb Cast Bronze Buffalo made in his honor and to honor other deceased Fraternity Brothers. The Buffalo is named after Mike (Sluggo) and erected in front of the Sigma Nu Fraternity house in Boulder. It's a wonderful, heartfelt tribute to Mike's life and legacy. He is truly missed. Godspeed, Mike.
John Rothschild
Brad: Thank you for writing about Michael. Mike and I spent a fair amount of time together in HS. MIke was always getting into something, generally very mischievous, with no intent to harm. Very playful. One winter, late after school, Mike decided to do snow donuts in the ETHS parking lot. He would swing his dad's car around and hit piles of snow with the back side of the car. Unfortunately, Mike hit what he thought was a snow pile but in reality it was the cement base covered in snow (around 3 feet high) of a broken light pole. No one was hurt but it was pretty funny listening to MIke explain to the police and his dad how the rear end of the car became impaled 3 feet off the ground.
Brad Stein
Thanks John. Great story and well said. Mike did enjoy being mischevious. Oh, the stories.
Marsie Hartman
Thank you Brad and John for sharing these memories. ♥️
Richard Eaton
I met Michael and Brad in Nichols Jr High
I think when they wrote Ferris Bueller's Day Off they used the 3 of us are role models
When ever I think about Michael I always smile and then remember the crazy and wild things we all did
Jumping off chair lifts when skiing for example
I miss him and the fun the always ensued
Brad Stein
Thanks Marsie and Richard. Incredible memories with you and Mike, Richard. All the fond adventures together and the laughs they generated. Priceless.
J. Cavenee (Joseph) Smith
I met "Slottow," as I called him, at Nichols. I remember once going over to his beautiful white clapboard house on the lake next door to the Dawes Mansion for a sleepover, some point during which he told me the most outrageous thing that kept me up the rest of the night. One day at school he asked (told) me to go with him to city hall so he could be the first person that season to get a license for his sail boat, after which we headed straight for the lake. It was very windy that day, but Mike held the sail taught, which practically lifted the boat into the air. "Lean back" he kept yelling to me. I obeyed, but leaned too far back and fell into the water over and over again, which meant Mike had to let out the sail to retrieve me. (I do give him credit for that.) He finally headed back to shore to leave me on the beach and headed back out again. I obviously failed my job as his ballast. His energy and fearlessness were amazing.
Lynn Baumann
I believe I ran for President of our class against Michael. He wrote to one of the news agencies about our contest when Richard Daily was running. Next thing we knew, we were being interviewed and on 5:30 news. I lost by 2 votes. I thought he deserved it for coming up with such a great campaign strategy. Sorry to hear of his passing. Oeace be with you.
Brad Stein
Joe kudos to you for going with the flow that day with Mike. He had no fear of anything. The bigger the challenge, the more he liked it.
How he loved to sail. Those Starfish, Sunfish wars are quite memorable.
Ann Dunlop
https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/19740211/Michael-Luke-Slottow
And for his son: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/shs-grad-derk-slottow-dies-in-kayaking-accident/