Dick Buek

Richard (Mad Dog) Buek (November 4, 1929 – November 3, 1957) was an American alpine ski racer and later a daredevil stunt pilot. The fiancé of champion ski racer Jill Kinmont, whose tragic life story was made into the inspirational hit Hollywood motion picture The Other Side of the Mountain, Buek died in a plane crash at the age of 27.

Life Born in Oakland, California, as a youth, Buek was coached by ski champion Hannes Schroll and trained at Sugar Bowl ski area.

Known as "The Madman of Donner Summit," Buek exhibited a "go for broke" attitude that brought him success and pain in many downhill competitions. A serious racer by the age of 18, he did a straight schuss at the Inferno Race on Mount Lassen in 1948.

Death Buek died at age 27 while flying over Donner Lake in early November 1957.

Buek was not at the controls of the airplane in which he was killed. It was a friend's plane and Buek was giving the friend a piloting lesson. The wings iced up and the plane dove straight into the icy waters.

"Dick was a dynamic person and ahead of his time in pushing the limits of extremism," recalled Haswell. "It was great being around him, if only for such a short period of time."

Buek is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California. He was characterized by Oakley Hall in Hall's 1963 novel, The Downhill Racers, and portrayed by Beau Bridges in the 1975 movie, The Other Side of the Mountain.