Of the thousands of people in the airport the day Judd Efinger’s son, Kyler, suffered a manic episode that took his life, not one reached out to help, said Efinger. The public nature of Kyler’s death left Efinger wondering, “Why didn’t anyone help him?”
Kyler Efinger was 30 years old when he accessed the engine of an aircraft at the Salt Lake City airport and died in the throes of a mental crisis. He had been in the airport for four hours experiencing a mental breakdown before the events transpired, said Judd.
“That was the driver. The shame of it is if someone had just been educated a bit more, they might have stepped in and asked him how he was doing. That’s all it takes; someone to put their arm around him and ask how they can help. That could have turned the events that evening,” said Judd.
After Kyler’s death on New Year’s Day 2024, the Efinger family began Love Like Ky, a nonprofit dedicated to mental health education and outreach in mountain towns, where the suicide rates tend to be more than twice the national average.
“All of Kyler’s life was in Park City. He’s a classic Park City kid. He was skiing somewhere between his second and third birthday at Park City Mountain. I would just say his best days were on a ski hill,” said Judd. “We wanted to honor that and come back to Park City.”
Love Like Ky launched its Mountain Strong Tour this season, hosting mental health ski days across ski towns. Though the family moved to Sun Valley, Idaho, two years ago, Kyler’s hometown had always been Park City.
On Saturday, Love Like Ky is hosting a Mental Health Ski Day at Park City Mountain from noon to 4 p.m. to bring education, local resources and community belonging to skiers and riders in town.
The Mountain Strong Tour kicked off with a day at Sun Valley on March 2 and will continue on to Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Aspen, Colorado;Truckee, California; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Sponsoring the tour is an anonymous private funder, allowing the foundation to fund and host the events and collaborate with local nonprofit organizations in each town at no charge.
“Local resources in mental health, they are organizations that people have certainly heard of and seen before, but it’s good to have them on the hill and there to ask specific questions,” said Judd.
Park City’s ski day will have open tables to connect participants to resources at Summit County Clubhouse, Live Like Sam, the Christian Center, Latino Behavioral Health, the Equellness Center and Peace House. Love Like Ky is partnered with BeNice.org, a mental health foundation that champions education using their key steps, NICE, notice, invite, challenge, and empower.
“Teens and schools are their primary focus, the reason we chose it is because it’s simple and memorable. We need to challenge the stigma of mental health. One in five are struggling with mental health. We should be talking about it like we do physical health,” said Judd.
Kyler’s memory is continued through the foundation by bringing these ski days to the hill where he learned, by bringing his favorite reggae music to a sober après celebration and remembering how much community can impact those struggling with their mental health, said Judd.
“Kyler was a big reggae fan, so we’re doing a reggae DJ dance party just to keep everyone’s spirits up,” said Judd. “He would have loved that.”
The foundation hopes to drive awareness and education to every corner of these mountain towns to make sure that everyone is equipped with the resources and ability to step in during moments of mental crisis, whether for a stranger or a loved one. Their partnership with BeNice is built out of years of research and knowledge, attributable to the lived experience of the Efinger family and many others.
“NICE is near to our heart,” said Judd, reflecting on Kyler’s death and the many people he was surrounded by that day. “Someone should have noticed that he was off that day. It’s a hard conversation to have. I can remember having a thousand conversations with Kyler that ended with him saying, ‘I’m fine.’ You have to challenge that and step in to find the right solution.”
Love Like Ky’s Mental Health Ski Day will bring participants together to ski and ride for a raffle ticket to win gear in a ski vertical contest. The event will be stationed at the Park City Mountain Legacy Lodge Plaza starting at noon with tables and booths offering connection to local nonprofits and mental health resources before a DJ and dance party from 2-4 p.m. Participants can donate and purchase Love Like Ky merchandise at their website LoveLikeKy.org.