www.delgdesigns.com

Dustin is an ornamental ironworker from Mammoth Lakes CA. Born and raised in the mountains being a metal artist was not really on the radar for him, but having a father who built chairlifts most of his younger life he was always around steel and welding. After a great time snowboarding around the world he came home to the mountains and with the help and encouragement from friends and family he started working with metal and found a love for the many different was to work with it. During that time he fell in love and got married and now has 4 wonderful kids and a successful metal art business in the eastern sierras. You can find his work from Wave Rave to the Brothers Skate park around the Village and many private residences in Mammoth.

Thoughts about the art process for this project: This piece has really been an emotional ride for myself.  Billy and Jeff were a huge part of my life; growing up with them in Mammoth and being a tight group of kids right at the beginning of snowboarding in Mammoth is something that is really hard to explain.  I got to travel the world with Jeff, I was there for the good times and the bad times. Ten years ago I drifted away from the brothers and started a family and went in a different direction, but getting to be involved in this show honoring Jeff (Billy and Jane) for me is a healing process of the heart and soul that spans a lifetime of memoirs.

Dustin is partnered with photographer Patrice Miller.

A story about Jeff that you would like to share:

A story about Jeff that always hits home with me; is about a time in Austria when Jeff was 19. I was on the US team and Burton sent Jeff and Jamil Khan to compete  at this lame FIS contest . After the contest Jamil needed a ride to the nearest train station so I grabbed one of the team vans and Jeff, Jamil and myself headed off to the find this train station. Needless to say the station was very elusive being that we are in the middle of nowhere Austria and non of us spoke a lick of German.

After about 2 or 3 hours of driving around in circles we finally found the station, but during that time I got to spend time talking and listening to two very energictic kids about what life is all about and there hopes and dreams for the future. The trip back to our hotel when it was just Jeff and I in the van the conversation was about good ol times back in Mammoth. At the time I chalked it up to just another adventure in my life, little did I know how profound for me it would be.

Fast forward about 2 years and its Febuary 1998 just  after the 1^st Olympic team is announced, I am living with Billy and Jeff in the condo, its dumping outside and Billy and I are stoked about the epic day we had at the mountain. We go get a bite to eat at Basecamp, after ordering our food I look up at the TV and see a news flash on the screen saying a snowboarder has died in an avalanche up in Tahoe. It didn’t cross my mind that it could be anybody I know and finished my food and headed back to the condo. At about 6 or 7 the next morning Jane comes over to the condo and heads straight for Jeff’s room, I hear Jane saying something to Jeff and Jeff starts crying. That was the moment when Jeff had learned that Jamil died in that avalanche in Tahoe and it was the moment I truly learned how fragile life really is. Jeff and Jamil were close friends I knew Jamil and would consider myself a friend but Jeff and Jamil were cut from the same cloth and it was devastating for Jeff. During the next few weeks I would remember Jamil and the van trip in Austria with Jeff.

The year is early 2003 I have gotten Married and have two kids, I have drifted apart from Billy and Jeff, I am on vacation with my family for “grannies” 90^th birthday we are in the backhills of San Diego at some retreat were there is no cell phone signal. When we finally  get back to civilization I have a bunch of messages from my mother not saying what had happened but to just call. When I called her back she tells me Jeff has died in Japan, I was driving at the time and had to pull over to really grasp what I was hearing. In those first few moments all I could think about was where is Billy and who is with him, then as I was going through all the different emotions the only thing running through my head was that van ride with those guys. Growing up with Billy and Jeff I always felt like a bigger brother getting to share the highs and the lows with them. Six years later with a family of my own and getting to be apart of all of this still not a day goes by that I don’t think of that van ride in Austria with Jeff.