Steamboat Originals: Dave Wilkinson
10/28/2025 03:16PM ● By Eugene Buchanan
Dr. Dave Wilkinson dresses up for St. Patrick's Day. He's known around town for his love of outrageous costumes. Photo courtesy of Dave Wilkinson.
While Steamboat Springs has its share of characters, a few stand out as breaking the mold when it comes to their love of the community, philanthropy, zest for life and contributions to town. As featured in Steamboat Magazine's Outdoors Edition, meet three locals who you'll be lucky to ride the chairlift with. First up was Liana Torres. Now: Dr. Dave Wilkinson.
If you were at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration at O’Neils Tavern & Grill, one green-clad reveler might have stuck out more than the rest. No one was more decked out – or rocking better green abs – than Dr. Dave Wilkinson (aka Captain Ireland or Jacko’ Sparo). Once again, Dr. Dave wowed fellow patrons with his propensity for donning costumes, this time with a muscle-enhancing outfit that ensured he never got pinched. “But it did get a bit hot,” admits Dr. Dave, who you’re just as likely to find foil-boarding Steamboat Lake wearing a unicorn tube. “I had to take it off after a while.”
He’s also now taking some time off from his day job. Retiring in December 2022 after 40 years working as an emergency medicine physician in Steamboat, for Dr. Dave, it’s all about health care, community and costumes. “There’s a spirit in holidays that gets magnified when you participate,” he says. “You enjoy it a lot more and it’s infectious ... other people follow and join in. It’s about poking fun at yourself; the sincerest form of flattery is mockery.”
No one’s mocking his contributions to the community though. Dr. Dave arrived in town in May 1983 after graduating from medical school at the University of Michigan and completing his residency in Northern California. While in Colorado on an elective rotation, he met Dr. Larry Bookman, who was part of the teaching faculty at Denver General. Dr. Bookman hired him to work in the emergency department in Steamboat. In his four decades of medical service here, Dr. Dave worked at Routt Memorial Hospital, Yampa Valley Medical Center and the UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, where he headed the emergency department. He has also worked with Routt County Search and Rescue, Steamboat Powdercats, the Steamboat Ski Patrol and the U.S. Ski Team’s freestyle program, as well as volunteering at such events as the Steamboat Marathon. He has been instrumental in addressing the opiate crisis through the RX Task Force that helped UCHealth cut down opioid use in the emergency department by 40%. He finished his career in Steamboat as director of the emergency department at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.
No one has set the bar for emergency care higher. “Emergency medicine in our community is what it is thanks to the foundation built by some of the first emergency medicine physicians in Steamboat, including Dr. Wilkinson,” says emergency medicine director Dr. Laura Sehnert.
For Dr. Dave, it’s about loving what you do. “You do anything for more than 40 years and it’s more than just a job,” he says. “We created a great foundation for world-class emergency medical care here, with that tradition now being carried on by UCHealth. It’s something we’re super proud of.”
It’s the people and community that’s kept him here. “It sounds canned, but the community here is so special,” he says. “I love it – its spirit is unique. You can go two years without seeing someone and when you do, it’s like you saw them just yesterday. The mountains, rivers and everything else bring everyone together and give them a common bond.”
The Wilkinsons own a cabin in Hahns Peak, where Dr. Dave enjoys mountain biking, waterskiing and hanging out with his wife, Lisa, and when they’re in the neighborhood, their three children, including Devin, 33; Dylan, 30; and Riley, 27. Cutting loose when he’s not sewing up cuts, he still skis at least 60 days a year. You’ll also find him mountain biking, motorcycling, or foil boarding, wake surfing, winging and kite boarding everywhere from Turks and Caicos to his backyard –Steamboat Lake.
As for his holiday get-ups, he says his costumed persona is all about enjoying life. “For me, the top holidays in Steamboat, in order, are Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Gaper Day and closing weekend,” he says. "You can dress up for all of them and I have fun with it.”
Through all these personas, he doesn’t mask his love for the community and being able to raise his family here. “We’re all super blessed to live here, and I hope our children are as blessed as we are,” he says. “We’re extremely fortunate to be able to raise our children in such a great community.”
While Steamboat Springs has its share of characters, a few stand out as breaking the mold when it comes to their love of the community, philanthropy, zest for life and contributions to town. As featured in Steamboat Magazine's Outdoors Edition, meet three locals who you'll be lucky to ride the chairlift with. First up was Liana Torres. Now: Dr. Dave Wilkinson.
If you were at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration at O’Neils Tavern & Grill, one green-clad reveler might have stuck out more than the rest. No one was more decked out – or rocking better green abs – than Dr. Dave Wilkinson (aka Captain Ireland or Jacko’ Sparo). Once again, Dr. Dave wowed fellow patrons with his propensity for donning costumes, this time with a muscle-enhancing outfit that ensured he never got pinched. “But it did get a bit hot,” admits Dr. Dave, who you’re just as likely to find foil-boarding Steamboat Lake wearing a unicorn tube. “I had to take it off after a while.”
He’s also now taking some time off from his day job. Retiring in December 2022 after 40 years working as an emergency medicine physician in Steamboat, for Dr. Dave, it’s all about health care, community and costumes. “There’s a spirit in holidays that gets magnified when you participate,” he says. “You enjoy it a lot more and it’s infectious ... other people follow and join in. It’s about poking fun at yourself; the sincerest form of flattery is mockery.”
No one’s mocking his contributions to the community though. Dr. Dave arrived in town in May 1983 after graduating from medical school at the University of Michigan and completing his residency in Northern California. While in Colorado on an elective rotation, he met Dr. Larry Bookman, who was part of the teaching faculty at Denver General. Dr. Bookman hired him to work in the emergency department in Steamboat. In his four decades of medical service here, Dr. Dave worked at Routt Memorial Hospital, Yampa Valley Medical Center and the UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, where he headed the emergency department. He has also worked with Routt County Search and Rescue, Steamboat Powdercats, the Steamboat Ski Patrol and the U.S. Ski Team’s freestyle program, as well as volunteering at such events as the Steamboat Marathon. He has been instrumental in addressing the opiate crisis through the RX Task Force that helped UCHealth cut down opioid use in the emergency department by 40%. He finished his career in Steamboat as director of the emergency department at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.
No one has set the bar for emergency care higher. “Emergency medicine in our community is what it is thanks to the foundation built by some of the first emergency medicine physicians in Steamboat, including Dr. Wilkinson,” says emergency medicine director Dr. Laura Sehnert.
For Dr. Dave, it’s about loving what you do. “You do anything for more than 40 years and it’s more than just a job,” he says. “We created a great foundation for world-class emergency medical care here, with that tradition now being carried on by UCHealth. It’s something we’re super proud of.”
It’s the people and community that’s kept him here. “It sounds canned, but the community here is so special,” he says. “I love it – its spirit is unique. You can go two years without seeing someone and when you do, it’s like you saw them just yesterday. The mountains, rivers and everything else bring everyone together and give them a common bond.”
The Wilkinsons own a cabin in Hahns Peak, where Dr. Dave enjoys mountain biking, waterskiing and hanging out with his wife, Lisa, and when they’re in the neighborhood, their three children, including Devin, 33; Dylan, 30; and Riley, 27. Cutting loose when he’s not sewing up cuts, he still skis at least 60 days a year. You’ll also find him mountain biking, motorcycling, or foil boarding, wake surfing, winging and kite boarding everywhere from Turks and Caicos to his backyard –Steamboat Lake.
As for his holiday get-ups, he says his costumed persona is all about enjoying life. “For me, the top holidays in Steamboat, in order, are Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Gaper Day and closing weekend,” he says. "You can dress up for all of them and I have fun with it.”
Through all these personas, he doesn’t mask his love for the community and being able to raise his family here. “We’re all super blessed to live here, and I hope our children are as blessed as we are,” he says. “We’re extremely fortunate to be able to raise our children in such a great community.”