Kyle Smaine, a former world champion halfpipe skier, died in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday, his family confirmed.
The 31-year-old, who won the world halfpipe title in 2015, had traveled to Japan from his home in Lake Tahoe, California, on a work trip where, according to an Instagram post, he eagerly awaited the “incredible snowfall”. quality”.
On Sunday, he was part of a group of Austrian and American skiers caught in the avalanche from Mount Hakuba Norikura in Nagano Prefecture. Three of the skiers were eventually able to descend the mountain, but Smaine and another man, who has not yet been identified, were later found dead according to local police. Japanese authorities had issued an avalanche warning for the area after heavy snowfall.
One of the American skiers, who was buried for 25 minutes before being dug up by rescuers, told Mountain Gazette: “We heard the crack. We realized, “That’s a big one. We started running and then we got hit.
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was “aware of the incident in Nagano Prefecture and has been in contact with relevant authorities to provide all appropriate assistance.”
Smaine had retired from international competition and his last high-level event was in February 2018. Other athletes paid tribute to him on Sunday.
“We all did this for Kyle tonight,” two-time Olympic halfpipe ski champion David Wise said after his X Games win on Sunday. “It’s a bit of an emotional day for us. We have lost a friend.
Smaine’s wife, Jenna Dramise, wrote on Instagram that “Tonight I hope to ride powder or bike with you in my dreams.”
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