The former freestyle skiing world champion from South Lake Tahoe died in an avalanche while skiing in Japan on Sunday. The 31-year-old was skiing in Nagano Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu when the avalanche hit, father Kyle Smein told NBC News. The Associated Press reported that another skier from Austria also died, the Associated Press said five foreign skiers were caught in the avalanche and another group of eight skiers helped pull the group out. The Mountain Gazette said Smaine was on a marketing trip and that one of the publication’s photographers and another professional skier had attended. Smaine, who grew up in South Lake Tahoe, is quoted in the athlete’s online bio as saying that he enjoyed skiing and the competitions that the sport took him all over the world. At age 23, he won the world halfpipe title at the 2015 Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships. “This is what brings me back to Japan every winter,” Smyne wrote in his latest Instagram post on Saturday. “Incredible snow quality, non-stop storms, and really fun terrain that just seems to get better the more you explore.” d ever met. “I took you guys hiking in New Zealand 2010 and who would have thought we would be married after 13 years,” the post said. “The best years of my life. I know you had the best performance of your life there in Japan and you can’t be blamed for doing what you loved.”
The former freestyle skiing world champion from South Lake Tahoe was killed in an avalanche while skiing outside his hometown in Japan on Sunday.
Kyle Smith’s father he told NBC News The 31-year-old was skiing in Nagano Prefecture, on the Japanese island of Honshu, when the avalanche occurred. The Associated Press reported that another skier from Austria also died.
The Associated Press said five foreign skiers were caught in the avalanche and another group of eight skiers helped pull the group out.
Al-Jabal newspaper said Smaine was on a marketing trip and one of the publication’s photographers and another professional skateboarder were in attendance.
Smaine, who grew up in South Lake Tahoe, is quoted in Biography of athletes online He said he enjoyed skating and the competitions in which the sport took him all over the world.
At age 23, he Won the world championship title In a halfpipe at the 2015 World Ski & Snowboard Championships.
“This is what brings me back to Japan every winter,” Smaine wrote in What’s To Come. His last Instagram post is on Saturday. “Incredible snow quality, non-stop storms, and really fun terrain that just seems to get better the more you explore.”
Smaine’s wife Gina Drames paid tribute to him in a public Instagram post, saying he loves skating more than anyone she’s ever met.
“I took you guys hiking in New Zealand 2010 and who would have thought we would be married after 13 years,” the post said. “The best years of my life. I know you had the best performance of your life there in Japan and you can’t be blamed for doing what you loved.”