Kyle Smine died after an avalanche Sunday in Nagano Prefecture. Central Japan’s Honshu island, his family confirmed.
An American freestyle skier died in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday, his family confirmed.
Kyle Smine, a skier based in Lake Tahoe, California. Traveled to Japan “for the incredible snow quality.” According to a recent post on his Instagram account.
“This is what brings me back to Japan every winter,” wrote Smaine. who won the gold medal in the halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle Ski. and Snowboarding World Championships 2015. As she shared a video of her skiing.
Smine was skiing in Nagano Prefecture, in the central Japanese island of Honshu. when he died after an avalanche.
Police earlier said the five men were skiing in two separate groups on the mountain, which is about 8,100 feet high. Three skiers managed to climb the mountain. On their own Sunday after the avalanche, but Smine and another skier.
After days of heavy snowfall, the weather authority had issued. an avalanche warning for the area. The warning came as Japan was battered by heavy snowfall. And record-cold temperatures, with authorities. Also investigating whether severe weather was behind several of the deaths.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Tokyo said the embassy was “aware of the incident in Nagano Prefecture. And has contacted the relevant authorities to provide all appropriate help.”
“Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to comment further,” they said.
Wrote Canadian Olympic freestyle skier Mariel Thompson.
“Wish we had more time to ski in the last few years,” wrote Josh Christensen, a US freestyle skier from Park City, Utah. “Thanks for always being such a positive force,” Christensen said.