The world of extreme sports has lost one of its most exciting young athletes. Kyle Smaine tragically passed away at the age of 31 while skiing in Japan.
While the world is still reeling from the shock, heartwarming tributes are beginning to pour in from Kyle’s friends, along with his new bride and fellow snowboarder, Jenna Dramise.
The Sports World Has Lost One Of Its Most Promising Young Athletes.
It’s been confirmed that world champion skier, Kyle Smaine, was tragically killed in an avalanche.
Kyle Was Just 31 Years Old At The Time Of His Death.
The 2015 FIS Freestyle Ski Champion was in Japan for a marketing trip for Ikon Pass and Nagano Tourism.
Extreme Sports Photographer, Grant Gunderson, Confirmed The News In An Instagram Post.
“It was supposed to be the last day of the trip so we where[sic] just out for a mellow tour to Freeski,” Grant began.
Grant Explained How The Day Before Had Been One Of The Best He And Kyle Had Ever Had.
According to Grant, he and Kyle had dug a pit earlier that day and skied into the backcountry.
“I Was Exhausted From The Last 10 Days So After That Run[sic] I Skied Down To The Base Lodge.”
Unfortunately, Kyle and a mutual friend, Adam Kingman, decided to go back up for one last run.
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Kyle And Adam Were Waiting In A Transition Area With Several Other Skiers.
Everyone in the ski party felt safe — until an unknown skier from another party triggered a deadly avalanche.
The Chain Of Events Triggered A Second Avalanche On An Adjacent Slope.
Kyle, Adam, and the unknown skier tried to outrun the impending snowfall but were unable to move fast enough.
“Adam Was Buried 1.5 Meters Deep For 25 Minutes And Is Unscathed. That Is A Miracle,” Grant Said.
Sadly, Kyle wasn’t so lucky. He was thrown 50 meters by the resulting air blast and buried under the snow.
Doctors Moved In As Quickly As They Could, But It Was Too Late.
By the time they were able to reach him, Kyle had already passed away — succumbing to his injuries and the snow.
“Adam And I Will Be Rehashing This For The Rest Of Our Lives,” Grant’s Post Concluded.
Kyle’s own wife, fellow snowboarder Jenna Dramise, posted a touching tribute of her own on social media.
For Those Who May Not Know, Kyle And Jenna Were Recently Married On November 18th, 2022.
Jenna talked about how grateful she was to have known Kyle and to have had him in her life.
Jenna Didn’t Blame Kyle For The Accident.
“I know you had the best runs in your life out there in Japan and could never blame you for doing what you loved,” Jenna wrote.
Jenna Did Reveal Her One And Only Secret:
“I do wish I could tell you that one secret I always had, that I loved you ,” she lamented.
Jenna Told Kyle 10 Times A Day How Much She Loved Him, So It Was Never Really A Secret At All.
Finally, she spoke about how she hoped to ski with Kyle in her dreams.
