Who was Kyle Smaine? US freestyle skier dies in Japan; what caused his death? Take a look at his skiing career

31-year-old US skier Kyle Smaine has died in an avalanche in Japan. The announcement of his passing away was made by the skier's wife on her Instagram post. Smaine's wife, Jenna Dramise wrote, "Dear Husband and my whole world, officially married November 18, 2022, which not many people knew about. I’m so incredibly thankful that I got to marry you and have you in my life."

Smaine was found dead by the authorities in Nagano, Japan with one more man, both of whom were caught in an avalanche. Police say they were among 13 people hit by an avalanche, though the names of the deceased have not been formally announced by the authorities yet.

"You loved skiing more than anyone I’ve ever met. I picked you up hitchhiking in New Zealand in 2010 and who would have thought we would be married 13 years later", his wife wrote.

"The best damn years of my life. I know you had the best runs in your life out there in Japan and could never blame you for doing what you loved."

"I do wish I could tell you that one secret I always had, that I loved you. It never really was a secret because I said it at least 10 times a day to you. I can’t wait to see you again. Tonight I hope to ride some pow or bikes with you in my dreams. Love your Wife."

Who was Kyle Smaine, the American freestyle skier?

Kyle Smaine was an American freestyle skier who won a gold medal in halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2015. At the 2018 Olympics, he was the first alternate for the USA Olympic Alpine Skiing Team.

In 2014, he graduated from Sierra Nevada College (now the University of Nevada) with a 3.95 GPA. As a rookie, he ranked 9th in the Men’s Ski SuperPipe at X Games Aspen 2016.

Hewas born on 27 June1991 and apart from skiing, he also enjoyed other activities like mountain biking, rock climbing, and surfing. In a 2014 interview, Smaine shared that someday, he wants to be the best skier in the world and that he wanted to try big mountain skiing.

He used to practice his skiing techniques at his home mountain, the Sierra Nevada at Tahoe and shared how he realised that being a professional skier for a lifetime is hard, so he tries to enjoy it.

What caused the death of Kyle Smaine?

Kyle Smaine was found dead when an avalanche hit Nagano in Japan on Sunday, 29 January. According to Reuters, after heavy snowfall, an avalanche warning had been issued by weather authorities in recent days.

But at least five men, all foreign nationals from the US and Austria, had been caught in the avalanche on the eastern slope of Mount Hakuba Norikura.

Smaine was quite active on Instagram and used to upload photos and videos of his skiing adventure to keep his followers updated. In the last post on his official Instagram account, he posted a video of himself skiing from his body camera in Japan and wrote, "unbelievable snow quality, non-stop storms, and really fun terrain that seems to get better then more exploring you do".