Tokyo — Japanese and American media reported on Monday that two foreign men, including an American professional freeskier, were killed by an avalanche while backcountry skiing in a popular resort in central Japan. Five foreign skiers were caught in an avalanche Sunday afternoon on the eastern slope of Mount Hakuba Norikura, where they were backcountry skiing, according to the Nagano Prefectural Police.
The police stated that rescuers reached the accident site on Monday and collected the two males, who had no vital signs.
Police refused to divulge the nationalities and names of the skiers, stating that they were still being verified, however Japan’s TV Asahi reported that one of the skiers was American and the other was Austrian. Before announcing the men’s deaths, police awaited confirmation of their identities.
The Mountain Gazette, a specialized outdoor journal headquartered in the United States, reported on its blog that one of those killed by the avalanche was Lake Tahoe, California-based professional skier Kyle Smaine. There was no confirmation immediately available from U.S. or Japanese authorities.
He was described as a “beloved South Lake Tahoe skier.” by the Gazette.
A 2022 file photo of professional American skier Kyle Smaine was uploaded on his Instagram account. Smaine was reportedly killed by an avalanche at a ski resort in Nagano, Japan, on January 29, 2023. Instagram/Kyle Smaine
The magazine’s editor, Mike Rogge, stated that veteran ski photographer Grant Gunderson was working for the publication when the tragedy occurred. He stated that the trip was coordinated by the Nagano tourism board and a private company as part of a marketing initiative.
Gunderson stated in his own Instagram post that he had decided to call it a day, while others, including Smaine and fellow American Adam Ü, decided to return to the slopes for one more run. The avalanche occurred just after they reached the foot of the slope, he claimed.
“Adam, Kyle, and the third skier all attempted to run. Adam is unharmed after being buried for 25 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. That is miraculous, “Gunderson stated. “He was buried next to a skier who died of internal injuries. Kyle was hurled fifty meters, buried, and killed by the air burst.”
A second group of eight international skiers, who had also been skiing off-piste and witnessed the five foreigners buried by the avalanche, came to their aid. Two of the five were unharmed, while the third sustained a shoulder injury. According to the authorities, they moved down with the other party, leaving behind the two who were discovered without vital signs.
At Nozawa, an additional ski and hot springs resort in the Nagano prefecture, rescuers discovered the death of a 38-year-old Japanese skier outside a designated ski slope, where he had gone missing while backcountry skiing with a buddy, according to police.
The area was issued an avalanche alert on Sunday due to excessive snowfall over the past week.
»Reportedly one of the skiers killed by an avalanche in Japan was an American pro«