PEMBERTON, B.C. — Well-known British Columbia professional freeskier Dave Treadway has died in a backcountry accident north of Whistler.
A statement on Treadway's website says the "incredible skier and monumental human" died April 15 in an accident near Rhododendron Mountain, not far from his Pemberton-area home.
Pemberton Search and Rescue confirms its members responded Monday after learning a 34-year-old had fallen 30 metres into a crevasse.
A Canadian skiing magazine, SBC Skier, described Treadway as "one of the most influential skiers of our time," for videos of his breathtaking descents on near vertical mountain faces.
I’m saddened to learn of the passing of professional skier Dave Treadway. Treadway was killed while crossing a snow bridge in the Whistler backcountry when it collapsed yesterday. He is survived by his wife, two children, and many friends across the ski world. He’ll be missed.
— Mike Rogge (@skiingrogge) April 16, 2019
Colorado-based Ski Journal Magazine editor Mike Rogge says Treadway, who was sponsored by companies including Rossignol and GoPro, had the ability to "find air," on the flattest of runs, but was also known for his emphasis on safety, his love of family and his firm belief in God.
Treadway is survived by his two young sons and his wife, Tessa, who is pregnant with the couple's third child.\
A great skier and surfer named Dave Treadway died in an avalanche today and you all should know he was a true original. Such an amazing person. #RIPTreadway
— Frequency Horizon (@theFreqHorizon) April 16, 2019
"This is a tremendous loss for the B.C. community, which as far as ski communities and ski cultures go is maybe one of the richest in the world," said Rogge.
"I think that says a lot about who he was as a person, that he could be such a big figure in a big community like that."