Olympic Snowboarder Ueli Kestenholz Dead at 50 After Being Trapped in Avalanche

Ueli Kestenholz, a Swiss Olympic snowboarder, has died after being trapped in an avalanche. He was 50.

According to a report from People on Tuesday, January 13, Kestenholz was snowboarding in Switzerland’s Lötschental Valley on Sunday when he was caught in an avalanche. He was buried by the snow and later rescued by emergency responders, including Air Zermatt helicopters. Despite being transported to a hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries.

Swiss-Ski confirmed Kestenholz’s death on Monday.

“His life was far too short,” the Swiss Ski Federation said in the news release, adding that the “Swiss-Ski and the snowboard community are devastated.”

Swiss-Ski president Peter Barandun extended condolences to Kestenholz’s family, noting that he is survived by his two children.

Kestenholz made history at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where he won a bronze medal in giant slalom snowboarding. The event marked snowboarding’s Olympic debut, and his performance helped cement the sport’s place on the world’s biggest athletic stage. He later competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin before retiring from professional competition that same year.

Following his retirement, Kestenholz remained active in outdoor sports. According to People, he pursued a wide range of activities including freeriding, speedriding, paragliding, surfing, and mountain biking, maintaining an active lifestyle.