In yet another crushing blow to the Tahoe ski community and far beyond, Squaw phenom Arne Backstrom passed away June 3 while skiing on Nevado Pisco in the Peruvian Cordillera Blanca. Backstrom, 29, was on a month-long skiing expedition with Sweetgrass Productions. He was descending from the 18,897-foot summit when the accident occurred. According to reports, Backstrom traversed out onto the steep south face of Pisco to assess snow conditions when he fell and slid approximately 1,300 feet, suffering head trauma despite wearing a helmet.
The Olympic Valley resident and Washington state native was in his element to the very end as skiing had been the focus of much of his life. He grew up on the slopes of Crystal Mountain, Wash., where his parents were volunteer ski patrollers, and raced on the Whitman College Ski Team before moving to Squaw in 2006 to join his older sister, Ingrid, and younger brother, Ralph, who are both also professional winter athletes.
This past winter had been Arne’s breakout season, having won the 2009–10 Freeskiing World Tour, filmed segments with Warren Miller Entertainment and Matchstick Productions, and earned a coveted role as a Patagonia ambassador.
Though his talents on snow were striking, Arne was a kind and humble guy whose calm demeanor belied his confident and effortlessly smooth skiing abilities. Friends and family remember him off the slopes for his clever mind and his uncanny ability to be good at anything he tried. Arne Backstrom, ripper and friend, will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
~ Seth Lightcap
