Details emerge of Backstrom accident
Thursday June 10, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

The US skier died while skiing in the Andes in Peru. 29-year old Arne Backstrom was well-known and highly respected. American media have the details of a preliminary accident report.

He won the Canadian Freeskiing Championship and a host of other competitions in his career.

He died on Mount Pisco when he fell over a cliff while attempting to ski down from the summit.

It's understood he was making a ski film and was in a group of around half a dozen people when the accident happened.

He fell over 400 feet.

It appears he lost a ski on a 55 degree slope just beneath the summit and fell to his death.

Further details have just been revealed in The Sierra Sun newspaper.

His body has been recovered in what rescue services described as a difficult operation.

His sister is also a freeride skier and his brother a professional snowboarder. His parents are ski patrollers.

"They have to live their lives the way they want to. I'm naturally sad that his life is stopped this way, but he had 29 pretty awesome years and a very quick ending," his father, Steve Backstrom, is reported to have said on local news, KING TV.

There have also been comments on Facebook from fans and well-wishers.

"RIP Arne you were a legend not just as a skier but also a great person and you will be dearly missed."

Below is the wnning run of his victory in Canada last winter.