A Video Tribute to Erik Roner

SnowBrains |

The ski world lost a legend yesterday when Erik Roner died in a skydiving accident in Squaw Valley, California.  It was a huge blow to all of us.  This video gives us a glimpse into the incredible life that Erik lived.

“One year Steve & I were flying in a heli back from Haines when we spotted the line. We shot it and later showed the footage to Roner, he was stoked at the possibility of a ski-BASE.

The timing had to be perfect, so we kept monitoring it. The year we were filming for Tangerine Dream, the crew had been in AK for five weeks, and we were about ready to leave. Flying back in the heli we went right past that same line from fours year ago. Steve and I looked at each other and knew we had to call Roner. He was on a plane an hour later.

He got in that night; we got dinner, went to bed, and woke up early to check conditions. Fortunately the winds were calm. We got to the cliff, and Roner dropped in. It was the sickest ski BASE ever completed at that time, and he did it flawlessly.

By 11 AM, we were sitting on a deck in Juno, eating fish and drinking beer. It was an epic, special moment, with a very good friend, a day were we had this collective dream, concept, and mission that we finally achieved. Now that he is gone, and I reflect on this day, that is what I will miss most; those shared, treasured moments.”

-TGR Co-Founder Todd Jones


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