The U.S. Ski Team
announced Monday that an avalanche killed two development-level racers while they were free skiing in Soelden, Austria.
Ronnie Berlack, 20, of New Hampshire, and Bryce Astle, 19, of Utah, were caught in the avalanche path along with four other skiers who maneuvered to safety.
"Ronnie and Bryce were both outstanding ski racers who were passionate about their sport – both on the race course and skiing the mountain," said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Tiger Shaw.
"Our hearts go out to the Berlack and Astle families, as well as to their extended sport family. Both of them loved what they did and conveyed that to those around them."
As Buzzfeed reported, Soelden hosts the annual World Cup event for skiing in October, and Astle posted on his Instagram account ahead of the trip that he couldn't wait to visit Europe.
Astle finished as the top junior at the U.S. Alpine Championships in March 2014, and was subsequently invited to train with the development team.
"He posted strong results in South American Cup races in Chile this summer, and was coming off a pair of top-10 slalom and giant slalom NorAm Cup finishes in Canada last month, where he was on the junior podium in all but two events," the Ski Team wrote of Astle's latest achievements.
Berlack had been with the development team since a 2013 tryout camp at Mammoth Mountain, and finished 11th in downhill and 17th in Super G at the 2013 U.S. Alpine Championships in Squaw Valley. After recovering from a knee injury, he competed in the South American Cup races in Chile this summer and in NorAm and FIS races last month in Canada.
The Ski Team has asked that any condolences or remembrances be posted to Facebook.
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