Erik Roner, Action Sports Athlete, Ski BASE Jumper, Dies at 39

Renowned ski BASE jumper Erik Roner died Monday at age 39 after striking a tree while performing a parachute jump for the Squaw Valley Institute Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe, California.

Kevin MacMillan of the Tahoe Daily Tribune reported the news, indicating Roner crashed into a tree on his descent with a four-man team at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time.

Teton Gravity Research featured Roner as the star of numerous films as he broke new ground in action sports by co-founding ski BASE jumping with the late Shane McConkey, and it provided more details on Roner's death, per Ryan Dunfee.

High Fives Foundation founder Roy Tuscany bore witness to Roner's fatal fall, stating, per Dunfee, "He hit a tree...he hit a tree so hard. I don't know what happened from there." 

Tuscany also spoke about how much Roner cared for his family, adding, "That's the most important thing that needs to resonate amongst everyone. ... That Erik had an amazing family—two beautiful, beautiful kids and an amazing wife."    

Below is just one of the daring stunts Roner pulled off over the years:

Roner also starred in the Nitro Circus television series for MTV led by extreme sports innovator Travis Pastrana. The show featured Pastrana's friends performing daring stunts and led to a feature film released in 2012.

According to Roner's official website, he attended BYU with the intent to be a soccer player but groomed his passion for skiing in the surrounding Wasatch Mountains. It led to an extraordinary career that sadly met a tragic end.

Roner is survived by his wife, Annika, daughter Kasper and son Oskar.