Jesse Tol, a local Valdez rider, was killed in an avalanche on Monday. While the slide was not that big, it was enough to do serious damage. Jesse’s father was also with him, but he was unharmed.

The slide happened when Jesse and father John were sledding. Jesse had apparently gotten off his sled to check snow conditions when the slide hit. According to officials, the snow pack was unsafe, and a number of small slides in the area pointed to that.

The Tol family has been riding the area for a long time. Jesse was part of what is arguably one of the best backcountry ski movies, The Paradox. The film documented the first group of rippers to hit Valdez.