Craig Kelly (snowboarder)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Craig Kelly (April 1, 1966 - January 20, 2003) was a professional snowboarder.
Kelly was known as the 'Godfather of Freeriding'; Terje Haakonsen called Kelly the best snowboarder of all time. Over his 15-year professional career, he won 4 world championships and 3 U.S. championships; he won the Mount Baker Banked Slalom[1] snowboarding competition in 1988, 1991, and 1993. The distinctive fluid manner in which he rode was recognized and acclaimed in the snowboarding community. Kelly also appeared in an enormous number of video and photo shoots. He was known for looking straight at the camera, even in the midst of a difficult aerial maneuver. He also assisted Burton with design and development.
He died in an avalanche near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada on January 20, 2003, which trapped 8 people and killed 6 others. The heli skiing group was properly equipped and prepared for avalanches; the weekly bulletin warned of considerable risk in the area at the time.
