Image Source: Nitrocircus.com

Longtime professional skier and basejumper Erik Roner has passed away in a skydiving accident. Roner was part of a stunt for a golf tournament in the Lake Tahoe area. The last of the three skydivers in the stunt, Roner came in at high speed where he colided with a tree. A shaken up Roy Tuscany, founder of the Lake High Fives Foundation and a witness at the scene told TGR over the phone "He hit a tree... he hit a tree so hard. I don't know what happened from there."

A true action sport pioneer, Roner skied professionally for over a decade, and began basejump in the early 2000s. In 2005, Erik joined force with Travis Pastrana and the Nitro Circus crew travelling the world performing stunts and filming for the groups shows and movies. In his Rockstar Energy athlete profile, Erik shared his favorite quote from Hunter S Thompson, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” While Roner has undoubtedly left us too early, he truly embodied this ideal. Erik leaves behind his two children, who have been featured in some of his hilarious and viral videos, and his wife.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Erik’s family and friends. He will be missed by many, while his legacy will influence skiers and basejumpers to come. Thanks for all you’ve done, RIP.