Estelle Balet

Estelle Balet (19 December 1994 – 19 April 2016) was a Swiss freeride snowboarder and two-time world champion in 2015 and 2016 at the Freeride World Tour.

Estelle Balet
Photograph of Estelle Balet, taken in 2014
Balet at the 2014 Freeride World Tour in Chamonix
Personal information
NationalitySwiss
Born(1994-12-19)19 December 1994
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Died19 April 2016(2016-04-19) (aged 21)
Orsières, Valais, Switzerland
OccupationSnowboarder
Years active2004–16
Height169 cm
Websiteestellebalet.com
Sport
CountrySwitzerland
SportSnowboarding
Achievements and titles
World finalsTwo world titles

Balet started skiing early in her childhood. At the age of ten she transitioned from skiing to snowboarding.[1] Balet specialized particularly in switch, frontside 180, frontside 360 and jib.[2] In 2015, Balet became the youngest ever Freeride World Tour champion when she won the women's snowboarding event. She won the same event in 2016.[3]

On 19 April 2016, Balet died in an avalanche while snowboarding in Orsières.[1] She was filming a snowboard segment for a film called Exploring the Known on Le Portalet in southwestern Switzerland. Despite swift action from emergency services and attendance from Air Glaciers, she died from her injuries.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Chrisafis, Angelique (19 April 2016). "Estelle Balet, snowboarding champion, killed at age of 21 in avalanche". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  2. "Estelle Balet". Swatch. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  3. "Champion Swiss snowboarder Estelle Balet dies in avalanche". BBC News Online. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  4. Chan, Sewell (19 April 2016). "Estelle Balet, Champion Snowboarder, Dies in Swiss Avalanche". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 April 2016.