The mountains had always been a place of wonder for this Olympic snowboarder and 1998 Nagano bronze medalist in giant slalom. The endless snow, the alpine air, and the thrill of descending slopes were where he felt most alive. Tragically, that same passion for the mountains ended in his death at the age of just 50.

On 11 January 2026, in the Lotschental valley of Canton Valais, Switzerland, at an altitude of around 2,400 meters (7900 feet), Ueli Kestenholz was riding his snowboard, accompanied by a friend who was skiing. Unfortunately, an avalanche broke loose, and while Kestenholz’s friend was able to get to safety, the snowboarder got trapped in it.

After a call for help, within no time, the Valais Cantonal Rescue Organization (OCVS) teams responded, and Kestenholz was pulled out and airlifted by helicopter, first to a regional hospital in Visp. Later, he was transferred to a larger medical centre in Sion, close to Crans‑Montana. Medical teams treated him for severe trauma from being buried and the forces of the avalanche. However, he later died in the hospital on Sunday.

While the Swiss Ski Federation (Swiss‑Ski) confirmed Kestenholz’s passing, the statement by Valais police revealed the details behind the tragedy. While Kestenholz was with his friend, “an avalanche occurred at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters for an unknown reason.” And it proved fatal for Kestenholz.

However, as the news broke out, prayers have come in from the Swiss-Ski community, among others, “His life was far too short…Swiss-Ski and the snowboard community are devastated.”

Though he is no longer with us, he will be remembered for his achievements and the mark he left on the sport.

Ueli Kestenholz’s life from the Alps to the Olympics

Ueli Kestenholz was born in Thun, Switzerland, near the Swiss Alps. Raised in a house surrounded by mountains, he fell in love with board sports at an early age. He skied in his youth, but also explored skateboarding and windsurfing.

And soon after, he found snowboarding at the age of 14, and felt the connection with it, leaving skiing behind. “At first I still felt guilty towards my parents, who had bought me the skiing equipment. But snowboarding had a tremendous pull.”

Soon after, the father of two children began competing in regional freestyle and alpine snowboarding events in the early 1990s. Later, Kestenholz quickly made his mark as a rider.

In 1995, he won a bronze medal at the International Snowboarding Federation World Championships in Davos. He soon joined Switzerland’s national snowboarding team and started competing in World Cup events and international competitions.

When snowboarding was included in the Olympics for the first time at Nagano 1998, Kestenholz won bronze in giant slalom. And in doing so he became the first Swiss snowboarder to stand on an Olympic podium.

Beyond the Olympics, he excelled in other major competitions, winning two gold medals in snowboard cross at the Winter X Games (2003 and 2004) and claiming multiple World Cup podiums, proving his versatility across different snowboarding disciplines.

After retiring from sports in 2006, Kestenholz didn’t slow down. He took his focus to freeriding, adventure films, and extreme sports productions. With his friend Mathias Roten, he also produced the award-winning multisport film Playgravity, featuring breathtaking descents in the Swiss Alps, including first descents of mountains such as the Matterhorn.

And now he is no more. But is survived by his partner Petra Wolf and their two children, who remember him with love.