Whistler Pro Skier Kai Smart Killed in Japan Avalanche

The news that Kai Smart has died following an avalanche in Japan lands hard across the ski community, now made even more real by the words shared by his father, John Smart.

Kai was a Whistler Pro skier, and part of a family deeply rooted in the sport. The son of the founder of Extremely Canadian and Momentum Ski Camps, he grew up in an environment where skiing was more than activity—it was culture, community, and a way of life. He carried that forward in his own way, known not just for his ability on skis, but for how he showed up as a person—respected, grounded, and genuinely liked.

In a tight mountain community like Whistler, that matters.

John Smart’s statement brings the reality into focus:

“It is with immense sadness that we have to let you know that our kind, brave and beautiful son and brother Kai is no longer with us. We are beyond heartbroken and there are no words to describe the pain we are feeling losing him so young.”

Kai had been flown home to Vancouver following the avalanche, where his family gathered with him:

“Tragically, the severe lack of oxygen he endured during the avalanche had destroyed any chance of recovery. We said our final farewells to him last night.”

The description that follows is not exaggerated—it’s consistent with how people in the ski world speak about those who live fully in it:

“Kai was a warrior, a mountain man, an explorer of the world, a lover of people of all walks of life… He lived life to the fullest every single day, with joy, curiosity, and intensity.”

Avalanche deaths in Japan’s deep snowpack are a reality of the mountains, but that context doesn’t change what this is. For Whistler, for Canadian skiing, and for those connected through decades of camps, coaching, and shared winters, this loss is personal.

John also shared something that stands apart even in grief:

“Kai’s heart is still beating in someone else and he is keeping 4 other people alive with his organs. This gives us great comfort.”

There will be no funeral. A celebration of life in Whistler will come later—something more fitting for someone who, by all accounts, brought energy and light wherever he went.

Our condolences to the Smart family, John, Julia and Luke, and to everyone who knew Kai.

He will be missed.

Source: Instagram