On January 7, 2015

Two U.S. ski team prospects die in avalanche, one had Vt. connections

By Polly Lynn

Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19 were two development-level ski racers who were among six people skiing when the avalanche struck. The four others were able to ski out of danger; Berlack and Astle were not.

Their deaths in an avalanche at a resort in the Austrian Alps have left their friends on the U.S. Ski Team in shock.

Astle, who hailed from Sandy, Utah, had been invited to train with the development team after he finished 13th in giant slalom at the U.S. Alpine Championships last March, ending as the top junior.

Berlack, from Franconia, N.H., was named to the U.S. Ski Team’s Development Team after a spring 2013 tryout camp. He finished 11th in downhill and 17th in super G at the 2013 U.S. Alpine Championships in Squaw Valley, Cali.

Berlack had attended Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, which released a statement saying that the skier was “loved and deeply respected” and praising his “huge spirit.”

“I haven’t cried like this in a very long time,” Katie Ryan, a member of the Alpine B Team, wrote on her blog, in a post titled “Ski in Peace Boys.”

“The sudden deaths of Ronnie and Bryce will shake the entire Ski Racing community as it has shaken me,” Ryan continued.

“They were funny oddballs, great teammates and fierce competitors. I have no doubt they would have gone on to race  the World Cup and beyond,” she wrote. “My heart breaks for their families, for the teammates who witnessed it all and for their coaches.”

Resort personnel at Soelden, where the two Americans were killed, said the six skiers left the safe slopes and went out into an open area Monday. There had been a lot of wind over the past few days that had moved new snow into the area before the avalanche, experts had reported. The avalanche risk was set at level 3 out of 5, which was enough to elicit warnings on local local media outlets not to go off piste.

A team of around 60 rescuers, including dogs and two helicopters, took 40 to 50 minutes to find Astle and Berlack, resort officials reported. Berlack and Astle weren’t wearing avalanche gear, including a beacon that sends out signals to rescuers of their wearabouts.

The four U.S. men’s skiers who were able to ski out of harm’s way tried to rescue their teammates also, but were unsuccessful in locating them. The searchers eventually found Berlack and Astle about 10 to 13 feet under the snow, according to reports.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Inventing a better ski day: the innovations that drew crowds to Killington

July 2, 2025
By Karen D. Lorentz Editors’ Note: This is part of a series on the factors that enabled Killington to become the Beast of the East. Quotations are from author interviews in the 1980s for the book Killington, A Story of Mountains and Men. “We’ve got a million dollars that says you’ll learn to ski at…

Cirque Series celebrates successful Killington debut

July 2, 2025
By Polly Mikula The Cirque Series broke trail in New England with two new races. On June 7, runners raced up Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire and this past Saturday, June 28, they tackled “The Beast of the East,” Killington Mountain. Cirque is also adding Crystal Mountain, Washington, to its national lineup of eight…

Get a GRIP

June 27, 2025
Hold on, don’t lose traction — get a GRIP! It’s time to ride! With over 250 trails within 45 minutes of Killington this trail guide will show you all there is to discover — and enhance your experience with tips on where to go, what to do and where to go to refuel. (We can’t…

How to take the best flicks of your tricks

June 27, 2025
To take the best photos of mountain bike tricks, focus on the technique, composition, and timing. Tips compiled from experts can help you capture dynamic shots, accurately capturing (and even slightly enhancing) the extreme nature of the feat. By combining these techniques, you can create stunning, action-packed images that truly capture the excitement and skill…