A Normandy Park family is mourning the loss of their son in a South American ski accident.
Arne Backstrom was the reigning Freeskiiing World Tour champion. He was a graduate of Highline High School.
His love for skiing started at Crystal Mountain. His parents served on the ski patrol at the Mt. Rainier resort for over two decades. His sister, Ingrid, is one of the world's best free skiers and his brother, Ralph, is a professional snowboarder.
His father, Steve Backstrom, told KING TV News, "They have to live their lives the way they want to. I'm naturally sad that his life is stopped this way, but he had 29 pretty awesome years and a very quick ending."