Telemark skier Catherine "Kasha" Rigby dies in avalanche in Kosovo

Catherine Rigby, a renowned telemark, big mountain and expedition skier covering first descents of some of the world’s most revered peaks, has died in an avalanche.

Her fiancee Magnis Wofe Murray said in a message response in Facebook that Rigby, known as Kasha, died on February 13 at Brezovica mountain resort in Kosovo, 50 miles south of the capital Pristina.

Rigby, 54, a US resident, was skiing out of the tourist lanes when an avalanche hit her, according to police. She did not survive despite Mr Murray’s immediate CPR and later medical assistance.

Search and rescue personnel said they found Kasha, who had dropped in at the top of the run, was swept into a pine tree from a small avalanche in the “Eagle’s Nest” area, known for its avalanche risks.

Rigby, considered one of the best female telemark skiers in the world and who had featured in several movies, was in Kosovo with the Tour de Piste, a project made up of expert skiers to navigate uncharted ski runs at popular locations.

The US State Department also confirmed her death, not giving her name or more details “out of respect to the family during this difficult time”. It said it is providing appropriate consular assistance for her transport back home after the investigation by local authorities.

Mr Murray said on Saturday: “We were to be married in September. Now I’m widowed and devastated.”

Rigby was born in Stowe, Vermont, in 1970. During her childhood, she became a telemark skier. Telemark skiing is a combination of Alpine and Nordic skiing where the athlete bends their knees every time they have to turn. The heel is attached to the front of the binding by a hinged cable.

She competed in telemark racing and extreme-skiing competitions in the US, Canada, South America, New Zealand, Russia, Asia, Europe, India, and the Middle East. She skied the highest peak in Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, China, and the Mongolian Five Holy Peaks. She is one of three American women to ski an 8,000m peak in the Himalayas.