Dave Rosenbarger, a brand ambassador for Patagonia, died in an avalanche on Thursday while skiing the Italian side of Mont Blanc Massif.

The 38 year old known as ‘American Dave’ was respected for his outlook on life and skiing. An Oregon native, Dave split time between Tahoe City and Chamonix since the early 2000′s. Dave had been a Patagonia brand Ambassador since 2010. Patagonia Global Marketing Director, Josh Nielsen, released a statement saying:

“He was the epitome of a pure passion skier–someone who didn’t do it for the cameras or for the limelight–and was deeply committed to the sport for all of the right reasons. Dave was a calculated risk taker and a talented athlete who dedicated his life to climbing and skiing some of the most challenging lines in the world.”

Recently, Dave has been in the forefront of the ski community since POWDER’s digital feature debuted a week ago.

Dave was skiing with 3 other skiers. After being buried, he was dug up by his partners and airlifted to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.

Our condolences to Dave’s wife, Rosanna.

Thank you Cedric Bernardini for the beautiful images of Dave.