JP Auclair's death 'devastating' for freestyle ski community

Members of the Canadian skiing community say they are "deeply saddened" by the death of Quebec freestyle skier Jean-Philippe Auclair.

Auclair died in an avalanche that struck San Lorenzo Mountain in Patagonia, on the border of Chile and Argentina, on Monday. National Geographic's Carl Andreas Fransson, originally from Sweden, also died. 

Auclair was a new father of a son born last spring.

JP was an icon for the free-skiing community.—Thomas Rinfret, friend of freestyle skier Jean-Philippe Auclair

Thomas Rinfret directs freestyle ski videos and was a friend of Auclair's, or JP, as his friends called him.

Rinfret said Auclair was a "pioneer."

"JP was an icon for the free-skiing community. He was there from the very beginning of the sport. One of the guys who made it possible for this sport to be an Olympic sport," he said.

"It's definitely shocking, the news of JP being caught in an avalanche. It was devastating for the whole ski community."

He was a legendary skier and his significant presence in the sport will be missed.—Canadian Freestyle Ski Association

Rinfret said Auclair was an expert skier who knew that the mountain could not be controlled.

"He knew exactly what he was doing. The avalanche — you can't control everything and unfortunately he got caught and what can you do?"

Auclair's close friend and longtime competitor, JF Cusson, says Auclair made a lasting impact on the sport.

"JP was by far the most meticulous, calculated perfectionist and creative person I have met in my life. Even if extreme skiing is a dangerous sport, I always felt like he was untouchable," he said in a statement to CBC News.

The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association acknowledged Auclair's death on its Facebook page:

"The Canadian Freestyle Ski Association is shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of JP Auclair. He was a legendary skier and his significant presence in the sport will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this very difficult time," it stated.

Olympic skier Jennifer Heil says he was an athlete who pushed the boundaries of the sport.

"He was the most innovative skier in the history of our sport. He was imagining what was possible and then doing it when we weren't even on the same page." 

He was the most innovative skier in the history of our sport.- Jennifer Heil, Olympic skier

Local crews were studying the terrain of the mountain on Wednesday to prepare to retrieve the bodies.

Authorities said the harsh elements were making the recovery mission a challenge, but they expected to be able to retrieve the bodies by Wednesday afternoon.