The snowboarding world was greeted with tragic news Christmas Day when it was reported that 26-year-old pro snowboarder Jaeger Bailey had taken his own life in Mammoth Lakes, California.
Social media lit up with tributes for the charismatic and extremely athletic Bailey, who had starred in a handful of well-received films and won several contests over the years. He was best known for his stylish street riding and innovative view of the sport, always trying to find new ways to make snowboarding fun according to tributes. No further details were immediately provided about Bailey’s death.
“Seemingly from the moment his 2011 season edit dropped,” wrote Snowboarder magazine publisher Pat Bridges, “Jaeger’s viral-ready trick regimen made his timelines required viewing for anyone looking to be dumbfounded, inspired, and entertained. Accomplishing Never Been Done’s was no big deal for Bailey, as he had an uncommon ability to flip on command, maintain board control while unstrapped, and handle kinks with confidence.”
Bailey’s pure athleticism definitely stood out during his career.
“Jaeger was just such a passionate kid,” Jesse Burtner told XGames.com, where Bailey had competed in both Real Snow and the actual games. Burtner, a filmmaker with the innovative outfit Think Thank, had worked extensively with the Mammoth local. “He just had crazy good energy and you could see it in his snowboarding. My first impression of him was that he was going to make it no matter what, he was going to get in the videos, he was going to make it in snowboarding, just off of sheer drive and because he was a one-of-a-kind athlete. He really has done a lot of tricks that no one else on the planet has ever done or probably will ever do. One of my favorites from our projects together was his double backflip to land on the knuckle and pop right into a front flip. That was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in my life.” (Ed. Note: Above photo: @GimbalGod)
Bailey, who listed both Washington and California as homes on his Instagram account, will certainly be missed. RIP
