Steve McKinney (skier)

Steve McKinney
Born	1953 Baltimore, Maryland
Died	(1990-11-10)November 10, 1990 Sacramento, California
Occupation	Speed skier, mountaineer
Known for	First person to break 200 km/h on skis; first person to fly a hang-glider off Mount Everest

Steve McKinney (1953 – November 10, 1990) was an American Alpine skier and mountaineer who is acknowledged as an early pioneer in the sport of extreme skiing. A gifted all-around athlete, McKinney is best remembered as a world-class speed skier. In 1978 at Portillo, Chile, McKinney's record-breaking run of 200.222 km/h (124.137 mph) made him the first speed skier to break the 200 km/h barrier. Between 1974 and 1987, McKinney set seven world speed skiing records in competitions around the world.

In the 1980s, McKinney became an accomplished mountain climber. In 1986 he led an expedition to Mount Everest, during which he became the first person to fly a hang-glider off the mountain.

Steve was one of eight McKinney children. His half-sister, Tamara McKinney, became a world champion World Cup skier.

McKinney was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1953. He and his family settled near Lake Tahoe, California. Steve regularly skied at nearby Squaw Valley, and was a junior ski racer with the Far West Ski Association. He graduated from high school through correspondence courses, and briefly attended the University of Colorado in 1971. He quit college soon after and joined the U.S. Ski Team as a downhill specialist. The independent-minded McKinney clashed with the team's authorities. He finally left the team in 1973 after making an advertising transaction, for which he was disqualified from amateur status.

After his departure from the U.S. Ski Team, McKinney's next pursuit was mountain climbing. One of his first ascents was at Donner Summit near Lake Tahoe. While attempting to climb a route called Rated X, McKinney fell 100 feet off the rock wall and broke his back and a heel bone. He spent the next several months in a full-torso body cast.

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