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.
In 1978 at Portillo, Chile, McKinney's record-breaking run of 200.222 km/h (124.137 mph)[2] made him the first speed skier to break the 200 km/h barrier.
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.
McKinney learned about speed skiing from his friend, Dick Dorworth,[12] who was the first skier to break 105 mph.
In 1973, on a whim, he took a flight to Milan, Italy, and then hitchhiked to Cervinia to watch speed skiing on the Kilometro Lanciato ('flying kilometer').
He became the first person to fly a hang-glider at Mount Everest, making a flight from the West Ridge at about 22,000 feet.
He also made an earlier, test flight at Base Camp, in which he survived a spectacular crash into a glacial moraine.
[18] In the early hours of November 10, 1990, while on his way to San Francisco for a business meeting, McKinney pulled his Volkswagen off of Interstate 5 near Sacramento, California.
According to investigators, McKinney's car may have had mechanical problems, and he had apparently climbed into the back seat to sleep before seeking help.
[19] McKinney was honored posthumously with the North American Snowsports Journalists Association's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for 1992-93, for outstanding contributions to skiing.