Japanese ski pioneer Keizo Miura dies at 101

Japanese ski pioneer Keizo Miura dies at 101{mosimage}TOKYO – Keizo Miura, a pioneer of skiing in Japan and the father of adventurer Yuichiro Miura, has died of multiple organ failure, his office said. He was 101.

Miura was a ski instructor and also worked at regional forestry offices.

He made headlines in 2003 at 99 when he skied down the famed Mont Blanc’s Vallee Blanche, or White Valley, with his family spanning three generations.

The spirit of adventure runs in his family. His son, Yuichiro, was the first person to ski down Mount Everest in 1970 and scaled the mountain again in 2003, with his son Gota, to become the oldest climber.

Keizo was one of the most famous centenarians in Japan, appearing on television talk shows and writing many books on skiing.

He was skiing until April 2005, when he injured his neck, according to Kumiko Kudo, official of Miura Dolphins, his office. He recovered from the injury, but suffered a stroke in September and pneumonia in December, she said.

Miura is survived by his three sons and a daughter.

A funeral service will be held Jan. 11, according to the office.

– The Associated Press