Legendary Vancouver-born extreme skier and stuntman Shane McConkey died in an accident Thursday while filming a promotional movie in Corvara, Italy, according to his sponsors.

McConkey, 39, who rose to fame for performing base jumps on mountains worldwide, suffered a mid-air malfunction during one of his signature jumps when he tried to release his skis during a shoot for Red Bull energy drink.

"One ski didn't come off and when you're jumping off 1,000 foot cliffs you hit terminal velocity pretty quick and the fact of having one ski on and one ski of sent him into a spin and once you go into a spin in that sort of situation you can't deploy your parachute," longtime friend Mike Douglas told CTV News.

Italian emergency crews arrived only moments after his mid-air malfunction, Red Bull said in a statement, but there was nothing they could do. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Shane loved life and innovated both sport worlds he touched, skiing and B.A.S.E. Jumping," Red Bull spokesman Patrice Radden said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the sport he pioneered also carries inherent risks."

His death has shaken ski towns across the world, including Whistler, B.C., where his father Jim pioneered and ran one of the first ski schools.

McConkey's half-brother George says his only comfort is that Shane died doing something he loved.

"What Shane did was extraordinary, and he made, I think for people, he made skiing cool again, for the young kids," he said.

In December, the 39-year-old impressed onlookers when he jumped 436 metres above the Whistler Valley to celebrate the grand opening of the new Peak-to-Peak gondola.

"In football, it would be like Brett Farve or other amazing athletes like that," said fan Scott Sanders. "He did the same thing for skiing."

"He was always looking for new things he was the first guy to really make ski base jumping a sport," said Mike Douglas.

McConkey founded the International Free Skiing Association and was listed as the top skier in North America by Skiing Mag in 2001. He was also voted skier of the year three times by Powder magazine.

The California resident is survived by his wife Sherry, and three-year-old daughter, Avia.