Ski Jumper Killed In Record Try

KIRKWOOD, Calif. - A skier attempting to regain the record for jumping off a cliff was killed when he landed short of his target and slammed into rocks.

Paul Ruff, 28, of South Lake Tahoe, was killed Monday while attempting a 150-foot jump in an out-of-bounds area near Kirkwood ski area, according to witnesses and the Alpine County Sheriff's office.

Ruff's attempt failed because he lacked the speed to clear rocks at the base of the cliff, said photographer Deacon Chapin, who was shooting the jump for a ski publication.

Ruff was pronounced dead with internal injuries.

Ruff jumped a record 115 feet off another cliff near Kirkwood in 1989, Chapin said. That drop has since been exceeded. .