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  1. #1
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    NBC talks about the dangers of Freeskiing

    Here's a TV story that ended up on NBC's Rock Center tonight. It talks about the recent deaths of Shane McConkey, CR Johnson, Arne Backstrom, and other freeskiers.

    I don't know what I think about all the 'death zone' hype in this story, but I suspect reporter Natalie Morales would look great doing this story from a hot tub.

    http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-cent...0767/#46490767
    Last edited by SUPERIOR; 02-23-2012 at 12:06 AM.

  2. #2
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    I thought that was very well done.

    I feel pretty much the same as Dr. Gaffney
    The exposure and money I feel pushes athletes into making bad decisions.
    This is what I was thinking when looking at the tragedy up around Stevens pass last week.
    Would they have been there, in that terrain on that day if they were just having fun?
    There are other factors, (The Internet) and video advances play a role.
    Everyone always wants to see, do the new thing. That is just happening really fast these days.
    I am glad the Highest Huck crap is dying down, that was just getting out of hand a few years ago.

    Shane would never have been killed in a skiing accident. He had to find a whole other sport to take it to far.
    Own your fail. ~Jer~

  3. #3
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    Nobody pushed Shane into taking things too far, that was just Shane being Shane and if not for that personality, skiing might not look quite the same as it does today. The people who excel in a dangerous sport like skiing are the ones who want to see how close they can get to the flame without getting burned. When people engage in that sort of behavoir, someone eventually gets hurt or dies. Dr. Gaffney might want to talk about the brain chemisty of risk takers and how that is what pushes them to do stuff that might kill them rather than try to blame an industry guilty of nothing more than enabling. You know damn well Shane would've been out there doing the same shit on his own for nothing more than the thrill of it. I have good friends who ski sketchy, fall and you will die lines by themselves, with nobody watching for no other reason than they get off on it. If you really dig deep into the psychology behind it, one could argue that skiing is just an outlet and if not skiing, these people would be engaging in other high risk activities that could kill them because for some people, staring down death is the ultimate natural high.

  4. #4
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    i'll get flamed on it but it's my opinion that when you're single and mingling do what the hell you want, even married....but as soon as kids come along i think you have to dial it down a bit, make better decisions - to me it's just selfishness at that point.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by cinnepa View Post
    i'll get flamed on it but it's my opinion that when you're single and mingling do what the hell you want, even married....but as soon as kids come along i think you have to dial it down a bit, make better decisions - to me it's just selfishness at that point.
    +1
    When you have kids, it ain't all about just you anymore.
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  6. #6
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    I personally wish the media would just shut the fuck up about "extreme skiing" and just go back to what they do best at which is sucking corporate/political cock and working as hard as possible to decieve the public. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of this kind of coverage as the healthcare mandate kicks in. They gotta make sure they make that "extreme" label stick like glue in the mind of the American Public all over again. God I fuckin hate these dimwit journalists. Do yourself the biggest favor you can in life, cancel your cable and shoot your T.V.

    Maybe it's time the ski community has an internal dialogue about the level of risk that is being taken at the high end, but let the New York Media Douchebags suck each other off at Stratton on the weekends and mind their own filthy business.
    "The skis just popped me up out of the snow and I went screaming down the hill on a high better than any heroin junkie." She Ra

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by cinnepa View Post
    i'll get flamed on it but it's my opinion that when you're single and mingling do what the hell you want, even married....but as soon as kids come along i think you have to dial it down a bit, make better decisions - to me it's just selfishness at that point.
    Most rational thinking people would agree with you, but I don't think some of these folks have a choice. Their appetite for risk taking is ingrained in their DNA and far exceeds any notion of self preservation. The industry used to limit the "death zone" exposure by not going after the super high risk stuff, but people were still out there doing it. We just never really heard about them when they died because they were considered fringe lunatics by the mainstream. Why do you think Shane and the gang so desperately wanted to change the name of the sport from "extreme skiing" to "freeskiing"? Back then, the problem was that industy driven stuff was watered down, contrived and lame, so where do you draw the line?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by St. Jerry View Post
    +1
    When you have kids, it ain't all about just you anymore.
    agree BUT what if thats your way of making a living to support your family and kids.... for example, shane, thats how he made his money to live a nice life style.......you dont just dial back and except some $8.50 hour job... doesnt work that way........would be very hard to do and leave that type of life style...........
    always forward but never straight

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by SUPERIOR View Post
    ...but I suspect reporter Natalie Morales would look great doing this story from a hot tub.
    YES.

    It's like drugs; when a string of bad happens, they run a story to promote awareness and induce a trough. Won't change a thing.

  10. #10
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    When the fuck did skiing become free?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    Nobody pushed Shane into taking things too far, that was just Shane being Shane and if not for that personality, skiing might not look quite the same as it does today. The people who excel in a dangerous sport like skiing are the ones who want to see how close they can get to the flame without getting burned. When people engage in that sort of behavoir, someone eventually gets hurt or dies. Dr. Gaffney might want to talk about the brain chemisty of risk takers and how that is what pushes them to do stuff that might kill them rather than try to blame an industry guilty of nothing more than enabling. You know damn well Shane would've been out there doing the same shit on his own for nothing more than the thrill of it. I have good friends who ski sketchy, fall and you will die lines by themselves, with nobody watching for no other reason than they get off on it. If you really dig deep into the psychology behind it, one could argue that skiing is just an outlet and if not skiing, these people would be engaging in other high risk activities that could kill them because for some people, staring down death is the ultimate natural high.
    Good point. I was a bit surprised to hear Robb Gaffney say that sponsors were fueling these deaths. When I look at the recent deaths over the years, I dont see money or sponsorship pressures playing a role. Shane was doing his thing, CR was shredding a pow day on his home hill, Arne was on an adventure that he would have done without cameras, Sarah was training for what she loves and does best. These were veteran athletes that for the most part were pretty secure in their sponsorship roles. As a "sponsor" myself, I am always telling the athletes we have on our program to chill out and take it easy. Gaffney knows this because he is one of the athletes I sponsor. (btw nice sticker job Robb) These athletes are so driven to get into the gnar on their own, they dont need any additional pressure from a sponsor. I could really understand Gaffney's point if it was a bunch of teenage groms trying to break into the industry that died, but the losses we have suffered for the most part have all been established vets. I know athletes feel pressure to perform, to keep relevant, etc, but I cant imagine an athlete standing on top of a gnarly run thinking about their sponsorship and how pulling off this stunt is going to bring them a lot of money.

    Unfortunately, I dont know what can be done about any of this and like Robb said, I dont see the carnage ending anytime soon.

    RIP to our fallen bros and sisters and to everyone else lets keep coming back for more.
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  12. #12
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    There always have been, and there always will be risk takers (in any sport/activity). It's also nothing new that corporate sponsors are willing to tap into the notoriety associated with those people. If someone can make a living off of doing what they love, I'm not going to hold it against them or the corporation that's paying them. I don't for a second believe that these people would be doing anything significantly differently if they weren't getting paid, and if anything, I think reduced funding has the potential to make things less safe. I'm not going to interject my opinions of how those people should live their life, even though it makes me sad when something goes wrong.

  13. #13
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    Is there honestly that much money involved in being a professional freeskier? Any I've ever known still had maxed out credit cards and debt like the rest of us. I don't think anyone is getting rich off of freeskiing. I'm with Tone on this one, thanks for nothing NBC, go fuck yourself and leave our sport/lifestyle alone. The general population doesn't get it and never will. RIP to all those who died doing the sport we all love (or variations of it).

    "Death zone", give me a fucking break. My wife and I got rearended like a motherfucker yesterday sitting at a traffic light so hard we were pushed into the intersection and almost t boned. When is the media going to do a story on the "death zone" of everyday driving. We gotta put a stop to the maddness that is driving! People live and die everyday, our world population is over 7 billion. I don't think our sport has a problem. You can die crossing the fucking street. Fucking media.

  14. #14
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    ^^^^absolutely, there should be some sort of gene pool testing before giving out driver's licenses.

  15. #15
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    Lets seperate two things, the Stevens Pass tragedy was unrelated to what NBC called the Death Zone, stupid fucking name by the way. They opened with the story of the avalanche deaths but then switched to Mc Conkey who was base jumping. That is not a sking activity as far as I am concerned. He could have just as well jumped without skis. I cannot argue to the point that sponsors feed the fire but I am not sure that it changes a whole lot. The reason a sponsor signs someone up is because they are doing extreme sports, not the other way around. However, the money certainly adds to the level of stunt if you want to call it that.

    You saw the reporter hiking the ridgeline, looked good with her skis over her shoulder. Now lets find out if she skied down or walked back...

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by powder11 View Post
    Dr. Gaffney might want to talk about the brain chemisty of risk takers and how that is what pushes them to do stuff that might kill them rather than try to blame an industry guilty of nothing more than enabling.
    He may well have discussed that too, who knows what they edited out. Without seeing his interview in it's entirety I'm withholding judgement for the moment.

    Sherry was the highlight of the piece. I would have liked for there to have been more of her.
    Last edited by Dantheman; 02-23-2012 at 10:41 AM.

  17. #17
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    Agreed:

    - the interviewer looking great in a hot tub.
    - things need to change when you have a kid.
    - Sponsorship and cameras contribute to putting folks in more intense situations. (Not blaming them, it's ultimately the athletes decision to go\no go...)

  18. #18
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    Typical media churn: take an emotional event, hype the hysteria by misconstruing the facts (and likely heavily editing the interviews) season with snackable betties and score some viewership.

    The masses want things simple; they want to bindle their soggy kleenexes and point the finger at the evil root of it all. Protestantism redux while making a buck.

    I find it revolting.
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  19. #19
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    Yeah yeah, we're all above the media and the percieved hierarchy that we sit on the top of

    How about instead of focusing on stylistic choices of the network, we take a minute and think about just who it is saying what he's saying. Someone who knew very personally every single one of the people he's talking about, has skied more sketchy lines competently than most people here, was personally responsible for a project who's sole purpose was to bring back the 'fun' in skiing, and is a pretty bright guy who's seen more sides of the ski industry than most of you are ever likely to.

    It ain't brian williams saying this shit. It's Rob fucking Gaffney. Just consider for a moment that he might have some very good reasons for thinking the way he does, and the full explanation doesn't fit into a nice 9 minute segment.

  20. #20
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    there is one segment that really made me think sponsors push some athletes a little much.

    The Art of Flight, The goat range segment. I was really not okay with that segment however i can't be sure if it was the athletes who wanted to go anyways or if they were" pushed" to do it. Either way the were really rolling the dice and they knew the conditions were fucking dangerous. As for the deaths that happened. They were all skiing yes but they were all very different shane ski base, Cr snagged a rock ( shit happens ) jamie was pushed off a cliff by an avy and the latest 4 were buried.
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  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by kidwoo View Post

    It ain't brian williams saying this shit. It's Rob fucking Gaffney. Just consider for a moment that he might have some very good reasons for thinking the way he does, and the full explanation doesn't fit into a nice 9 minute segment.
    Bingo. I'm wondering if he still lurks here and if he will chime in.
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  22. #22
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    You saw the reporter hiking the ridgeline, looked good with her skis over her shoulder. Now lets find out if she skied down or walked back...
    Now that's a good question!

  23. #23
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    If you take Dr. Gaffney's point about his old skiing buddies still are alive and how many young friends have died. And you take that point and use as a baseline for decisions being made. Everything he says makes total sense.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigdude2468 View Post
    You saw the reporter hiking the ridgeline, looked good with her skis over her shoulder. Now lets find out if she skied down or walked back...
    There's an easy way down lookers left of the Palisades. I should know..

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by MTT View Post
    This is what I was thinking when looking at the tragedy up around Stevens pass last week.
    Would they have been there, in that terrain on that day if they were just having fun?
    They were on that terrain having fun. Do the community a favor and shoot yourself.

    JONG!!!!
    Last edited by O.P.P.; 02-23-2012 at 12:01 PM.
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