Erik Roner Dies Skydiving

**Game Over** · 09-30-2015, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Perfectly said. My wife and I had a long discussion last night about risk vs rewards, growing old, kids, etc. I certainly have a different outlook on it now at 41 than I did even just a few years ago.

This is the underlying point IMO. You and your wife discussed what is best for your family. I would be blown away if he and his wife had never had this conversation.

This was his profession. They knew the risk/reward and I'd assume weighed that vs other jobs he qualified for and made a decision based on what they thought was best for their family. Or maybe they never talked about it- whatever the case it is between him and his wife and it's quite frankly no one else's business.

**stfu&gbtw** · 09-30-2015, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by steepconcrete

This is the underlying point IMO. You and your wife discussed what is best for your family. I would be blown away if he and his wife had never had this conversation.

This was his profession. They knew the risk/reward and I'd assume weighed that vs other jobs he qualified for and made a decision based on what they thought was best for their family. Or maybe they never talked about it- whatever the case it is between him and his wife and it's quite frankly no one else's business.

Correct.

And that should be the end of this discussion.

**Dhelihiker** · 09-30-2015, 02:43 PM

condolences to his Friends and Family. Roner was a class act

**TyWebb** · 09-30-2015, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by huckasoreass

Hero definition: "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities."

Just because you wouldn't call him a hero doesn't mean he wasn't one.

Right on.

Per Dantheman....do you have any insight into what really happened Huck?

**davieboot** · 09-30-2015, 03:57 PM

Such a good guy. Such a huge loss.

**huckasoreass** · 09-30-2015, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by TyWebb

Right on.

Per Dantheman....do you have any insight into what really happened Huck?

I don't know all of what has been said, and I don't want to go into specific details out of respect for his family, but from the standpoint of what went wrong, it appeared to be nothing more than pilot error. Maybe poor line selection coupled with pilot error, but it seems no one will know how or why he erred so badly. There didn't appear to be any canopy issues of any kind. After the accident, JT and Charles Bryan (one of the other jumpers) discussed how sometimes prior to a jump, they are pumped up and ultra-focused if it's going to be a sketchy or demanding landing. This was not one of those times. A walk in the park for them, essentially.

**El Kanone** · 09-30-2015, 06:18 PM

I just binged on a Roner Vision marathon. I had never seen that before. What an amazingly fun guy. Great energy and humor. I'm sorry for his family and kids. But that guy really lived it up.

**karma** · 10-01-2015, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by huckasoreass

I don't know all of what has been said, and I don't want to go into specific details out of respect for his family, but from the standpoint of what went wrong, it appeared to be nothing more than pilot error. Maybe poor line selection coupled with pilot error, but it seems no one will know how or why he erred so badly. There didn't appear to be any canopy issues of any kind. After the accident, JT and Charles Bryan (one of the other jumpers) discussed how sometimes prior to a jump, they are pumped up and ultra-focused if it's going to be a sketchy or demanding landing. This was not one of those times. A walk in the park for them, essentially.

I'll echo what Huck said, pilot error plain and simple. I would liken it to a Nascar driver getting in a fatal car accident on the way to the track. Skydiving and other similarly intense sports where at times the levels are so high, intense or dangerous that 100% concentration is required can often cause the participants to become complacent when the demands aren't as high. Think of a line you were super sketched on, and waited for perfect conditions to hit the first time. But now you hit it ten days after a storm without even thinking about the nasty rock in the middle, until one day, you catch an edge and slam in to that rock. The ultimate dangers are just as high, but we simply don't give them as much respect as we often should, due to the routine nature of them. I can't say for sure that Erik fell victim to complacency, but I am fairly certain it played at least some part.

Complacency kills, the same way guides have died in avalanches and the whole ski community can't figure out why someone so smart and experienced could make that mistake. The skydiving community will have a hard time grasping how Erik made this mistake.

**2nd mate** · 10-01-2015, 07:32 AM

RIP Roner. My condolences to his friends and family. Thank you very much for all the awsomeness you dispensed over your time here.

**MTT** · 10-01-2015, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by karma

I'll echo what Huck said, pilot error plain and simple. I would liken it to a Nascar driver getting in a fatal car accident on the way to the track. Skydiving and other similarly intense sports where at times the levels are so high, intense or dangerous that 100% concentration is required can often cause the participants to become complacent when the demands aren't as high. Think of a line you were super sketched on, and waited for perfect conditions to hit the first time. But now you hit it ten days after a storm without even thinking about the nasty rock in the middle, until one day, you catch an edge and slam in to that rock. The ultimate dangers are just as high, but we simply don't give them as much respect as we often should, due to the routine nature of them. I can't say for sure that Erik fell victim to complacency, but I am fairly certain it played at least some part.

Complacency kills, the same way guides have died in avalanches and the whole ski community can't figure out why someone so smart and experienced could make that mistake. The skydiving community will have a hard time grasping how Erik made this mistake.

This is a valid conversation to have. The beginners are not the ones getting killed.

I figured he probably hit some bad air (Edge of a thermal) at just the wrong time.

Being that (I do not Sky dive) And (I was not there)
I am the perfect person to weigh in on this.

Its just really sad.