This kid is for real.

[wstdeep]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntTYMT1PNdU


He really is approaching megga class terrain with super aggressive technique. For those that thought he was over rated I'm guessing you won't any more.

fuck.

[gaijin]

No. I'm gonna go ahead and say it. Watching Kai screaming in agony over breaking both his legs is absolutely nothing that I ever want to watch again in some athlete's attempt at anything.

I think that was the worst "ski film" I have ever seen. And I know that he is the son of the industry. I know that he has been growing up in this industry.

And I think that watching teenagers wreck themselves on camera makes me sick to my stomach.

There is no way, in good conscience, that I could bring that footage home to my family, relatives, and say hey-- "Look how rad I'm raising my kid."

Were he over 18? Maybe this conversation would be different. The fact that he's a kid?

Porn? Tobacco? Alcohol? Weed? Breaking your legs on camera for clicks? "Hey, as long as we document your recovery on camera, all is awesome!"

That's some fucked up ski porn.

He's 16. His own dad wouldn’t have skied that line.

[halliday]

^^I agree. When he started screaming I turned it off. Yes accidents happen and people fuck themselves up skiing but showing it and making this movie it is pretty poor form.

[paulster2626]

I thought it brought a sobering reality to the film. Every time I see these guys huck themselves off of some cheese wedge or cliff in the middle of nowhere I always think 'they gotta get hurt sometimes, right?' 'What would even happen if something serious went down?' Well, questions answered.

Plus, these are pros. Yeah he's "just a kid" but he's not stupid. A lift ticket says you can die - these skiers know the stakes and what can happen. Plus, there's no way they put this in without approval from Kai and his family, so whatever.

Not excited to see a depiction of the consequences of big line skiing, but I'm not upset about it either. What does make me upset, however, is that every year there is no Rax segment.

[Name Redacted]

16-year-old skier Kai Jones had the season of his life before it was cut short by a freak accident in the backcountry of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Watch as Kai skis big lines, send crazy tricks in natural terrain and straightlines the biggest couloir of his life...

Did they really just call that a "Freak Accident"? Dude dropped a massive cliff and ran into an obstacle. That is called a crash and hucking off a cliff and running into something directly in your path isn't a "freak accident". Sucks though, hope he gets better and back to skiing and hopefully he (and his family/sponsors/filmers) learns from it.

[wstdeep]

No question the risk factors are off the chart. Too many things to hit in the outruns etc. I was simply referencing the display of talent. The discussion of the risks taken is another topic.

[Name Redacted]

Looks more like he ran out of talent to me.

[Ski220]

So if they had not included the leg breaking scene, all would have been good ?
A lot of monday morning quarterbacking.
How many kids break their legs playing high school football ?
I mean, I hurt myself sliding into second base on a routine play at his age.
No cameras involved.

Endless backcountry switchies and straight lining couliers and cliff bands certianly not my thing.
But to make it look spectacular on film, simply skiing down doesn't cut it anymore.
Yes it is a tough watch. Read the SAR reports. Plenty of people f'n themselves up out there
and if only for their own pleasure.

We'll be at at the Cap in Port Chester tomorrow night for the full TGR film "Legend Has It".

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

Did they really just call that a "Freak Accident"?

Maybe we could work as a team and find out what caused such a "freak accident"? It's a mystery that may never be solved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLfAf8oHrMo

[Jason4]

Meh, maybe I'll change my mind after watching the kid get wrecked but I don't really have a problem with a young athlete pushing to be their best and capturing it all on video. That's the advantage he has being in the family he's in and it really isn't very different than many other kids with soccer moms and football dads. Much like other people naturally follow into the same industries their parents are in this kid is doing that too. Maybe we could start a thread shaming the hedge fund managers here about how much coke their kids are going to do in college.
FWIW, my dad was there shooting photos when I did my first backflip, he shot the session when I hit the Baker road gap, he has a sequence that clearly shows that I messed up when I punched a hole in the cartilage in my knee, he was there both times that I straightlined Table, and he was there the first two times I got caught and carried in avalanches. I think he was there when I got a concussion but that day is a little fuzzy. He was also there with me for most of my snowboarding through high school and kept me busy enough that I never went to any high school parties. I could have gone into the Navy like he had but he supported my mountain sports and never pushed me towards the military.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

I think the issue is not that he did it but that it was filmed and monetized.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Ski220]

I think the issue is not that he did it but that it was filmed and monetized.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

I say good for him.
Somebody's got to pay the bills somehow.
I'd love to monetize some coin off my skiing.
https://www.youtube.com/@220ski220
If it's cool enough I'll set up a gofundme (all proceeds to be donated to "stoke dreams").
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...larships/page9

[Jason4]

I think the issue is not that he did it but that it was filmed and monetized.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

He's going to have to pay for those medical bills somehow!

[crankplank]

Amazing skiing and the more I read these comments the less sure I am about my feelings on the matter. But I would not use football leg breaks as an arguing point. Kids destroying their bodies for a chance to be exploited by older men who will pocket most of the money banked off the spectacle is something we are all too comfortable with. At the same time, we all take our risks to stoke others and feel rad on the hill. If I hit a spruce blasting tree runs at the bird, I'll get wrecked the same as kai did.

The real crime is that ski videos are still so f*cking corny in their formatting. These wannabe lost generation self mythologizing voiceovers should have stayed in the 90s. It's skiing, we all think it's cool, if it's really cool it will be self evident.

[ASmileyFace]

All of you saying "good for him to monetize it" remember he was 15 when this happened right? It's not like the Jones family doesn't have money to pay for his medical bills. Monetizing his recovery just feels weird. I had to turn it off as soon as he started screaming. Maybe it's just a bit too real for me.

I have really enjoyed Kai's skiing in the past couple films, but this is a good reminder that he is a teenager taking extreme, adult risks, all for the camera. I wish him all the best in recovery

[californiagrown]

Did they really just call that a "Freak Accident"? Dude dropped a massive cliff and ran into an obstacle. That is called a crash and hucking off a cliff and running into something directly in your path isn't a "freak accident". Sucks though, hope he gets better and back to skiing and hopefully he (and his family/sponsors/filmers) learns from it.

The injury was pretty freak, and i do not believe was from hitting the tree... it was upon landing the air a little backseat. His insta says he pulled the tibial tubercle off both knees at the growth plate... which i believe means that his muscles and tendons were strong enough to handle the impact of the landing, but when the quads pulled on his patellar tendon, the patellar tendons pulled on their attachment to the tibia and basically caused an avulsion fracture because (assumably) the growth plate was the weak link int he bone, and this also caused meniscus tears.

Freak accident in the way that it occurred on something within his apparent ability level and that the injury appeared to have caused the crash, not the other way around. But, not unforeseeable when a still developing body is subjected to such extreme forces on a regular basis. I remember discusisons on this board last year about Kai talking about we all hoped he wasnt pushing or getting pushed too far/hard as a still really young kid.

[Peruvian]

and he was there the first two times I got caught and carried in avalanches.

FIRST 2 times? 🫨

[powdork]

Amazing skiing and the more I read these comments the less sure I am about my feelings on the matter. But I would not use football leg breaks as an arguing point. Kids destroying their bodies for a chance to be exploited by older men who will pocket most of the money banked off the spectacle is something we are all too comfortable with. At the same time, we all take our risks to stoke others and feel rad on the hill. If I hit a spruce blasting tree runs at the bird, I'll get wrecked the same as kai did.

If football doesn't do it ski racing should. Forget broken legs. Google junior ski racing deaths, cause in reality the broken legs are bad, but it's the possibility of death that is scaring us most. If you're doing any of these sports and many others at a high level, the stakes can be ultimate. High speeds and obstacles can be bad.
Maybe we should only allow tennis, golf, and bowling for our kids?

[Dantheman]

Haven't watched yet, but you could argue that the responsible thing is to show the full consequences uncensored. Better that than to downplay the injury and not portray the true risks to other kids who look up to Kai.

[californiagrown]

Kai is now in the Tanner Hall club of going for the stomp and blowing up both legs at the same time with the exact same injury. Lets hope he doesn't go for round 2 like tanner did.

[Jason4]

FIRST 2 times? ��

I've made mistakes so you don't have to. One was inbounds on a slope that had been controlled that day if it makes you feel any better about my teenage decision making process.

[Core Shot]

Has he hit chads gap?

Could be epic click bait

[mcski]

Is the screaming too much in its own or because he’s 15/16?

Maybe all meat huck films should include a consequences segment like that so everyone knows how the sausage is made

[Core Shot]

On the plus side. At the risk of cunting this thread.
I’ve met him a few times. Catlike balance and skill
And honestly. A super nice human.

That leg breaking line was hard to watch. It didn’t seem right. But that’s on his team. He’s too young to judge.

I hope his recovery is complete as can be.
And I also hope he doesn’t flame out like so many that push the edge for our amusement.

[ey_allen]

Man, that is hard to watch as a dad of a young son. I love sharing the mountains with my kids and recognize there is inherent risk in everything we do, but the position Kai is in would be tough. How much is his own drive, and how much is an unhealthy relationship with "getting more rad" for the approval of the adults around him that should know better?

For a different approach, here is Dr. Robb's take on the matter (RIP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJuaQU3X_Qw