The Death of 4 Legends

Typical

Typical

Active member
I am no sensitive individual. I have watched people die in the ER. But, I have also been a member of the freeski movement for years, before becoming an engineer (some may remember me?). After the news today, I am shaken.

I've watched, with the world, as great skiers have lost their lives skiing. I questions how one can continue to have passion for a sport that has ripped the life from legends like C.R. Johnson, Shane McConkey, Jamie Pierre, Sarah Burke and end the career of Kevin Pearce. All great people. All fantastic characters. All in 5 years. I have lost hope in a sport I use to love with my whole heart.

Do these recent deaths affect you?

 
While I agree that sometimes you question the sanity of our passion after hearing horrible news like today's, to stop skiing, and more importantly to stop loving skiing would be an insult to all the legends that have passed.

 
not even. i don't think sarah or jamie died doing anything particularly out of the ordinary, and if i remember right neither did CR or shane.

i think it's just a reminder that skiing is a dangerous sport and you never know what will happen so you just have to be grateful for every day that you're out there.
 
Just goes to show that even the most simplest of tricks can fuck you up, but by no means should we slow down. Sarah herself would have wanted the sport to progress as fast as possible.

Stomp harder.

 
I've never really been all too emotional about deaths, but with the loss of Sarah, I'm shooken, I had to leave class since I was on the verge of tears. Something I don't think my other classmates would understand. But when you've been in the Freeski community for almost a decade, people become idols and influences to you. I left racing and started freeskiing just as Sarah was beginning to emerge. I've seen all the wins. It's like growing up with a close friend. I'll miss her so much
 
Yeah but I've always thought that death is always up to interpretation, maybe it has one meaning to you, and another to me. This applies especially in free skiing, i think each person perceives death in a unique way and isnt that what "free" skiing is all about?
 
Isn't that like saying we should stop driving because of all the people who die in car crashes every day?
 
Shane was Base Jumping, CR was shredding a dangerous line. Whether that's dangerous in the eyes of a skier, it's dangerous in general. At the same time, you have to wonder, do you think they'd rather have given their lives for a sport they pushed, or 40 years from now in a hospital? These deaths have shown all of us that to innovate something you put yourself at risk, and that's the way it is. Think of how much money has been raised, and how much more safety is incorporated into our sport because they're proof that even legends can die. My heart goes out to everyone who would have loved to see them grow old, retire from the limelight and fade away into the memory of those who love the sport.
 
well im not too sure what the definition of freeskiing has to do with it, but i just think that if all these people died doing doubles, huge lines, etc., then it would be a reason to think that maybe our sport had progressed far enough. but i think the fact that they all died doing things that they had done a lot of times before shows that you just never know what will happen when you click into your bindings.

and i can almost guarantee that none of them would have wanted their deaths to mean the end of progression in skiing.
 
It is so sad to hear about all these losses, but they all went doing what they loved, and although the worst happened it happened in the best way possible. I have a competition this weekend and i am going to dedicate it to these legends.
 
I personally think most of the pros are fucking nuts. The level of magnitude some of these tricks are being done are mind blowing. I would never in my right mind even straight air some of these gaps the pros are doing, let alone go inverted or spin. I am not trying to sound harsh, or stir the pot, but are you really surprised? I mean lets face it skiing is dangerous, and combined it with jumps, pipes, rails, cliffs, and avalanches...injuries, and serious injuries are inevitable.

I for one being older now, and having lost a few friends in the past 5 years (not due to skiing), have a new value on life. Life is very short, you never know when your last day is going to be. I still love to ski park and bc, but I now think twice before I do anything, and never hesistate to say no to something if I don't feel comfortable. Look at what happened to Liam Neeson's wife Natasha Richardson. She was in frickin ski school, going at a very very slow speed, fell, bumped her head, and died i believe a day or so later. Her skis never left the snow....Bottom line is if people are going to continue to defy gravity, injuries and even death are a major concern.



 
fucking sucks that we've lost 4 legendary and inspirational skiers in the span of 3ish years. Sarah was an inspiration, as was CR, McConkey, and Jamie, the sport really wouldn't be here today without them. Girls skiing would be like what girls snowboarding is right now, 360s without sarah. Shocking. RIP Mcconkey, CR, Pierre, and Sarah
 
I hear ya and not to be harpy but I've been a big pusher for better protective gear. I don't think it woulda made too big a difference in any of the five losses you've mentioned but those losses do show us just how dangerous this sport is. In park and pipe, People are going as high and as fast as an FMX rider. You go ask Pastrana if he would do what he does without a full face helmet on. He would laugh at you. Sethmo has a pro model Troy lee designs full face and has been rockin it more frequently. I think if anything the freestyle community should definitely take this as a wake up call. Don't tone it down but also don't ride without using every precaution. And it's not like a motocross helmet looks dumb. They look badass and keep ya warmer too. I'd love to see the freestyle community adopt better protection like that.
 
These people during their life were huge inspirations for me. And after their passing, they still are all massive inspirations. What we can do as skiers to honour their memory is shred. Shred for Sarah, Shred for CR, Shred for Shane and Shred for Jamie. And maybe they're all up there together, shredding conditions so epic that none of us can even comprehend. (I'd like to so).

Ski for these veritable titans of our sport. After all, we're all skiers. "the joy I get from skiing, thats worth dying for" -CR, truer words have never been spoken.
 
"It's what our lives are, being on the hill, and there's a reason for that, it's amazing. It's where we met, It's where we play, we live, and hopefully where we'll die."

-Sarah
 
Great responses. What doesn't kill you will build your character. I see a lot of character in this forum, and I am proud NS has so many great members.
 
Every time im out in the BC and i go to drop a cliff, i say to myself (quietly, but out loud) :this, ones for Shane and CR" they inspre me so much. were their deaths tragic? Hell yes but in the well put words of CR "The joy I get from skiing, that's worth dying for"
 
I think the last thing Sarah or CR or Shane or any pros who have died or been physically affected by the sport would want is for people to turn away from it or lose 'faith' in it. I'm sure they would want everyone to keep skiing with the passion they had to continue to love the sport like they did.

I ride for Sarah.
 
It really is sad the amount of skiers we are losing, pro and non-pro alike... I'm curious though, at the risk of sounding a little insensitive... was Sarah's passing the first time a pro has ever passed away skiing park? I mean, I'd always heard of pros getting injured in park and pipe, but I don't ever recall something as serious as this... Either way, rest in peace Sarah, Shane, CR, and Jamie, and any others that have lost their lives doing something they love...
 
I don't understand what you mean by this. Having someone die in the industry does the opposite for me, it gets me more stoked on skiing for them.

As much as losing a fellow skier is very hard, I feel like some people don't realize how many people die in one day. Yes, a few legends of our sport have died, but enough to say progression is killing them? no. Death is a normal thing in life, people die, for whatever reason. I lost a good friend almost a year to this day and it really taught me a lot about life and death. As much as we want to be sad in this situation, these fellow skiers will live in the spirit of skiing and will always be out shredding in the hearts of many. Today is a sad day for the industry, but sarah, shane, cr and jamie wouldn't want us to be sitting around doubting skiing and losing hope in the sport. They would want you to go out and ski, ski harder than you ever have before. Believe in the sport, love the sport, thats what they would want.
 
i doesn't effect me but it puts into my mind that skiing is a dangerous sport no matter how good you are. Things happen and its just absolutely terrible. I've been following the sport for a really long time and to watch C.R, Shane, Jamie and now Sarah pass... I mean FUCK! Happy Dayz was the start of a revolution. Very sad and I pray for Rory and the rest of her family.

Stay safe out there. This is when the community needs to come together.
 
This. But if you really think about it, You can die doing just about anything. I really have a feeling some outsiders who aren't to familiar with the sport are definitely going to question the limits of action sports such as freeskiing and they have every right too. But its not going to stop us from progressing and pushing the sport to new heights. Its unfortunate that people lose their lives but we just pick up where they left off and always keep them in our hearts.
 
And to answer OP's question, It affects me very much so. Those are people that inspire me and show us what skiings all about. Having fun, Good friends, Good vibes, Family and Challenging yourself.
 
I have to agree somewhat with this dude, but also with all the others opposing his viewpoint. Although Shane was doing something incredibly dangerous, there are loads of risks revolving around the sport of skiing (not just "free skiing"). No to long ago it was Liam Neeson's wife (Natasha Richardson) who just fell while cruising groomers - hit her head - and died on the way to the hospital. It's insane, but messing with frozen water in the form of snow is always potentially dangerous - and even life threatening.
 
don't slow progression, that's not what they would want for the sport... they want us to go out and shred in their honor. keep shredding bro!
 
The odds of skiers/boarders dying is very high even when compared to other sports. There are so many variables that you do not think about that can cause injury/death. I really think people should weigh the odds of importance of a sport vs how their potential death may affect everyone around them. But thats just me.. I am also a wuss. My very own brother passed away 10 years ago and he was a very strong skier. Many deaths and many greivances every year to families that are not even accounted for. And most if not all these people who pass away are in many cases greaaaat people. It just sucks, i guess.

These are all great great great people who live their lives with no regrets and accepted the risk long ago. It is just sad to see the progression of a hobby sport take so many good people away. It is hard to talk about this subject because there are so many ways to look at it that can have good arguments either way.

The warrior mentality is a hard mentality to argue against.

 
I totally disagree. People haven't been getting seriously hurt or dying progressing the sport. It's been every day accidents. Of all of the doubles and triples that have been thrown, how many people have gotten hurt doing them?

Almost all of my friends have gotten hurt catching an edge, doing a 3, etc. Never on any of their bigger tricks.

 
i agree man, it's always the little one's that get you... one of my worst crashes is on a 3... and a sw 1... not anything that is scary for me to try such as a large spin of dub.
 
i agree with someone's comment up there^^ way up.the people who have died havent been trying something new or pushing the sport when they crashed

the pace of progression is terrifying but even with the horrible passing of legends like Sarah my passion for the sport will not be affected because in my opinion you're love of skiing stems from the level at which you ride, when im out skiing having the time of my life with my friends im not trying triples or hucking 100 foot cliffs so im not scared of the injury aspect.

Sarah's passing reminds us all that it is a dangerous sport and pushing the envelope has its dangers but it also keeps me wanting to ski to respect the dream and the sport that she died for

RIP Sarah.
 
while jaime wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary what he was doing was incredibly stupid and irresponsible, he ignored several signs about the dangerous snowpack and paid the price.
 
Yes they affect me, but it doesn't hinder me at all. just makes me want to go shred harder than ever for them, because they wouldn't want it any other way. we have a dangerous sport, but thats how it goes.

RIP sarah, shane, CR, jamie, and others
 
It is not about life and death, nor progression. We have all lost close friends and family members to death. I know I can easily die tomorrow in a car accident or (insert cause).

Rather, it is about the young deaths of world renowned, experienced skiers. To me, the question is fundamentally this:

Is our passion for skiing worth death?

By the act of skiing, I think you make the statement that skiing is worth dying for. I think it is. I also think it is a powerful question to reflect upon.
 
I didn't want to say it, but it's true, Jamie's death was an avoidable one.

And as for Shane "not doing anything out of the ordinary". Since when was ski wing suit base jumping ordinary? If anyone was pushing the limits of what a human can do in the physical world, it was Shane.
 
I mean is it worth risking a car accident to drive anywhere? is it worth flying in a plane when it could crash? Like you said, you could die tomorrow for any reason. Thinking about death and letting it loom over you is a very self-destructive path, you just need to live and enjoy the life that is happening in the present. If you are able to ski and enjoy doing it, worrying about dying shouldn't be in your mind. When people die skiing its normally a pretty big anomaly or freak accident.
 
then stop skiing. its that simple. evryone knows skiing is dangerous. we choose to do it anyway because the rewards outweigh the risks tenfold. And to clarify, skiing did not "rip" the life from legends. It made their lives. Skiing is the reason all four of them were legends. All four of those people were living their lives to the fullest and i guarantee none of them would change a thing if they had another chance.
 
See, the thing I think everyone is forgetting, is that it's not up to "us". All this talk right now about "has progression gone to far" and "is it worth it", blah, blah, blah.

They died doing what they loved, they took calculated risks (for the most part), they were well aware they were doing something that could do harm... the point is that you can die doing anything - will that stop someone from doing what they love? of course not. should progression slow down? that isn't even an option. when you go out skiing for a day, do you want to improve? want to make a better turn than before? want to make that grab in your 360 really pop? it's progression that both keeps the flame alive inside the individual skier and the sport as a whole. Without progression, we have nothing at all levels. Without passion, we have nothing. When I go out skiing, the thought "is skiing worth dying for?" is nowhere in my brain, because, in all reality - it's irrelevant. Will I stop skiing because of the chance I may one day have an accident that will hurt or kill me? of course not. That kind of mentality will turn your into a crazy introvert who never leaves the house and dies of fear and starvation.
 
I mean no offense, (especially on a day like today)- but you are being far to whimsical about this. I understand your age has brought you a new sense of maturity, priority, attitude, so on and so forth. However, we ski because of the feeling it gives us, (Warren Miller said it best) "freedom." "It's mans basic instinct to search for freedom, a lot of people, their first taste of freedom the first time they traverse across a hill and make a turn. And if they cant get to the side of a hill they can find it on a flight of stairs, they can find it on a rail there something about putting on those slippery sticks on your feet that gives you.. freedom." And to quote the great Lao Tzu "true joy cannot be experienced by a man who is not free." If you live life in fear of what might happen to you, you miss out on life itself. Everyone, continue to go out and do what you love. Fully immerse yourself in your passions, it is at these times that you are living life to the fullest. I ride for C.R. Johnson, Shane McConkey, Jamie Pierre, Sarah Burke, and the countless others we have lost doing what they loved.
 
Kyle,

I know we have both grown up with everyone you mentioned as our heroes for the last 10 years and it has really bummed me out especially today. I have really been thinking the same thing " is our passion for skiing worth death?" I can't help but think if I die doing my passion, I am not the one to suffer. It is my fiancé, family, and friends. That is just me, I know everyone has their own personal opinion on this and I completely respect anyone's opinion.

I don't know about you, but have realized how addicting the sport is because it brings me so much happiness. At what point will I stop pushing myself? Can I stop pushing myself? I am not sure if you are experiencing the same struggles over the past few years. Maybe I just need to move and shred pow.

Anyways, I hope all is going well, I hear a congratulations is in order with a new job.

 
Whimsical? Maybe. But are these not healthy questions to entertain? Will these questions not recive the deepest thought when we are all still emotional about the loss of a friend? I think so. I agree with your latter points.
 
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