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World Tour freeride canceled

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theFrenchman
Posts: 238 - Karma: 70
The last part of the Freeride World Tour in Tigne and the tour as a whole are now canceled, after a tragic incident that occured yesterday.
Neil Valiton, 18, died on fall backward, rupturing his spine.All our toughts are going to the familly and friends.
Rest in peace
Apr 12 2007 2:16AM
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spere
Posts: 6105 - Karma: 248
RIP, thats rough, ++++vibes++++ to family and friends
Apr 12 2007 2:18AM
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Matty_C
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 236
rip dude. i was there watching the event on the north face of the grand balme. if anyone's seen the face, you'll know there are several must stick 50+ degrees lines down and some more mellow couloirs. he basically tried to charge a massive rock face and bailed at the top tumbling 500 metres down over rocks. fucking horrible to watch, thoughts to his familly who were watching too. dude only turned 18 in march.
if anyone knows how to influence this, i think stand strong again should help his family out a little

RIP
Apr 12 2007 8:49AM
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KG_
Posts: 2198 - Karma: 20
fuuuuckk
Apr 12 2007 9:12AM
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SwissScratch
Posts: 13 - Karma: 10
Message for his family can be left on his blog: http://nealvaliton.blogspot.com/

Rest In Peace Neal, and Fly Forever.
Apr 12 2007 9:48AM
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chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
damn i just read a thing from tramdocks myspace about neil

RIP MAN RIP
Apr 12 2007 9:53AM
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chickenwang
Posts: 5639 - Karma: 40
here it is

The mountains have taken young Neal Valiton for their own. An incomprehensible tragedy. There has not been much coverage in english, but we have heard he fell during his super finals run at the World Freeskiing Tour Finals in Tignes, France which was promptly canceled thereafter.

Neal was only 18 years old and after some very impressive skiing at Snowbird won the TNF Young Guns award for the comp and was in the running for the overall Young Guns prize. Anyone who hasn't met him in person can tell from just watching in the comps and reading his blog (via faction skis) that he had natural talent, a spirited love for skiing, an infectious excitement about competing, and a healthy respect for comp skiing and his fellow athletes. His presence will be missed immensely on the tour and in the mountains.

We'll be making turns in his honor this week, and urge everyone else to do the same!
Apr 12 2007 9:55AM
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SkierJulie
Posts: 2495 - Karma: 101
Wow. I saw him shred Snowbird. What a great skier. This is really sad. RIP and +++++vibes+++++ to his family and friends.
Apr 12 2007 9:58AM
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georgemihaly
Posts: 149 - Karma: 12
Best wishes to family and friends; RIP brother
Apr 12 2007 10:17AM
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james44
Posts: 3323 - Karma: 578
+++++++++++vibes+++++++++++++
Apr 12 2007 10:41AM
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PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,948
damn... so many folks got fucked up this spring...

....mad vibes....
Apr 12 2007 11:01AM
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SeanK
Posts: 702 - Karma: 130
rip man
Apr 12 2007 11:11AM
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TannerCoulter.
Posts: 1713 - Karma: 111
RIP
=+++++vibige
Apr 12 2007 11:36AM
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,563
RIP man... such a terrible thing to happen.
Apr 12 2007 11:39AM
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steezerampage
Posts: 2171 - Karma: 214
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Apr 12 2007 12:59PM
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asfffffffffdd
Posts: 1554 - Karma: 1,103
rip in peace
Apr 12 2007 2:13PM
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SkierJulie
Posts: 2495 - Karma: 101
If any of you also browse TGR, there is a really good discussion thread about risk taking in big mountain comps. I obviously don't want to change the vibe of this thread as it is for Neal, but I just wanted to let you guys know of the thread. It's an important question raised by this tragedy.
Apr 12 2007 3:22PM
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offtrail
Posts: 3009 - Karma: 116
Fuck man, i met that kid at snowbird. such a nice guy. this is going to hit people hard. 2 guys on the tour passing on in 2 years.


this one goes out to you man.
Apr 12 2007 4:19PM
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Matty_C
Posts: 2598 - Karma: 236
this shows how high consequence big mountain comps are: if you fall in x slopestyle, no biggie, maybe a fucked knee. do the same in a big mountain comp on a gnarly face and this can happen. i have so much respect for these guys that really do risk their life for a living. next time anyone does anything gnarly, think of him...
Apr 13 2007 8:19AM
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triebby
Posts: 8670 - Karma: 2,190
RIP man
Apr 13 2007 8:33AM
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theoz
Posts: 2379 - Karma: 128
Life is way too short.... this is soo sad it will hit the big mountain skiing comunity quite hard...
Apr 13 2007 9:54AM
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theoz
Posts: 2379 - Karma: 128
See the thing is most of the guys on the world tour dont make a living out of skiing, Its very hard to get paid alot asa big mountain athlete unless your winning comps and or in movies... As for this Guy RIP............

Apr 13 2007 10:06AM
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-NY-STeeZE-
Posts: 2114 - Karma: 23
RIP neal
Apr 13 2007 10:12AM
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word929
Posts: 199 - Karma: 9
Neal was the man, so young and so stoked to be out skiing this season. He will be saddly missed, and hope that we can keep his memory alive on the big mountain tour. you can learn more about him at http://nealvaliton.com or go to htt://www.factionskis.com to find a link to his blog to show some support for his family.
Apr 13 2007 10:46AM
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gopher_guts
Posts: 102 - Karma: 10
Terrible news. RIP Neal and vibes to all who knew him

Was just out in Tignes. Skiied the line and saw them setting up at the summit for practice runs. Snow was uber nasty cruddy. Damn shame

http://www.myfreesport.fr/loisirs/freestyle/4/tignes-freeride-world-cup-2007-1ere-journee-19584.html
Apr 13 2007 11:11AM
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aronSKIP
Posts: 124 - Karma: 11
rip man, sad to hear
Apr 13 2007 12:11PM
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T-Wash
Posts: 1656 - Karma: 37
RIP man
Apr 13 2007 12:17PM
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freeskier1316
Posts: 1771 - Karma: 27
RIP
Death of anyone in the freeskiing community does affect us all in some way (in my opinion)
Apr 13 2007 2:47PM
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