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Avalanche POV

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StuntCok
Posts: 125 - Karma: 22
Since many of you are going into the BC or aspire to, I would like to share my experience of what happens when things go wrong. Here is a POV video edit of me in an avalanche while skiing in Alaska with some lessons in the use of emergency equipment. Stay safe!


Apr 15 2011 11:39PM
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majora
Posts: 860 - Karma: 157
holy shit...
Apr 15 2011 11:54PM
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monkatizer
Posts: 4704 - Karma: 1,518
nice, that looked scary! good thing everyone made it out
Apr 15 2011 11:58PM
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Broseph_Stalin
Posts: 3745 - Karma: 179
the beginning when everyone was freaking out was the freakiest
Apr 16 2011 12:10AM
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zerospinskier
Posts: 4867 - Karma: 350
Yet another terrifying video supporting the BCS airbag.
Apr 16 2011 12:23AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,459
incredibly lucky
Apr 16 2011 12:28AM
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skiskate
Posts: 787 - Karma: 823
Pretty sure I saw your avy report on TGR, Glad to see you made it out. Airbag seems to be quite good too.
Apr 16 2011 12:54AM
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youRsmellA
Posts: 349 - Karma: 236
Whats with the should have been John thing at the end?
Apr 16 2011 1:34AM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21083 - Karma: 8,459
joke?
Apr 16 2011 3:32AM
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NMA
Posts: 314 - Karma: 37
Thanks for sharing with the Newschoolers crowd too. Please be aware everyone, even when you have a guide.
Apr 16 2011 3:41AM
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Abc567def
Posts: 8756 - Karma: 801
Here is when i triggered a small slide in Japan.(Not nearly the same scale as yours). After that video glad to hear everyone was ok

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Apr 16 2011 4:07AM
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Dookz
Posts: 80 - Karma: 10
You managed to trigger an avalanche in Japan? That's impressive.

I spend a great deal of time there looking for slopes steep enough to actually ski.
Apr 16 2011 4:55AM
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crab_pretzel
Posts: 3919 - Karma: 622
wow. as far as avalanche povs go that was a pretty good edit. you seemed really well prepared, glad a ski was the only casualty. how come you say that pole straps would have kept from deploying safety gear? not questioning it, just wondering
Apr 16 2011 11:43AM
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Moosen
Posts: 4285 - Karma: 2,585
Damn! Props for being on your toes man!
Apr 16 2011 12:13PM
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StuntCok
Posts: 125 - Karma: 22

"Should have been John" was a bit of a joke.  He was supposed to go first that run but was fiddling with his gear and I went in his place.  At the end, when we were going through the raw footage of the vid someone said, "well you did everything right, there is nothing more you could have done" to which I replied, "well I could of sent John".

Free hands helped me fiddle with the avalung and the Float airbag ripcord.  In a slide like that, everything gets pulled hard.  Polestraps would have been pulling on my hands making it harder to fiddle with my gear while tumbling in the washing machine.

Japan has GREAT steeps, just not where most people go.  The northern island and Niseko in particular, has a great PR machine but the Northern Alps on the Main island, such as Hakuba, have much better terrain.

Apr 17 2011 7:58PM
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CS_Films
Posts: 468 - Karma: 466
This was a great video and really snows how great all of this gear works. Also shows that no matter ow prepared or how safe you think it is its never out of the question.
Apr 17 2011 8:58PM
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TMiller
Posts: 444 - Karma: 7
My heart rate went up just watching that.
Apr 17 2011 11:29PM
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cooper.fry
Posts: 2229 - Karma: 34
scary.
Apr 18 2011 12:11AM
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Abc567def
Posts: 8756 - Karma: 801
yea they do have some sick steep stuff but its just not very long when it is steep. I was still pretty surprised when it did slide on me though
Apr 18 2011 1:41AM
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BobYohan
Posts: 3001 - Karma: 375
this is false. the best skiing in japan is in Niseko. if it wasn't the best why would all the pros ride there? trust me, you don't want to ride Hakuba or anywhere else in Honshu for that matter. be a pro, go to hokkaido!
Apr 18 2011 10:03AM
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Flik
Posts: 150 - Karma: 229
Amazing. When they started yelling "Avalanche!" I had intense chills. I spend a lot of time in the backcountry and have been looking into some sort of airbag pack. All evidence shows that your chance of survival are significantly higher. It's amazing that Jeff was able to get the Avalung in even though he had already been tumbling for a bit. Great video. Thanks for sharing. Be safe everyone.
Apr 18 2011 11:38AM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,011
I've been wondering about the airbag. I spend my winter almost exclusively in the trees though, so I'm not sure how well the airbag would work (or at least hold up) while getting raked through trees and other obstacles. All the footage I've seen where it is deployed on open alpine slopes on the other hand... no doubt it helps you stay on top of the slide.

Might pick one up one day for those odd alpine missions I do every year.
Apr 18 2011 2:40PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,534
Me too. When skiing in bounds, I worry more about tree wells than I do about avalanches. I just can't imagine being trapped under the snow and not being able to breath. Glad to see all of you guys were so prepared and that only the ski suffered.
Apr 18 2011 5:19PM
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MacNsteaze
Posts: 366 - Karma: 310
scary stuff for sure, freaks me out thinking what could have happened if this happened to somone without avy gear, could have been bad
Apr 18 2011 5:35PM
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erazzleski
Posts: 117 - Karma: 14
This is such a good video that displays the importance of being prepared. With equipment as well as education. Thank you for sharing this
Apr 18 2011 5:51PM
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