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January, 2025

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Natures feed back, has skiing become to extreme?

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-SnowSnoli-
Posts: 756 - Karma: 1,703
Interesting read if you have the time. Thoughts? does skiing need to take a step back?

http://www.powdermag.com/stories/natures-feedback/

Personally I find that it is being on the edge that makes me want to keep my lifestyle in the mountains. and whilst I do not want to speak for those who have passed, they all died doing something they love.
Nov 12 2013 12:00PM
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yelsel
Posts: 12967 - Karma: 3,451
One person's view of extreme can totally differ from another person's perspective of it.

In that regard, I say keep pushing the envelope.
Nov 12 2013 12:02PM
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first_rodeo
Posts: 2385 - Karma: 7,781
idk those pow lines into basejumps are fucking unreal
Nov 12 2013 12:07PM
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Potguy
Posts: 125 - Karma: 147
Its tragic how many skiers die each year but its just part of the sport. If it weren't for all the danger involved, skiing wouldn't be what it is.
Nov 12 2013 3:55PM
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Turkelton
Posts: 2829 - Karma: 8,558
The steeper it gets, the more likely an avalanche.
The later it gets in the year, the more likely anything will slip. Loveland was a prime example of people thinking that because they had ABS and some beacons they'd be alright no matter the snow stability.

Nov 12 2013 3:59PM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Progression will happen one way or another. I'll just leave the two quotes which I find most suitable to this article here.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go. - T. S. Eliot

The joy I get from skiing, that's worth dying for - C. R. Johnson
Nov 12 2013 4:20PM
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-SnowSnoli-
Posts: 756 - Karma: 1,703
See i fully agree. And as i said living on the edge is what keeps me skiing. But then speaking with another friend who skis he read it and came away thinking he needed to be more cautious, when i know as a skier he stays in his comfort zone

Just found it interesting how different skiers can take completely different point of views from an article. I was reading it just thinking about the Drew Tabke article about how abs and beacons are replacing common sense.
Nov 12 2013 5:15PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Its not like anyone can stop skiing from progressing even if its deemed that "we should". Even if it is dangerous, there are always going to be people who continue pushing the envelope in all aspects of skiing. Big mountain no-fall lines, huge cliffs, massive park shoots, insane urban, etc. If someone deems it too dangerous for them, there will be some other skier or crew who will be willing to do it.
Nov 12 2013 5:21PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37745 - Karma: 124,551
Gnarly lines are fun to ski. Nothing more rewarding than riding away from something that sends your balls up into your stomach. I say keep sending it. The same discussion was brought up when CR passed. None of the passed legends would want us to stop pushing it.
Nov 12 2013 5:23PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
youre O for 3 there young fucktard
might wanna fact check them 1st 2
and fuck you don't know a fuckin thing about about that incident or the people involved
Nov 13 2013 6:50AM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
a swing and a miss
Nov 13 2013 9:37AM
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GetPitted
Posts: 3443 - Karma: 2,299
Haha I was hoping someone would catch that.
Nov 13 2013 11:30AM
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mehregan15
Posts: 780 - Karma: 753
lololol
Nov 13 2013 12:12PM
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snowmosexual
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 10,028
Maybe this is just because I'm a kid in high school, or that I'm on the east coast but everyone says that skiing has changed, but it really hasn't. Ski bums are always around, people skiing for the skiing. But there are a lot of people charging hard and pushing themselves. I think that these articles talking about are we "pushing the limits" are just some propaganda. We will always push hard, but it won't effect the "Realness of skiing" because the only way it could was if doing a double or hiking backcountry was as common as doing a 360. From my perspective mountain towns are still the same, the ski movies are still the same, nothing has changed it's just that our sport has gotten older. As some folks argue that if an old sport name like babe ruth or larry bird was going to play today they would be average players because of the progression of sports.
Nov 13 2013 4:52PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3346 - Karma: 5,776
I watched death rip past me three days ago. and all the local media about it has contained inaccuracies, prolly because they want to scare people... even when what happened was scary enough as the truth. I can't believe my friend survived the large avy, that it didn't take out the other two guys in my party, or that the couloir didn't rip on me when I skied it first.
We can't ever let up our guard while pushing ourselves forward.
Nov 13 2013 5:02PM
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HaydenLaBrie
Posts: 563 - Karma: 397
Progression is going to happen one way or another. we cant really take a step back when its natural for humans to progress and push the envelope. its part of human nature. and part of the sport we love.
Nov 13 2013 6:18PM
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-SnowSnoli-
Posts: 756 - Karma: 1,703
For sure this, I think there just needs to be a bigger push on educating mountain respect. I'm sure a stupid amount of people go out and buy all the avy gear and don't know how to use it.


Nov 14 2013 1:19AM
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ISkiHarder
Posts: 51 - Karma: 152
I think its an individuals choice and anything you do you are responsible for the outcome. A person can't blame a freeskiiers death on the progression of the sport because they chose to participate in said progression. That being said anybody in the backcountry who isn't avy savy (as i call it) or choses not to follow what they've learned is being extremely dumb and they not only effects there own life but also the reputation of freeskiing as a sport. Not that a person can't die when being smart following all the protocol (they can it happens all the time) but recklessness is 1000 times different then premeditated or calculated risk taking.
Nov 14 2013 2:17AM
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Pancake_Fucker
Posts: 1852 - Karma: 1,987
I'm on mobile so I can't select what to quote, but the first half of your comment is fucking retarded.
Nov 27 2013 7:30AM
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Yaraelpoof.png
Posts: 1556 - Karma: 6,418
Sad but true.
Nov 27 2013 9:31AM
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smuggs
Posts: 6561 - Karma: 1,375
Don't let the drugs in your body get the best of you. Skiing is skiing its all fun to me. Is it really wortg getting paralyzed for or even breaking a leg so you cant work ? Or how avout dying and devistating everyone around you ?
Nov 27 2013 10:12AM
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SteezoSaurus
Posts: 2630 - Karma: 2,670
Not to be a dick turkleton but let me correct this:

It's a common misconception that the steeper the slope, the more avy danger. In fact the most dangerous slopes are in the 35-40 degree range. Get above that and the mountain will shed snow naturally more often which actually makes them less likely to slide.

Nov 27 2013 10:17AM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,464
NOT true. According to http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/950.html, 98% of avalanches occur between 25-50 degrees. Very steep slopes shed their snow before an avalanche can occur, and very mellow slopes aren't steep enough to slide.
Nov 27 2013 2:16PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4873 - Karma: -826
Yes.  Of course its more dangerous. 

But its a numbers thing.  Since back country is way more popular than ever you are going to have more idiots going out there than ever.  And the line between an idiot and an experienced back country vet who knows what they are doing is actually pretty vague... and even if you don't agree with that lets just say that if 100 people go into the back country on a given day in an area this winter when in years past only 3-4 would be back there it DOES NOT MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED OR COMPETENT some may be the chances of people needing rescuing has increased 10x over.

And in the past back country enthusiasts were pro level skiiers.  Now Joe Shmoe doesn't want to pay a grand for a ski pass and has decided to buy some skins and get back to nature.




Nov 27 2013 2:49PM
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