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June, 2025

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The Death of 4 Legends

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Typical
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 83
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?

14 years ago
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Typical
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 83
Of course other persons well-being is not up to us. It shouldn't be, unless our profession givs us some responsibility (doctor, nurse, ect.).

However, we are all skiers, so we are all susceptible to the consequences of our endeavors. I think that skiing and forgetting the risks involved is not right. If you are able to accept the risk of injury and death, if you can ski at your best and take risks knowing the consequences, and you accept them, then you are truly free. If you 'forget' or 'do not think' about the possible risks I fell that somewhere in the back of your mind lies some apprehension. That apprehension, even if not in the forefront of your mind, will prevent you from feeling the real freedom that our sport has to offer. I would also rather my friends and my family know that if I did die skiing, it was would not be a tragedy. It would be a fate I would have accepted.


14 years ago
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Typical
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 83
Great points man. I totally agree.
14 years ago
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Typical
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 83
Thanks man, I hope all is well with you. These are all great questions. For me, it is time for me to answer these questions. I don't have kids or a significant other, but I do have a close extended family and friends. I think I have answered the questions I set out to answer.

By the way, anytime you find yourself in western CO, you have a place to stay. Silverton?

14 years ago
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DarthBall
Posts: 335 - Karma: 109
Of course bud. I was not trying to take away from the importance of the question. There is a time and place to ponder all of these feelings. (especially a day like to today)- Just don't let these feeling running on high emotion forever rule your frame of mind. You would miss out on so much.
14 years ago
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Steezy.Ortisi
Posts: 157 - Karma: 283
damn straight shred on for them
14 years ago
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TheStamos
Posts: 9311 - Karma: 910
Its hard watching my hero's die.
14 years ago
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Jibbidy
Posts: 787 - Karma: 19
How have you "lost hope?" I think that's a little absurd. There are inherent risks to anything. The human body isn't designed to fly several stories through the air above the ground. These athletes are more aware than the average skier about how dangerous skiing can be. In other words, if they could still speak, do you actually seriously think they'd say "that was not worth it" NO, because they lived for skiing. They died happy. You need to rethink how to mourn, and look back at those people with inspiration. I think my passion for the sport gets stronger when my role models within it pass away. Like the Jedi Master gloriously leaving the world for the next young Padewans to live in their name. You feel like you have to help fill in the void, and then some.
14 years ago
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UncleGerry
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 1,378

Really? Doing double backflips off of 2 thousand foot cliffs, ripping your skis off, flying in a wingsuit, and then opening a parachute isnt out of the ordinary/pushing it a little too far?

Continuing to hike up a super avalanche prone area after one huge slide set off next to you just minutes before isnt out of the ordinary/pushing it a little too far?

I only agree with you in CR/Sarah's cases.

14 years ago
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tcgoldman
Posts: 704 - Karma: 723
Skiing to me is a dangerous sport, yet it is my passion and it was also their passion. I believe that if you love something to
14 years ago
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tcgoldman
Posts: 704 - Karma: 723
Sorry didnt finish... If you love something that much you ar
14 years ago
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Tremblantskier
Posts: 945 - Karma: 5,433
We have lost four legends due to freak accidents or natural factors, perhaps no matter how well trained or conditioned you are the risks will always be insurmountable.
14 years ago
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Utard
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 306
I think the point he was trying to make was that when you get to the level where skiing off a 400ft cliff with a parachute strapped to your back is not considered 'out of the ordinary,' maybe the sport's getting a little out of hand.

Not my opinion at all, just noting an interesting point I saw.
14 years ago
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Throwaway.closed
Posts: 2781 - Karma: 78
When I think of skiing there is no one else that comes to my mind rather than Shane, Cr, Sarah or Jamie. Honestly everything they have done for our sport has touched every one here. We are constantly pushing it in new directions every which way and they did also. Its hard to see them all go. At least they died doing what they love and that calms me knowing that.
14 years ago
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
What I meant was that if somebody were trying something like a triple for the first time, i'm sure they would wonder if they were potentially going to die trying it and if they were in their last moments. but i think for shane and jamie, they weren't really thinking that. sure they were pushing the boundaries, but they were doing things they had done before (not so much in jamies case, but in shanes).


i could be completely wrong, just speculation i guess
14 years ago
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hoodratz47
Posts: 12028 - Karma: 9,586
i know. these people just made you want to go ski.
14 years ago
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forrest-cole
Posts: 1145 - Karma: 495
I don't know but in a way i definitely agree, i'm big into skiing and taking it to the limit. But when you've watched 4 skiers you looked up to when younger who have now died, it definitely makes you think about things, and puts a lot into perspective! I'm going to keep doing what i do, but man if this keeps up year by year, i just don't know.

Shit's fucked


Shred In Peace..
14 years ago
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KillaSeason
Posts: 3495 - Karma: 1,774
CR was a huge influence on me when he was skiing and will always influence and inspire me both on & off the hill. his story is truely amazing, he had his career ripped away from him and came back from nothing to everything he had before.
14 years ago
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E__
Posts: 5751 - Karma: 4,636
This. Also the type pf skiing you all are talking about chancing against death is the extreme stuff, the type you have to have a lot of preparation, a lot of time, and money spent into it. The chances of dying in that type of skiing is very high, but for the majority of the members on NS we don't get opportunities to do what McConkey, C.R, and Pierre did every week. Most of us stay in the runs so the chance of death is extremely slim therefore no one needs to quit skiing. As for Sarah that was an accident that couldn't be prevented (from what I hear) it was freak-accident that had a very low chance of occurrence and to me that's worse then dying from something that has a high chance of death.
14 years ago
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TheWalterVision
Posts: 43 - Karma: 356
5.... Doug coombs is a legend in my book and shouldn't be forgotten
14 years ago
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 464
Well jaimee went out in avalanche conditions with no tracker or anything like that, and didn't Shane die ski base jumping?
14 years ago
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Haellgren
Posts: 792 - Karma: 86
This.
14 years ago
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rudager
Posts: 11337 - Karma: 4,659
The thing that is different about Sarah's death compared to the others, is the fact that she died of her injuries a week later. We were already in shock that she was in the accident, and we were all pulling for her. The whole world was. It was such a shock to us that she didn't make it. With Shane, Jamir, CR, and Arne, they all died doing what they loved, and at the place were they would have wanted to be. The shocks were still as big as the loss of Sarah, but the whole world was pulling for Sarah to make it through. Do you get where im coming from? They're all major losses, and they all make us question what were doing, but remember, everyone we lost, they were taken from us doing the things they love, living life to the fullest. As much as we all lost them too soon, they died doing what they love, and probably wouldn't want it any other way
14 years ago
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faux_real
Posts: 984 - Karma: 250
You're right that things have changed in the sport and it's worth reflecting on. There wasn't the same level of organized risk taking when the sport was younger. You had your Aaron McGoverns and your Mike Wilsons, but you didn't have the olympics channeling all of these up and coming skiers into an increasingly dangerous event.

It seems like more skiers and snowboarders will inevitably have career or life ending brain injuries in pipe skiing. To not pause and wonder if its worth it is just callous. Sure, maybe the impression that Kevin Pearce and Sarah Burke's accidents were more than chance is false. Maybe bigger pipes do make skiing safer. I don't think anyone knows for sure. But that said, when a pro dies at one of these events, why not take a step back and ask some questions, instead of just normalizing death and doubling down on our commitment to the sport? Life is bigger than skiing.
14 years ago
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5oup5teeze
Posts: 1259 - Karma: 74
This.
I think these people died doing what they love, which inspires me. Finding a passion in life is hard to come by, so when you find that special passion, not even death can scare someone.
14 years ago
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skiRay
Posts: 7558 - Karma: 926
you forgot doug coombs
14 years ago
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codizzle
Posts: 920 - Karma: 2,272
yup. word up to this. 5 legends.

Coombs is before the time of nearly everyone on this site; but he was THE MAN in mid-to-late '90s "extreme" ski scene. a pioneer of the big mountains and backcountry.
14 years ago
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,087
I accept that death is going to happen. I accept that this lifestyle has serious risks.

But I damn well want a better way of celebrating people when those risks claim them. In other sports, they retire a number or a jersey, but we get a couple thousand fbook statuses, memorial videos, maybe a signature piece of equipment, and people pouring out beer while standing around campfires

. Bottom line, we need a ritual for these events, because they sure aren't going to stop.
14 years ago
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jca
Posts: 4183 - Karma: 6,390
Memorial section on NS would be a nice start.
14 years ago
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