Register To ReplyPoignant, yet it will fall on deaf ears. Thrill seekers will always do what they do
"He died doing what he loved . . . " Ok by you?
The ski industry has lost a few in the last couple weeks. Ryan Hawks of the freeskiing world tour, the gentleman discussed in this article to name two. This article provides some good food for thought. What do you think?
http://kimkircher.com/2011/03/09/is-...what-you-love/
Last edited by sunvalleylaw; 03-10-2011 at 03:09 AM.
Poignant, yet it will fall on deaf ears. Thrill seekers will always do what they do
Blah blah blah tweedle deedle dee wubba wubba wubba
All else being equal...
It's a really personal question with a lot of variables. I think most of us (or at least those of us in good mental health) would agree that we'd like to die happy, peacefully, with a sense of having lived a full life, and with the confidence that we could face death gracefully should it come calling.
I wonder how many octogenarians or nonagenarians could be side to have died doing what they love, y'know? We can't all be Hank Jones or Elliott Carter or Merce Cunningham, etc., and remain (relatively) productive in winter, but I'd risk it, if it were up to me.
On the other hand, if a djinn or something appeared and told me that I'd die on my 35th birthday, and told me that I had to choose between a sudden "he never knew what him him" death having the time of my life, or in a hospital bed... that' s a no-brainer, too.
Stuff like that is all a part of what makes us human, though. I mean, even asking yourself what would compel a man to climb K2 or Annapurna... I really do think that it enriches us in some way, us a species.Originally Posted by OGG
Agreed on all accounts.
Blah blah blah tweedle deedle dee wubba wubba wubba
Let's all just stop doing anything that could possibly lead to death...
... like for example, living.
My cousin is like that; she's a champion skateboarder/snowboarder, and I worry about that kind of thing happening to her. She's kinda nonchalant about the possibility.
I agree that we should not necessarily judge those that take risks in pursuit of their sports. I do. In many sports, some risks are unavoidable. I think the tipping point regarding taking on unavoidable risk shifts depending on if you have kids to guide and support, etc. A daredevil single person may take on waves off the north shores of Hawaii that a married father of five might choose not to tackle.
But in this case, it was not an uncontrollable or unavoidable risk that caused this death. The decedent in this situation was a former ski patroller and snow cat driver who apparently went skiing in the trees on his own. It is a known rule that you don't go doing that on your own. And as a former patroller, he knew better. He has not been found, and the thought is that he is buried somewhere in a tree well. Many searchers spent a lot of time looking. I don't have a problem accepting risk as part of sport, but I wonder when it is an avoidable risk and you do it anyway, if that is worth it.
Having said that, I will admit that I skied in the trees off the side of a couple marked runs pretty recently, by myself when I knew better. I knew it was not the best move, but I wanted the powder. Risk is inherent in skiing, mountainbiking, surfing, etc. But it is good to avoid the risks that can be avoided. "Powder fever" often seems to cause folks to make choices that are not great viewed later on from a different perspective. Eg., "Ducking the ropes" into the side country terrain without partners, avalanche retrieval gear, etc. Or choosing to ski by yourself in the trees, looking for a bit of untracked powder. "It's inbounds, someone will ski by if something happens." Stuff like that. There is a lot of talk of that in backcountry travel classes. Knowing your group, knowing yourself, and knowing when your judgment is good and when it is poor. These recent incidents, and my taking notice of my own choices recently prompted me to think a bit about it.
Skiing by yourself in uncontrolled side country or off marked, patrolled, inbounds runs, is not a great choice though.
I don't know, the only thing I do risky would be riding motorcycles and my perspective is that you just reduce the risks as much as you can.
There are accidents, but the majority of deaths involve the rider making a mistake. Going to fast, following to closely, not paying attention, not wearing the right gear...I can't say if this goes for extreme sports too, but in a way, just doing the damn thing is a lot of the time bad managing of your risks.
So yeah, it's just one of these situations-->
I figure I made it this far, so I keep doing things I like to do, which includes a bunch of dangerous stuff... You don't stop because you're getting old... You get old because you stop...
I may or may not have completely misinterpreted my misconceptions as perceptions of misconstrued disinformation...
I agree. Just good to actually think about the risks as you go, control the ones you can, walk away from the risks you can't accept by some standard you have defined for yourself, and once you have accepted the rest, let go and go for it. If you run around scared all the time, it doesn't help.
Last edited by sunvalleylaw; 03-10-2011 at 05:12 AM.
I say ok. When I was big into skiing, it was Trevor Peterson whose death made the headlines in the ski magazines. No doubt the talent will be missed and you can't help but feel bad for the families, but they knew what they were getting into when they signed onto that deal.
That's a bummer about McConkey, I've been out of the ski scene for a while.
Friends of Jack don't let Friends of Jack stay sober.
I am definitely not an adrenaline addict so it is always difficult for me to understand the seemingly unnecessary risks some of these guys take. I dont sit around in bubble wrap but the fact that I am a husband and father most definitely guides my decisions when it comes to risk. With these things, I guess I have always accepted that people choose to be involved in dangerous activities and are aware of the risks. I have a harder time accepting it when they have kids but again, I dont have a lot of insight into the brain of someone who takes those kinds of risks either.
All that said, our time here is finite and no matter how many days we get, we should make them all count..................... whatever that means to us indidually.
...we're all on the road to where we want to be on this thing. And when we get there we realize that we really wanted to get to the next town over, anyway
I've always hated that "he died doing what he loved." That is ok if you are 80 and banging a hot 20 year old.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=550959
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=463945
Hell, by 80, I'd be happy banging an ugly 20 year old!
I may or may not have completely misinterpreted my misconceptions as perceptions of misconstrued disinformation...
here's a fun fact, when you are 80, all 20 year old chicks are hot.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=550959
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...?bandID=463945
Death is a transmigration of your soul that is impacted by all factors affecting your passing.
I'd want to get the furthest travel for my bodys' wattage on the other side, moving up as much as possible, peacefully.
Sudden deaths by physical shock can trap a spirit around our plane of existence, just as public attention can affect a persons' perception of themselves.
I found a mans' body when I was bike-hiking one night, and it was a very strenuous encounter.
Don't be shy! Phone a Reverend or Priest, and ask about what can happen when different people die.
That might motivate you to set yourself up for a good one.
Another fun fact: When you're sixty, everyone under thirty looks cute.
Whew... Good thing I'm 46
I may or may not have completely misinterpreted my misconceptions as perceptions of misconstrued disinformation...
This reminds me of the one time I willingly risked myself, all by myself.
I was hiking along the top of a cliff, surrounding a bay where the gig was in the resort where it became a beach.
A waitress told me about an old abandoned mansion, built by a rich Englishman, so I went hiking and exploring.
But the cliff shadows and deep forest helped me lose track of time, and I was watching the sunset far from the gig.
So I decided to jump off the cliff, into the top of a tree, and climbed down to the shore from there.
Hey.... I saw that in so many movies, a real Canadian theme, I thought it would be easy.
It took a few tunes onstage to get my knees to stop shaking. Those shaky knees surprised me.
When I first started playing guitar onstage, it felt like my legs would lock up, I was so nervous and concentrating.
Now... I'd be pinning you down with them while I played your guitar in front of your band.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks