2 US Ski Team Athletes Killed By Avalanche

ScottyJack wrote

Benny Profane wrote

Very young, and, probably sheltered from most free skiing experiences since an early age. Probably spent 90% of their time training since 14, considering they made the team, and the usual time that any kid that age would experience backcountry or off piste was extremely limited. One wonders if the kid from SLC egged on the kid from New Hampshire to do something stupid, and, of course, since they were hyper competitive types, well.....

I find this speculation to be disrespectfully, distasteful, ignorant and down right rude.  .

+1

Totally agree with Scotty.  Benny has been puffing too much

freeheeln wrote

ScottyJack wrote

Benny Profane wrote

Very young, and, probably sheltered from most free skiing experiences since an early age. Probably spent 90% of their time training since 14, considering they made the team, and the usual time that any kid that age would experience backcountry or off piste was extremely limited. One wonders if the kid from SLC egged on the kid from New Hampshire to do something stupid, and, of course, since they were hyper competitive types, well.....

I find this speculation to be disrespectfully, distasteful, ignorant and down right rude.  .

+1

+2

Sad news, indeed.

The reality; however, is that there are risks involved in any sport. The best we can do as skiers is to educate ourselves on the risks, and make decisions accordingly.

I would agree with the broad definitions of piste and off piste described, herein.  


1) Always buy the off piste insurance---I think my last trip to Verbier was $6.00 for the week, club price.  

2) Consider joining www.skiclub.co.uk  the cost of membership was covered several times over by the savings on back country guides.     They have a good system too....you take a ski test, they grade you and then you only ski with skies in your level.    Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.   At least that is how it was a few years back.     Deep discounts on rental gear too.      All of that said, you may spend your savings buying rounds for the Brits.....Damm they drink alot.   A few times I got caught with two full beers in my grips and a Brit exclaiming, "your round".   Ugg.    


I also agree with Benny's hypothesis of how this may have occured.     Sad, but likely on point.    Kids were likely caged tigers, full of vim and vigor.   The minute the opportunity came available, thinking goes out the door, if it ever entered.     Not giving an analogy of them to my 9yr old son, but in his world of watching videos of cliff jumpers and back country heliskiing, "you look for avi, so you can see if you ski out of it, like the pros do"

ScottyJack wrote

Benny Profane wrote

Very young, and, probably sheltered from most free skiing experiences since an early age. Probably spent 90% of their time training since 14, considering they made the team, and the usual time that any kid that age would experience backcountry or off piste was extremely limited. One wonders if the kid from SLC egged on the kid from New Hampshire to do something stupid, and, of course, since they were hyper competitive types, well.....

I find this speculation to be disrespectfully, distasteful, ignorant and down right rude.  Way worse than anything NJ ever posted and on par w/ the stupid level of powpuff, who is obvi trolling.  This is high handed BS.

Rude? Go fuck yourself. That's rude. You are one of the biggest assholes on this board, just pumping out snide little remarks like a sullen little 15 year old in the back of the classroom, trying to make the other dorky kids snigger. Again, go fuck yourself.

I:)skiing wrote

 you may spend your savings buying rounds for the Brits.....Damm they drink alot.   A few times I got caught with two full beers in my grips and a Brit exclaiming, "your round".

+1 and then some.  

Project

verb (used without object)

Psychology. to ascribe one's own feelings, thoughts, or attitudes to others.  

 

Man up and stop being a little asshole. You may even get laid.

Listen to yourself. Your inner self is trying to save you.. it's not too late.

Benny your AHole is showing

Scotty has the high road here.

Fuck that. High road my old hairy ass. Jack's a dick. He went down the easy road, and some others followed, because, hey, that's easy too, to type a moronic +1 or something. Lame. I wasn't trying to be an asshole at all, meant every word I typed. That's fucking rude? Get the hell out of your tight ass shells before your heads explode.

Here, I'll put it another way some might, and that's a big maybe, would understand. If I was 19 (19!), and just made the US ski team (the fucking US ski team! Murcia! I had a beer with Bode!) and wound up standing over some off piste stuff in Austria (Austria! Dude! Like, you know, the best skiers in history!), I could easily see myself doing the same goddamn thing. Hell, I've done almost as stupid things on skis when I was 45. But, 19? Hell, we are all stupid at 19. Most of us, if we are adrenaline fans, are probably lucky to be alive. Even if you aren't stupid, which is rare, you may be just a little dumb and follow your bud and teammate into a situation you never even knew was a situation. Because you're friggin19! You're stupid. Get it?

There's a reason young adolescent to young manhood boys pay the most in auto insurance. Statistically, they are stupid. I was.

Coach Z wrote

Benny your AHole is showing

Scotty has the high road here.

+1

You almost talked your way out of it, but then you turned right back around and....well, let's just say hopefully nobody talks about how stupid you were after you die.

I agree with Benny's POV 100% on this.      OMG----you don't make the elite of the elite in WC skiing without taking crazy chances.    Then because you are of the breed who takes these chances, you may end up taking chances that could lead you down the wrong path. And to that, it is sad.   If these young adults were of the conservative breed, they would be in college and have forgone the pro-circuit. They might be typing on this forum how stupid people are for skiing when avi danger is high.    But they were not, they were out skiing, following their dream and having fun while on that path.          


Please know that I have no disrespect for the amount of training, coaching, lifting, eating, committment to the sport and natural athletic ability....that these folks had.   What I am saying is there are lots of ingredients in a cake.....not just baking powder.  A skier on the WC USA Dev Team must have a heaping tablespoon of balls.    It's those balls that likely contributed to this sadness.    


Don't want thread to be stolen, especially this thread,  but I alway laugh at the stupid media's portrayal of Bode at the Olympics.    Dude skiing 80+MPH on the verge of permanant injury or death, putting his balls out there to win gold, not be safe and get silver or bronze,  but according to the press this SAME guy is supposed to have the self control to leave the race, pour a glass milk and be in bed before 7pm for his next race tomorrow.       Bode, had a beer.....OMG! Let's report that only if he loses or not meeting our expectations.    I hate the press.     If you disagree...please start a new thread or go back to an old one on this subect.  


Back to thread---Tigers have stripes and claws.    When you encounter one, don't pretend its a fluffy house kitten.     These young adults were awesome at what they did and how they got where they were, part of what got them there, contributed to their untimely and sad departure from this world and onto the next.    


     

Nathaniel Vinton on the avalanche in Austria.  Worth the read.

http://m.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/u-s-olympic-skiing-hopefuls-died-austrian-mountains-article-1.2072402

Peter Minde wrote

Nathaniel Vinton on the avalanche in Austria.  Worth the read.
http://m.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/u-s-olympic-skiing-hopefuls-died-austrian-mountains-article-1.2072402

I was just about to post this. Seems to echo some of Benny's points.

Now that Sno is gone the target of the hive mind seems to have moved to Benny.

Snowballs wrote

hive mind

Giving too much credit, just NJ's bitches whining and moaning

I dub the Lenny, Snowballs, PeeMan alliance - the Grumpy Old Men!