realskiers

John, I don't follow extreme skiing very much, but it's pretty hard not to take in some of what's going on in that segment of the industry, because it's so prevalent in all the ski media.  Even in mainstream resort-focused magazines like Ski, and our equivalent up here, Ski Canada, you see photo after photo of backcountry big mountain skiing, cliff jumps, super-steep chutes, tight trees, helicopter drops....the imagery is everywhere and impossible to avoid.  Then there is the advertiser's obsession with "ski celebrities", the great majority of which are twenty-something freeriders -- you don't see too many ads selling goggles or gaudy-coloured freeride boots featuring Ligety or Miller, do you? If the best that WC superstar Vonn can do in Ski Magazine is promote ski tubes, then you see how this industry is skewed.  Add to that all the sponsorship money being focused on extreme skiing, you get an industry that is a pressure cooker for guys like Pierre, McConkey, etc., to take greater and greater risks just to get noticed and stay on top. 

My point is that I think the industry has to take a lot of responsibility for this behavior.  They have created an environment where extreme risk-taking is promoted and expected, with the end goal of selling product and gaining market share.  And, the young skiers with dreams of cashing in just by doing a sport they love, fall into the whirlpool, chase the big bucks, and then far too many of them push the envelope.  They take one risk too many without considering their own safety or mortality, and pay the ultimate price.

I wonder what other professional sport or industry would tolerate this? Pro football? Hockey? I honestly can't think of one.  World Cup skiing? Possibly....but even they have made progress in way of safety, although still have a long way to go, and seem to regress at times.  But at least there is a whole army of support and aid at a World Cup race, to treat and whisk away an injured skier.  No such backup on an Alaska mountain.

I don't buy it, there is no analogy between franchise sports and guys freeskiing.  None. Now, maybe world cup safety standards (which do exist) is a fair comparison (they do mandate helmets, and now long radii skis).  You can point to the 'free skiing' competitions, but most film stars don't compete, and honestly, they don't have a high rate of injury at the events.   Doug Coombs basically invented the competitive aspect of freeskiing, but died while guiding (and not hucking, he fell in a crevasse..same risk every mountain climber assumes) not competing.


I think of Freeskiing (and the industry that benefits from it) is more akin to Mountain Climbing, Rock Climbing, Big wave surfing.  It's extreme, full of risks, it sometimes takes the lives of it's strongest practitioners, but those guys and gals think the risk is worth it.  I never fall into the trap of thinking their deaths are 'tragic' nor do I exonerate foolishness by saying 'they did what they loved.'  But, I have no problem with ski manufacturers paying them to hawk their equipment, and I do find much of what they ski impressive, awe-inspiring and fun to watch. 

You think Jamie Pierre or McConkey pursued risk taking sports because they were hypnotized by Ski Industry advertising?

Should the manufacturers of climbing ropes prevent people from attempting to climb K2 because the risk is great?  The Opening cover advertisement in SKI MAGAZINE is a Rolex ad with Ed Viesturs.  Is Rolex, Ed Viesturs, or Ski Mag responsible for anyone who dies ascending Everest (and yes, even those who choose to summit without O2 like Viesturs)?

Should Reinhold Messner (the greatest alpinist ever and my vote for greatest athlete ever) not get sponsorship deals because he has built a reputation tackling perilous ascents?  Had enough of Laird Hamilton (in my next life I want to come back as legendary big wave surfer.  It way, way, cooler than even the coolest skiing!)?

I find the hand wringing over the prevalence of ski film stars in ski advertising misplaced.  If you really want to make the ski industry safer and limit the number of deaths and serious injuries-the best thing that could be done is make it illegal to serve alcohol (or consume alcohol) while the ski area is open and strictly enforce it.  Period.  Allow no alcohol advertising in Ski Mags (and did Southern Comfort purchase Ski Mag this month?), or Ski Magazine reviews of great Hard ciders, or Budweiser sponsoring a traveling Freestyle event with beer tents set up at the events.  None of it.  If you ski at an area with an open bar, I can't take your safety concerns about ski industry using extreme athletes in advertising seriously.  Because that jeopardizes your safety more than Sage cattabriga in a Rossi advertisement.


And, to your comments..Lindsey may have had only one ad in Ski Mag...but ski **** stars collectively had ZERO adds.  All shots of skiing are unnamed ski models on fairly tame resort terrain (in ads for those resorts). I realize POWDER magazine would be different. Furthermore-Lindsey, Bode and Julia Mancuso are making it onto cereal boxes and enjoy a general face recognition in the USA that no extreme skier can even come close to matching.  Not Sage, Not Jeremy, No One.

And, not every non racer who enjoys ski industry cache at the moment is known for extreme derring do.  Chris Davenport is as Hot as Anybody, but it is his mountaineering skills, and endurance abilities that are on sale as much as his skiing (which is excellent, but not in anyway 'Extreme' ...no backflips into rocky chutes for Chris!).  And I think, as a model for would be Backcountry and Slack country hopefuls, Davenport is excellent.  He's all about the training, the effort and the milestone-based adventure--and for most aspiring experts in the USA, he is more emblematic of what they'd really like to aspire to than any world cup racer.  And those aspirations are not delusional or unattainable.

Then there are all the Park and Pipe guys and gals--a whole other group that gets more face time than anyone except for Vonn--though they may do extreme things, it's primarily pursued in a very controlled setting (in resort based terrain parks) and honestly, you hear of very few deaths.  Lots of broken bones and contusions, but not a lot of guys cashing it in (in fact, I can't think of any name guys buying it in the Park... though, I wouldn't doubt it has happened.

I'm sorry for the lengthy response, but I've heard this complaint come up before in other forums and it is often coupled with a similar decrying of new ski designs as well.  And I just don't buy it.