Only a few days prior to me posting my ‘driven’ blog, the extreme ski world suffered a horrible tragedy. While filming a new ski movie Shane McConkey (who appeared in the Steep film that I discussed in Drive) fell to his death during one of his scenes.
Shane skied off a cliff in the Dolomites Mountains in Italy and was supposed to transition from a double back flip into his wingsuit. He was having trouble getting one of his skis off and began to spin out of control. During this time he had been falling for 12 seconds and it was just to close to the ground for the suit or chute to do anything...he never go the chute deployed.
Shane was a highly respected skier and his awards and accolades built a resume of skiing that could not be matched by many and held him in the group of an elite few. He will be missed by those in the community and of course more so by his family, including wife and 3 (I think) year old daughter, and friends. He was only 39 years old but he gave his passion his all and like any, was well aware and I am sure, accepted the risks. He inspired many and changed his sport for the better. He was one of the main individuals that inspired me from Steep and Warren Miller's Higher Ground, just to name a couple.
This video is well worth looking at. It was posted by a fan in his memory. It showcases what Shane did best. And as one other person posted so appropriately R.I.P. Rest In Powder. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUfF-kyKdGU)
4 comments:
Sounds like he died doing what he loved. RIP. Here's my question. Did S. Mc. understand and accept the fact that his super-dangerous lifestyle would probably mean that his life would be cut very short or did he somehow believe that he could beat the odds? In other words, did he decide it was worth perhaps leaving his family behind or did he just think that wouldn't happen to him? I always have this question about the super extreme sports types... especially the ones with kids. What do you think forts?
Just for some reference on how I see things; this was a freak accident a malfunction. What do we know about accidents? They are accidents. People who ski on ski hills today without helmets are taking a grave risk…this was made even more public with a celebrity perishing from head injuries from a simple fall on a resort ski mountain.
Now your specific question is “did he decide it was worth perhaps leaving his family behind or did he just think that wouldn't happen to him?” or to these types of athletes?
To me this applies to many people in these types of extreme sports as well as to professions with great risk; cops, firemen, military. From all my background with watching these films, reading interviews and magazines, taking part in similar sports and knowing those who do them, as well as the professions I mentioned, there is a tiny percentage of those who believe “it will not happen to me” those are the very few cocky and immature sort that take uncalculated risks.
I can not speak for Shane but from this background I have I can honestly say that these individuals and their families, are aware of the risks and use their gifts and education of their sport to push that limit but are prepared to do what they can to make sure it is as safe as possible.
So in short I think that these individuals feel the risk is worth it, as it is what they were born to do and are constantly preparing and practicing to be better. Just like a cop leaves every morning knowing he may not come back. Obviously they all want to make it back, no one truly has a ‘death wish’ but in risky adventures the outcomes can sometimes be grave.
He'd obviously managed the risk successfully for years... and I don't think he had a death wish or was reckless either. But it's a sport with no forgiveness for any kind of error or malfunction. It's a shame... I looked at some of the video online and he was probably one of the gutsiest people ever.
I couldn’t agree more Kerri. I wrote my answer a little quick yesterday on my way out of work (not my “dream job” :) ) so not sure it was completely clear. There is a fine line between pushing the utter limit and trying to do it in a “safe” manner. I mean if there was nothing there to be pushed then what would be the point? Adrenaline is a by-product of these sports and it is additive, and SO much fun.
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