Outdoors, action and adventure

Paraplegic skier Josh Dueck first to land back flip on a Sit-ski

 

Josh Dueck's life as a skier, since he became a paraplegic during a crash in 2004, has been nothing short of inspirational.

Using a Sit-ski, he stayed on the slopes and became a top-level competitive skier, while also pioneering backcountry skiing on a device designed more for groomed runs in close proximity to chair lifts.

Last Friday, he realized a goal he had harbored since that fateful day eight years ago: Dueck performed what's believed to be the first-ever back flip on a Sit-ski.

The Solomon Freeski video is a quality production from start to finish, but those wanting only to see the trick can fast-forward to the 2-minute mark.

Dueck has named his sit-ski the Freedom Chair, and he stars in a documentary with the same title.

Shaun White is perfect in X Games superpipe triumph

If there are any threats to the dominance of snowboarder Shaun White, they did not materialize Sunday night in the Winter X Games' Snowboard Superpipe final at Aspen, Colo.

White, 25, won a fifth consecutive gold medal and registered a first-ever perfect score of 100 in the marquee event.

"It's unreal. I've been wanting that 100 forever," he told ESPN's Tina Dixon, during an interview after his historic run.

He posted the score on what amounted to a victory lap, having already clinched triumph with a 94.00 logged on his first of three runs Sunday night.

As the last rider, and with nobody having topped the 94.00, White dropped into the U-shaped pipe and unleashed a series of progressive tricks that his competitors simply cannot string together.

They included a huge backside air, a front-side double-cork 1080, a cab double-cork 1080, a front-side stalefish 540, a double McTwist 1260, and a front-side double-cork 1260.
(See video for visual explanation.)

Asked by Dixon how he expects to improve on a perfect score, White thought for a second and quipped, "There's always next year."

Freeskiing star Sarah Burke dies nine days after crash

Freeskiing has lost one of its top athletes and great personalities in Canadian superpipe specialist Sarah Burke, who died Thursday of head injuries sustained Jan. 10 during a fall in the Eagle Superpipe at Park Mountain Resort in Utah.

Burke, 29, a four-time X Games champion and a favorite to win the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia, passed away at 9:22 a.m. She was accompanied by family and new husband, Rory Bushfield.

A statement released by the family explained that Burke had suffered a ruptured vertebral artery, one of the four major arteries supplying blood to the brain. The rupture led to a severe hemorrhage, which caused her to experience cardiac arrest soon after her fall.

Burke was placed on life support while doctors repaired the artery. But she had sustained severe irreversible brain damage because of a lack of oxygen and blood flow after cardiac arrest.

In accordance with her wishes, her organs and tissues were donated to help save the lives of others.

The accident has raised the issue of safety in terms of superpipe riding at the highest level. Burke's fall occurred at the same resort at which snowboarder Kevin Pearce was critically injured while training on Dec. 31, 2009.

Pearce, who had been training for his Olympics debut, suffered traumatic brain injuries and endured a long and comprehensive rehabilitation period. Last month he rode a snowboard for the first time since his accident, but his career is over.

The sport has progressed to dangerous new heights, with more spinning and more amplitude above the superpipes' 22-foot walls. This makes it easier to become disoriented before trying to land on the walls of the U-shaped superpipes.

Snowboarding star Gretchen Blieler told ESPN while Burke was still alive that athletes are aware of the dangers.

"There are no guarantees," she said. "And that is the risk we all take with us every day in life. But that is why we must live and live well, because nothing is guaranteed. I think Sarah would tell all of us to keep going, keep waking up early to land those tricks you've been dreaming of, but only if it's done with 100 percent passion, pure fire, discipline and commitment."

Injured skier Sarah Burke remains in critical condition; no prognosis yet

Canadian freeskier Sarah Burke on Friday remained hospitalized in critical condition and under intensive care, three days after suffering a head injury during a fall in the superpie at Park City Mountain Resort.

Friday's update, like past updates, revealed no detailed information, and doctors at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City have not offered any predictions regarding Burke's recovery.

"Sarah remains in critical condition in the Neuro Critical Care Unit," Safdar Ansari, a specialist in neurocritical care, said in a statement. "With traumatic brain injury, our care is focused on addressing the primary injury and preventing secondary brain damage, as well as managing other injuries sustained at the time of the accident; all of which requires close monitoring and intensive care.

"At this moment, Sarah needs more time before any prognosis can be determined."

A news conference regarding Burke's condition is scheduled for Monday.

Meanwhile, lots of people have been wondering about the safety of Eagle Superpipe at the Park City resort, because it's the same venue in which snowboarder Kevin Pearce was critically injured while training on Dec. 31, 2009.

Pearce, who had been training for his Olympics debut, suffered traumatic brain injuries and endured a long and comprehensive rehabilitation period. He had to re-learn how to walk. His snowboarding career is over but last month he rode a snowboard for the first time since his accident.

The Eagle Superpipe is not unique. But a lot of elite skiers and snowboarders train there, and they continue to push their sports to new and more dangerous limits, performing multiple spins and flips high above icy 22-foot walls.

Skiers and snowboarders risk striking their heads on the lips of the superpipe walls while attempting to land their tricks (Pearce), or on the rock-hard bottom of the U-shaped superpipe after an awkward fall (Burke).

As athletes soar higher and perform more difficult tricks, the risk increases.

To be sure, the progression of freeskiing and snowboarding and how it relates to superpipe safety will be the focus of some stories in advance of the Winter X Games at Aspen, Colo., at the end of the month.

If similar accidents occur in the next year or two, the same will be true in advance of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, Russia.

Burke, 29, a four-time X Games champion, was considered the Olympic gold medal favorite before her accident. Men's and women's freeskiing will make their Olympics debut at the Sochi Games.

Freeskiing star Sarah Burke has successful surgery but remains in critical condition

Canadian freeskiing star Sarah Burke, who was seriously injured Tuesday during a fall in the Park City Mountain Resort superpipe, remains hospitalized and in critical condition following surgery a day later in the University of Utah Hospital. She is not in a coma, according to her publicist.

Burke, 29, was injured after crashing at the bottom of Eagle Superpipe. On Wednesday afternoon she underwent a successful operation to repair a torn vertebral artery, which resulted in an intracranial hemorrhage at the
time of her fall.

William T. Couldwell, professor and chair of Neurosurgery at hospital, performed the surgery but said it was too early to make predictions about Burke's recovery.

"With injuries of this type, we need to observe the course of her brain function before making definitive pronouncements about Sarah's prognosis for recovery," Couldwell said. "Our Neuro Critical Care team will be monitoring her condition and response continuously over the coming hours and days."

Burke is a four-time X Games champion and the first female skier to have landed a 1080. Her lobbying efforts were instrumental in bringing women's freeskiing to the X Games and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

On Thursday her publicist issued this statement: "Sarah's family is grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support from around the globe. Fans may continue to use Sarah's Facebook page to express their wishes and receive updates."

Note: Top image is from Sarah Burke's Facebook page. Below is a video from The Ski Channel revealing a glimpse into the lives of Burke and her new husband and fellow freeskier, Rory Bushfield:

Freeskier Sarah Burke seriously injured in Park City crash

*Updated Wednesday afternoon

The tight-knit freeskiing community is rallying behind superstar Sarah Burke, who was seriously injured Tuesday afternoon during a halfpipe crash in Park City, Utah. She was airlifted to University Hospital in Salt Lake City, where she remains in a coma.

"Sarah sustained serious injuries and remains intubated and sedated in critical condition," Safdar Ansari, a specialist in neurocritical care at the hospital, said in a statement issued early Wednesday afternoon.

During a conference call, Canadian Freestyle Ski Assn. team doctor Robert Foxford said it was his understanding that Burke had been placed in a medically induced coma. "That would be the standard procedure for someone with a significant brain injury," Foxford said.

Burke's publicist issued this statement: "At this time, her family is asking that everyone respect their wishes of making Sarah's health and recovery a priority. The family will send an update once they have all the information. They are with her now."

Burke's husband, Rory Bushfield, added: "Sarah is a very strong young woman and she will most certainly fight to recover."

The Park City Mountain Resort halfpipe, or superpipe, is the same venue at which snowboarder Kevin Pearce was critically injured while training on Dec. 31, 2009. Pearce, who had been training for his Olympics debut, suffered traumatic brain injuries but has since recovered. Last month he rode a snowboard for the first time since his accident.

Positive and hopeful sentiments have flooded Burke's Facebook fan page wall. Most are of the tone issued by Mike Laroche in this post: "Sending all the love and support to Sarah and her family. You are an icon to the sport and a shining light to the world. Your spirit and strength will persevere, stay strong."

Athletes have been using Twitter to deliver best wishes and Trennon Paynter, coach of Canada's halfpipe team, tweeted this message: "Even while resting, her inner strength is clearly visible. Overcoming challenges is what she has always done best."

Burke, who is from Squamish, British Columbia, is the first female skier to have landed a 1080. She was instrumental in the lobbying effort to bring women's freeskiing to the X Games, and to the Olympics.  In 2007 she was voted Best Female Action Sports Athlete at the annual ESPY Awards.

—Sarah Burke action photo is courtesy of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Assn. Bottom image if from the athlete's Facebook page

Levi LaVallee's 412-foot jump captured via snowmobile-cam

Only Levi LaVallee knows what it feels like to soar a record 412 feet on a snowmobile. He set the record Saturday night, to ring in the new year, alongside Robbie Maddison, who jumped his motorcycle just under 379 feet, in a "Red Bull: New Year.  No Limits" spectacle at San Diego harbor.

But thanks to footage released Tuesday, you can see what it was like from LaVallee's perspective, thanks to cameras fixed to the nose of his sled.

Hang onto your hat and enjoy the view:

 

Is Mammoth Mountain the world's most popular ski resort?

Skiers and snowboarders love an occasional escape to Mammoth Mountain in California's Eastern Sierra region. But it's the number of "likes" on the ski area's Facebook page that has it ranked as the most popular resort in North America.

That's the criteria used by Skireports.com to determine its rankings for the 2011 calendar year. When the website released its findings on Monday, Mammoth's Facebook page had 99,458 fans. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning it had 100,915, and holds the distinction of becoming first ski/snowboard resort in the world to surpass 100,000.

Rounding out the top five on the list are Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe (93,887 fans), Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia (87,477), Vail in Colorado (79,765), and Breckenridge in Colorado (66,060).

The lone resort from Southern California to make the top 10 is Mountain High in Wrightwood, with 39,742 fans.

—Image showing a snowboarder at Mammoth Mountain is courtesy of Pete Morning

Sean Collins, founder of Surfline, dies suddenly at 59

Surf-forecasting pioneer Sean Collins died Monday afternoon after suffering an apparent heart attack while playing tennis at a club near his home in Seal Beach, Calif. He was 59 and is survived by his wife, Daren, and sons Tyler and A.J.

Collins, a passionate sailor and surfer who traveled extensively in pursuit of perfect waves, will be remembered for taking the guesswork out of when and where storm-generated swells will arrive at destinations around the world.

As founder of Surfline.com, he had a knack for understanding weather systems. Collins, who had no formal training as a meteorologist, utilized an extensive network of buoys and computer models to predict the arrival and duration of ocean swells.

The website contains surf reports, features and forecasting tools, as well as industry news reports. It attracts about 1.5 million viewers per month.

Big-wave surfers have for the past several years relied on Collins' forecasts as they traveled the world in search of giant waves. Surfline, established as a website in 1995, also placed dozens webcams at well-known surf spots, enabling website visitors to see first-hand how the waves were breaking.

Collins was named one of the "25 Most Influential Surfers of the Century" by Surfer Magazine in the summer of 1999. He was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame in 2008. It should go without noting that he'll be sorely missed.

Details about services for Collins were not known at the time of this post.

Injured snowboarder Kevin Pearce rides again

Nearly two years have passed since snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered a violent crash that shattered his dream of participating in the Olympics and left him with a severe brain injury, facing long odds of a successful recovery. 

On Tuesday at Breckenridge, Colorado, Pearce rode a snowboard for the first time since his accident, and for family and friends, and just about anyone familiar with his story, the event was both inspirational and heartwarming (see video).

Pearce, who was a rising star and considered a favorite to win a medal at the Vancouver Games, remembers nothing about that December night in 2009. As he was preparing for the Olympic trials, something went awry while he was airborne, and he slammed his head on the lip of the icy halfpipe.

He'd spend the next several weeks in the hospital. He experienced loss of memory, blurred vision, and problems with balance and speech, as he left the hospital to enter an extensive period of rehabilitation.

His snowboarding career was over, but that didn't matter. His family and friends just hoped Pearce would recover enough to be able to enjoy a somewhat normal lifestyle.

Pearce put snowboarding aside and worked tirelessly at rehabilitation, ultimately regaining his speech and vision, while trying to reclaim enough balance to one day ride his snowboard again. That would be his personal Olympics.

"There are bigger things in life than snowboarding," he said during a recent interview. "It was my whole life for the last 10 years, and my life got flipped upside down 100%. So it's different now in every single way. What's so cool, though, is that I've been able to deal with it."

His ride at Breckenridge was remarkably smooth, his turns crisp. He smiled a lot and his personality shone. It was a good day on the slopes, one of the best days yet.