Pete Thomas Outdoors

Cody Townsend honored for 'insane' ski line on Alaskan slope

Cody Townsend (circled in red) descending a cavernous chute in Alaska; video screen grab

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

Cody Townsend was honored Saturday at the 2014 Powder Awards for skiing what was deemed the most challenging line of the past year: a ridiculously steep and narrow tunnel-like chute in the Alaskan wilderness.

The accompanying footage is provided by MSP Films, which describes Townsend's chosen route as the “Most insane ski line EVER.”

 

Most viewers, whether they ski or not, probably will agree that it requires a high skill level and a touch of craziness to even contemplate negotiating a chute so ominously vertical, dark and narrow, with rock walls only inches away, and with an exit window visible only as a thin crack of light.

Townsend, before his descent, can be heard saying, “Oohh, I’m getting nervous,” but his run was completed stylishly and without consequence, other than to further establish the freeskier as a major talent among his peers.

The exit window is visible as a mere crack of light; photo via Facebook

The chute is located in the Tordrillo Mountains in south-central Alaska.   Townsend was honored, along with other top male and female skiers, by Powder magazine during its annual awards gala on Saturday night at Salt Lake City.

Townsend, who lives in Squaw Valley, California, claimed three awards, including Best Male Performance, based on his many segments (including the footage shown here) in MSP Films’ “Days of My Youth.”

Cody Townsend at the podium during the Powder Awards; photo via Powder magazine

The night was a validation of sorts for an athlete who needs to update the Awards section of his Facebook page, which at the time of this post read: “Three-time Powder Award nominee … Zero-time winner.”

Of a year that also included cover appearances in four different ski magazines, Townsend told Powder, “It’s one of those things where the snow ball just picked up speed real fast. I never skied to win an award. I’ve always just kind of followed what I want to do. So many things that went into it this year, it was because that’s what I thought was going to be the most fun.”

As for reaction to the accompanying footage, which is being widely shared via social media, perhaps a comment by Brian Cano on the MSP Films Facebook page sums up the general feeling: “Good GOD!!!”

Freeskier Aymar Navarro survives powerful avalanche with the help of airbag

Aymar Navarro is fortunate to be alive after being swept up by a massive avalanche that he triggered during a film shoot in the Spanish Pyrenees. The slide was so vast and swift that Navarro was skiing on top of it briefly before tumbling head over heels and becoming enveloped by snow.

 

The freeskier was fortunate because he was wearing an avalanche airbag. These devices inflate when activated to help prevent victims from becoming buried too deeply.

While the footage might appear to some to be a commercial for airbags–one of the YouTube comments was an inquiry about this–it almost certainly was not and, in fact, ABS Avalanche Airbags replied to the comment with this:

"For sure not: Avalanches are dangerous and always potentially life-threatening. This happened during a production for a TV commercial for a car brand."

To be sure, airbags do not guarantee survival, even with film crews on site.

The incident occurred shortly after Navarro began his descent from the Tuc de Barloguera peak. The run was filmed from the air and with a helmet-cam worn by Navarro, under the direction of Nil Torremocha of Bumpyfilms.com.

–Note: This post also appears at GrindTv Action Sports

–Hat tip to Adventure Journal

Skier Sverre Liliequist back-flips in front of raging avalanche

 

The Swatch Skiers Cup is rich with highlights, but Sverre Liliequist stole the show recently by launching a back-flip while being chased by an immense avalanche, which he successfully outran.

(The avalanche portion of the video begins at the 54-second mark, and the slow-motion back-flip is at about 1:50.)

Liliequist's run was being filmed from the air by Skiers Cup crew. The big-mountain and back-country competition, in Zermatt, Switzerland, runs through Friday.

Skiing icon Glen Plake survives deadly Manaslu avalanche

The search for six missing climbers in the aftermath of Sunday's deadly avalanche on the Nepalese peak of Manaslu has been called off.  The bodies of nine climbers were recovered and several injured climbers were treated for injuries and hypothermia.

One of the lucky survivors was Glen Plake, an iconic freeskier from Lake Tahoe.  Two of Plake's ski-mountaineering companions, Greg Costa and Remy Lecluse, are among the missing on the 26,759-foot peak.

Speaking from Manaslu base camp, Plake told Trey Cook of Epic Tv: "I'm OK, a bit beat up; missing some teeth and a bruised eye but write in big capital letters: GLEN PLAKE IS ALIVE AND HE'S COMING HOME."

Plake, who had been sharing a tent with Costa, also described being swept 900 feet down the mountain in the predawn darkness, in his sleeping bag, as the massive slide tore through Camp 3 at about 20,000 feet, destroying as many as 25 tents.

"We all went to sleep with avalanche transceivers on so I punched my way out of the tent and started searching," Plake said. "I searched for 10 minutes before I realized I was barefoot in the snow.

"Greg had been using my down suit for a pillow and I found my suit, I found everything that was in my tent – camera, sleeping bag, ski boots. It was like someone had thrown my gear in the back of a pickup – but there was no sign of Greg. Remy and his tent are nowhere to be found."

The slide, estimated to measure up to 2,000 feet  across, also slammed tents farther down the slope at Camp 2. One of the Camp 2 survivors is Canada's Greg Hill, who in 2010 set a record for climbing and skiing 2 million vertical feet in one calendar year.

Some of the Camp 2 climbers assisted in a Sunday search that became impossible after heavy fog swept over the slope. The search was called off a day later, after it became clear there was no hope of finding any more survivors.

Reports vary but at least 29 people were on the mountain at the time of the avalanche, which Plake estimated to measure about 2,000 feet across.

Eight of the nine climbers who were killed have been identified. Four are French, one is Italian, one Spanish, one German, and one is a Nepali national.

Manaslu, the world's eighth tallest peak, is among the most dangerous to climb, having claimed the lives of dozens of mountaineers in recent years.

--Image showing Glen Plake, Remy Lecluse and Greg Costa (left to right) is courtesy of EpicTv

Canada's Sarah Burke among Olympic Hall of Fame inductees

Sarah Burke, a star freeskier who died last January of head injuries suffered during a fall in the superpipe, is among athletes who will be inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame this summer.

Burke was one of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Assn.'s premier athletes, and the first female skier to land a 1080, or three full rotations above the superpipe.

She was instrumental in lobbying efforts to get women's freesking (superpipe and slopestyle) into the X Games and, more recently, the Olympics for their debut in 2014 at the Sochi Games in Russia.

In a news release announcing Hall of Fame inductees, Burke's mother, Jan Phelan, stated:

"Sarah was one of those extraordinary women who believed that anything was possible. I think that her belief not only helped her succeed, but inspired others to be the best that they could be. I know that Sarah would be happy that all she worked for and sought to achieve is being honored with her induction into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame."

Also being inducted, during a Sept. 21 ceremony in Toronto, are Olympic heroes Jean-Luc Brassard, Daniel Igali, Beckie Scott, the 2006 women's hockey team, 2010 men's hockey team, and longtime national synchronized swimming coach Julie Sauve.

Neighborhood wants street renamed to honor memory of freeskiing star Sarah Burke

Residents of Midland in Ontario, Canada, have made a touching gesture to honor the memory of freeskiing star Sarah Burke, who died last month after an accident during training in a superpipe.

Burke grew up on Huron Street in Midland, and residents in the neighborhood, according to Simcoe.com, have requested that the town change the road's name to Sarah Burke Street.

"It would be a great tribute to one of Midland’s amazing, beautiful, young and inspirational athletes, who was taken from us way too soon," Rick and Debbie Dalziel stated in a letter to the city council, supported by the signatures of 11 neighbours. "Being friends and next-door neighbours of the Burke family for several years, we feel that Sarah and the entire family would be truly touched by this honour."

The entire street is in agreement regarding the name change but a councilman responded that the gesture may be too modest.

Still, many will agree that the name change ought to be granted, along with whatever larger gesture the council may come up with.

The request has been forwarded to the planning and development committee for review, after which it'll be brought to council for a decision.

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."

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

Simon Dumont scores big with 'cubed' halfpipe performance

Halfpipe freeskiing will debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. That shows how popular the sport, for years a Winter X Games staple, has become.

But is halfpipe freeskiing -- and perhaps snowboarding -- already ripe for a drastic change as top-level athletes seek new ways by which to challenge themselves and showcase their incredible skills?

Maybe not, but Simon Dumont appears to be onto something with his "cubed" halfpipe, which he showcased recently with a performance at Squaw Valley USA. Gone is the security of a 22-foot wall for the duration of a routine. Gone, also, are points of reference for a rider who must pass 40 feet above ice while performing acrobatics between sections. Athletes might be scared of it, understandably, but they can adjust, and fans will love it. Judge for yourself:

 

Freeskier Ryan Hawks dies of injuries suffered at contest

Pro freeskier Ryan Hawks died early Tuesday of injuries suffered during an extreme competition in Northern California. He was 25.

Hawks had been attempting a 40-foot backflip Sunday during the North American Freeskiing Championships at Kirkwood Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe. He fell upon landing and was airlifted to Reno's Renown Health Center, where he was being treated for internal injuries.

An official cause of death is pending an investigation, according to Reno's Washoe County Medical Examiner.

Dan Abrams, president of FlyLow Gear, which sponsored the athlete, told Outside magazine: "The comp was in full swing. All of the heavy hitters were skiing, but a lot of the guys were falling. There was an opportunity for Ryan to go all out get on the podium. He has a history of back flips and basically going for it in comps."

Hawks, a Utah resident originally from Vermont, belonged to a small group of Vermont-born athletes known as Green Mountain Freeride.

According to an ESPN report, Hawks' death is the third involving a competitive big-mountain freeskier in four years. It cited the 2008 death of John Nicoletta at the Freeskiing World Tour Championships at Alyeska in Alaska; and the 2007 death of Neil Valiton at an International Freeskiers Assn. event at Tignes, France.

For a helmet-cam glimpse of the Green Mountain crew in action, see the video:

-- Pete Thomas