Fred Syversen’s unintentional 107 meter drop has raised quite a lot of discussion lately. Perhaps even too much? (Remember that these kinds of events are not the “real face” of skiing anyway.) Still it seems that the most hair-raising moments of skiing/snowboarding are those that draw the attention of the masses. That is pretty obvious though: even an “average Joe” sees and understands the dramatic side of the sport. If someone crashes at 100 mph or flies off an enormous cliff the sight is pretty spectacular no matter what.
Here is a list of some of our own favorites among the skiing/snowboard-related YouTube hits and links to older articles explaining a bit of background of the particular event/clip. Click on the title if you want to check out the older article too. Some of these are the obvious ones – spectacular crashes or huge air times. On the other hand, a couple clips show nuances that are probably clearer to those already familiar with all the small details of the sport…
1. Jamie Pierre’s 75 meter cliff drop – onto his head!
Well, before Syversen’s incredible feat, this was the matter of debate for hard core skiers for a long time. Whether or not this is skiing at all? Or is this kind of stunt a “record” at all? Should it be all about “stomping” your landings (=standing on your skis after the touchdown), and not just surviving? You be the judge – the clip is pretty amazing no matter what your opinion is. No wonder this is a hugely popular YouTube hit!
2. Scott Macartney’s Crash Video in Kitzbühel Downhill
MaCartney was another lucky survivor. Hitting a jump at around 140 km/h in a World Cup Downhill race in Kitzbühel, Austria, completely losing it, being unconscious for a while and waking up at the hospital with minor injuries. You can’t say World Cup Downhill lacks drama on the “ordinary” day but this was something that was talked about for weeks even outside the skiing world. And kids: remember to wear your helmets!
3. Eric Pollard Self Edit
Those unfamiliar of skiing latest trends probably won’t get this completely. Let it be so. And if you are interested to read some more and find out why EP is the cutting edge of modern skiing, check out this post too.
4. An Oldie But Goldie from Riksgränsen, Sweden – Ingemar Backman’s huge snowboard air from way back in 1996
This was groundbreaking stuff back in 1996. This is still a very high air. And nothing beats simple snowboard backside airs. I guess skiers just won’t ever get that stylie…
5. Simon Dumont sets the new world record height in quarter pipe at Sunday River
Speaking of skiers style: skiers probably are not as stylie as boarders (except Pollard, heh – IMHO of course) but these days (we) two-plankers go pretty big. Don’t you agree?
Also, click the above link and you can compare the size of the air to the previous world record held by Norwegian snowboard legend Terje Haakonsen.
6. Blast from the Past, Part II – Old School Straight and Narrow (R.I.P Doug Coombs)
The above post is just humble personal ski ramblings but check out this Youtube clip featuring the late great Doug Cooms, the master of steep and deep (be patient – the beginning of the clip is pretty cheesy before the real old-school action begins). For someone only familiar with the current “surf” style of freeriding this type of skiing might look dull and boring. Anyway, remember the guy skis on (at least) 210cm, very narrow skis. Doug Coomb’s skiing is still an amazing example of technique if you ask me.
7. Two Nice Trailers from Finland: Roots Freeski Movie and The Scrapbook Project
Well, these might not be YouTube hits (yet?). But the producers of both movies are buddies of us (see e.g. Lasse Nevantausta Interview – The Man Behind the Roots Freeski Movie) and we just dig this stuff. These clips also show the incredible talent Finnish young riders have. For every Finnish snowboard stars (and we have several!) there are maybe ten kids pushing their limits on our little hills and icy parks, both skiers and snowboarders alike.
Bonus – the obvious ones: Skiing Crash Videos – A Few Examples of Bad Ski Crashes on Video
Well, click on the link. Here is only the most stupid – a clear “Darwin Award” nominee. Don’t try this at home…(and gotta admit seeing people flail/crash miserably on skis never gets old!)
Leave Your Response