R.I.P Shane McConkey

[Odie 869]

Shane McConkey (December 30, 1969 - March 26, 2009) Born in Vancouver, British Columbia , was a professional skier based out of Squaw Valley, California. He has won numerous awards and competitions. McConkey started as a competitive freestyle skier, but moved on to be featured in a long line of extreme skiing movies. McConkey is known for combining base jumping with skiing, as seen in such feats as skiing into a BASE jump off the Eiger. McConkey went to Burke Mountain Academy. He is also known for his contributions to ski design, notably being the father of reverse camber powder skis, starting with the Volant Spatula and the more recent K2 Pontoon.

 

 

On March 26, 2009, Shane was Ski-BASE jumping in Italy. He was working on a new line variation off the Val Scura couloir on Sassongher with JT Holmes and a film crew from Matchstick Productions. His ski failed to release, either getting caught in his parachute and sending him into an uncontrollable spin, or not allowing him to deploy his pilot chute.

[Odie 869]

Youtube Video ->

[Odie 869]

και αλλο ενα

 

 

Youtube Video ->

[elgreco 32]

R.I.P. Shane McConkey

[Odie 869]

R.I.P. Shane McConkey

 

 

αργησες παλι

[makalu 10]

ΚΡΙ_ΜΑ! :P

 

 

Εφυγε εχθες απο την ζωή μια απολυτη μηχανη αδρεναλίνης...ενας εξαιρετικος πατερας κ κυριως ενα φοβερο profile ανθρωπου με τρομερα αφοσιωμενο ΠΑΘΟΣ για αυτα που εκανε!

 

Εχθές καθως κατεβαινε το λουκι Val Scura στην Sassongher με τον επισης γνωστο freerider JT Holmes για μια παραγωγή της Matchstick Productions---κατι δεν πηγε καλα με την απελευθερωση του πεδιλου στο αλμα απο το κενό-γκρεμό..επαθε καποια εμπλοκή ισως με τις αρτανες στο μικρο πιλοτάκι-οδηγό αλεξιπτωτου με αποτελεσμα να μπει σε περιδινηση και να φυγει... :P

 

..το τιμημα τετοιων sportsmen..

[Χρήστος Λάππας 25,364]

Ήταν και αυτός στο steep, αν δεν κάνω λάθος; Πρώτα ο Coombs, τώρα αυτός...

[makalu 10]

TO IΔΙΟ ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΙΔΙ με τον Doug Coombs!!!!!

 

..ειμαι συντετριμμενος..

 

 

(ωπα, σορρυ, τωρα ειδα οτι το εβαλε κ ο Κορν το πρωι!!)

Edited March 27, 2009 by makalu

[MakisM 3,965]

Τα ποστ τα συγκεντρωσα ολα εδω...

 

R.I.P.

[AggelosP 7]

Youtube Video ->

[bomberman 56]

Οχι ρε γαμώτο.

Δεν είναι δυνατον...

Mόλις το διάβασα κιεγώ :P

 

Πολύ μεγαλο ΚΡΙΜΑ

H τραγική ειρωνία είναι ότι προχτες πήγα να κάνω πόστ στο φορουμ αυτο: http://cli.gs/DyAVpT

σκατά..

[makalu 10]

H τραγική ειρωνία είναι ότι προχτες πήγα να κάνω πόστ στο φορουμ αυτο:..

 

..γ@μησ€ τα!

[piopi 1,045]

Πραγματικά πολύ κρίμα!

Πάντως οι εταιρίες και ο έντονος ανταγωνισμός πιέζουν πολύ τους επαγγελματίες σκιερ..........όχι ότι φταίει απαραίτητα αυτό στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση.

 

let us be realistic,require the impossible one take care of your ass.

[tsaky 28]

ο ρε, τι κριμα...

 

μολις γυρισα απο εκει... (21/3 - 28/3)

 

εμενα στην corvara και δεν ακουσαμε τιποτα για το περιστατικο !!!

[bomberman 56]

http://www.mspfilms.com/news/1354

 

March 26, 2009

 

MSP Films painfully announces the loss one of the most innovative, gifted, entertaining and inspirational figures in the history of skiing. Shane McConkey, 39, died while performing a ski BASE jump off the Sass Pardoi cliff in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy.

 

J.T. Holmes, a close friend and long-time jump partner of McConkey who had jumped the 600 meter cliff moments before Shane, said McConkey performed a double backflip from the cliff and planned to release his skis and then fly in his wingsuit, a stunt he's executed a number of times. But when both skis failed to release upon tugging on straps leashed to his legs, McConkey went into an upside down position as he manually attempted to release his bindings. Because throwing a chute while inverted poses the likelihood of the canopy and lines becoming entangled in the skis, McConkey used valuable seconds to focus on removing both skis and succeeded. He quickly turned into a classic, face down BASE jumping position to throw his pilot chute (which pulls out the main canopy), but after 12 seconds of freefall he struck snow immediately before there was time to react. He was killed upon impact.

 

Shane McConkey is survived by his wife, Sherry, 3 1/2 year-old daughter Ayla, and his parents Jim and Glenn.

 

McConkey’s passing leaves an entire industry reeling from the news. He starred in 15 MSP movies including the heralded “There’s Something About McConkey” and was honored as “The People’s Choice” for Male Skier of the Year three years in a row. As one of the most versatile skiers in the history of the sport, in his 17-year professional freeskiing career McConkey won everything from mogul tour events to big mountain competitions to skiercross races to big air events. One of the most forward thinking individuals in the sport, in the mid 1990s, McConkey singlehandedly convinced the ski world to get on fat skis to ski mountains faster and more easily and--seeing that skiing powder is more akin to floating on water--he proceeded to convince his ski sponsor, Volant, to produce a reverse sidecut, reverse camber ski he dubbed the Spatula that flew in the face of decades of ski design. Knowing the ski would be scoffed at by the industry establishment, McConkey illustrated his point by mounting a pair of 1970's jumping waterskis and shredding a massive British Columbia peak with ease in MSP’s film, “Focused,” and inadvertently gave rise to a functional sliding turn now fondly referred to as a “McConkey Turn.” Today, nearly every reputable ski manufacturer produces a reverse sidecut, reverse cambered ski born from the Spatula.

 

In the latter stages of his career, McConkey discovered BASE jumping and quickly became the forefather of ski BASE jumping, seeing potential to ski lines never thought possible. His ski BASE feats included a quadruple backflip off of a 400’ cliff and culminated in a classic ode-to-James Bond chase scene in the film, “Seven Sunny Days.”

 

But beyond a hard charging, cliff hucking, trick-inventing, mind-blowing skier and BASE jumper, McConkey was a constant entertainer. Countless magazine articles and film segments revealed a man who enjoyed the lighter side of life. When a season was cut short in 1997 by a knee injury, McConkey gave birth to Saucerboy, a saucer-riding, Jack Daniels swilling character who brought hilarity to an otherwise serious ski film industry as he appeared in several MSP films. McConkey's comedic, fun-loving personality was ever-present on screen and off. His positive, seize-the-day demeanor affected anyone who had the fortune of meeting him.

 

Last year at 38 years old, McConkey turned in one of his finer performances of a lifetime in the film, “Claim,” revealing that age and a career filled with injury had done nothing to slow him down. As he said emphatically in the film, “I’m Shane McConkey, dammit, and I’m not done yet.”

 

Shane McConkey was an incredible influential figure in two distinct sports, and he was a brother for the MSP Films crew and thousands of people whose lives he touched. His loss will be felt the world over as he leaves a void that simply can never be filled. As one fan put it, “It feels like Superman died.” He basically did.

 

--Scott Gaffney

[Odie 869]

απο το site της K2

 

On March 26, 2009, Shane McConkey died in a ski BASE jumping accident in the Italian Dolomites. We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our fellow K2 family member and offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife Sherry, daughter Ayla and the members of his immediate and extended family around the wintersports world.

 

In countless ways, Shane defined our sport representing both the limits for which it can be pushed, as well as the idea, lifestyle and romance of skiing. His ability to bring fun everywhere he went was uncanny and the mere mention of his name always made the people who knew him smile. Such was his gift - the ability to be the consummate class clown at one moment and the next to be an absolute professional as a member of our ski development team. Everyone here loved working with Shane. You could depend on him, both to get the job done and to make you laugh. We are happy to have been graced with his presence over the past decade and appreciate his many contributions to our success.

 

Although McConkey's impressive athleticism and skiing ability made him a icon, Shane moved through life in humble shoes, never letting global fame change his character.

 

Shane was a pioneer and ringleader of the freeskiing movement in the early 90's, which has since become the de facto image of our sport. His life's work has opened the doors for countless young athletes, whom, without Shane's efforts, would have never had the opportunity.

 

McConkey was a creative thinker who challenged conventional wisdom in ski design, first driving the fat ski revolution, then convincing us to build him his rockered Pontoon in 2004 -- which instantly made powder skiing easier and more fun for everyone, helping spur arguably the most significant innovation seen in skiing and snowboarding in decades.

 

Shane was a part of our family. He was the pure embodiment of everything that K2 stands for and we cherished the time we were able to spend with him developing products around the world. In many ways, Shane has changed the way we all think about life and skiing and we will miss him dearly.

 

Thanks for showing us the way, Shane. It's not going to be the same without you.

[Odie 869]

και εδω

[bomberman 56]

YouTube Video ->

Edited April 6, 2009 by bomberman

[bomberman 56]

Σήμερα πρέπει να κηδεύτηκε...

 

[Olga 6,796]

εχουν δώσει ηδη το ονομα του σε μια πιστα στο Whistler (λόγω καταγωγής του απο το Vancouver)

[fileasfog 0]

Κριμα για εναν μεγαλο αθλητη του σκι!

[Olga 6,796]

ξαναείδα χθες το βράδυ το Steep..οταν δοκιμάσεις έστω και για λιγο το backcountry skiing, μπαίνεις σε αλλη φάση.

δεν επικρίνω τις αποφάσεις τους (ιδίως οταν εχουν οικογένεια) ειναι αυτοι που ειναι, με τον τροπο ζωης που επέλεξαν

[nek70 5]

Κρίμα

[Χρήστος Λάππας 25,364]

I didn't choose my life in the mountains, it just happened. I tried to become a normal person and have a normal job, but that didn't work.

 

As soon as I got out of jail, I went skiing. As soon as I got out of broken legs, I went skiing. That's where I had to go to make it all right again. The rest of the world is all chaos.

 

We're mountain people, this is what we do, this is how we live.

[Nickel 76]

Έχεις πρότυπο σου τον Glen Plake ?

SiRLaPPaS δεν σε βλέπω καλά... σε λίγο θα θέλεις να αγοράσεις κανα K2 Seth.

 

Σκοτώθηκε με αυτό που αγαπούσε... Το ειχε υπολογίσει το ρίσκο και είχε πάρει την αποφαση του να ξυπνάει κάθε πρωί λες και είναι το τελευταίο του πρωινό. Δεν το έκανε για υλικά αγαθά , το έκανε γι'αυτον, γι'αυτο που ένιωθε ο Shane McConkey και για κανέναν άλλο.

RIP? xμμ... έζησε σε μια κόλαση αδρεναλίνης... μακάρι να συνεχίσει να νιωθει το ίδιο.