I think he is right about the media culture of ratings with little regard for human capital. I also think agree with the point that someone here made about personal responsibility. Unfortunately the competitive environment doesn't serve both, it was a very sad and tragic accident, although it appeared that it was his sled that inflicted the fatal blow and not the jump itself. They use artificial lighting for safety, removes the sun/shade effect and provides consistency, that has been one of the driving principles with snowboard halfpipe competition. I wish the industry would get more behind backcountry riding as I feel that it represents the best part of our sport. Very sad to see that happen.
Jorli 100% nails it here. Tragic event, but they knew what they were getting into when they signed up for it. My condolences go to the family of Caleb.
...BUT I will say this. I think the author of the BLOG does have a point, it was just written and construed a little funky. The event IS designed around marketing and funding. And it DOES create and platform for people to do things they normally wouldn't try or have the courage to do, big lights and sponsorships do this. I don't think the jumps are built with any sort of negligence but I do think the event is run with negligence. There should be NO event that doesn't require some sort of engine management kill switch. I feel just as bad for the young gentleman who got his leg crushed by Jacko's sled, as I do for the Moore family. Both Tragic events. That shows the negligence in it's entirety right there. What sport has no protection for spectators? And the excuse that they can't do tricks with tethers is ridiculous. There are options out there. Look at freestyle monster trucks or anything else that involves a motorized vehicle that can take off on its own. They all have safety precautions, and motor shutoff requirements. Not a thin mesh fence... They are not required to wear tethers because they would not be able to perform certain tricks, thats why in that event it is not required, to let them be able to go all out and create the biggest audience for ESPN. So rather than mandate some sort of alternative to a tether, they let it ride and hope for the best. Negligence.
The other issue I do not like, and see becoming more and more relevant in XGames, is kids who just have courage and skill, but not a love for the sport. And this goes beyond just our sport. You should not be allowed to galavant around and just decide to try a sport to get some notoriety, or an X Games gold medal, or TV credentials for the hell of it. This means riding a sled for a month before X, then competing, then dropping it until the following year. If you don't ride and do the sport as a profession, or semi profession you should not be allowed to compete in that event. IMHO.
This is a quote I found, shows exactly why athletes are getting injured in our sport. Because they don't understand the sport in entirety, they do it for the fame. Strong said in an interview on his sponsor's website that he got the idea to take "The Jack" from motocross to snocross when "I was drinking one night and thought of this awesome idea. ... I also just really wanted to go to Aspen. Did a few mental practice runs in my mind, said it's possible and went for it." -
Awesome. Well planned. Like I said, condolences to the Moore family and friends, this truly is a humbling happening in our industry. But we need look at some of the actions that are being taken in our sport, both on the personal level and on a bigger scale.
