Op-Ed: Calling Bullsh!t 10/14/2013

“Avalanches are not glamorous. Getting caught in one does not make you cool. Most often, it just makes you cold and dead and then shatters the lives of all the people around you”.

The above quote is by Matt Hansen, from his recent article in Powder Magazine.com.

Click on the link below, watch the video, read his article...comment. He has a good point!

www.powdermag.com/avalanche-education/op-ed-calling-bullsht/

Good article. And yes I agree with the author. So much of what is shown in ski publications is over the edge, so to speak. In the video the skier is tumbling toward some rocks, which could have easily broke him. Air bags do seem to help though.

In the latest issue of backcountry, there is a an article on a skier getting caught in a slide, and then he is quoted as saying "we did everything right, I would do it again." The link to leave your comments on whether the skier did everything right, is broken.

I do think the industry needs to push avi awareness.

What I'd written about this elsewhere, with minor edits:

Quite a slide; glad the skier survived without major injury. Without the dramatic music, the video may have been more sobering.

Airbags, like training and knowledge, are tools. Some people will use them to be safer, some people will use them to push the boundaries of the possible. Parachutes save lives; skydiving, paratrooping, and BASE jumping sometimes take lives.

It might be better to differentiate traditional backcountry travel from truly risky skiing. Risk lies on a continuum, and some folks rightfully choose to explore beyond the sustainable.

It's most tragic when those who make that choice do so unknowingly; that's where education can make an impact.

In most cases education is good.  Ignorance is bad.  There is no doubt that more education is needed as more and more people enter the backcountry.  The question becomes who is responsible for providing said education.  ABS is a for profit company.  As such, it's primary goal is to make money.  While I applaud the work of socially conscious companies and do my best to support them, I think it's wrong to believe for profit companies owe the patrons they serve anything more than the product or service they provide. It's a bonus when companies give back, but should never be expected. 

Furthermore, it's easy to chide ABS for creating a sensational video that flies in the face of basic backcountry safety; however, this video may indeed sell more airbags and that, after all, is the primary reason for ABS's existence.  It's kind of like chiding my lab for recently chewing my puffy jacket.  The big bastard can't change the fact that he is a chewing machine whose primary reason for existence is to tear the piss out of stuff.  I think it's crazy to expect businesses to be socially conscious.  Much like it's crazy to think my yellow beast should stop chewing because it's the socially responsible thing to do.

Here's what I said elsewhere:

"The hypocrisy is prevalent from all parties in this one. Powder Mag is culpable in many ways and that is a different argument altogether. ABS, while being an excellent manufacturer, blew it on this opportunity in the way the segment is produced. I don't know the background intimately but putting something like this out isn't helping the movement to generate more education. It's only fueling the consumerism approach to surviving avalanches. I own an airbag because it's a technology that's available. Like beacons and dogs, they can and will again save lives so I'd like to put all the odds in my favor. However, I believe that the promotion of any of these tools without the accompanying plug for education and mentorship is negligent."

And furthermore my belief is that any animal that wants to survive in the world is responsible for finding it's own education. I don't think that responsibility rests with any manufacturer or retailer of goods. There are good organizations that provide the education. The owness is on people that want to put themselves in dangerous situations to seek it out. It could be as simple as flashing a logo or link at appropriate times during promo segments like this.

No one is forcing people to ski in the backcountry. The attitude here (North America) is vastly different than in the rest of the world. The education and mentorship is available, people need to take responsibility for their own actions.

Need something to trigger that slide. So I guess we can look forward to tow-in skiing?

Seems like you have more free time now. Don't you have any heli-ski companies to hassle?

Seems like you have more free time now.  Don't you have any heli-ski companies to hassle?

Steer clear of the bait freeskiguy

For what its worth, the new NWAC site will have a public observation tool that is mapped - quality of the observations will depend on the observer reporting it, so sharpen up your skills!

In Canada, the professional guide operations do report to the CAA, but its kept confidential and not available for the general public. The ski areas contribute to NWAC in a similar fashion.