Whistler snowboarder survives avalanche helmet cam

Wow!  What amazing evidence for the efficacy of an airbag!  How sobering!
Is it correct to assume that is an arcteryx system I wonder?

www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/british-colu...e-backpack-1.3932757

BD is claiming it's theirs: www.facebook.com/blackdiamondequipment/posts/10154787342716605

He picked up speed shockingly quickly. Very lucky that those trees weren't a few feet to the right in the fall line

Of course the risks can be mitigated.
However, as I have seen even very experienced people get caught up in accidents.
I recently had a fellow tell me that he never digs a pit anymore. He says he can get just as much information from a ski cut.
This guy is no joke. He can do it all.   He's an amazing guy at 77 years old and still killing it.
What do you make of a comment like that?

I don't make much of comments like that. They don't say anything at all about the guys decision making process regarding when and where he'll go skiing, which is what determines the outcome. It is not his confidence alone which keeps him alive and getting after it.

ultimately then, what should I  base my  confidence on?  Education? Experience? Luck…??
All three?
No matter what  some days it feels like a crapshoot to me.
It's going to start dumping snow in a day or two as well so…enjoy. Keep your head on a swivel 

Days that feel like a crapshoot might be just that. If we play at all close to the edge, we all have days of false confidence, as there is always the possibility we don't understand everything we need to about the weather and the snow under or above us. If trip reports are any indication, many people play in conditions which are close enough to the edge that they might one day have an unexpected accident. Statistics support that observation.

There is always something new to learn, the trick as I see it is to play far enough from the edge that learning experiences are not life threatening.

Wife ordered me an airbag for Xmas, hasn't arrived at the shop yet. I don't think I need it, the same way I don't think I need my avalung or my helmet or my whistle or my emergency blanket. But they make my wife feel better and the truth is that even if I am fairly conservative in my choices of when and where to ski, any one of the things above could save me from death or injury if I have a bad day. Or could help me help someone else.

My next safety step is skiing with a partner more often, probably the smartest thing I could do for myself and my family.

Of course the risks can be mitigated.
However, as I have seen even very experienced people get caught up in accidents.
I recently had a fellow tell me that he never digs a pit anymore. He says he can get just as much information from a ski cut.
This guy is no joke. He can do it all.   He's an amazing guy at 77 years old and still killing it.
What do you make of a comment like that?

ultimately then, what should I  base my  confidence on?  Education? Experience? Luck…??
All three?
No matter what  some days it feels like a crapshoot to me.
It's going to start dumping snow in a day or two as well so…enjoy. Keep your head on a swivel 

For me, confidence comes from knowledge (terrain, snow pack, safety gear, etc), competent partners, gut feel, experience, and always remembering what's at stake. 

Now I digress:  I recently got a forearm tattoo sleeve that is primarily winter/backcountry based, but I had the artist put in a giant compass rose right in the middle that has my family members first initial as opposed to the traditional compass points.  I was recently in a situation where it was getting dark and very cold.  I was faced with making one more run of blower pow (some of the best conditions I have skied in the past 10 years)  and coming out well after dark or foregoing the run and heading back to the car with some cushion time.  I headed to the car after thinking about the tattoo and input from an entirely competent partner.

One more rambling point...A very wise and experienced kayaker once said to me, "It's very hard to drown while sitting on the shore around the fire."  That might be the best bit of outdoor advice I have ever received.