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| 24hr Snow | 0 cm | 7 Day Snow | 44 cm | Snowbase | 230 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Temp | -5 °C | Valley Temp | +4 °C | Conditions | Unknown |
I just read that Shane McConkey, a Vancouver born extreme skier has died while filming in Italy. Shane McConkey has appeared in many ski movies / photos and was the guy who BASE jumped off the Peak 2 Peak gondola this season for its official opening. Shane had become known as the guy who skies off big cliffs with a parachute, and every year people have been waiting to see what he did next. The accident occurred while BASE jumping for a segment in MSP’s (Matchstick Productions) new movie.
Apparently he was shooting a segment where he skies off a cliff, then glides away in a ‘wing suit’. He used specialized skis which were designed to release once he was in the air but it sounds like one of the skis didn’t release. This caused him to lose control of his descent, and he was unable to recover.
Shane was the son of Canadian Ski Hall of Fame inductee James ‘Jim’ McConkey, a Whistler legend who was a big part of building Whistler ‘back in the day’. There is a ski run in Harmony zone named after him and I believe there are also other runs/lines in other resorts named in his honor.
My condolences to his family and friends, some of whom call Whistler home. It is a horrible loss for the skiing community.
Here is a video of Shane
Jim McConkey was a legend at Alta, when I worked there in the ’60′s. Shane has eclipsed his dad, but both are legends!
Many a tear has to fall, but without risk, there can be no adventure.
So long Shane.
Did you see the HUGE “RIP Shane” in the snow at the bottom of Sun Bowl/basin of Symphony. on Sunday? Someone must have stamped it out in the snow. Made you pause and thing. RIP.