JP Auclair – Please Don’t Be True

Sad news today is crushing through the interManets about how JP Auclair and Andreas Fransson are reported missing and presumed dead in an avalanche that swept 700 meters on the face of Monte San Lorenzo which is located deep in Patagonia on the Chilean and Argentine boarder.

When I first heard about this I had to check JP Auclair’s last post and location check in via Instagram… and can only say I hope this isn’t true.

JP Auclair Posted 4 days ago on September 26th, 2014

“road trip down south with a great crew. back at it with @andreasfransson99 @bjarnesalen and @danielronnback for #apogeeskiing and ver much looking forward to the days ahead.”

JP Auclair Final Instagram Post from Patagonia

Looking a bit deeper into the goals for this trip it sounds like JP Auclair, Andreas Fransson, Sweden videographer Bjarne Salen and photographer Daniel Ronnback were starting up a new web series called Apogee Skiing that was slated to start dropping episodes this fall. It sounds like Auclair and Fransson were climbing a couloir nearing the peak of the 12,159 foot tall glacier when something moved above them. The length of the slide is estimated at over 700 meters and carried all the way to the glacier below. Salen and Ronnback were unaffected as they were shooting from another peak.

You can tell the level of excitement everyone had from their final posts before the trip. Winter was definitely in the air.

JP Auclair Posed 6 days ago on September 24th, 2014

“..that smell..
last bit of preparation before heading south with @andreasfransson99 @bjarnesalen and @danielronnback. #winteriscoming”

JP Auclair's Second to Last Post :(

Andreas Fransson’s final post on September 26th, 2014

“Our Patagonia adventure just started! I’m so looking forward hanging out with @auclairjp @bjarnesalen @danielronnback (photo credit) for two weeks in the wild! You will probably not hear much from us in a while, but it’s worth keeping your eyes open for #apogeeskiing project which is a collaboration between JP and myself with first webisode dropping later this autumn!

Andreas Fransson Final Instagram Post

Photographer Daniel Ronnbacks Instagram post leading up to the trip posted on September 24th, 2014.

“I really dont know what to expect from my 18 days ahead of me. Last time i was out with @andreasfransson99 @bjarnesalen and @auclairjp this was one of our runs. Time will tell! #chile @fstopgear @armadaskis @oakley @dynafitna @douchebags”

Daniel Ronnback's Post Leading to their Patagonia trip with JP Auclair + Andreas Fransson

I am super saddened by this news and can only hope early reports are not correct. Unfortunately I don’t believe this to be the case and the skiing community and I have lost another great friend :(. To Andreas Fransson, I can only hope someone can write about the final days of your life as well as you recapped the tragic death of your friend Magnus Kastengren from his fatal fall last November. Your writing is shockingly brilliant and you paid amazing tribute to the joyous last days of Magnus Kastengren. I wish I could have known your for this writing alone and could only imagine what you were about to write with my good friend JP.

To JP Auclair, I am so deeply sorry and know you were in your happy place creating amazing things when this occurred. From the days I met you resting your back and laying on the kitchen floor of Joel McCormick’s and my college hangout, to when I met Bo Bridges while picking you up from my garage to adventure you to Vail. I’ve done amazing things with Bo since then and I’ve done amazing things with you since the tragic passing of Joel. Edit parties, beach olympics and all night creative sessions, chatting and creating, chatting and creating… from across the world. Keeping in touch with you has meant a lot to me and you were one of the key initiatives into us moving forward with an idea that would spark the entire world of old school skiing with new school skiing. You were the only pro skier I confided with about the possibility of integrating Warren Miller into Level 1 Productions 10th film mixing the oldest audience in skiing with the youngest. The idea was a little crazy, and I wanted your honest opinion on whether or not you thought the ski industry could handle something so out of the box. Your response was so positive that we continued with the project of Josh Berman’s 10th film – Refresh integrated with Warren Miller. I wish you could have been at the premier on September 11th, 2009 at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. Greg Stump was there, we partied hard and when Warren Miller’s voice kicked in during the intro sequence, the crowd erupted in awesomeness. We created something unique and even though you probably didn’t think you were a part of this, you were. Just the same as you and John Decesare coming to Joel McCormick’s celebration and service back in 2003 – your presence was a major part of his service and I don’t think you ever realized how much of a positive impression you made on his family just by you attending. I don’t think people realize how much you actually created in this world or how artistic you were without skis on. The intro sequences to Session 1242 and Ready Fire Aim paying tribute to Joel McCormick were simply genius… along with everything else you put your hands on. I don’t know how to take this news of your loss, just like many others and I’m so terribly sorry and sad about this unforeseen accident that has occurred to you and your friends. My feelings are difficult to describe. May you rest in peace and realize your Alpine Initiatives of inspiring, connecting and growing is exactly how you lived your life. I will forever miss you… say hello to Joel.

Greg Hydle + JP Auclair

February 1st, 2014 – Greg Hydle + JP Auclair at Freeskiers SIA Sarah Burke Fundraiser

[BioBioChile.cl – Spanish]
[Early Ups – Translated]
[Snowheads Forum]
[Newschoolers]
[Powder Magazine]
[Adventure Journal]
[ESPN X Games]
[The Globe and Mail]
[Backcountry Magazine]
[Outside Magazine]
[Freeskier Magazine Tribute]
[Freeskier – Celebrating the lives of JP and Andreas]
[Skiing Magazine]
[Powder – Confirmed Update]

Speed Riding Mont Blanc

[VimeeeeeO] <— 1,500,000 Wow - This is hypnotizing. Having recently visited the Chamonix valley in Europe and getting to whitness Mont Blanc up close and personal… and now with this single genius camera shot, Speed Riding Mont Blanc doesn't seem that far fetched :)

Wingsuit Proximity Racing Video


[YouTubeUlar] <— 301+ I'm fucking crazy... watch my video - Mathias Wyss I'm fucking more crazy... let me film your video - Ludovic Woerth Actually, I think wingsuit controlled falling from the sky flying looks really super fun. I didn't look deep enough to figure out what The Formula White Line is referencing, but who cares... watch this crazy wingsuit video again. And don't forget this crazy ass too - Alexander Polli sticking it to the wingsuit hole.

Nutty.

[Mathias Wyss – YouTube] <— 213 Subscribers [Music: MitiS – Born] <— 30,286 [Music: MitiS – Facebook] <— 56,400

Candide Thovex – One Of Those Crazy Days


[YouTubeUlar] <— 301+ A - I didn't know Candid Thovex was skiing on Faction Skis. B - The compilation here is a little ridiculous. C - Crazy + Skiing + Humor all in one. [Candide Thovex – Facebook] <— 31,350

Boston Bombings Hero – Carlos Arredondo

Carlos Arredondo Boston Bombings Hero

Carlos Arredondo is a Trill Boston Hero for helping save Jeff Bauman following the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15th, 2013.

“The man in the cowboy hat in this photo’s name is Carlos Arredondo. Carlos was at the Boston Marathon with his wife handing out American flags to runners. He lost a son to a sniper bullet in Iraq in 2004 and a second son to suicide a few years later – a depression triggered by the death of his brother. Carlos now spends a significant amount of his time on peace activism and working with vets coming home from war and was at the Marathon to hand out flags and inspire people.

Carlos does not having any medical training but when the blast went off, he ran towards the danger, jumped two fences and found the now-famous man in the wheelchair on the ground, both his legs blown off, and suffering from severe shock and critical wounds. He got him into a wheelchair and pinched the man’s artery closed with two of his fingers (you can see him doing so in the photo). Because of Carlos, this man is alive today, having had surgery earlier today to remove both of his legs.

This man is a hero and deserves recognition. This man who lost so much still threw himself into the frenzy of panic and saved another guy’s life. That’s Trill.”

[Carlos Arredondo – The Washington Post]
[Trill – UrbanDictionary]

Alexander Polli – Crazy Wingsuit Mind BLOWing Flight


[YouTubeUlar] <— 301 What goes through your head to try and accomplish this? My mind is blown with this unbelievable wingsuit cave flight by Alexander Polli. I Love Awesomeness, but this is an entirely new level of crazy accomplishments beyond a scale of awesome. This is crazy.

“Winguit / BASE-jump athlete Alexander Polli does the never before done—a tactical flight through a narrow cave on a rugged mountainside. The flight starts with a jump from a hovering helicopter, Alexander reaches speeds of 250 km/h (155 mph) while following a precise trajectory leading to the cave opening, he then fully commits and flies directly through the narrow opening of the “Batman Cave!”
Shot in full HD, this extraordinary flight exceeds the level of commitment most fliers would ever consider—there can be no attempting, the only option is success!
The narrow cave, no wider than Alexander is tall, is located in Roca Foradada Mountains in Montserrat, Spain—a location that has inspired this professional Italian Norwegian athlete’s flying dream his whole life. Alexander hopes his success will inspire others not only to ‘climb over their mountains,’ but to also fly right through them!”

Whatever Morals Arrivederci is…?? They just launched in a crazy way.

[Morals Arrivederci – Facebook] <— 86 likes [Alexander Polli – Facebook] <— 17,622

Mat “Condor” Hoffman – Toughest Guy in Sports

Mat Hoffman - Toughest Guy In Sports

ESPN claims Mat Hoffman as the toughest guy in sports. After reading this intriguing article about the history of this legend… I would have to agree.

“I was flipping and tumbling through the sky, holding on as tight as I could. I felt like someone had put me in the dryer and turned it on high. At 8,000 feet I threw my bike and stopped spinning. My chute opened at around 6,000 feet and I started looking for my target. Flying above the desert, the ground below looks like Mars; nothing but cracked earth. I saw what I thought was our van and started flying toward it. I went about three miles before I realized I was headed toward an abandoned house. I dropped into the backyard and noticed a kid sitting by a fire, roasting marshmallows. In the desert. In 100° heat. He saw me, pulled his stick out of the fire, reached it toward me and said, “Would you like a marshmallow?”

Hoffman shares even better stories about his childhood growing up and how his parents never limited or stopped him and his brother Travis from accomplishing danger. I was very entertained by this write up from Alyssa Roenigk from ESPN The Magazine.

[Read Full]

John Spriggs – Corbet’s Couloir Backflip


[YouTubeUlar] <— 74,524 Apparently this session with John Spriggs backflipping into Jackson Hole's infamous Corbet's Couloir took place last year - but none the less it is still impressive and probably will be for the rest of my life. Teton Gravity Research (TGR) was actually conducting a ski shoot for their upcoming film The Dream Factory and they had this shot into Corbet's covered by 10 different camera angles - but it was this RAW shot by Erin Lunsford who just happened to be at the right spot at the right time to intrigue me to look up this epic morning of shooting for TGRs Dream Factory. Now I want to see the movie. The Dream Factory- Teton Gravity Research

Straight from TGRs Behind the Scenes at Corbet’s video

“In March of 2012, Teton Gravity Research filmed a segment for The Dream Factory on the most challenging in-bounds run in the United States — the infamous Corbet’s Couloir at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. On a bluebird day, the TGR crew put together what may be the heaviest session to have ever gone down on this run riddled with history. John Spriggs kicks off the session with a giant back flip, Griffin Post sends the West Wall, 13-year-old Daniel Tisi airs it bigger than most grown men ever have, Matt Phillipi spins a giant 360, Max Hammer throws a huge switch 180 and local Jeff Ledger does his signature front flip. There’s no doubt about it, this session was “all-time.”

[Teton Gravity Research – Behind the Scenes at Corbet’s Couloir] <— 64,085 John Spriggs is a local kid (younger then me) who I have spent some time with in the past. I actually sold my old Sony FX1 camera to him a couple years back for him to shoot his ridiculous skiing antics. It's good to see Spriggs continuing his skiing career to new levels. The Dream Factory- Teton Gravity Research

New Lines by Jokke Sommer


[YouTubeUlar] <— 213,614 This video will hit most inboxes within the week... good to see that Jokke Sommer is somehow active after Jeb Corliss grounded himself [2,176,844] earlier in the year.

Watching these two compete back and forth on the internets is like watching a fight to the death. It’s absolutely mind blowing the adrenalin rush one would receive from accomplishing some of these lines – let alone watching someone else do it.

GoProYourself

Video of the Day – Freediving

[iPhone Link]

Genius and scary. I don’t even know what it’s for or if this is completely real, but I intend to find out.

1. Dean’s Blue Hole – this is no joke.
2. Guillaume Nery is no joke either – but considering the deepest any freediver has ever gone in the blue hole is 120 metres (394 ft) – just last month – I do not believe Guillaume actually made it to the bottom. Still, this is ridiculously insane and opens up an entire new world to a sport I knew existed, but had no idea s to what capacity it was being taken.

Excellent work goes out to Bluenery Productions with a quick 1 month turn around on this project.