RIP Shane McConkey

Rest in peace , my brother. You lived a short life, but was more full than 99% of most.

You brought humor, a sense of daring and a huge pair of cohones. No one can ever fault you for that. You were your own man, and stronger than most.

Much respect to your family!

RIP, much respect, + vibes to family and friends.

I've gotta agree with Lowel and Bill. I've been on both sides of this issue - my father was killed climbing when I was 12 and it was the toughest thing I've dealt with in life, but it didn't extinguish my own love for the sport. I found myself pushing the limits in my twenties and as a single guy didn't worry too much about the consequences. Now from the perspective of an old fart I feel very lucky to have survived many a close call. I always wrestled with the selfish aspects of extreme sports, and finally backed off when I got married.

I also wonder how many of the young modern hard-core skiers/jumpers have permanently injured themselves or will be unable to do much when they are 50? It is great to live life to the fullest, but living long can also be part of that (if you're lucky), and it would be a shame to ruin your body and have to spend the last 40 years sitting and watching your old videos.

Too much second guessing and speculation from too many on this subject IMO, here and in other forums.

He wasn't a dumb guy. His wife isn't dumb either. They made and their choices together, and they knew the possibilities. I've gotten this directly from someone who know him very well.

We all make our own choices based on our own circumstances. They owned their choices, and what they chose isn't anyone else's to judge. Some of the statements being made on the subject border on (if not are outright) self righteousness. When we're all perfect then we'll be in a position to make proclamations about what others do. In the meantime, let's work on our own choices and celebrate his life as one well-lived, and admittedly too short. His life was his, your life is yours. He lived it as he saw fit with the blessings of his wife, and we should all be so fortunate. Let him rest in peace.

I agree that he lived his own life and made his own choices, which is admirable and shouldn't be criticized.

I think one reason why people get a little chapped at the heroicizing of people who choose to live extremely risky lives is that inevitable they make others, like their children and parents, sign onto the potential pain associated with the risk, whether they are down with it or not.

No one gets out alive anyway, so risks in life are relative; we all take them.  But watch a movie like Steep.  Every one of the extreme athletes in that movie expresses a certain disdain for an "ordinary" life, always something like "sitting at a desk ... I couldn't because that's not really living."  And always the irrational and self-serving "you could die in a car accident or from a bee sting; I'd rather die skiing the gnar."

As a person who lives a happy, fulfilled, balanced, ordinary life -- a person who gets full pleasure out of a wide variety of more regular, safer activities -- this attitude bothers me because it is the same type of judgement extreme athletes and their acolytes don't like having turned on them.  I don't experience my life as some sort of gray void because I don't base-jump or drop 100 foot cliffs daily.  I don't feel like I'm some sort of drone-like sucker making compromises when I choose to avoid what are foreseeable extreme risks.

It's all about opportunity costs -- the added value of taking extreme risks, to me, isn't nearly worth the value of greater certainty (of course not total certainty) that I'll see my daughter grow up and that she'll not suffer the loss of her father.  It's not worth the risk that I'll be less likely to be around to have the pleasure of understanding new scientific theories or movements in philosophy.  It's not worth the risk that I'll never find out how those 2005 Bordeauxs in my basement turn out.  I'd really hate to never know if the apple tree I planted last year bears fruit, and so on.  My choices aren't ruled by fear but a different take on maximizing pleasure.

To extreme athletes the priorities are different, and that's okay.  To me their choices seem narrower and more selfish than mine, but I'm sure my choices looks that way in comparison to many others' too.  I'd just rather not hear it said or implied every time one of these dudes gives an interview that I'm living some sort of contemptable vanilla-douchebag-gaper-flatlander lifestyle.  Not everyone wants the same things, though these guys are constant told by their subculture (who are told by a marketing machine) that they are the ultimate in enviability.  McConkey seemed like a funnayand affable guy, but he was far from immune to these sorts of pronouncements.

He certainly was a great, great skier -- one of the few that as a lifelong snowboarder I can happily watch with total stoke in ski movies.  He made turns and rode lines the way I'd choose to if I had his physical skills and outlook on life, not that I wish I did.

I agree that he lived his own life and made his own choices, which is admirable and shouldn't be criticized.

I think one reason why people get a little chapped at the heroicizing of people who choose to live extremely risky lives is that inevitable they make others, like their children and parents, sign onto the potential pain associated with the risk whether they are down with it or not.

No one gets out alive anyway, so risks in life is relative; we all take them.  But watch a movie like Steep.  Every one of the extreme athletes in that movie expresses a certain disdain for an "ordinary" life, always something like "sitting at a desk ... I couldn't because that's not really living."  And always the irrational and self-serving "you could die in a car accident or from a bee sting; I'd rather die skiing the gnar."

As a person who lives a happy, fulfilled, balanced, ordinary life -- a person who gets full pleasure out of a wide variety of more regular, safer activities -- this attitude bothers me because it is the same type of judgement extreme athletes and their acolytes don't like having turned on them.  I don't experience my life as some sort of gray void because I don't base-jump or drop 100 foot cliffs daily.  I don't feel like I'm some sort of drone-like sucker making compromises when I choose to avoid what are foreseeable extreme risks.

It's all about opportunity costs -- the added value of taking extreme risks, to me, isn't nearly worth the value of greater certainty (of course not total certainty) that I'll see my daughter grow up and that she'll not suffer the loss of her father.  It's not worth the risk that I'll be less likely to be around to have the pleasure of understanding new scientific theories or movements in philosophy.  It's not worth the risk that I'll never find out how those 2005 Bordeauxs in my basement turn out.  I'd really hate to never know if the apple tree I planted last year bears fruit, and so on.  My choices aren't ruled by fear but a different take on maximizing pleasure.

To extreme athletes the priorities are different, and that's okay.  To me their choices seem narrower and more selfish than mine, but I'm sure my choices looks that way in comparison to many others' too.  I'd just rather not hear it said or implied every time one of these dudes gives an interview that I'm living some sort of contemptable vanilla-douchebag-gaper-flatlander lifestyle.  Not everyone wants the same things, though these guys are constant told by their subculture (who are told by a marketing machine) that they are the ultimate in enviability.  McConkey seemed like a funnayand affable guy, but he was far from immune to these sorts of pronouncements.

He certainly was a great, great skier -- one of the few that as a lifelong snowboarder I can happily watch with total stoke in ski movies.  He made turns and rode lines the way I'd choose to if I had his physical skills and outlook on life, not that I wish I did.

Possibly the best post I've seen here. Well done.