A few days ago, I was looking over some more BASE jumping videos, and found the above video by chance. Within the first 30 seconds, I was left speechless with goose bumps across my body. While combining Backcountry Skiing with BASE jumping may seem like a natural step in progression, Shane McConkey was the one crazy enough to push forward. When I showed the video to my girlfriend, she said he must not value his life (she’s probably the polar opposite of a thrillseeker). I simply laughed. Shane said it best in the video:
“I have had 6 season ending injuries in the past 10 years, and people always ask me: is it worth it, getting hurt that much. And the answer is yes. I would do it all over again, I would have 6 more season ending injuries in the next 10 years in order to do what we get to do. There’s nothing better than flying down the snow, flying through the air.”
Shane McConkey blitzing downhill
Shane never compromised in life, and skiing was his life.
“There’s something really cool about getting scared. I don’t know what it is.”
To most, that may sound like a person who has a slight suicidal tendency. But looking from another perspective, just like Jeb Corliss, he has already accepted the fact that he may one day die from skiing. To come to grip with the fear of death allowed him to embrace his life. To live your life on your own terms, isn’t that something we should all do?
Click Here to see Shane McConkey’s photo gallery, provided by Freeskier Magazine.
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