RIP: Jamie Pierre

[legalskier]

Good article in Skiing (which re-publishes their feature from six years ago). Here's part of the intro:

Remembering Jamie Pierre
*** Pierre, who filmed with TGR and Warren Miller, was best known for his balls-out approach to skiing. In 2006, he set the world record for the largest cliff drop when he sent a 255-foot cliff at Grand Targhee, Wyoming.
In 2005, Skiing executive editor Mike Kessler wrote a profile of Pierre, which looked at why he was motivated to keep going bigger—and how his history of partying, his family, and God played into that. The story, which made the Notable List in Best American Sports Writing 2006, is below. Pierre’s life had certainly changed in the six years since the story was published; he’d had two kids and moved to Montana. But now, when we’re all thinking a lot about Pierre’s place in the skiing world, it’s worth re-reading. ***
Link: http://www.skinet.com/skiing/articles/jamie-pierre-story?cmpid=enews111411

Old enough to be a parent yet young enough to still believe he was bullet proof. Very very sad. RIP, condolences to his family.

 

[Nick]

They had a video here

 

[kingdom-tele]

That makes about as much sense as skiing OB without avi training or gear.

Which in this case means it is probably true. There was a loose cannon aspect to Pierre's career that predestined this outcome. Dead man walking.

really profound insight. he was destined to die. a dead man walking. you, me, anyone else is different how?

pretty comfortable in your bubble, are you positive it will protect you?

it would be comical if it wasn't so horribly sad how people are so righteous with regards to another person's death

 

[AdironRider]

Look, if he just slipped an edge on a groomer and pinballed some trees, that would be sad.

But this guy continued to ski despite a thousand different warning signs that it wasnt a good idea to ski that day, including multiple previous avis on similar aspects.

That, plus his history of just hucking for jesus (and really its not that impressive to just hot tub a landing) for fame and fortune leads to the dead man walking description, and an apt one at that.

Noone is saying its a happy day today in the ski world, but Pierre was practically asking for this outcome. He wasnt killing it on the dew tour, wasnt picking up that many large video parts. His only gimic was he went bigger than anyone else. When thats your MO, you pay the consequences.

Sucks he now left a mother and two kids without a Dad becuase he decided to make bad decisions for his career.

 

[marcski]

Yes, they were near Barry, Barry Steep...like one or two chutes over. But FWIW some people call the whole area South Chutes.

I just got back from a drive up there to see what was going on. Snowmaking is underway on the usual suspects....Big Emma, Lowest Bassackwards...Chickadee...and the base of Peruvian. It is very bony out there. I could see up into the area where the accident took place and there are lots of exposed rocks. Alta had slightly more snow, but not much more. They are getting Collins ready to go. Word has it that Friday is the day for both areas. No spoiler for Snowbird I guess. I spoke with an employee who was getting Creekside ready.

The 18th has been Alta's projected opening for months.

 

[thetrailboss]

The 18th has been Alta's projected opening for months.

Right, but word had it that Snowbird was going to be a spoiler......that was what I was interested in confirming.

 

[kingdom-tele]

Look, if he just slipped an edge on a groomer and pinballed some trees, that would be sad.

But this guy continued to ski despite a thousand different warning signs that it wasnt a good idea to ski that day, including multiple previous avis on similar aspects.

That, plus his history of just hucking for jesus (and really its not that impressive to just hot tub a landing) for fame and fortune leads to the dead man walking description, and an apt one at that.

Noone is saying its a happy day today in the ski world, but Pierre was practically asking for this outcome. He wasnt killing it on the dew tour, wasnt picking up that many large video parts. His only gimic was he went bigger than anyone else. When thats your MO, you pay the consequences.

Sucks he now left a mother and two kids without a Dad becuase he decided to make bad decisions for his career.

must be nice to have such a black and white perspective, really saves the on the energy and time to develop empathy. god forbid someone live outside your comfort level, I can see how it would be a lot easier to dismiss their lives to justify your beliefs

 

[bigbog]

Man, that is NOT the place to be caught up in........

 

[marcski]

Right, but word had it that Snowbird was going to be a spoiler......that was what I was interested in confirming.

Ahhh, not much of a race up there. Alta pretty much always sticks to their projected opening and closing dates. They'll extend a weekend or so on the back end at most.

I hear there is a bustling legal scene at the top of LCC. . Go get'em.

 

[JimG.]

really profound insight. he was destined to die. a dead man walking. you, me, anyone else is different how?

pretty comfortable in your bubble, are you positive it will protect you?

it would be comical if it wasn't so horribly sad how people are so righteous with regards to another person's death

Who's being righteous?

If I had said that I knew he was going to die this way for the past 10 years and now I'm happy that my prediction came true I could see your anger.

That's not the case. And if he wanted to throw himself off 255 foot cliffs and land on his head and think he would never get hurt doing that, fine by me. Not so great for his family.

And I have no bubble...I'm painfully aware of my mortality. In Pierre's case what I said was obvious...he was going to keep doing his act until he killed himself. And he did.

 

[kingdom-tele]

Who's being righteous?

If I had said that I knew he was going to die this way for the past 10 years and now I'm happy that my prediction came true I could see your anger.

That's not the case. And if he wanted to throw himself off 255 foot cliffs and land on his head and think he would never get hurt doing that, fine by me. Not so great for his family.

And I have no bubble...I'm painfully aware of my mortality. In Pierre's case what I said was obvious...he was going to keep doing his act until he killed himself. And he did.

which act was that Jim, purposefully managing to send it off a cliff or purposefully getting swept over a cliff band in an avalanche

don't read my response as sounding angry, try disbelief or sadness as a tone when you read it, its your opinion, its just an interesting line to draw, believing your on the right side and "they" are on the wrong side, perception is a dangerous thing to rely on

its always incredible how everyone knows so much about how another person is affecting the lives of someone elses family, or the idea that death somehow erases their impact on the family's life

 

[deadheadskier]

I The pictures in the avi report are really telling.

definitely

setting off a slide like in the photo and then continuing to pursue steep terrain shows an incredible lack of judgment IMO. I'd rather live to ski another day.

 

[drjeff]

definitely

setting off a slide like in the photo and then continuing to pursue steep terrain shows an incredible lack of judgment IMO. I'd rather live to ski another day.

Who knows if its igornance (probably not in this situation, but you never know) or arrogance?? But either way stupidity played a big roll in this event. And the side that wants to glorify him for what he's done in the past and this "accident" (and one can easily argue the case that this really wasn't an accident) will be looked upon by many (likely with even less BC skills/training) not as a wake up call but as a call to get out and do what could very well be even more ignorant things that could very well take more lives needlessly and also put the lives of search and rescue crews in jeaprody.

Harsh words, maybe. But i'm sure that 10, 15, 20 years from now, when his family is at a family gathering, they'd much rather be pointing to a person than a picture when talking about him. And that simple concept seems to be lost upon far too many folks

 

[kingdom-tele]

Who knows if its igornance (probably not in this situation, but you never know) or arrogance?? But either way stupidity played a big roll in this event. And the side that wants to glorify him for what he's done in the past and this "accident" (and one can easily argue the case that this really wasn't an accident) will be looked upon by many (likely with even less BC skills/training) not as a wake up call but as a call to get out and do what could very well be even more ignorant things that could very well take more lives needlessly and also put the lives of search and rescue crews in jeaprody.

Harsh words, maybe. But i'm sure that 10, 15, 20 years from now, when his family is at a family gathering, they'd much rather be pointing to a person than a picture when talking about him. And that simple concept seems to be lost upon far too many folks

the idea that one person's decision should have any relevance to your own decision making is far more concerning than sifting through woulda, coulda, shoulda, conversations

berating the dead is useless, even more so than stating you would rather have your friend or loved one alive vs. gone

 

[deadheadskier]

I'm not sure Dr. Jeff is berating the dead as much as he is saying this should be a teachable moment such that others don't follow in Jaime's footsteps instead a moment to reflect on how "hardcore" of a skier he was.

 

[AdironRider]

I'm not sure Dr. Jeff is berating the dead as much as he is saying this should be a teachable moment such that others don't follow in Jaime's footsteps instead a moment to reflect on how "hardcore" of a skier he was.

Bingo.

 

[drjeff]

I'm not sure Dr. Jeff is berating the dead as much as he is saying this should be a teachable moment such that others don't follow in Jaime's footsteps instead a moment to reflect on how "hardcore" of a skier he was.

Exactly.

 

[thetrailboss]

definitely

setting off a slide like in the photo and then continuing to pursue steep terrain shows an incredible lack of judgment IMO. I'd rather live to ski another day.

IIRC the report indicated that Pierre and his friend "did not notice" this avalanche. It just keeps getting weirder.....

 

[kingdom-tele]

oh. so comments like "he had it coming", "stupidity", "arrogance", "he's going to kill himself" are all teachable terms. here i thought dying would have been lesson enough to seek your own education for those considering similar interests.

since you guys were there though I can see how being judgemental comes so easy

 

[BenedictGomez]

Is that photo of the supposed slide #1? (i.e. the one that is "suspected" they triggered, but the survivor claims he never heard?).