Snowboarding

It’s been all over social media, but we’re glad to see Brock Crouch smiling from the pages of the Vancouver Sun. Especially after what he went through when a cornice broke out from under him on April 22, 2018 while he was filming with Absinthe Films in the backcountry near Whister.

“I was standing at the top of a ridge with Cam (Fitzpatrick, a fellow snowboarder) when the cornice broke under me and pulled me backwards into a slide,” he wrote. “It took me through about 1,000 feet and over several rock bands before I ended up at the bottom, buried with no oxygen for almost five minutes. . . I tore my pancreas, knocked out five teeth, got a ‘periorbital hematoma’ (basically closed up my right eye) and fractured my L2, L3 and my T12 vertebrae,” Crouch said. . . Initially, I didn’t know what to expect because we didn’t know how serious my spine and pancreas injuries were. Last night, we got some final results from the doctors and somehow by the grace of God I don’t need any surgery and I get to leave here in the next few days since there was no spine or nerve damage.”

Thanks to the quick work of their heli pilot and John Jackson leading the diggers the crew able to dig Crouch out and get him to the hospital in time. And we’re all thankful for that. Heal up fast, Brock.

[Link: Vancouver Sun & New York Times]

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It was as everyone expected at Burton’s 36th Annual US Open of Snowboarding in Vail, Colorado March 5-10, 2018. Mark McMorris and Jamie Anderson took the slopestyle event (the women’s final was cancelled due to high winds) and Ayumu Hirtano (pictured above) and Chloe Kim won the halfpipe. Dean Ween and some other bands played and that was that. For the more descriptive official word from Burton (along with more results) please follow the jump.
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We began tracking the storm a week and a half out and new it was going to hit perfectly for a weekend of powder blasting. By Thursday night, March 1, 2018 the snow was piling in. On Friday afternoon some California resorts were reporting up to eight feet of fresh snow. It was set up to be a big weekend, but by the time it was over it was one of the deadliest weekends the West has ever seen. Here’s how it unfolded.

Thursday March 1, 2018

Wenyu Zhang, 42, of Rocklin, California was snowboarding at Squaw Valley when the mountain was hit by wind gusts up to 146 miles an hour. Later in the night his friends reported him missing. Because of the storm a search for him is called off on Thursday. Zhang’s body is not found until Friday morning. (NY Post)

Friday March 2, 2018 

Blake Smith, 36, a season pass holder at California’s China Peak resort, was snowboarding when he reportedly “fell head-first into about 5 feet of fresh snow,” according to the Fresno Bee. He was unable to dig himself out and suffocated.

Alfonso Braun, 24, of Bend, Oregon was found “buried in the snow” around noon at Mt. Bachelor by other snowboarders and skiers. They dug him out but ski patrol was unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 1:15 PM. Two hours later a 19 year old skier from Eugene, Oregon, Nicole Panet-Raymond, was reported missing. Her body was found by search crews in a tree well at 8:30 PM. (KTVZ)

On Friday afternoon, Evan and Kahlynn Huck (along with three other people) were caught up in an avalanche that swept near the Olympic Lady chairlift at Squaw Valley Resort. Kahlynn was able to free herself, but her husband Evan was buried for close to six minutes before nearby skiers and snowboarders were able to dig him out. He had passed out and was turning blue but came to after being rescued. Click the link to watch the rescue. (SF Gate)

Saturday, March 3, 2018

At 10:15 while ski patrol was doing avalanche control at the top of Mammoth Mountain a slide ripped down the Climax run, down Upper Dry Creek and blasted past the bottom of the High Five Express lift. Eight people (six Mammoth Mountain employees and two guests) were partially buried, but all of them were able to free themselves and no one was injured.  (LA Times)

For video of the Mammoth avalanche’s powder cloud blowing past the bottom of the High Five Express, click here. (CBS LA)

Sunday, March 4, 2018

A mother and son (Olga Perkovic, 50, and Aaron Goodstein, 7) who were skiing back to their slope-side condominium at Kirkwood Ski Resort died when snow slid off the roof of a building and buried them sometime after 4 PM. They were found 9 PM after after a neighbor noticed gloves in the snow. (Reno Gazette)

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