Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts

Video: 40 Seconds of Pure Wingsuit Terror

If you're looking for a shot of adrenaline to get you going this morning than check out this video. It features a wingsuit pilot by the name of Scotty Bob who threads the needle of a Utah canyon without missing a beat. The video is only 40 seconds in length but it captures some of the best wing suit footage I've seen in awhile.

Video: The Redbull Rampage From Start To Finish

Last week I shared a video from the Red Bull Rampage that was shot entirely from the helmet cam of one of the competitors. That was an impressive display, although from a dizzying perspective. Today we have a more traditional view of this very cool event. The skill that these riders have is nothing short of impressive and it is fun to watch them go through this difficult down hill mountain biking course.

Controversy At Outward Bound!

Ok, yes, I know, I said I was out of town and wouldn't be updating, but I had some time this afternoon, and decided ten bucks for Internet access in my hotel room was probably worth for me to get back in touch with the world.

I found this article over at National Geographic Adventure to be very interesting and sad at the same time. It tells the tale of Elisa Santry, a 16 year-old girl from Boston who was a member of the Outward Bound Program. She was participating in a 22 day hike across southern Utah when she went missing. After searching for her for hours, the guides and other members of her team found her dead on the trail, her pack still on her back.

Elisa's death opens a lot of questions about the 46 year old program that is amongst the best known youth wilderness training programs in the United States. But how did one of these young people get left behind on the trail? How come no one noticed until they stopped to make camp? And how did she get into a position where her life was threatened while hiking? Were there signs of her struggling on the trail? If so, why were they ignored?

The article notes that this isn't the first death in the Outward Bound Program. In fact there have been 24 fatalities in it's history, despite claims that safety is the number one concern. Of course, this has put the spotlight clearly on the leadership of the organization, and their policies for taking care of the young men and women in their care.

I don't know about you, but for a program that has been around for 46 years, 24 deaths seems like a lot! That's more than 1 every two years over the course of the life of the program, although it should be noted that this is the first death in ten years. Lets hope that some changes are made and good judgement prevails here, but those questions remain, and someone needs to answer them.

Thanks for the tip on this one Ryan!

Video: GoPro Captures Riders Acrobatics At The Red Bull Rampage

The Red Bull Rampage is always a cool event with downhill mountain bikers showing off their skills on a tough course in Utah. This year, second place rider Kelly McGarry was wearing a GoPro camera for his final run, which gives us a dizzying look at what it is like to ride this course. Along the way, McGarry also manages to pull of a couple of impressive backflips which definitely wowed the crowd. Watching this video definitely reaffirms my decision to leave this kind of riding to the professionals.