A Vivid Avalanche Scene
January 16th, 2009Posted in Skiing Everywhere
Last night I watched the ski/snowboard film TEN online on the Vimeo site. It was an interesting film in a number of ways- good footage, insightful comments by the athletes and film maker about shooting ski films and some honesty about avalanche dangers. The later aspect closed the film with some incredible footage, shot from above from a helicopter, of a very scary avalanche developing around a skier and his lucky survival. Anyone traveling in avalanche country must see this footage! The film is only about a half hour long and the crucial avalanche scene is at its end.
A major factor in the skier’s survival was the ABS Avalanche Airbag he was wearing and which he had the presence of mind to deploy. Like an automotive airbag, the ABS system inflates to protect its wearer’s head and it also provides flotation to help the victim keep from getting buried by the avalanche. Last year I saw photos of another avalanche survivor whose head remained above the surface when the avalanche he was caught in came to a stop.
The more I see and read about the ABS airbag, the more impressed I become. A visit to its the website is time well spent.
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