Lost skier around JHMR

[targetfiction]

Condolences to the family and friends of Zephyr. RIP, Dude. You left your mark on the skiing community with your book and mine should be in the mail shortly.

[drdevon]

This is a real shame to read. RIP.

[montanaskier]

just out of the wilderness and saw this....+++vibes+++

[Edgnar]

Prior post was fucking weak sauce, so I recomposed.

An explanation for the earlier comment, should you have seen it: every day I see in the news--EVERY day, unfailingly--an instance where some asshole gets away with somebody else's money, somebody else's life. I see that, and then I come on TGR and read about an 18 year old kid, a college student with goals, with motivation, and with more than one talent, losing his life to one of the things he loved most.

It's knee-jerk reaction, I think, to spin comfort from the "they went out doing what they loved" bullshit. And I hear it all the time--even a friend of Zephyr's on NS said "if there was anyway he wanted to go, it'd be on his skis." I say it too, but upon reexamination, it's such a terrible thing. My sole source of comfort in Zephyr's case, is not that he died doing what he loved--it's that he lived doing what he loved. I see a lot of my chic, urbanite friends posting on Facebook "live life to the fullest." That's all bullshit, folks, unless you pinch the throttle and pull the stick back. Writing music and a book by 18? Traveling in Freshman year of college to ski Jackson? That is fucking awesome.

Every time one of these threads pops up, about somebody missing--and it has been dolefully frequent this year, it seems--I am plunged into a sense of dread that does not subside until they are found. Every single god damn time, I walk around hoping to god or whoever that they're nothing more than lost and maybe a little cold.

It is difficult, having not known Zephyr and many of the other skiers lost, to say anything other than "RIP" or "vibes," but I want to say more. Typically all I see are the procedural descriptions of their passing, but there's a lifetime of experience behind that newsroom curtain that I don't ever see. It's like reading the last page of a book. I wish I could have known him, skied with him, shared some stoke. More, at least, than reading this fucking thread.

I once saw a piece of artwork on a forum that stated something along the lines of "happiness is a pause between periods of suffering." As much as I don't want to believe that, the loss of Zephyr in addition to others prior this year seem to chop up the stoke emanating from the good stuff, the TRs and exaltation that Zephyr got, that we get from skiing. You and I, I am aware, admittedly go solo at times, or ski without helmets a lot, or without much gear--and while it may be that none of those were contributing factors to Zephyrs' passing, or even most skiing related incidents--please be careful. I want more TRs. I fucking hate these threads.

Also, I'm buying the book and adding the song I found on youtube to my ski playlist.

RIP in peace buddy



Really sorry to hear that. Fucking sucks. I'm sorry I can't do anything for him, except to keep skiing.

Edit: Grammar

This is well said and deserves to be on page 3 too.

[Slaag Master]

rip - peace to all

[Imz]

man, that blows... looks like he was a pretty motivated, creative kid.

[skifishbum]

Vibes to his fam/friends sucks when the snowsports world loses a talented young bro. I tend to take these kind of tragic events as a reminder to never take a great day in the mountains for granted.

[stuckathuntermtn]

This sucks. RIP. It's scary. This, or any of the recent deaths could just as easily have been me upside down in a tree well or head first into a tree. It's scary. I ski solo most of the time, and no one would even notice I was gone for quite a while. Nature is an unforgiving mother.

[Barnboards]

It's sad for an 18 year old with so going for him, and so much life ahead. My condolences to his family and friends.

[paj]

Terrible news, Its horrible coming in from skiing to this kind of situation. He was having the time of his life and then this happened, Its interesting how quickly things can turn from one second getting faceshots and doing tram laps, then a split second later "oh shi...." I feel like I can relate with Zephyr to an extent- I'm 20, made the move this past December to live at Alta just to be able to ski everyday. Thats all I want, to ski everyday. So many things can happen in the mountains that either hurt or kill us, I feel like this story could be replaced with my name or others that I ride with had a few things happened differently...RIP

[cliffhucker]

rip, lots of good things said here, ++ vibes to the family.....

lesson learned the hard way...


EDIT: inappropriate

[SkiJunky05]

Sad stuff, seemed like a guy that I would want to have as a friend. RIP

[Smails]

Awful. Looks like he was a creative and passionate young skier.

http://www.blurb.com/books/1540653

RIP Zephyr.

Thank for posting that. Growing up in the same area I have always been interested in the defunct mountains. That was an awesome piece he put together. RIP

[Ski to Be]

These stories leave a lump in my throat. When someone is in their prime and or in this case only tapped their potential it is devastating. I have lost someone like that and to his friends and family words are like small buckets of water in a Grand Canyon of despair. I offer my condolences but only time will soften the wounds of those who loved him. Hopefully he was having a great run and caught an edge and was knocked out instantly and never felt a thing. The real suffering is for those left behind. RIP

[Eastside]

Why do I feel this kid lived his life and was as his name suggests.

RIP

[coltrain]

...RIP...

[Micol]

RIP vibes to friends and family

[axebiker]

Sad. RIP.

[macdadmorgan]

I didn't know him personally, but know plenty of the people who were influenced, and touched by him in some way or another. Very sad to loose such a talent. My condolences go out to the family, friends, and former teachers who loved him dearly.

[bergertime]

yah what macdad said....
R.I.P KID!!!!

[SkiFaxon]

Well said Kevok. Terrible tragedy. I feel for his parents. Condolences...

[WICS]

shame, sad

Much vibes, thoughts and prayers to fams and friends

[maloneSTAR]

Tragic event, this has made me reevaluate my own skiing activities and habits. My thoughts go out to his friends and family, RIP.

[alwayslost]

Skied by the site where he was found again today just like I do everyday at work. I never new the kid, wasn't involved in the search or anything, but it's spooky to ski past that spot and know a couple days ago I was going about the day in a usual fashion and there was a kid right there just out of eyesight in a tree well dying or dead. Sad.

RIP Rapinchuk. Seem like someone I would have liked to have known.

[sar13]

Very unhappy this incident ended the way it did but glad I started this thread and great to see the way the Maggots rally around one of "our own" (because he loved the sport).

Just bought the book. Can't wait to see it and I hope the increased sales this week helps the family in some small way to see how many people Zephyr touched.