At this point, you’ve probably heard of professional skier Nick McNutt’s burial in an avalanche accident while filming with TGR in 2019. After a successful morning of skiing big lines alongside Christina Lustenberger, Sam Smoothy and Ian McIntosh, McNutt decided to head up for a few minigolf laps on some tasty-looking pillow stacks above where the crew’s sleds were parked. Midway down his second line, he dislodged a large pillow that broke into pieces and cascaded straight down his line. McNutt had already committed to the exit, and was hit full-force by the mass of moving snow, which dragged him through some trees and buried him deep on the flat lake surface below. The tree impact turned off his beacon, but after the crew immediately started a search effort and realized his beacon was not transmitting, cinematographer Ben Dann found McNutt with a lucky probe strike.
Accidents like these are always terrifying, but can prove to be valuable learning experiences. After two years apart, Ben and Nick reunited for a mellow tour on Teton Pass prior to TGR’s annual International Pro Rider Workshop safety session. The two debriefed the 2019 event, chatting about lessons learned and sharing intimate details of what happened during the rescue. Listen in as part of our ongoing Safety Week 2022 coverage, brought to you by Atomic Skis.