McConkey, 39, was ski-BASing for a new Matchstick Productions film when the accident occurred. He had trouble ejecting out of one of his skis when performing the ski-BASE stunt--ski off a cliff, eject from your skis using hand levers and pop open a parachute--which caused an uncontrollable spin he couldn't break out of. According to the Outside story and ESPN, it's not entirely clear as to how it happened, if the chute got wrapped around the ski, how the skis wouldn't eject and if airflow around the attached ski contributed to the spin. The Red Bull athlete has performed the stunt several times before--he's even photographed above ski-BASing outside the Silver Legacy hotel casino in Reno, Nev.--just this time something decided to go wrong.
Not that I didn't respect the stunts he performed on two skis before when watching my yearly round of ski movies, but I'll have an even greater appreciation for them next time I see him flying through the air. McConkey did things on skis that some of us can only dream of--or would rather put in the hands of the professional, especially since they make it look so fluid and effortless. And I can't think of anyone who didn't respect McConkey and what he did for extreme skiing. Photo grabbed from RenoTahoe at flickr. Posted by Kate
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