Snowmobiler Caleb Moore dies after X Games crash

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ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 1, 2013 - 06:42pm PT
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/31/us/x-games-moore-death
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 07:16pm PT
RIP

I'm almost speechless here after watching the video of it.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
This has to be one of the lamest sports ever. I'm sorry for the loss but what's next,convertable car jumping? as long as they can keep selling the sports drinks to the armchair athletes this will keep happening.
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 08:57pm PT
This has to be one of the lamest sports ever

The arrogance of supertaco never ceases to amaze me.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 09:00pm PT

The arrogance of supertaco never ceases to amaze me.

Just an opinion.

How many Rockstars did you consume today?
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 09:05pm PT
Just an opinion.

Yes. An arrogant one.

Arrogance

Just a definition. lol
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 09:08pm PT
Still don't see the connection. How's your snowmobile runnin?lol
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Feb 1, 2013 - 10:50pm PT
Ruppel....i think it's more of a cultural thing than arrogance. The vast majority of climbers are into self propelled sports that they feel are more environmentally sensitive. This country has developed a huge cultural devide......reminiscent of the late 60's early 70's.

Wouldn't surprise me to see ATV'ers and Snowmobiler's that have there own disdain for climbers et al that could easily be construed as arrogance.

Regardless....the passing of a 25 year old, in the prime of his life, is grounds for all to pause and reflect on the fragility of life and the pain that such an event visits on loved ones.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 10:55pm PT
Thank's donini, I meant no disrespect to the athlete, just that as long as these companys keep paying young guy's to perform this crazy sh#t we'll probably just keep seeing more of the same. hell his own brother got effed up at the same event.
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:08pm PT
You still don't see it do you. Coming into a thread about someone dying from participating in sport then saying:

This has to be one of the lamest sports ever

is arrogant. You made your self look an ass by posting it.

If you don't like companies sponsoring athletes to push themselves then your entitled to that opinion. Don't belittle another sport to make your point though. SO, if that's really what you where trying to say, sell all your climbing gear and move on. All top end climbers these days are sponsored. So if a top end climber punts it soloing are you still gonna say it's the companies fault???
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:14pm PT
Don't belittle another sport to make your point though.
Yer right I'm an ass. But I'll say whatever I want. LOL
Hawkeye

climber
State of Mine
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:14pm PT
Thank's donini, I meant no disrespect to the athlete, just that as long as these companys keep paying young guy's to perform this crazy sh#t we'll probably just keep seeing more of the same. hell his own brother got effed up at the same event.

kenny t you are an as#@&%e.

i can say the same thing you did about all those fine climbers who fell, died of exposure or got killed in avvies... but it would be extremely classless to do so.

fuktard
Norwegian

Trad climber
Pollock Pines, California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:18pm PT
i whole-heartedly agree with kenny.

dumb sport.

relies on petroleum combustion,
and hanging on.

way outta control
more shite happens when
you sell your control.

hawkeye you're a tweety bird in a skirt.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:28pm PT
kenny t you are an as#@&%e.
I already agreed with that...I just stated that I thought it was a lame sport not worth dying for. not everything has to be turned into an extreme sport fuktard.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:31pm PT
Hawkeye posted
kenny t you are an as#@&%e.

fuktard
but it would be extremely classless to do so.



Classy
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:40pm PT
kenny, nor

I don't have a problem with your views of the sport. I don't care either way. The problem lies in the post that you choose to express them. Not classy. It's called respect. Learn it.
Rolfr

Social climber
North Vancouver BC
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:42pm PT

The vast majority of climbers are into self propelled sports that they feel are more environmentally sensitive. This country has developed a huge cultural devide......reminiscent of the late 60's early 70's.


I agree, it’s to bad that as a climber I’m expected to be pigeon holed into a certain identity. I know climbers who own sleds and others who are gear heads. I drive a 911 and am unapologetic for my love of fast cars and racing.

Warren Harding drove a Jag , a Vette and dabbled in racing.

To quote Hemingway “There are but three true sports--bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor-racing.”

2 out of 3 for me, unless you count fighting bull on internet forums. (No disrespect meant for anyone here.)
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:48pm PT
Ruppell, are you an armchair athlete? is that what pissed you off?
bergbryce

Mountain climber
California
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:57pm PT
agree, this is a r-word "sport".
the kind of one-upmanship activities like this caused that Lama $hit show in Patagonia a couple years ago and now this 25 year old is dead. RIP to him and his family.
I get more out of watching Fred Beckey follow a 5.7 at 80 years old than another rail slide of any sort, a flip or any of that $hit.
Snowmassguy

Trad climber
Calirado
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:58pm PT
Who cares about his sport of choice...really. The dude died participating in a sport that he likely loved. Still totally sad. RIP Caleb. Oh yeah, I am waiting for the ban the snowmobile folks start preaching how snowmobiles are too dangerous and need new regulations blah blah
ruppell

climber
Feb 1, 2013 - 11:59pm PT
kenny. I guess it is true what they say about arrogance and ignorance going hand in hand. You are either stupid or trolling. I haven't decided yet.


LOL
climbski2

Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:01am PT
Snowmassguy +1

And adding to the misery for his family the moment that got him was so public.

RIP
zBrown

Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:03am PT
“There are but three true sports--bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor-racing.”


Now that is an interesting statement. I guess cage fighting wasn't a sport when Ernest was taking his survey.

kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:05am PT
Ruppell, surely you can do better than that.
ruppell

climber
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:09am PT
kenny, that's about all I have for right now. I'm gonna see if I can get a few Rockstars in my system. Troll on. lol
east side underground

climber
Hilton crk,ca
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:12am PT
my sled runs just fine thankyou
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:19am PT
Just an opinion.
Just an opinion.
Just an opinion.
Just an opinion.

Yeah Jim, thought it would end there got sucked in. Should have replaced "Lamest" with something else my bad
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:30am PT


Thank's donini, I meant no disrespect to the athlete, just that as long as these companys keep paying young guy's to perform this crazy sh#t we'll probably just keep seeing more of the same. hell his own brother got effed up at the same event.

Completely agree with this.

But not when it's phrased like this;
This has to be one of the lamest sports ever. I'm sorry for the loss but what's next,convertable car jumping?

This is exactly the same thing as soloing dude. Putting yourself in a fatal position because you're positive you can pull it off. Do you have any idea how many backflips Caleb had survived to this point?? 3 x-games titles to his name plus numerous other comps.

You might as well say Bachar was a putz and Honnold is an idiot. And to trash an entire sport based on one incident? What if someone had said that about climbing after JB's passing???

No disrespect to either of those guys. Just trying to point out to Kenny what he sounds like.

Too much of this crap going on for sure. 200 foot gaps are standard fare in the snowboard world these days.. wont be long.. Sarah Burke died skiing in the pipe last year, John Jack and a bunch of other guys in the tunnel creek incident..

Shayne McConkey, Jamie Pierre, Craig Kelly, Cr Johnson, Doug Coobs... Not to mention all the climbers, moto racers, boxers, wrestlers ect ect.

No disrespect to anyone I didn't mention as obviously there are many.

Point is, sh!ts getting crazy these days and people better start thinking about how far things can really be pushed before it's simply a death sentence every other attempt. This goes for a lot of sports.

I know when I push the limits riding a gnarly close out line where death is one wrong turn away, or one avalanche, I've fully accepted my choice and ALL its potential outcomes.

I feel most of the people in these sports feel the same way I do at least I hope they realize the consequences of their actions. Kenny you are right though, they should not allow themselves to be pushed to the point of no return.

Where do we draw the line tho? Are we going to have a nanny state and make sure everyone is safe?

east side underground

climber
Hilton crk,ca
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:34am PT
first fatality in 19 years of all the crazy sh#t that is the x games......just sayin'.....RIP, condolences to family and friends
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:53am PT
Oh fvck. I was so pissed I didn't even say it. RIP Caleb!!!!!!
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 2, 2013 - 01:00am PT
I was so pissed
Sorry to have upset you, it was

Just an opinion.
I will try to start keeping them to myself. can we be done with this now?
Chaz

Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
Feb 2, 2013 - 01:33am PT
Big Mike,

It'd be the same as soloing if you were hot-dogging it up the route.

I've never known Bachar and Honnold get into trouble while show-boating.

The guy on the snowmobile didn't just drive straight up and straight down the hill, keeping contact to the ground like you would if you were going from point-a to point-b. He hit the hill as hot as he could, and attempted a backwards loop-the-loop.

Chick Hearn would have said "Mustard's off the hot dog!"

I think the anology to doing back-flips in a convertible is a good one. Just like convertibles, snowmobiles were designed to transport people from point-a to point-b. They were not designed to fly, which is why you have to fly one, if you want to use one to draw attention to yourself ( hot dogging ).

I've never understood why anybody would get a vehicle capable of taking you hundreds of miles in any direction, and be content to drive the thing around in circles. Up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, getting no where. Like a dog chasing its own tail! Never to travel even a half-mile from where they parked.

As foolish as I think these dog-chasing-its-own-tail, how-cool-did-that-look?- sports are, I hate to see anybody get hurt doing one.
GDavis

Social climber
SOL CAL
Feb 2, 2013 - 01:36am PT
Warning, video below is graphic.

[Click to View YouTube Video]



It's arrogance to think that somehow this sport is stupid but climbing isn't. You don't know why he did his sport or what it meant to him. Yes sponsors pay him money but how many expeditions got sponsored by TNF only to lose climbers, or worse yet sherpas who are using the money to support their families?

Some people want to live their lives risking it all on the world stage. Absolutely he knew the risks involved, but he took them because he was a conscious person pursuing his passion, Red Bull or not.

We are all relying on infrastructure...
Ljohnson

Social climber
The land of ice, snow and rocks
Feb 2, 2013 - 02:02am PT
RIP Caleb.

Several good points on this thread (let's just pretend Kenny is not posting.)

I never really thought about how the progression of climbing is unique compared to other sports. In the world of "extreme sports" climbing is waaaaay old. With the advances in gear climbing is getting safer (with the exception of certain tactics used in speed climbing.)
However, in the newer sports, gear advances are creating a bar that is rising at an incredible level. I have a ski movie where a skier is talking about how a few years ago if you fell freesking you only had to worry about breaking bones. Now it is accepted that the top level athletes are doing drops where death is a big part of the equation.

The convertible comparison is way off. Those sleds way 450lbs and have more horsepower than most cars not to mention huge travel in the suspension. The hoersepower to weight ratio on those vehicles is mind boggling and created solely for jumps.
Growing up in my household I hated OHV's with a passion. After the first time I caught air on a sled I bought one the next day. It's really a lot of fun (if yer into that kind of thing.) What Caleb was doing was way off the charts compared to his colleagues.

For climbers to throw stones at these people is absurd. All you can complain about is the environmental impact, which is a perfectly valid point (see Blue Camalots post.) But please do not call what Caleb was doing stupid, because you climb for a lot of the same reasons that he snowmobiled.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 02:08am PT
Kenny I'm over it. You have a right to your opinion obviously. I was composing my post while you posted your retraction.

I'm sorry but the opinion that someone who died doing something they love is stupid doesn't fly for me. Your argument doesn't fly either Chaz. Soloing is a calculated risk just like flipping a sled. Just because you did it once doesn't necessarily mean that you will pull it off next time.

You can't control all the factors in either situation. To judge one less risky than the other is ridiculous.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 02:15am PT
+1000

GDavis and ljohnson!

I've never understood why anybody would get a vehicle capable of taking you hundreds of miles in any direction, and be content to drive the thing around in circles. Up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, getting no where. Like a dog chasing its own tail! Never to travel even a half-mile from where they parked.

Not all of us sled like this either. Some if us use our machines to access the snow on our skis and boards and also I like to ride my sled down the same lines we ski and snowboard! Obviously mostly straightforward chutes and bowls and cornice drops but still amazing!!

Some of us have respect for the snow too, and don't high mark ski slopes because we know what hitting frozen high marks at high speed feels like.


How quickly you paint us all with the same brush!
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 02:24am PT
^^^^^^^^^^^^

I never argued that though. I agree with that.
Ljohnson

Social climber
The land of ice, snow and rocks
Feb 2, 2013 - 02:31am PT
JBrennan,

Very good point that I did not address in my first point. I absolutely agree with you in that sponsorships make people do dangerous things for the wrong reasons.
I have met a lot of these "Red Bull" type athletes. From my experience, it's about 50/50 between the guys who are just trying to pursue their passion and the guys who have more money oriented motivations.
Ahem...
It took me three tries to say that last part nicely.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Feb 2, 2013 - 04:11am PT
Think about when you were 20-25 years old.

These guys are totally into their motor vehicles and their motor sports. They are happy to be sponsored, and happy to be out there tearing it up.

Did sponsorship drive him to be so foolish that he killed himself? Or did sponsorship allow him to push his limits to the point wher he got killed?

There is a fine line between bravery and foolishness. He crossed that line.

People probably view climbers as a bunch of suicidal freaks. Do you see yourself as a climber and suicidal freak?

Regardless - the outcome was predictable and motor sports are lame. And that's one less snowmobile stinking up the air.
RyanD

climber
Squamish
Feb 2, 2013 - 04:22am PT
It's a good idea to pay your own shot and not have to feel your life is something to gamble with in order to fulfill a contract.


Once again Jim B, this is great wisdom.



RIP Caleb. That was really strange to watch & I don't know how I feel about it & how it's so easy to see that moment which seems so inappropriate in this medium.

I agree that this is like soloing.The obvious difference is that there never has been & hopefully never will be an organized, sponsored, mass broadcasted & marketed, globally corporate freesoloing contest.

Not sure what X gheymz can do to prevent this in the future like they say unless they want to take the X out & start broadcasting jenga competitions. If they made a no backflip rule nobody would watch since their entire audience thinks backflips in any form are the most BITCHEN thing ever. Thing that really sucks is that this was likely a stock jump for him & his attention glanced for just a fraction of a second. That's happened to all of us so as Donini said (more wisdom)

Regardless....the passing of a 25 year old, in the prime of his life, is grounds for all to pause and reflect on the fragility of life and the pain that such an event visits on loved ones.
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 2, 2013 - 11:12am PT
Hmmmm, Thanks for clearing that up Base. And for future reference....

(let's just pretend Kenny is not posting.)
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 11:37am PT
Lol!
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Feb 2, 2013 - 11:43am PT
That is really sad.
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Feb 2, 2013 - 11:57am PT
Snowmobiling use to be an old farts hobby akin to sitting on one of those coin operated horses in front of k-mart...Now they are seen in the back of every snow-boarding , goggle wearing , trust funders brand new Tundra with urban assault rims ...It's all about the marketing , image , and environemental destruction....Tragic and sad for everyone involved that this young guy had to die doing something so stupid....
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Feb 2, 2013 - 12:57pm PT
Bring back real Gladiators! This ghey ESPN shiz is weak.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 2, 2013 - 01:26pm PT
Tragic and sad for everyone involved that this young guy had to die doing something so stupid....

RIP John Bachar. Same thing guys.
Norwegian

Trad climber
Pollock Pines, California
Feb 2, 2013 - 11:30pm PT
to sit upon a snow mobile.
your arse is planted upon foam.

your thumb pivots,
the f*#king machine accelerates.
you hit a f*#king jump
your rig flies.
you pull on the handlebars,
your rig spins.

so to summarize:
you sit there,
twiddle your thumb,
and now for the heroic part....

you pull up on the bars!

bang. you're a hero.
the pilot is merely a passenger to physics.

bachar's story is a long and complex
journey towards pysiological and psychological mastery.
the pilot is an author of reality, revised.

shut the f*#k up comparing bachar
with some juiced up youth flipping a machine upon his head.

big mike that there was a
ridiculous attempt to justify
your own hell bent efforts
to glorify a sport where you simply sit upon your fatting asse.
Rolfr

Social climber
North Vancouver BC
Feb 3, 2013 - 01:29am PT
Rain, rain, rain, I don’t mind , the weathers fine
I take my umbrella and hide my mind
Live in a world of all my kind
Bobby Fischer pivots his thumbs but is no friend of mine
Iambic pentameter could be a friend of mine
But I can’t see past the tribe of mine.

With apologizes to the Beetles.
Big Mike

Trad climber
BC
Feb 3, 2013 - 01:57am PT
Agree to disagree obviously. Respectfully and no disrespect meant to John Bachar. Just another human being who had an unfortunate passing.

Plus infinity Rolf. Thanks.

Pretty sure this is the first time I've disagreed with weege!
Todd Eastman

climber
Bellingham, WA
Feb 3, 2013 - 02:48am PT
Remember all our friends that didn't make it out of their 20s. Most of us in climbing watched a lot of bright stars go dark. Regardless of the activity, when we were that age, we were wired for craziness and most of us were lucky.

They don't fight wars with senior citizens or old climbers...
xtrmecat

Big Wall climber
Kalispell, Montanagonia
Feb 3, 2013 - 10:05am PT
What a bunch of pantywad posers, posting opinions on topics they not only don't understand, but cannot fathom.

In the sixties, I skied on the edge of insanity, only to have my feats outdone by many by the mid seventies. Way outdone.

In the late eighties, I got into an extreme form of snowmobileing. By the nineties I was professionaly hillclimbing, and doing things with one of those sinful machines considered to be insane and extreme. I even made a few dollars winning in the senior classes. These guys doing what they are doing today, are as out there on the edge as far as any soloist has ever been. The talent and skill is truly mind boggling. To try to understand how far beyond my ability they have gone is nearly impossible for me to comprehend. To a layman or armchair athlete, impossible.


Rest in peace young man, you hung your toes over the edge, more than almost all others. Just came up short to the predictable tragic end.

I slowed down now and took up safer activities in the later years, big wall, etc..

Burly Bob
east side underground

climber
Hilton crk,ca
Feb 3, 2013 - 10:31am PT
Rotting johnny, where's my trust fund?.......eeeyyyyiiii ..... Norweegan....you have no clue , ever ride?

edit: a f*#k all you spadex clad, tassel hatted, skinny/skate ski whinners who cry when thier PERFECTLY GROOMED skate track gets a dog print ( how much diesel does it take for your run?), on public land....... from a snowboarding, goggle clad, snomobiling ( non- trust funder, damn) backcountry rider.......... just kidding.......kinda

edit:edit: except for Maysho.....that man is truley a BAD ASS.....:)
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Feb 3, 2013 - 11:15am PT
Eastside....I was talking about Bondo not you , you envious carpentry , slave , bastard...smiley face - bugs bunny sound effect...RJ
Srbphoto

climber
Kennewick wa
Feb 3, 2013 - 11:16am PT
climbers = environmental sensitivity. Now that's funny!



The wise old owl
He lives in the oak
The more he saw
The less he spoke
The less he spoke
The more he heard
Why can't we be
Like that wise old bird?
east side underground

climber
Hilton crk,ca
Feb 3, 2013 - 11:20am PT
hey johnny , check my edit........eeeyyyyyiii.......heh heh heh
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Feb 3, 2013 - 11:24am PT
Eastside....You forgot the hydraulic spills and flourocarbon emissions....bugs bunny...RJ
kennyt

climber
Woodfords,California
Feb 3, 2013 - 11:46am PT
Careful guy's, Yer gonna Ruppell someones feathers
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Feb 3, 2013 - 01:39pm PT
I have to take issue with Jim's assertion that climbers are into self propelled sports.
It is like claiming that downhill skiers at the resorts is non-motorized.

Climbers have huge carbon footprints. Some even migrate annually tens of thousands of miles!

And that doesn't even take into account the ethical lapse of doing marathon drives to climb that leaves exhausted climbers driving home drowsy.
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
bouldering
Topic Author's Reply - Feb 3, 2013 - 03:25pm PT
I ain't very envoiromentally astute, but always kind of associated sleds with the mountains or whatever. Heard about people doing clandestine expeditions into the Ritter Range etc on them, and they are used for accessing rock/ climbs in the Springtime.
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
Feb 3, 2013 - 05:27pm PT
What a bunch of pantywad posers, posting opinions on topics they not only don't understand, but cannot fathom.

Speak for yourself, and get your panties out from your butt crack, it's cutting off circulation to your brain.
xtrmecat

Big Wall climber
Kalispell, Montanagonia
Feb 3, 2013 - 08:21pm PT
No need. Perspective is just fine from here.

Burly Bob
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