Photos by Nate Abbott & Alex O'Brien/K2 skis
On March 26th of this year, legendary skier, base jumper, father, husband, friend, icon, hero and all-around amazing human being Shane McConkey was killed in a base jumping accident in Italy. He was 39.
To say that Shane was one of the most influential skiers ever would be an understatement of grand proportions, and to say that his death shocked and saddened skiers all over the world, from the ones who knew him personally to the ones who never met him would be an even bigger one.
Shane left behind a wife, Sherry, a 3-year-old daughter, Ayla, an immeasurable number of fans who idolized him, and a legacy that will undoubtedly never be forgotten in the sport of skiing. He was a true pioneer of the freeskiing movement, appeared in too many ski magazines and movies to count, was the first person to combine skiing and BASE-jumping, and revolutionized the way people now ski powder by designing the first ever reverse sidecut and reverse camber fat skis (similar to the shape of a waterski and surfboard).
Since the beginning of his career, Shane primarily worked with one ski film company only, Matchstick Productions. The Crested Butte, Colorado-based company was hit hard by Shane's death, and in the wake of his passing set out to create their most loyal athlete and friend's final segment. The end result not only captures Shane's history, talent, personality, humor, good nature and overall zest for life better than ever before, but it is also one of the most fitting tributes ever created in action sports history.
The segment was recently made available online, and there is no finer way to see what Shane was all about while saying good-bye to the most influential skier of all time.
RIP Shane McConkey. December 30, 1969 - March 26, 2009
