Not good news, need positive vibes, thoughts, prayers from LL

[Squirrel99]

Edit: Updated links here repasted from below
^
Here's an update from the guys at Doglotion.com
Doglotion.Com editorial

And Jim's brother's website here has a photo essay:
Huckzone Slideshow Tribute

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deserving of it{s own thread. Sorry to bring the stoke down after so much positive delivered.

Details are still a bit sketchy, but yesterday there was a 21 year old American spending the summer in Argentina and has now passed on. We only know that he was likely skiing alone near a quarterpipe hit below Cerro Martin and somehow ended up in rocks. It is unclear if he was hitting the quarterpipe or tryingto gap one of the many boulder fields below. Word from Ski Patrol was that he died on the scene.

As if this were not horrible enough, he was travelling alone and I believe the family has just been notified. Many of the travelling gringos and locals have bonded together to assist in whatever ways possible. Last night, understandably so, there was quite a somber and heavy drinking scene among a select few.

It has come as a sudden shock to all of us, even though many of us did not know him or have only exchanged a few words in parting. We all remember the exact words we had spoken just the day prior. I,ll try and post more information as it surfaces- but may not be able to post much more info, though, as this is a tragic incident and will have lasting effects on some.

As one guy said last night, ¨We{re always living on the edge, and sometimes that edge gets blurred. It{s difficult to tell when you have crossed that edge. Sometimes it is hard to return from that edge¨ It{s really a tough pill to swallow for many. This guy was very confident and energetic. We all feel horrible sorrow.

So sad... Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends. Sincere thanks to the Las Lenas Ski Patrol, locals, and visiting gringos that have helped to ease the pain for those affected. Live every day to the fullest. We hope you are in peace enjoying that neverending deep powder run...

[basom]

so very sad.

RIP

http://tetongravity.com/ubb/icons/icon9.gif


edit: quarterpipe below cerro martin? are you talking about the windlippy feature that was below this kicker last season?

http://biglines.com/photos/blpic13645.jpg

[Squirrel99]

Basom,
A ramp was built up between the base of Cerro Martin and Entre Rios. I went up and skied by there today, was only able to correlate two likely places this would have occurred. It was not from the Quarterpipe, I am told, but nearby it. So it would have happened somewhere in the runouts where the bases of Cerro Martin and Entre Rios meet. There are a few places that fall away for 30 feet or so and a lot of them have seriously exposed sharp rock edges. Saddest part is that he was wearing a full face and still didn{t stop the damage.

[glademaster]

Damn, RIP dude. I'm assuming this was not a maggot but just a fellow American? If you hit sharp rocks going fast, a fullface won't do much, it's a damn shame though. I'm sure he's up above somewhere, shredding bottomless pow.

[freshie247]

Condolences to the family!

[CaddyDaddy77]

Grim.
That's horrible, feel bad for the family when their son is so far away.
Condolences.

[Clack]

RIP

[basom]

Originally posted by Squirrel99
Basom,
A ramp was built up between the base of Cerro Martin and Entre Rios. I went up and skied by there today, was only able to correlate two likely places this would have occurred. It was not from the Quarterpipe, I am told, but nearby it. So it would have happened somewhere in the runouts where the bases of Cerro Martin and Entre Rios meet. There are a few places that fall away for 30 feet or so and a lot of them have seriously exposed sharp rock edges. Saddest part is that he was wearing a full face and still didn{t stop the damage.

okay, thats pretty vast area then.

so tough.

good vibes going down south. hope everyone down there stays safe.

[Arty50]

Damn. Vaya con dios, Senor Ripper. My condolences to his family.

[powstash]

Another brother passes on to the powder park in the sky.....

[surftb15]

RIP

this really sucks.

[meatdrink9]

[shamrockpow]

Wow. THat;s the last shit i wanted to hear at 1 oclock on a weddenesday. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. Sad sad sad shit. Be careful out there . ALLL OF YOU (squirrel included)

[Game Over]

[Lynx]

so very sad to hear. . . .

[Big E]

Stay safe down there, watch out for each other.

[xyz]

I spent a couple weeks in Las Lenas last month...I was skiing with an american guy about that age who wore a full face helmet.

I hope its not him...either way, very tragic.

[xyz]

It was him. I found this article from a newspaper in Mendoza. I hung out with him (Jim) this past August. He showed me some great lines off the Marte and kicked my butt at pool.

My condolences to his family, so sad.

Be safe out there.

http://www.losandes.com.ar/nota.asp?nrc=210217

[PeachesN'Cream]

damn xyz

just goes to show you how small our little world is.

at least he was doing what he loved in a beautiful place. you really can't ask to go out in a better way than that.

positive thoughts for the next round of living.

[Cornholio]

Como consecuencia de ellos sufrió estallido de cráneo y pérdida de masa encefálica

My spanish isn't great, but I think I know what this means. It means he died very, very quickly-- we can at least be thankful for that.

Huge condolances to his friends and family, and the summer LL crowd.

Stay safe, guys.

[Foggy_Goggles]

RIP. As cliche as "he died doing what he loved" it, I could chose of no better way to go so long as it is painless.


Heres a crappy translation of the above article.

American skier dies al to be struck against a rock



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- . An American passed away yesterday in the afternoon when he skied in a zone not paymaster to do it, in the valley of The Firewood. The youth was identifying as James Williams Franklin (21), native of Massachusetts. The accident occurred when the tourist tried to do a leap of thirty meters. As a result of them suffered crash of skull and loss of mass encefálica since gave against a rock.

[Squirrel99]

^
Here's an update from the guys at Doglotion.com

Tribute to Jim @ Doglotion.com

And Jim's brother's website here has a photo essay:
Huckzone.com


On the bus ride back to Mendoza, looking up at the stars in the sky, it was hard not to think back on this tragic accident- even though some of us barely even knew him.

Thanks to Squeaky for putting together a nice slideshow at the end of the video session last Thursday night in Las Lenas. With some mellow Moby playing the in the background to a packed house at the Aries theater, it was a nice moment. Here is a salute from some of your Lenas friends, Jim. R.I.P.

[dipstik]

Damn, had no idea he was a local guy. I was surprised to see his obit in the local paper today.....he was from Upton, Ma.

RIP

[aseptic skeptic]

This is a sad time, indeed, for this man's friends, family, and loved ones.

But I'm curious as to the outpouring of grief from those who knew him not, or, at best, knew him simply as "the guy in the full-face mask" or the guy who happened to be at LL while you were there.

Again, I'm not saying it's not sad, to this man's inner circle, but to stake some claim to that sorrow just because you were there on vacation...hmm. Had the guy died a week earlier, or later, what then?

Just wondering what makes us tick.

[basom]

Originally posted by aseptic skeptic

Just wondering what makes us tick.

compassion. and realizing that it could be your familiy mouring your untimely death. stuff like this always hits close to home, for many of us.