But with the news of Canadian skier Jean-Philippe Auclair's passing, it's been different.
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| JP Auclair died in an avalanche on Sept. 29, 2014 |
I gained a lot of respect for the athletes I saw in these movies. They pushed the boundaries of the sport, made their tricks look effortless, and eventually made a case for freestyle skiing to expand into the Winter Olympics.
One of the athletes I respected most was JP Auclair. Not only did he co-found Armada Skis (one of the coolest ski companies out there, in my opinion) with fellow pro-skiers Tanner Hall, JF Cusson, Julien Regnier and Boyd Easley, but he also proved that skiing didn't have limits and could continue to grow and change. His ski edits showed that he was a creative perfectionist, and that extreme skiing was not second, but rather equal to, extreme snowboarding. On top of it all, he came off as a kind, humble guy who loved what he did, wanted to share his craft with others, and wanted to do good in the world.
Finding out that JP, along with Swedish skier Andreas Fransson, was a victim in an avalanche while climbing in Patagonia made me feel awful. I was stunned when I saw the news pop up on my Twitter feed. I couldn't believe it. I was not fortunate enough to know him personally, but I still felt as if I'd lost someone important. For me, JP was someone I watched and looked up to during my adolescent years. He was one of the athletes who inspired and kept my unrealistic dreams of being a skilled freestyle skier alive. Even after that dream died, I still watched JP's edits and followed his journey from freestyle skiing to big mountain powder skiing. He was never stagnant; there was always a project to follow and something to learn from him.
It almost feels wrong to have such a strong feeling of grief over his death. I feel like I'm intruding on something personal that only the people who really knew him have the right to feel. I can't even begin to imagine what his family and close friends are going through, and I know my own sadness does not compare to those feelings. However, JP had such a huge influence on so many people he didn't meet. People from around the world have come together on multiple websites and social media to grieve together and talk about how JP influenced their lives. This post is my way of doing that.
After reading multiple blog posts. news stories, tweets and memories shared about him, I realize I can't dwell. I have to celebrate life - my own, the lives of those I love and those I've lost. I have to celebrate his life and everything he accomplished while he lived it. JP lived in the moment, made and followed his own rules, and died doing the thing he loved most. Not everyone lives that way, and the fact that he was able to is something that should be celebrated.
In the trailer for the 2011 ski movie All.I.Can., JP can be heard saying, "We feel like we need to be doing less of this, less of that - but I don't think it's about doing less. I think it's about doing more."
He's right. We could all do more. For each other, for ourselves, for those who need it most, for the things we are passionate about. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, myself included, it took his death to realize it. JP did more, every day. Now it's my turn.
Thank-you for everything JP. I know you're already doing your thing on the other side.
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| JP Auclair. Photo by Chris O'Connell. |
JP's passing leaves a void in a lot of people's lives, most notably those of his partner and five-month-old son. To help them out, please donate to the Auclair Fund.
The skier also started his own non-profit, which was dedicated to the betterment of mountain communities. To support the cause, donate to Alpine Initiatives.