The Story Behind the World’s Biggest Skiing Cliff Jump

by steve casimiro on February 17, 2011 · 8 comments

8 responses

TO BE HONEST, I’d forgotten about Fred Syversen, the Norwegian free skier, but then someone sent me a link to Fred’s inadvertent 352-foot world record cliff jump and I thought it might be good to dust off his story. Fred was just skiing along, as we all have at one time or another, when he got mixed up on his line, as we all have at one time or another. The difference is that there was a helicopter overhead filming everything. Watch, see, and prepare to pucker.

But that’s not the end of Syversen’s using up his nine lives. Last season, filming in Tamokdalen, Norway, Fred got lost his line in the propwash of another helicopter and took what must be one of skiing’s burliest beaters — certainly one of the burliest that ended without injury.

Tagged as: europe, sick, skiing

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Javelina February 17, 2011 at 09:18: Perfect Moment? I dont think so. Any skier/mountaineer would not consider this a perfect moment. I guess there are brands out there looking for eyes regardless.
Leon Shaner February 17, 2011 at 10:03: Ouch! That hurt, just looking at it! Gnarly!
Rob February 17, 2011 at 10:49: New sport. Couloir tomahawking. If you miss your line you tomahawk a rock but otherwise it looks like a Japanese game show.
Didrick Ose February 17, 2011 at 13:28: Go Norway! Did
Duffy February 17, 2011 at 15:04: Umb… “ended without injury” seems to be a bit of a relative statement…
Oh geez February 17, 2011 at 20:42: Waste of a perfectly good organ donor.
Art B February 17, 2011 at 21:57: This guy is charmed. I think its only a matter of time.
Grant March 6, 2012 at 13:33: Nine lives!! Shame they didn’t actually film the jump!!