That’s what we skydivers call people who can’t understand why we risk everything for the thrill of our sport: “Wuffo,” as in “what for”?
Why would we jump out of airplanes and trust our lives to the whims of small mechanisms that can, and sometimes do, fail?
Why would we sail close to rocky cliffs in thin wingsuits, leaving little room for error between the wind and our ability to make snap judgments about speed and distance?
And why would we do it again and again, even after losing friends to the sport?
This week, one of thedeadliest avalanches in recent American historytook the lives of at least eight backcountry skiers near Lake Tahoe.
A group of 15 set out on an annual adventure together over Presidents Day Weekend. Six survived,eight died, and one is still missingand presumed dead.
By all accounts, this was an experienced and well-prepared group. They knew the area, had professional guides, and carried emergency beacons. They were on their way back to the trailhead at the end of a three-day trip when they spotted the avalanche.
Despite these details, some will question why people would risk their lives for a few days in the backcountry. It may seem inconceivable, and maybe even irresponsible, to take high-level risks for recreation — in fact, just for fun.
Left in the wake are devastated families, children who have lost parents, and communities that will take a long time to heal.
There are attendant risks faced by rescuers who, in this case, braved difficult conditions to follow the survivors’ emergency beacons and iPhone satellite S.O.S. signals.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
