I almost regretted the moment I hit play because I realized that nothing would put this feeling of complete terror in me again unless by some miracle (or nightmare) I actually rode this death chute. “The Crack,” as it’s being called, gives it a little too much credit, it’s more of like a body width sliver that you have to hold your breath through, more relatable to a corset. But skier Cody Townsend may not have been the first person to complete this line.
We know we have gawked over this video before, but the clip is making its rounds again as it has recently been made known that snowboarder Travis Rice did it a couple weeks earlier. In fact, this heavy-ass descent would not have been possible if Travis didn’t spend hours digging out the cornice being painstakingly careful not to collapse any of the snow down the chute (seen in the video below). At first, Travis was even a little pissed off that Cody dropped the clip, considering he is saving his for the follow up to Art Of Flight. So Travis and Cody had a little sit down/phone call to discuss semantics. And it was pretty cool to hear the pioneers talk shop.
Ultimately, being who he is, Rice had to give respect where it’s due — this line is seriously fucked up.
Anywho,Cody took home Best Ski Line of 2014 at the Powder Awards for this clip featured in Matchstick Productions‘ flick Days Of My Youth. If this is any preview for what’s to come in the future, I am not sure I want to see it. I know part of the fun is pushing your riding, but holy hell where can it go from here?
