Over the years people in general have gotten bolder in all sport and other outdoor activities.
I can recall skiing when fatalities were rare. Then came the day when Killington started handing out warnings when you purchased your ski pass. It read
something like ..."Six have died on the mountain this season . It could happen to you. Ski with care, etc." I saw a trail map recently that had warnings printed on all novice terrain trails "Ski fast, lose your pass!" It seems that greater numbers have lost their common sense. The days are gone when most had enough common sense that if you were a member of the "Ski to Die Club", you should not practice your super skills on slopes where novices are struggling to stay erect on their skis. You knew that trees were deadly obstacles and you kept your distance.
Kids today don't "go out to play" they are for the most part enrolled in competitive sports. They are taught from an early age to keep on pushing.
Go harder, go faster.... Perhaps winning all the gold medals should be our goal, rather that passing the SAT's. We keep dumbing down and
revving up! Perhaps we are building "
superman" to save the schools!
For some "clueless optimists", a walk in the woods pales by comparison to other activities they may or may not be engaged in. They perceive absolutely no risk. The extreme athlete goes in search of greater challenges, and
some of us feel life is passing us by and we join their ranks.
Warren Miller and many of the Banff films feature extreme athletes. The day came when I thought I had not had a good day if I did not ski all diamonds or climb increasingly difficult peaks.
At one time I don't think it was as "cool" to risk your life over and over again but "extreme" is a way of life now". We have gym's to help us improve our physical prowess so we can take on daring adventures.
Many do this with great care but risk is ever present. One can be extreme and safe all at the same time. We
need the devices, the Medivac heli's, and the SAR people on standby.
They are the safety net for the games we play. We will most likely have to find a way to reimburse them for their services. PLB's, cell phones, sat phones, are here to stay.
I reflected on all this yesterday when I was out with Bernie at a local park. They had set up a "race" course for
very young children to compete in a bike race. Four were entered and it was obvious from the get go who the winner was. I felt very bad for the last little guy who was struggling to keep up. They were being imprinted with the mindset that they must push harder and faster so they can beat little Johnie in the next race. Or they can just go home and be told by parents that they are not trying hard enough. We can't deny that this does happen. I wondered as I walked away. Wouldn't it be more fun to just go out all together as a family, perhaps with a few friends and bike together on a rail trail.
You will still carry your cell phone just in case.
Yes...we do
need all the devices We will take more risks and our youth will perpetuate this because we are teaching them it's way cool. We are addicted to "thrills". It seems that what was rare at one time is fast becoming the way of life today. It will never go back to the way it was, so I think we should perfect our PLB's and microchips because they could save our thrill seeking "bacon".
Is it a bad thing? Not necessarily. We are changing and I suspect we will have an even greater need for these devices.
(Now I am really late for knitting class!!!
)
