Lake Tahoe Man Dies In Avalanche

Falling Cornice : Pat Moore/Eddie Wall/ Nathan Yant/ Ian Ruhter

Today was another interesting day in the back country. We had to drop a thousand pound cornice in order to have Pat Moore jump 50 feet to rocks. The snow in Tahoe is not typical Tahoe snow. It's  like Colorado snow but with no base. Everything you jump off of, you go straight through the landing and hit rocks. I feel like the world has been testing me the past week. I have been on location for two weeks and I have been faced with some crazy situations. I guess this is just my job at the moment. This week can not be for real. I feel like this is the set of a realty show. The messed up thing about it is this is for real and not a fake Hollywood story. 

Could you imagine if this would have landed on someone?

Avalanche Lake Tahoe/ Ian ruhter

People always comment on how rad my job is. I usually just say thanks because there is no way to explain what my job really consists of. I wonder how many people wake up in the morning wondering if they are going to die at work today? I had that feeling for the past week .We had been shooting at this location all week and we knew the slope could slide in an avalanche so we were very careful. The day before this slide we tested the snow for avalanches and it seen to be ok. Our plan for today was to go down the road a little more to shoot this jump. We came up one hour later, then we would off because of the weather. That decision probably save our lives. When we rolled up the avalanche had all ready happened before we got there. I could tell that we just missed it be cause it was snowing out and the was barely any new snow on the avalanche debris.  

This is the road we were going to drive across. We would have gotten swept down it into these trees with thousands of pounds of snow on top of us. 

Our plan for the day was to build a jump over this tree to shoot some snowboarding here. If we would have walked on this slope we would have died for sure . If you look at the crown from the were the the slide released from it is a least 4 feet deep I don't think you tell the size of it from the picture. There was another group of trees below this slide. I could not tell the full extent of the damage but it appeared to have snapped a few thees in half. 

The slides took place on north and north east slopes.

We went down to a safer location and tested the snow pack. There is a very weak layer at the bottom of the new snow. I think this layer of bad snow is from the December snow fall. The thing that bothers me about this situation is the Lake Tahoe area has received up to 10 feet of new snow and it is sitting on top of this very weak layer. I would suggest if you are going to be out in the new snow in this area that you use extreme caution. I hope the layer is not something that will haunt this area for the rest of the winter season?

Ian Ruhter/Pat More/Daniel EK/ Nathan Yant/ Tom Yant

Some day's you just have to get you hands dirty. Like Mike Rowe's "Dirty Jobs", the job I'm on now is one for Forum Snowboards and it requires that we do a lot of snowmobiling. The thing about these snowmobiles is they can get you into some real trouble.

Photo: Pat Moore

Daniel Ek's day snowmobiling. This was almost an 8 thousand dollar mistake.

I'm just glad he didn't get hurt or worse.

This is us trying to put his sled back together. 

Photo: Tom Yant, Nathan Yant, Pat Moore, Daniel Ek.

Another job well done by the father son team of Nathan and Tom Yant.

Eddie Wall/ Pat More/ Daniel Ek/ Ian Ruhter/

                 This is a behind the scenes look at a Forum snowboard Film & Photo shoot.

                                                Pat More Warming up his snowmobile 
                                                              Eddie Wall and Pat More.
                                    Filmer Nathan Yant Taking a powder run before filming.
                                                                         Daniel Ek

Daniel Ek

Ian Ruhetr/Landscape Project 1

These are some photos from an ongoing landscape project I'm working on.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy

Words by Jill Webster

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the fluid in a person's spinal cord and brain fluid that is relatively rare in the United States. People who are infected with this type of bacteria, however, often see dire and sometimes fatal symptoms. At 19, Amy Purdy, a competitive snowboarder all throughout the high school, contracted this. She became so ill that her body began pulling the blood from her extremities in order to salvage her major internal organs. After being admitted to the hospital with a 2% chance of living and being put in an induced coma, Amy woke up to the doctors informing her that they would have to amputate both of her legs below the knee. "I never cried," says Amy. "My parents did, but I didn't. When you have no other choice, you just have to suck it up, you know?" Amy was determined to continue her active lifestyle and just four months after receiving her first pair of prosthetic legs and seven months after she was released from the hospital) she was back up on a snowboard. After a much-needed kidney transplant, she went on to compete in USASA national snowboard competitions and won three medals. At this point, Amy remembers that she was "ready to get back up on my feet." Since her infection, she resumed her life as a jack-of-all-trades of sorts. She landed the lead role in the independent film What's Bugging Seth, went back to school in order to pursue a job in make-up and skin care, and has been working with Element skateboards to develop a signature skateboard and denim line. "I really just want to be the best version of myself that I can be and to challenge myself artistically and physically." Her passion for extreme sports has inspired her to begin public speaking to help motivate others and in 2--5 she and boyfriend Daniel Gale, a fellow snowboarder and skateboarder, founded adaptive Action Sports. This organization originally began as a resource center, after Amy searched the internet and talked to dozens of doctors, rehabilitation centers and leg manufacturers - none of whom could help her get back into doing the sport she loved. After the AAS website launch in 2005, they received a huge response from people who were inspired by Amy's tenacity and determination to do what she loved most. "Now we're starting to reach out more to kids, helping youths with disabilities get into sports." AAS began hosting adaptive sports camps and clinics and this past year they organized the first adaptive snowboarding world championships. "With the athletes we work with, and with myself... I think everybody has disabilities. Every single person has challenges and everyone has obstacles to overcome," Amy says. "Mine might be more visible than others, but most people's disabilities are in our own minds, just by the way we limit ourselves and think we can't do something or think we're not good enough to do something. I think you can be more disabled mentally than physically sometimes. I think it's just important that people don't let their minds be their biggest disabilities."

Enabled is a project about disable action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including those who have an interest in photography, and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, traveling art show, book, and television episode

We are currently pursuing funding to complete, and produce the final outcome of "Enabled." If you are an art director, producer, TV network, magazine, etc., please contact ianruhter@mac.com . The above photos have been cropped for preview. To view the complete collection of photos please request a link to the online portfolio.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Danielle Burt

"Enabled" by Ian Ruhter

Danielle Burt

Words by Jill Webster

In July of 2004, Danielle Burt's life was forever changed. A skateboarder and avid athlete, she was riding motorcycles with some friends on Mt. Palomar in San Diego, California. Rounding a corner that was sharper than she had anticipated, she quickly applied the breaks. Her Harley went straight up in the air and she was thrown into the guard rail and down the side of the mountain, about 45 feet. The only thing stopping her from falling the full 400 feet was some dry brush. "Whenever you are taken to the hospital, the paramedic's rate you on a scale of 1-10, one meaning you are fine, ten meaning you were dead when they picked you up and dead when you arrived at the hospital. I was a nine, meaning I was alive when they reached me but as good as dead when I got there," Danielle writes on her web profile. Her injuries consisted of a non-displaced fracture in her spine, broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and a smashed right leg, among others. Her leg was amputated above the knee and she was in a coma for a month and a half. "I feel like I was taking advantage of it [life] a lot before my accident. I wasn't doing anything, I didn't have any major goals in life, just messing around for the most part," she says. Wishing she could get back to her active lifestyle, but deterred by the idea of doing it with one leg, Danielle admits she was depressed after the accident. Out of the blue, however, someone got a hold of her to tell her about Adaptive Action Sports, a non-profit organization dedicated to athletes with permanent physical disabilities. At an event sponsored by AAS, Danielle met Sabrina - another female skateboarder who had an above the knee amputation. "She told me I should do it," Danielle says. "It gave me the courage and inspiration to be like' I can still do it, I just have to do it a different way than before.'" Now one of their core athletes, Danielle tours with AAS to help out wherever needed - either at events, competitions, or camps. "People stare or whatever but I've gotten past that," she says. "People think that just cause you're disabled, you're not strong anymore and you're not capable. I know a lot of amputees that do a lot more than able-bodied people that I know. We're out there."

Enabled is a project about disable action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including those who have an interest in photography, and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, traveling art show, book, and television episode

We are currently pursuing funding to complete, and produce the final outcome of "Enabled." If you are an art director, producer, TV network, magazine, etc., please contact ianruhter@mac.com . The above photos have been cropped for preview. To view the complete collection of photos please request a link to the online portfolio.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Oscar Loreto

                                               Oscar Loreto / Enabled project

 Could you imagine skateboarding with one leg and not being able to feel the board under your feet? This the most incredible thing I have ever seen.

            

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Oscar Loreto

"Enabled" by Ian Ruhter

Oscar Loreto

Words by Jill Webster

Oscar Loreto, 22, grew up in Linwood, CA, which Oscar described as a "bad neighborhood" before his mother moved the family to Downey, CA. His cousin got him started skateboarding when he was 14 and since then, Oscar says he's seen nothing but positive things come his way. Born with a congenial birth defect, Oscar is missing a left foot, his left hand, and the four fingers on his right hand. He describes this very birth defect as the reason behind wanting to get into skateboarding. "It was actually more of a motivation really just to prove to myself that I could do it. When I was younger it deterred me from wanting to get out there and skate, I was bummed out about it - the tricks were harder - but as I got older, everything kind of came together," he says. Oscar has since learned how to operate with prosthetic limbs and is actually sponsored by Scope Prosthetics, a company who takes care of most  of his skating costs. When it would have been easy to falter, easy to take a different path, Oscar has chosen to excel at life, and lists his family and friends as the main reason for doing so. "I don't want to play the pity card," Oscar says. "And I think some people see it like that - they feel sorry for me. I just want them to see me as a skater. I'm taking it all in and I hope that is transcended through my skating and my personality and I hope others see that." Oscar has plans to graduate California State University Long Beach, majoring in film studies, and hopes to work in the production or skating industry.

Enabled is a project about disable action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including those who have an interest in photography, and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, traveling art show, book, and television episode

We are currently pursuing funding to complete, and produce the final outcome of "Enabled." If you are an art director, producer, TV network, magazine, etc., please contact ianruhter@mac.com . The above photos have been cropped for preview. To view the complete collection of photos please request a link to the online portfolio.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Trevor Snowden

"Enabled" by Ian Ruhter

Trevor Snowden

Words by Jill Webster

In 1997, Trevor Snowden was competing in a "big air" snowboarding competition at Snow Qualomy Pass. In the middle of doing his backside 360, Trevor turned around to see that he was much too high in the air. Still though, he attempted the landing and broke his back - so severely, in fact, that his spinal nerves were severed entirely. "I didn't care I broke my back. I thought it was a real adventure," Trevor says, "You have to recover. You have to learn how to heal." Trevor believes he is supposed to be where he's at today. Since the accident he's had his ups and downs, but ultimately has a fresh outlook on life. Since the accident he has become involved in producing his own type of wheelchair - an active lifestyle wheelchair that is specially designed with more suspension to reduce the shock and the strain on the individual's back. As Trevor puts it, "It's like driving a Suzuki Samurai versus a Cadillac." The design also offers a more simplistic appearance, is better for travel and more lightweight, on top of the fact that it's less expensive and made in America. When asked what he does now, Trevor laughs and says, "What don't I do? I'm a wheelchair extraordinaire. Everything is a goal in a wheelchair and my main goal is to inspire people not to be lazy."

Enabled is a project about disabled action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including those who have an interest in photography and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, traveling art show, book, and television episode.

We are currently pursuing funding to complete, and produce the final outcome of "Enabled". If you are an art director, producer, TV network, magazine, company, etc., and are interested in learning more about the "Enabled" project, please contact ianruhter@mac.com The above photos have been cropped for a preview. To see the complete collection of photos please request a  link to the online portfolio.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Trevor Snowden

In the early 2000's Trevor Snowden was pursuing his career as a professional snowboarder. He was competing in a slopestyle contest at Snowqualmie when he overshot a jump in practice and became paralyzed from the waist down. Since the accident, Trevor has dedicated most of his time to advancing wheelchair design and setting world records as a paraplegic. Because of his athletic abilities and his contributions to the disabled community he was a perfect candidate for me to shoot for the Enabled Project.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Brent Kummerle

"Enabled" by Ian Ruhter

Brent Kummerle

Words by Jill Webster

It was supposed to be a fun trip to San Francisco for Brent Kummerle and a friend in 1995. Their car broke down on a major bridge going into the city and when Brent got out to start pushing, a truck smashed into their vehicle - pinning Brent between the two bumpers. he was airlifted to a hospital for about a week before being transferred to Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, with whom his insurance was through, where they amputated one of his legs below the knee on his 24th birthday. Prior to the accident, Brent was an avid rock climber and knew immediately after the amputation that he wanted to continue climbing. Before he knew it, his friends and fellow rock climbers came to his aid and helped him get back into shape. One friend even drove him to Tahoe, Nevada, and had Brent belay him from his wheelchair. "It made clear where I was and the only thing that was going to get me down the road was myself wanting to do it," he says, also stating it was just a matter of focusing his discipline and concentrating on what he needed to do to get ahead that aided him in his recovery process. Brent's biggest inspiration was Mark Wellman, a paraplegic who climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in 1989. Now, Brent says, with the encouragement of his friends and his own hard work, he is able to climb harder than he ever was before he lost his leg. The face that he never had anyone to mentor him through the recovery process makes Brent even more serious about wanting to be a mentor for others. He heads up several clinics and examines ski and snowboard instructors for certification. Brent also runs a snowboard program at Kirkwood Mountain Resort for blind individuals, along with numerous other job titles throughout the various seasons. To Brent, the word disabled is just a medical and legal term. "I call myself disabled,"he says. "I'll have able bodied friends who laugh and say, 'Brent, you're not disabled.' And I'll tell them, 'Yes I am, you just need to change your perception of what disabled is.'"

Enabled is a project about disabled action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including those who have an interest in photography and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, traveling art show, book, and television special.

Sponsorship and funding are currently being pursued to complete and produce the final outcome of "Enabled." If you are interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities please contact ianruhter@mac.com . An online portfolio and treatment are available upon request.

Ian Ruhter : Enabled Preview : Evan Strong

"Enabled" by Ian Ruhter

Evan Strong

Words by Jill Webster

"It seemed like there was some weird energy in the air. I couldn't' really place it," says Evan Strong, 22, as he starts to talk about the day of his accident. At 17, while Evan still lived in Maui with his family, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident and had to have his left leg amputated just below the knee. While he was lying on the ground, waiting for an ambulance to arrive, Evan describes an almost "out of body" experience. His practice of Shrop Shot Yoga and meditation, which he has been doing since he was four, is what he believes kept him from going into shock. Evan says his old self died on the road that day and left him with a completely new outlook. The recovery process left him in what he describes as an "infant-like" state - having to be fed, helped to go to the bathroom, and dependant on others for nearly everything. Evan hopes to show others how to walk a path to a more fulfilling life, to be able to show somebody peace within themselves. Before the accident, he was extremely active - played sports, did skateboarding, mountain bike riding, etc. - life, to him, was all about being the best and wanting more. Now, Evan says, it has shifted into being able to help and support people. He works with Adaptive Action Sports, a non-profit organization, which sponsors clinics where Evan is able to teach disabled kids and adults how to mountain bike, skateboard, and hopefully in the future, to rock climb. "I want to see people break out of the shell of what they thought their limitations were."

Enabled is a project about disabled action sports athletes who step beyond their perceived limitations, to show us how being "disabled" is a state of mind. The goal is to reach out to both disabled and able-bodied individuals, including these who have an interest in photography and action sports. These stories will positively impact, and deliver encouragement to the disabled community as a whole. The project will be broken down into a documentary, book, traveling art show, and television episode

We are currently pursuing funding to complete and produce the final outcome of "Enabled." If you are an art director, producer, TV network, magazine, company, etc., and are interested in learning more about the "Enabled" project, please contact ianruhter@mac.com . THe above photos have been cropped for a preview. To see the complete collection of photos please request a link to the online portfolio.