View Full Version : Olympic Snowboarder Dies in Practice
SpottyFish
03-13-2006, 04:29 AM
Swedish Snowboarder Dies During Practice
By Associated Press
WILMINGTON, N.Y. - Swedish snowboarder Jonatan Johansson died Sunday after falling during a snowboardcross run down Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks.
The 26-year-old Turin Olympics competitor lost control on one of his jumps during training for an International Ski Federation World Cup competition, according to U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association spokesman Tom Kelly.
A state police report said Johansson tried to correct himself but landed hard. An autopsy found the cause of death to be multiple internal injuries.
Officials said Johansson landed within the course boundaries and was wearing a helmet. Olympic Regional Development Authority spokesman Sandy Caligiore said he did not hit a tree, a pole or any other obstacle. The course where Johansson crashed, the Boreen Trail, has special snowboardcross features constructed for competition.
Johansson was on a section of the trail by himself when he fell.
He was transported to Adirondack Medical Center in nearby Lake Placid, where he was pronounced dead, according to hospital spokeswoman Beth Donahue. An autopsy will be performed Monday at the medical facility's main center in Saranac Lake.
The Swede had been competing at the World Cup level since 2000. Johansson finished 12th in snowboardcross at Turin. He was ranked 45th in the World Cup standings this season.
Whiteface, down the road from Lake Placid, was hosting the four-day World Cup event. The rest of the snowboardcross event was canceled.
kelly
03-13-2006, 04:32 AM
Wow, just from a crash? that's really too bad. :(
Naked Hiker
03-13-2006, 04:46 AM
debbie downer, damn that sucks
CodySowa
03-13-2006, 06:00 AM
RIP brother
Ooshane
03-13-2006, 11:26 AM
RIP... can see again that snowboarding's not a sissy sport.
TheDanger-Zone
03-13-2006, 01:34 PM
:rip: My thoughts and prayers go out to our fellow rider and to his family.
May he be in a place with never ending freshies and endless winter.
It is a sad thing to hear. Long live snowboarding and may we have a moment of silence for our fallen brother.
Skankinboy13
03-13-2006, 03:05 PM
that sucks hard... hopefully he's resting well.
but is that from to different articles? because in one it says "an autopsy found" and then it says "an autopsy will be performed on monday."
I was at Whiteface for Saturday and Sunday. I heard rumors about somebody getting injured on the boardcross competition but thought that it wasn't serious.
:( This is unfortunate and I think its a terrible loss :(
Thanks for the news post Spotty
SnoChica
03-13-2006, 04:03 PM
that sucks hard... hopefully he's resting well.
but is that from to different articles? because in one it says "an autopsy found" and then it says "an autopsy will be performed on monday."
Maybe they performed an initial autopsy, but will perform further studies att he facilities main center today?
brneyedbdrchicky
03-13-2006, 06:18 PM
That sucks. I hate to hear when people are killed doing something they love.
bushin
03-13-2006, 07:08 PM
RIP bro, Holy ****!!! I can't believe that he just died from a regular crash... I wish I knew more details about what killed him. I've never heard of anyone just gettting killed a normal non-freak crash.
nikkisixxsburton
03-13-2006, 07:29 PM
that is crazy... It is even more weird that it was a pro that died from a normal fall.. but, im sure it must be a hard trail becuz of course hes a pro.. RIP bro
DPancoast
03-13-2006, 07:49 PM
RIP. That sucks big time.
no7ah
03-13-2006, 10:58 PM
i hate death one day i'm gonna kick his ass
Naked Hiker
03-13-2006, 11:49 PM
That sucks. I hate to hear when people are killed doing something they love.
I want to die doing something I love! Better then getting killed in a car crash on the way to get milk......:usa2:
dirtyjerz
03-13-2006, 11:57 PM
yeah my mom told me about that. that really does suck. hes at the never ending mountain now and loving it.
tooch
03-14-2006, 12:23 AM
I want to die doing something I love! Better then getting killed in a car crash on the way to get milk......:usa2:
ya, that's what i was thinking. really sucks that he bought it, but when i go, i sure don't want to get hit by a bus or die a drooling heap in a wheelchair.
btw, well said dz. thoughts and prayers are with your fam and friends, bro.
RIP
jdsboarder7
03-14-2006, 12:31 AM
tragic... =(
wolfmanwax
03-14-2006, 03:09 AM
have to wonder what he was wearing for gear ... after doing a couple local boardercross races myself this year ... next year i'm getting proper gear before doing any boardercross. I'm talking about those chest, back and shoulder protectors ... some of those hard shell shorts as well.
i lived in lake placid ... the locals like to call it iceface rather than whiteface ... it tends to be a bit colder and they don't get dumped on with snow nearly as much as they do out west. R.I.P. my swedish bro!
wakingtrance
03-14-2006, 09:41 PM
Sad... It realli does show how this sport is dangerous. And now I don't have to feel so bad for myself for crackin ribs.
kelly
03-14-2006, 09:43 PM
I really hope you didn't intentionally say "realli"
frankindie
03-15-2006, 02:20 AM
ah, yes. but what better way to go, really? I would rather die boarding than in a car crash or some such... assuming one ever had the inkling of a choice in such things. RIP jonatan.
have to wonder what he was wearing for gear ... after doing a couple local boardercross races myself this year ... next year i'm getting proper gear before doing any boardercross. I'm talking about those chest, back and shoulder protectors ... some of those hard shell shorts as well.
i lived in lake placid ... the locals like to call it iceface rather than whiteface ... it tends to be a bit colder and they don't get dumped on with snow nearly as much as they do out west. R.I.P. my swedish bro!
Those chest/back/ and shoulder protectors - are they snowboard specific? I use shoulder/spine/forearm+elbow/and knee protection from my motorcycle gear and was wondering if they have purpose designed ones for snow.
For those who think back protectors are overkill, I can attest that my back protector is the reason why I can still walk after losing an edge over hidden ice and slamming back-first onto a metal pipe in a ditch.
On the day of the boardercross competition, the trails consisted of nice slush conditions with light rain. There were soft ice spots on the mountain but I'm pretty sure the Boreen trail was well groomed for the event. The jumps appeared high when I scouted the trail the day before.
bushin
03-15-2006, 08:17 PM
Those chest/back/ and shoulder protectors - are they snowboard specific? I use shoulder/spine/forearm+elbow/and knee protection from my motorcycle gear and was wondering if they have purpose designed ones for snow.
For those who think back protectors are overkill, I can attest that my back protector is the reason why I can still walk after losing an edge over hidden ice and slamming back-first onto a metal pipe in a ditch.
On the day of the boardercross competition, the trails consisted of nice slush conditions with light rain. There were soft ice spots on the mountain but I'm pretty sure the Boreen trail was well groomed for the event. The jumps appeared high when I scouted the trail the day before.
So you think that wearing those protectors would have saved his life? I mean in your oppinion how effective is this gear in reducing serious injury?
So you think that wearing those protectors would have saved his life? I mean in your oppinion how effective is this gear in reducing serious injury?
I don't know the accident specifics from the boardercross event.
As for my personal experience, safety gear is very effective in reducing injury in the area that it was designed for.
In another words, a spine protector is great for protecting your spine, but won't do anything for your neck. So if you went inverted on a jump and landed on your neck, none of the safety equipment mentioned above would help.
IceCoastShreds
03-16-2006, 05:52 PM
Yeah i was there too its no good. And it was not just a regular crash, he over shot the table by 50 feet and landed flat. There is a huge investigation going on about it. Another guy died there sunday too. Whiteface takes about 8 lives a year maybe its a sign that i need to get out west.
R.I.P
sMITTy bAYBEe bOARDEr
03-16-2006, 06:42 PM
My friend was working there since hes an internation Ref or TD..I forget which one, but he came back that day to the mountain that I ride at where he's the events manager and wasn't even happy to see his twin brother from New Zealand who came up to surprise him. Kiwi was just wicked shocked bc he saw the whole thing happen. I felt so bad hearing about it. RIP.
Naked Hiker
03-16-2006, 08:27 PM
Yeah i was there too its no good. And it was not just a regular crash, he over shot the table by 50 feet and landed flat. There is a huge investigation going on about it. Another guy died there sunday too. Whiteface takes about 8 lives a year maybe its a sign that i need to get out west.
R.I.P
that's what my brother did when he broke his back, he is better now and snowboarding again!
lizzle
03-16-2006, 10:01 PM
RIP Jonatan....never go to whiteface!!! that's where i broke my arm. i can see why they call it iceface
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