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...And the Agony of Defeat

Anyone old enough to remember when CBS ran "Wide World of Sports" on weekends, will remember the cool opening. That deep narrator voice says something about the "thrill of victory". The dramatic music comes in, and he says "The agony of defeat," as the skier flies off the side of the ramp, tumbles a few times, with his skis breaking into a million pieces.

I read a story about him in Sports Illustrated years ago. He wasn't hurt that bad in that incident. He did say when he flew back into the United States, he didn't realize how popular he had become because of that clip.

Well, a month ago, I read a story in the paper, that reminded me of that skier.

In a place called Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah, an extreme skier died from his injuries. I guess saying he was an "extreme skier" can probably give you some idea, that he was doing something dangerous.

He was. He jumped off a cliff on skis. And, all for a scene in a documentary film.

Now, this may be sick of me to ask but...is the scene going to still be in the movie?

And, just contemplating that, reminds me of the late comedian Bill Hicks, who had a brilliant mind. He did a routine where he says that people diagnosed with terminal diseases, should go to Hollywood and get jobs as stuntmen. They could do the most dangerous scenes, even scenes they know will result in their death. And, they'd get to die being in some popular action picture.

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Laurence Juber, Train Song Festival, Ancient Echoes: 10,000 Years of Beer

Events November 8-November 9, 2024

Anyone old enough to remember when CBS ran "Wide World of Sports" on weekends, will remember the cool opening. That deep narrator voice says something about the "thrill of victory". The dramatic music comes in, and he says "The agony of defeat," as the skier flies off the side of the ramp, tumbles a few times, with his skis breaking into a million pieces.

I read a story about him in Sports Illustrated years ago. He wasn't hurt that bad in that incident. He did say when he flew back into the United States, he didn't realize how popular he had become because of that clip.

Well, a month ago, I read a story in the paper, that reminded me of that skier.

In a place called Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah, an extreme skier died from his injuries. I guess saying he was an "extreme skier" can probably give you some idea, that he was doing something dangerous.

He was. He jumped off a cliff on skis. And, all for a scene in a documentary film.

Now, this may be sick of me to ask but...is the scene going to still be in the movie?

And, just contemplating that, reminds me of the late comedian Bill Hicks, who had a brilliant mind. He did a routine where he says that people diagnosed with terminal diseases, should go to Hollywood and get jobs as stuntmen. They could do the most dangerous scenes, even scenes they know will result in their death. And, they'd get to die being in some popular action picture.

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