During a photo shoot on 28.3.08, the snowboard pro and winner of the Freeride World Tour (2010), Xavier de le Rue, triggered a huge avalanche and was swept over two kilometers. Thanks to his avalanche airbag, he survives the accident almost unharmed. In an interview, Xavier comments on the spectacular photos and talks about his experiences and thoughts on the sport and emergency equipment.
Video of the avalanche | Source: Rossignol
Hello Xavier, great to have you here...
Xavier: ...yes, thank you very much! I should probably say: it's a great miracle that I'm even here today. Really, surviving this avalanche is incredible. I am firmly convinced that I only survived by luck. Part of that luck was wearing the ABS avalanche airbag. So I can't thank you enough for giving me this airbag backpack. I think there is no better documentation for the function of the ABS backpack than my accident and the pictures and videos that were taken. In the future, I want to give something back and tell as many people as possible about this key experience.
What exactly happened to you?
Xavier: I was with my buddy, freeskier Henrik Windstedt, on a photo shoot with Christopher Sjorström and Miriam Lang Willar and a mountain guide for two days in the Orcières area near my home in the border region between France and Switzerland. We had a helicopter to get us back up quickly and to take pictures from the air. After four smaller descents, I was dropped off at a summit about 2,500 meters high to ski a spectacular north-facing slope.
The snow conditions were very good and after two days in the area we felt confident. We had already skied the north-facing slope before, in a place that looked very snow-laden. After the snow proved to be stable on the descent, I decided to ski the slope at the point where the slab came loose.
A mountain guide friend of mine had also been caught in an avalanche at a different spot a few days earlier. So the avalanche that I triggered wasn't a complete surprise to me, but an avalanche of these dimensions was totally unexpected...
How can this happen to experienced professionals like you?
Xavier: I got the signal from my crew to start my descent at around 2pm. Everything was shot from the helicopter. Timing and lighting conditions are extremely important on a shoot like this, so I didn't have much time. In the upper part, a small "slab" came loose between the rocks, which didn't really worry me. I often say in situations like this that speed is your best friend. This time that didn't help either. I accelerated until I had a lot of speed and at first it looked like I could outrun the white monster at my back and end up laughing all over the place. Then I noticed these cracks everywhere below me. The whole slope contracted in a fraction of a second and I had no chance of getting away even at full speed. Looking back now, I just didn't take enough time to check my line and think of good escape routes. That's why I'm doubly grateful that everything turned out well.
And then? How did you survive?
Xavier: When I realized that the mountain was pulling me irresistibly downwards and that I had no chance, I pulled the release handle on the airbag rucksack. I did it intuitively without any problems. After that, I felt myself roll over a few times. Somehow everything felt like it was happening in fast motion. After that, I only have a few memories of my friends finding me about two kilometers further down. I can only really remember the hospital.
How did the others find you?
Xavier: I was very lucky. Thanks to the airbags, I wasn't buried by the masses of snow. I was lying on about six meters of firmly compressed avalanche snow. I would have simply been crushed under these masses. Although I was lying on top, my mouth and nose were blocked with snow. I was unconscious and my helmet was constricting my throat so I couldn't breathe. It took ten minutes for Henrik to get down to me. He discovered the red airbags in the snow, because they actually suspected I was much further up the slope and wanted to search there. But nobody really believed that I could have survived.
That sounds dramatic. What did you learn and what tips would you give to other riders who go off-piste?
Xavier: Take one step at a time and always imagine the worst-case scenario when making decisions. Above all, don't rely on equipment. We've had discussions about people riding off-road more and more carelessly. That's definitely the wrong way to go. We had the same discussion years ago with the beep. For me, both the airbag and the Pieps have become natural pieces of equipment that I always wear. I no longer take risks when making decisions on the mountain, but if something goes wrong, they help me. This is another reason why the ABS airbag is now widely used by professional freeriders. Meanwhile, I even feel bad if I don't have the airbag backpack with me, the same way I would if I forgot the beep. However, the two things are very different. The avalanche airbag is very easy to use and can prevent burial, which is really the most important thing. The beep requires practice and experience and can be found more quickly if you are buried.
Xavier, thank you very much for the interview.
Xavier: I have to thank you!
The interview with Xavier was conducted by Julia Schmiededer from ABS Avalanche Airbag.