On the morning of Jan. 25, 2006, skier Jamie Pierre leaped off the largest cliff ever skied, a 25-story abyss on the backside of Fred’s Mountain at Wyoming’s Grand Targhee Resort. Pierre fell more than 250 feet through the air, spinning, skis flipped to the sky, plummeting upside down. A dozen cameramen were on-site to record what would be the highest ski jump of all time … or Pierre’s final moments.
After landing, a long moment passed. A snow cloud settled below the immense rock wall. An impact crater scarred an otherwise immaculate expanse of snow, but Pierre’s body was nowhere in sight.
What does it take to leap a 255-foot cliff on skis — and live? Ask Jamie Pierre, a Minnesota-born extreme skier who I profiled in a story for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Go here to see a video of Pierre’s leap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0SDQcm0VcU
