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Celebrate Townsend For His Skill, Not For "Cheating Death"

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Anyone who's paid attention this week has probably seen a You Tube video entitled "This is How You Cheat Death on Skis" or the "Most Insane Ski Line Ever," or "Skier Survives Terrifying Plunge Down Vertical Crevice." Cody Townsend's big-skiing clip from Alaska's Tordrillo mountain range went viral this week, ending up on Good Morning America, SportsCenter's top 10, and a plethora of other publications. The masses view Townsend's epic skiing as a crazy, death-defying stunt, but die-hard snow lovers know better.

Townsend's segment in the Red Bull Media House and MSP Films-produced "Days of My Youth," is no accident, it's no anomaly he just happened to survive. Instead, it's the culmination of years of hard work and a crazy amount of skill. While most of us will never attempt to ski 60 mph down a 2,000 foot nearly vertical chute in Alaska, we can appreciate what it takes to ski big lines perfectly. So huzzah to you, Mr. Townsend! Not for "cheating death" but for continually rocking it, year after year, and for giving us the most thrilling two minutes of skiing we've seen in a while. Now that's something worth celebrating.
· Cody Townsend Is Breaking The Internet [Powder]
· Cody Townsend Skis the Line of the Year [Outside]