Shane on the big screen For the athletes who knew Shane McConkey, the documentary of his life is an incisive look at following your passions – despite the ultimate cost
Charles Bryan (right) Skydiver, BASE-jumper “The movie was a great experience. I didn’t know Shane for his skiing, as most everyone else did. We were skydiving and BASE-jumping buddies. I only learned of his fame and influence in skiing later on in our friendship. It’s a sad reality, the inherent dangers in aerial sports. All sports, for that matter.”
Miles Daisher (left) Skydiver, BASE-jumper “The film stirred up an array of emotions for me. It was good to laugh at his crazy humour and remember some great moments in our lives. The ending was rough. You knew it was going to happen, even if you didn’t know Shane, as the foreshadowing began at the start of the movie.”
dorky, and he didn’t care what people thought. It wasn’t even the fact that he was a crazy, amazing athlete – it was his personality that was so contagious. How did you and Shane meet? I’d seen him around town, but I didn’t know him. He was a skier, I was a snowboarder: different crowds. We started mountain biking together and then it was inevitable. We had so much fun together. He’s so fun. He was a dork and he made me laugh. But he was famous. Was that weird? He was never famous to me. I’d see his movies or see him on the slopes and be like, “Wow, that was amazing,” but he didn’t seem famous. He was humble – well, not humble, but he knew what he was capable of doing. It was his passion. He wasn’t cocky about it. It was what he loved to do and naturally it just bubbled out of him. I think he’s more famous now. One of the best moments in the film is when you do your first BASE-jump. The first one I did, I was so scared, but then it was amazing. I wanted to do it more, so I did it a couple more times. It’s one of those sports where you really want to be a good skydiver. You really want to be one of those quick athletes in your brain, where you figure out scenarios fast. I feel like you want to start when you’re young and you have more balls. I started when I was 35, which is really old, and then I went to skydiving and I got a little more comfortable with it – and then I got knocked up [laughs]. Now I can’t do it. No way. After Shane’s death, why did you start the Shane McConkey Foundation? At first I just did it to hold something on the anniversary [of his death]. I felt a lot of pressure. People were looking at me: “What are you going to do?” And it was an opportunity to raise money and awareness. We did one of these wacky things he liked to do – taking the mickey out of snowblading and acting like a dork
“ Everyone is going to cry, because it’s hard, and it’s beautiful” 82
Sherry McConkey with her dog, Pedro, in Squaw Valley
the red bulletin