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Now he has tele skis pictured on his page, he not even a real skier. He is a freakin' tele-nazi!

http://www.tetongravity.com/videos/Tiny ... 824454.htm

This splitboarder works for one of the most respected avalanche centers in the world. Fuck you, David Gottorff.

He seems to have deleted all comments on the page.

I just liked this page!

Do you guys think this guy is for real?

I need BGnight to pipe in!

I think he's mostly just being antagonistic to (1) get a rise out of the splitboarding community, and (2) become an asshole-hero in the angry little world of board-hating asshole skiers. In other words, as Rico said, he's trolling.

But what I find remarkable, and what screams of his character and judgment, is the fact that he does so at his own professional peril.

Consider that, now, (1) everyone watching knows exactly who he is, (2) everyone watching knows exactly who he works for, (3) everyone watching sees him needlessly inflaming stupid slope-tool wars in his own outdoor recreation professional setting, and, (4) everyone watching sees him refusing to take down pictures of someone's child.

It takes a special breed to do such things on a public stage before his professional peers and potential clients like this. Who would want to work with or hire a person with such obviously poor and self-destructive judgment in a risk management context?

^^^ That.

Though it is fun to troll him back for shit'n'giggles. Gonna refer to splitboarding from now on as skier murdering.

Heh, my backcountry ride is a deathstick. Badass.

My only conclusion I can really grasp is that as a teacher of avy courses, he may have had various scenarios or mach slides, and wanted the people in the class to switch back to tour mode at the base of the slide path? And at that point he witnessed differences in speeds between the board and ski's? I don't really understand.

There had to have been some sort of instance when he lost his patience. He is a professor at a university, and yet he stinks of ignorance. The debate of being a splitboarder or being prepared is one he is unwilling to even address. It's amazing that a guy like that would act as childish as he is, baffles me. I have taken trips with friends that tele, ski, mt. approach and split all in the same group. Each individual also had varying levels of avy education, but we were all aware of what we knew, communicated well and watched each other at all times. It seems as though he would tolerate a beacon-less uneducated skier in the b/c over a splitboarder educated and prepared. My guess is his bigotry doesn't start with splitboarders. Obviously when in the b/c you know who is around you and where they are but based on his argument he seems to uphold some sort of code that if he is buried and I happen to be there, that I am obligated to dig him out as fast as possible while risking my own hide whether I know him or not. And even if his ignorance led to him causing the slide I am responsible to save him. I wouldn't surf the Oregon coast solo and expect somebody else in the lineup to risk their lives to save mine if I was a fool or got into trouble.

What really doesn't match up for me is this: His apparently overwhelming hatred of splitboarders, and his apparently overwhelming concern for our safety. I just don't get it.

Whatever... David, if you don't like us, or at least respect our mode of snow travel, DON'T FUCKING TOUR WITH US.
AND, STFU.

Kharma will bite this guy in the ass. He obviously feels strong enough about his point to make this page, although it seems like a silly outlet of hatred. A facebook page that hates on splitboarding? What a waste of time. Does he still work at the college? I wouldn't be suprised if this kind of behavior has gotten him in trouble already. If he does, I think this needs to be brought to their attention. A person with this type of instability is the last person that should be teaching any type of outdoor safety/survival class. Ignorance is the crux of this country, it sucks, way to represent douche.

maybe he's one of the people who goes to a cabin b/c he dislikes people, as opposed to loving the outdoors.. or some mixture therein.

paging Ted Kazckycdknski

This guy just hates snowboarders. If he was going off on splitboarders only I could almost understand his argument. There are some deficient sides to splitting, but most of them are addressed with proper protocols in avalanche terrain. The only scenario I can see is you just rode a line and are in a safe zone at the bottom when your buddy kicks off a slide and gets buried. Say it's 50 yards to the debris field and the snow is not supportable getting over there. A skier can at least side step back up on skis. Once you hit the debris field skis are probably coming off.

The bottom line though is he also supports the snowboading ban at the last three ski areas. Where there is no issues with companion rescue. Which just says to me he is a hater. I also wouldn't be surprised if his credentials are blown up a bit. I just don't know any avalanche pro in this state that remotely has an attitude like that about snowboarders. They will openly discuss weakness and strengths of boards and talk about how to deal with it.

Basically this guy is a total douche.

I just gotta say I'd punch the fucking guy in the nose if it was my kid.