|
Revealed: This article series reveals the main articles of our old issues. One of the most touching tragedy was Tommy Brunner's death in an avalanche in Canada last spring. Love & Loss: Tommy Brunner, 1970 - 2006
Love & Loss - Tommy Brunner, 1970 - 2006
By Scharti
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, late April. I had just got back to Innsbruck after a positive entrance exam. I was a happy bunny, definitely one of the best days of the year so far. On the street I met a friend. He looked disturbed, and asked me if I know Tommy Brunner. "Course I know Tommy! I just saw him the other day, and we had a beer. We were talking about the great winter, and he told me about this great trip to AK he was going on. I was a bit jealous, and called him a bastard. He just grinned maliciously, and we had another drink. As we parted, I wished him good lines and good luck. Actually, he should be back by now!" When he told me that Tommy had been killed in an avalanche, I really didn't believe it. Never! It must have been a sick joke, and my first reaction was anger about this ugly rumour. 10 minutes, later I got a phone call and reality struck home. It was true. Tommy, a valued and highly respected friend, one of the good ones, is gone. I felt a creeping emptiness in my gut, and my eyes getting watery.
In my head I am recalling shared memories and death clichés. Is it true that only the good die young? How could this have even happened? Tommy was such an experienced rider! A couple of years ago he had been buried in an avalanche in AK, and was rescued by his buddies. Since then he had been all about safety, and his confidence was low for a while. But after two mellow seasons, he was back on track. Definitely riding with more brain, but still motivated to charge big lines.
The facts
Tommy was shooting with the Quiksilver Crew in Bella Coola, British Columbia, close to the Alaskan border. They should have been back already, but had extended their trip due to shitty snow conditions. On 21st of April, during one of the last runs of the whole trip, Tommy was taken by an avalanche, swept into a crevasse, and buried. Although his transceiver signal was detected immediately, it took hours before the rescue team could get to him. It was too late for Tommy.
The person
Tommy or 'Bruni' as he was also called, was an outstanding character. Tommy loved life, and if he could spend his time out in the mountains, he would have that satisfied grin on his face and those glowing eyes would be spreading the good vibes. Back in the days, Bruni was quite a crazy guy, but as he grew older, he became one of the nicest, mellowest guys. Even though he was a big name in the sport, he never acted like a chosen one, and he would talk to every kid with no attitude, snowboarder to snowboarder. He saw himself as an Innsbruck local, a passionate shredder like all those other unknown guys out there loving the sport. That's what he appreciated - people with a true love for nature and mountains, treating them with the necessary respect. And always up for a good party now and then...
The Snowboarder
In any credible list of the world's best big mountain riders, Tommy makes the top ten every time. Every snowboarder who had the luck to ride with him will tell you the same thing: this man rode on a different level. His ability in reading the mountains, analysing lines and calculate big drops was amazing, and this combined with his true love of nature and mountains made him a truly complete snowboarder. When it came to shooting, Tommy was a pro. As Peter Mathis once told me: "It is so much fun shooting with Tommy, he always does what he plans to do and he sticks all his drops like a cat!"
After being buried in an avalanche around 2000, Tommy started working on an education campaign for young snowboarders. By holding avalanche courses and giving lessons to young riders, he passed on his experience so they would ride safer in the backcountry, and be prepared in a worst-case scenario.
The pioneer
For those of you who don't really know much about Tommy, he is a true legend. Besides being Austria's first big mountain freerider, he was a pioneer of big mountain freestyle, stomping sevens in the backcountry while his countrymen were still learning them in the park. Tommy started out as a freestyler, taking part in the first Air & Style events, and was one of the first pros out of Austria, period. As with many Tyrolian talents, his career started off while working at the Burton snowboards warehouse in the late 80's. A few years back he had a pro model freeride board at Lib Tech, which he was so proud of. I can still see him standing in front of me with his new board, and a big grin all over his face. He really deserved it.
Sorry Tommy, I couldn't come to your funeral. I had my exams that day and there was no real way out. I know you are OK with that. I just feel so sorry we can't laugh about how I finally cut that rug of my head, or the fun we had riding together, finishing the day off with a beer at the hut or meeting up later in some dodgy Innsbruck bar. I am grateful that I got to know you. The people who knew you better really do miss you a lot! I will tell my kids about you, what an outstanding person and snowboarder you were, and who you still are - one of the good ones, a true mountain lover, an outstanding snowboarder, but mainly a great character and person.
Quotes on Tommy:
"The news of Tommy's accident was a shock for our whole crew. We were only a couple of hundred kilometres away, shooting in AK. We also had sketchy conditions, and every one of us had asked himself the same question: Why are we doing all this? People who had talked with Tommy about snowboarding knew he had already pulled through a lot of sketchy situations, and that he was really aware of what he was doing out there. He was one of the most experienced big mountain riders out there, very safety orientated, with a big bag full of crazy stories to tell.
My memories about Tommy mostly have to do with our home resort of Seegrube in Innsbruck. After almost every dump we met up there to shred a certain area only a handful of locals would go to - very technical, loads of drops and pretty damn steep. With his flowing, mellow style Tommy was uncrowned king up there. Having done all the lines he wanted to do, you always met him up at the restaurant - with a big smile, a cup of coffee and a fag in his mouth. The 'Gruabn-shred-community' will miss Tommy a lot, but he will stay in our memories forever. For ever, ever."
- Mitch Tölderer (big mountain rider, friend and neighbour)
Many, many years ago, I was shooting with a snowboarder who started off with a beautiful, powerful turn, then dropped off this big cliff far into the powder field below. I had visited this location with several recognised snowboard pros before, but each time they had done the turn with the nice background, then rode out above the cliff. With that first line we scored 1st prize in the Mountain Adventure category at Banff Mountain Photography in Canada, and the shot of the cliff drop made a magazine cover. I had heard a lot of stories about Tommy Brunner before that first photoshoot, and I was truly impressed straight away. In the following years I spent quite bit of time with Tommy, mostly at Arlberg and Engadin. Three years ago we travelled to Alaska together. He was all about Haines, and he was right! When we arrived, avalanche danger was high, and we had this huge avalanche coming at us, but the heli pilot managed to start the engine and got us clear at the very last second. The next day we flew out for a scoping tour and Tommy told me that he would never do a line with crevasses at the end - way too dangerous. He was very strict with his decisions, always put a lot of thought into his lines, and it was good working with him because he clearly explained why and where he would do what.
So for me, remembering what he told me that time, it is still incomprehensible how this accident could have happened.
- Peter Mathis (photographer and friend)
When you meet someone for the first time, yet you get the feeling that you already know them, the energy just flows. Tommy had that gift of making everyone feel comfortable no matter what situation. Tommy was someone you could count on. He would never let you down, and he always helped out. Tommy had a way of seeing the funny side of everything; he would spread this good vibe throughout the group wherever he was. I have so many memories of trips all around the world, in so many different situations. No matter how bad it seemed, we would always come out laughing! Tommy was like a brother from another mother for me. All of his friends have become friends of mine. It can be hard to find real friends in today's world. Real friends make you laugh, they make you cry, they tell you the truth, they help you learn. I am happy to have been a friend of Tommy Brunner.
- Jasper Sanders (team manager and friend)
For me, Tommy Brunner was the Ayrton Senna of snowboarding. A real nice guy: talented, courageous, combative, perfectionist and professional in snowboarding. He was unanimously regarded as a guy who stood out from the rest: generous, clever, humble, and tolerant... I could go on like this forever, I have so many nice things to say about him. He was true to himself, a guy with a big heart. In the 12 years we were friends, he taught me so much about human relationships. Together in good moments and bad, we experienced times of outstanding intensity. We shared the same philosophy of life and death: trying to enjoy any given minute, dreaming and living life without compromise or fear, remembering that the length of a life doesn't count for anything without quality and intensity.
The fact we lost him brought me sorrow and sadness, I loved him like a brother; he was my best travel buddy. Still he remains in my heart and soul, and will always feed me with positive vibes. I hope it will be the same for his family; they will miss him even more than we will.
- Florent Ducasse (photographer and travel buddy)
|
|
