A Professional Skier Has Double Backflipped At Alta's Opening Day Four Years In A Row; Will He Keep The Streak Going?

A recent post from 4FRNT Skis revealed that professional skier Thayne Rich has double backflipped during Alta Ski Area, Utah's opening days for four consecutive years.

Alta hasn't opened this year, so the jury's still on a repeat performance.

Here's a recap of the doubles from 4FRNT.

You probably don't need me to tell you this, but here it goes anyway: doing a double backflip during a resort's opening day is bonkers for several reasons.

For one, unless you're lucky enough to have traveled to the southern hemisphere for off-season skiing, a resort's opening day is likely your first day back on the snow. Cue wobbly legs and jogged muscle memory.

Then there's the whole lack of snow issue. Double backflips are best enjoyed when the snow is soft and forgiving. And you know when the snow usually isn't soft and forgiving? Opening day.

So, hats off to Rich for consistently pushing the limits. Although, as anyone who's watched this guy ski knows, a double backflip is basically a warm-up trick for him. Rich rips.

As for double backflipping at Alta this season on November 17th, Rich seems unsure. In response to 4FRNT's post, he wrote, "Haha probably not this year. I guess we'll see."

I imagine someone out there would be disappointed to read this response, but not me. Expecting a skier, pro or otherwise, to risk it for the biscuit on opening day is a losing battle. Why invite an injury when you have the whole season ahead of you? Tricks are cool, but so is staying healthy for the entirety of the ski season. Risk management is a thing.

Thayne, if you stumble upon this article, here's my take that you probably don't need to hear because you're a professional skier: do whatever feels right when the lifts start turning. If that's a double backflip -- sick -- I can't wait to watch it. But if the tide's too low at Alta, save those stunts for another day -- the ripping can always wait for more snow to fall.

This line of thinking also applies to anyone else susceptible to the first day on snow hype -- remember, it's only November, we have months of skiing ahead of us.

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