Why Shane McConkey Is Considered The Greatest Skier Of All-Time

Anointing an individual as the "greatest" to ever participate in a sport typically comes with scrutiny and disagreement, but not when it comes to freeskiing.

The late Shane McConkey is widely regarded as the best to ever do it, and Matchstick Productions has a long catalog of video evidence to prove it. See below:

ESPN, FOX Sports, and other professional sports media outlets have created entire shows dedicated to debating who is the "G.O.A.T." of sports like basketball, football, and baseball.

The LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate is the perfect example.

Sports pundits spend the entire show bickering about nonsensical stats, accomplishments, and accolades in a conversation that doesn't provide much value to settling the G.O.A.T. debate once and for all.

Isn't it interesting that skiing doesn't have a similar debate on its hands?

Rather than multiple factions campaigning for who they believe is the best to ever do it, the majority of us simply agree that Shane McConkey is the G.O.A.T., and there's no changing our minds.

Sure, the argument could be made that Candide Thovex has eclipsed McConkey's caliber of skiing, but that doesn't paint the whole picture.

Greatness in skiing is less quantifiable than sports like basketball or football. We don't have points, turnovers, blocks, and other stats to track an athlete's dominance.

Instead, we judge skiers on how they make us feel, and Shane McConkey was (and still is) the best skier at eliciting emotional responses from the audience.

Unlike Candide who is reserved and typically shies away from face-to-face interaction with cameras, McConkey used his incredible skiing and BASE jumping talents as a way to show-off his unserious and jovial disposition.

Go back and watch an old Matchstick Productions movie that Shane's in from start to finish. It's amazing how the same man can make me nearly pee my pants laughing in one scene, and then completely blow my mind with a ridiculous skiing stunt/trick in the next.

McConkey's other-worldly skiing ability combined with his desire to always keep skiing fun is what will forever make him the G.O.A.T., in my eyes.

December 30th, 2023 would have been Shane's 54th birthday.

Happy Birthday Shane! Could you put in a word for us with the big man upstairs? We need snow!

Related: A Decade After Shane's Death, Sherry McConkey Builds Something New

Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.