Risky Pics?
Published March 5, 2008 | 
mini-berg!
Now I had like 20 different things to write about today, but every time I’d get halfway though I’d stop and think. . . “Nah, I’m not in the mood” and I’d move on. Stan Mac Kenzie brought up a good subject on how his club is debating if the club should show pictures of people by icebergs or not. Hmmm, the other side of that slippery slope is do you show pictures of people on tidal races? How about Tao dropping over a fall? How about paddling in fog? How about paddling without flairs and VHF plainly visible? How about paddling without sun screen? This whole concept that we don’t show pictures of people taking any sort of risk strikes me as just well, silly. Is there a risk in paddling near an iceberg? Damn straight, there is. How many people have actually been killed while paddling by an iceberg? Is the risk such that we dare not photograph it? Should we try to eliminate photographs of anything perceived to have risk? Where would you stop? No climbing pics? No NASCAR photos?
Like so many things in life we know there is inherent risk in the things we do. I like to use the example of jumping off a bridge. Just accept that you are going to jump. Ok. Well, you can just go up to the edge and leap. . . and die. SPLAT!!!! Or you can attach yourself to a well tested bungie. Odds are you will live. Your choice. One way is stupid, one way is mitigating risk.
Very few if any kayakers die when intentionally entering high risk areas. Most die in generally benign areas while making bad choices about weather, wardrobe or some other basic rule of the sport. With that in mind, a photo of a kayaker on a calm ocean on a sunny day probably puts more paddlers at risk than a photo of Tao (with or without a shirt). Frankly I don’t think the photos are the issue. The lack of education is. That, is probobly a more worthwhile conversation to be having.
What do you think??
*derrick by lake michigan mini-berg photo by john browning
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4 Responses to Risky Pics?
I think you are right, Derrick. It strikes as silly to me.
The debate is a very interesting one. Here in flatwater land, this discussion usually revolves around wearing PFDs … and, then therefore, photographing paddlers who do not have PFDs on. I don’t know about how you and your readers feel about this issue. I never, never go on the water without my PFD on. Yet, I know experienced paddlers who paddle in ultramarathon races without them. I think it’s irresponsible, but not everyone does. I classify wearing a PFD as a “basic rule of the sport,” as you put it.
What do you all think?
I read but you never explained… what’s the risk of kayaking near an iceberg?
less than 10% of an icebergs mass is above the water, that over 90% + can be very unstable and can break apart and roll at anytime, unleashing several hundred thousand pounds of ice on an unwary passerby.
think of a glacier calving an iceberg, then imagine that iceberg doing the same thing in the open ocean.