Kedrowski: 2016 Ski Project Controversy

[bergsteigen]

I really appreciate the other perspective Ted, as I've really tried to wrap my brain around what was going on. It's so hard to gauge what he was really thinking, since I've only been around him once, but that was in a big crowd on a summit.

I had hoped that by pointing out that certain 'descents' like Blanca just weren't feasible at that particular time (and after seeing the photo from that day, have to agree it was out), that he would go and repeat the ski when there was continuous snow. When I was up on nearby Twin Peaks A this spring, there was more than enough snow to ski. So it's not like the peak was not in skiable condition this season (though it may have been core shot central).

I have a really good friend that had a project to 'Snowboard on every 14er in 1 season', but he fell short. He was never going to claim any of the descents, as he was doing it mainly for himself. I was really hoping he could do it, as that would have been quite the accomplishment. Though, he was completely transparent that he would down climb to the top of the snowboard-able snow in his trip reports.

Like you, I have zero tolerance for lying and manipulation, which seems to be running rampant in this tale.

[eyost11]

http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=034 ... e323ee88f6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Latest update from JK.
I wish that his winter ski season had been presented in a manner that would have allowed him to be credited for his accomplishments since they were significant.
Obviously, the 14er ski community was correct in requiring him to meet the existing standards before claiming any records.
I share JK's passion for mountaineering in Colorado and wish him much success in the future.

[SnowAlien]

I’m not sure what you do here. He says he’s not claiming, everyone around him says he is. He says because he isn’t going for a record he can count his descents as complete, everyone around him says he can’t. And that’s where we are.

Thanks Ted for chiming in. You and Dav are probably the only people that can still get through to him. Everyone else is dismissed as a "hater".

The way I am reading his revised newsletter is as "I still skied all the 14ers, but there's no record". He also states it on his Instagram profile as "skied them all".

What does Lou Dawson think about all this? Didn't he post something in Jason Ivanic case?

http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20060 ... 8/60606006" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Somewhat of a Prick]

Anyone got a link to his snowmass TR? Either it's been deleted or I'm just not finding it.

[MonGoose]

Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of hearing Chris Davenport speak on four separate occasions, Andrew Hamilton once, and Ted & Christy Mahon recently. All of these outstanding mountaineers came across as extremely humble and personable people. Their projects share a few common themes which include: adhering to strict guidelines, a sense of camaraderie and respect for those who went before them, facing adversity, encouragement of others and lastly, a sense of style and class. When Davenport set out so ski all the 14ers in 2006, he was unable to meet his deadline. He chose to continue his project the following winter and became the first person to ski the 14ers in one year. Despite the delay, Davenport's high standards and commitment to integrity earned him the praise of his predecessor.

"... skiers are realizing that standards produce value and they have embraced concepts such as using human power for ascents and making extraordinary efforts to ski from exact summits wherever possible. This combination of skill tempered by concrete goals is what makes Davenport's fourteener project so compelling and this, in turn, bodes well for the sport." - Lou Dawson, in Ski the 14ers (2007)

When Andrew Hamilton attempted the 14er speed record in 2014, he fell short of his goal due to bad weather and nagging injuries. He came back stronger in 2015 and against incredible odds, shattered a record which had stood for well over a decade. Coming down from Longs Peak on his final 14er descent, he was greeted by a crowd of adoring fans and supporters which included the previous record holder Cave Dog (Ted Keizer), who had flown in from the west coast that afternoon to congratulate him personally.

When I attended Dr. Jon's talk this spring at the CMC, I was taken aback by his level of narcissism which I would say rivaled Charlie Sheen. Dr. Jon's presentation was so ludicrous, all I could do was laugh as he shared video clips of other extreme athletes, mountain bikers and kayakers, mixed in with his own interviews - giving the impression that he possessed all those abilities. Throughout his talk, his guidelines for mountaineering were very vague and I was often confused as to whether the people in the photographs, which often included Davenport and the Mahon's, were actually with him on the mountain. As far as I could tell, he never lied outright during his presentation but instead, repeatedly gave the false impression of accomplishing far more than he actually had. Like Chris Davenport and Andrew Hamilton, Dr. Jon had the support and encouragement of those who went before him. In fact, they even joined him in an effort to help him achieve his goal. But when JK came up short, he altered his sense of reality by maintaining that he had indeed accomplished his goal and surpassed his predecessors. Which in turn, earned him the rebuke of his predecessors. This is the ultimate failure, being ostracized by the community for of a lack of integrity.

Dr. Jon, no one is questioning your effort, passion or desire to succeed. If you could learn humility and how to treat people with respect, you could be a hero within this community. Instead your unrelenting desire for success, self-promotion, false claims and blatant disrespect for others have alienated you from this community and in the process, cheapened the accomplishments of many great mountaineers.

[zdero1]

Kedrowski-

Have you taken the time to ponder the irony of your first and last initials?

Also- GoPro from top to bottom on each peak or it didn't happen.

[appleseeds]

Dr. Jon.... Dr. Jon.... Dr. Jon.... Dr. Jon....

His insistence on being called Dr is silly.

[Somewhat of a Prick]

http://14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f= ... &start=132" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looks like Zdero has an uncanny ability to call a spade a spade. Well done. I wonder if all the people attacking Zdero in that thread still feel that "Dr" Jon was acting out of sheer benevolence to have that injured climber photographed and written about....


For what it's worth, I have assisted one badly injured climber and I never once thought about taking out my camera. And as an amateur photographer, I take photos of just about anything while hiking.

[12ersRule]

Instead your unrelenting desire for success, self-promotion, false claims and blatant disrespect for others have alienated you from this community and in the process, cheapened the accomplishments of many great mountaineers.

Mongoose, dancing on top of 14ers cheapens them.

[justiner]

Ted, it sounds like you at least acted like a friend would. Ultimately, we can only control the actions of ourselves. Like many, I don't understand JK's actions, as they only tarnish his own image. We can't celebrate his accomplishments as easily with all the other funny stuff going on.

Take it easy, out there.

[ezabielski]

From his newsletter*

Original:

A few people in the past have been able to descend those same sections without taking off their skis, so they basically said what I did wasn't official enough to be able to say I skied all the 14ers in record time. At the end of the day, I really am not that concerned. I still skied every single 14,000' peak in Colorado in 160 days, faster and more efficiently than any other person ever has. I still skied every peak for thousands of vertical feet, putting forth more effort and work in on those peaks than had ever been done before.

Updated:

A few people in the past have been able to descend those same sections without taking off their skis, so they basically said what I did wasn't official enough to be able to say I skied all the 14ers in record time. At the end of the day, there are standards that have to be upheld. I still skied every single 14,000' peak in Colorado in 160 days, and skied as much as I was able to, faster and more efficiently possibly than ever before. I still skied every peak for thousands of vertical feet, putting forth more effort and work in on those peaks at times to try to return to some of them and even do multiple attempts and multiple descents, possibly even rivaling anything than had ever been done before in such a short time frame.

Notice the similarities and the differences. Also why does he keep saying 160 days?


*Why does someone need a newsletter about themselves?

[Sean Nunn]

I cannot claim to have read all 4567 posts in this thread. I just read the most recent page or so. I did read somewhere that someone said he wasn't claiming any kind of record. That makes the title of this link kind of interesting:

http://www.14erskirecord.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;