at the end i was thinking, “you fool! he’s ducked into the brush so he can circle around and sneak up behind you!”
also, if he was skiing backwards through this, wow. no wonder he’s the instructor.
3 Likes
Oh this is great! Where’s the “Poke the Bear” button? 
2 Likes
ya, I wondered if he was, or just somehow holding the camera facing away. There are times when you have to put the camera down, though .
1 Like
Geez, as calm as the instructors remains that must have been an adrenaline rush. It doesn’t look like that the bear is moving at top speed, maybe the snow is a factor there.
I remember being taught that a good (eta: questionable and anecdotal …) bear evasion strategy when on a hillside is to run downhill. (The way this possibly flawed strategy was explained was:) Bears can cover ground extremely quickly, but are relatively slower and less maneuverable (due to having to control their considerable mass) when having to negotiate a downhill slope. Humans can have an advantage in that regard, but outrunning them on flat ground usually doesn’t work out.
4 Likes
So wait - is he skiing backwards to film?
2 Likes
Watch: Another skier chased by bear, this one relentless, baring teeth
The skier was relentless and baring teeth?
3 Likes
Not according to the official sources I’ve found:
3 Likes
Thanks for those, updated my post to reflect that info and hopefully avoid spreading misinformation generalizing bears athletic shortcomings!
2 Likes
Wile E Bruin
3 Likes
uh oh, think you “boing’d” it, the time lapse still hasn’t loaded 
Coola is a great name for a bear, though. From Bella Coola, a small community in B.C. My cousine lives there her whole life, she is a very avid hiker and has had lots of encounters with the Grizzly. Her pal Leonard runs this place devoted to the beasts:
3 Likes
I’m pretty sure this old joke still applies though:
4 Likes
Put the damned camera away!
1 Like
Exit, pursued by a Bear.
William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale
4 Likes
4 Likes
You are my spirit animal.
1 Like
5 Likes
I think maybe he has one of those cameras where you can rotate the fold out screen and see what the screen shows as you film yourself or whatever is behind you.
2 Likes
OMG I’d totally forgotten about SkiFree!
3 Likes
Ex-Ski Instructor here. Yes, he skied that backwards. When he first takes off, he’s facing away from the bear, and the way he whips around to get the bear back in frame is exactly the way it looks when you pirouette to switch between skiing forwards and backwards. He does it twice more when he gets further down the slope and needs to warn other skiers about the bear.
That looks like green terrain, it’s well groomed with a nice, packed surface. This is ideal for skiing backwards, but he does it with an ease that speaks to how much time he spends on skis and that slope in particular. It’s not the hardest trick, and he isn’t doing it super fast (gotta let the bear think he’s got a chance), but he does it super smoothly and manages the camera, the bear and watches for obstacles and skiers all at the same time. It was beautiful to watch, and I have a lot of respect for him as a fellow skier.
10 Likes
In the end, the bear suddenly gives up and makes its way back into the woods.
Bears: nature’s quitters.
5 Likes
