The Story Behind The Vail Chairlift Photo
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It’s the pic with endless punchlines, but really WTF? We went to the trouble of checking our inbox and here’s what the photographer Marty Odom had to say:
“Hello, my name is Marty Odom and I live in Vail, Colorado. I am/was a photographer on the mountain for Sharpshooter imaging. On my day off I pulled up to the lift line to see a naked man hanging from the chair lift. I happen to have my own camera with me and I shot a few pics. It was Jan. 1st and I shot the best photo that I’m going to shoot all year. I then sent it in to the Vail Daily, where it got printed the next day.The liftie forgot to put the seat down on the chair and somehow the man got stuck in the position that he was in. The chair wasn’t even stopped by the liftie, someone in the lift line had to punch the button. And even though I never mentioned the company I worked for, Vail Resorts pulled my pass and it looks like I’m going to lose my job over a photo. But the photo is worth it.
“The reason for all my ranting is that I hope you guys might enjoy this photo a whole lot. And if there is any kind of contest for “super gaper” or something that maybe I could submit it. And I thought u guys might enjoy the story behind it, the fact that it was enough to lose my job over.”
What a way to start the new year. Thanks to Marty for sending the pic our way. It’s safe to say that this would never have happened on a snowboard. Let the clever comments begin …
Tags: Vail Chairlift
Current Issue: April 2009
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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
complete and utter bullshit!
1.he was not on the clock
2.he used his own cam
3.this clown and vail both really deserve this…..
I hope this helps Marty’s overall career!
Owned.
the guy would be suing anyone even if that picture wasnt posted
That looks like a wang-danglin’ good time.
This was the funniest comment i saw hah
yeeee co-signed
funniest comment this guy shouldnt be suing. this is the biggest fail i have ever seen. he doesnt deserve to sue lol. props to marty for the clutch photo though.
The Caption Should Be “IT WAS COLD OUT!”
Maybe you should offer Marty a job………..I think that’d be generous
ya thats a sick idea
the tree bonk has become the upside-down-naked-guy-helmet bonk
now with 30% more rad
give him a job
this is what happens to skiers…on the lifts.
bravo to this guy. This picture is the funniest onhill picture I have ever seen.
this guy def deserves a job if he can catch some chill fotos like this one.
hang out with your wang out
hahah, that is the best comment yet!
those are definately poo stains
Skid marks from last week
dopeeeeee
they pulled his pass at Vail!!!!!!! for what possible reason? Because he took a photo…… Ridiculous
Omg that is the best photo ever! Thanks for sharing marty
if in doubt, whip it out
thats hilarious
I’m going on record saying this whole story is fishy… I’m smelling fun with PhotoShop
youre sounding like everyone on the surf websites now
NO ITS TRUE THE RADIO STATIONS IN CALI WERE TALKING ABOUT IT
Yah…It was on Good Morning America.
Vail sucks
ha ha oh well, if hes american ,he would have probably sued even if there was a little snow on the seat anyways,, its his bailout plan for the economy,
When in doubt…. whip it out
that was me
that was joe
the liftie was a snowboarderr
If you actually believe that liftie was a snowboarder you either need glasses or you have analytical issues. You can see his foot sticking out of the lift to the right and his floating other foot’s ski in front of the kid’s foot.
looks to me like he actually shit his pants…good one joe!
hahah im sorry, but that is absolutly no reason to sue someone over. If that happened to me i would laugh my ass off and show all my friends…what a pussy.
You would laugh and never think of suing, that is, until a lawyer approaches you with the idea of how much you could get from Vail!
When Vail so quickly burns the photographer, I’m sure they would be eager to settle out of court and bury this little mishap in a snowbank.
I was an adult before I got the courage to take ski lessons. When I’m going that fast I like to have something around me…like a CAR! Well, I took lessons twice. Each and every time I’d get to the ski life I’d stand there all prepared to get on the lift BUT just before I was to get on it I’d dive forward. The chair was go on it’s path up the slope. Seeing this picture just confirms to me I DON’T belong on a ski lift. I’ll parasail no problem, but forget ski lifts! Blessings, Christine Bean, http://www.christinebean.com
no one gives a shit lady
haha, word
yeah seriously? haha who are you and why are you telling us your lifestory?
ahahahahaha!!!!
true that hahahaha
lol, this is the what the caption to the picture should say.
HAHAHAHA this is so outrageous, HOW does that happen? like really?
once a turd always a turd. next time wipe a little better.
HAHAHAH that effin funny, but its bullshit about his job, wrongful termination? and wtf pull his pass? lame!
He should look into his rights because there are certain exceptions when media is presented in the news. Especially since this photo doesnt reveal is identity. Vail and his employer maybe be infringing on his given rights and make it possible to counter sue against.
Way to go, Marty. So you’ll go w/o riding Vail-owned hills and you might have to wash dishes for a bit, but VR’s got a big black eye over their reaction, you can hit up Copper half an hour away, and your name just became worldwide knowledge overnight just because you were in the right place at the right time, so I doubt you’ll be washing dishes for long. I think you won the war.
have you been working out?
awesome picture, hope something works out for him
What does the picture have to do with someone suing them? BS!
ahah, give this man a job at TWSNOW!
so fuckin funny, gappers are so fuckin dumb there allways falling offf chairs or hanging from them…..i see this type of shit everyday i go to work at wack breck. Heres another reason to say fuck all vail resorts, after this year im never riding at one of there wack resorts again. Im a lifty at breck and after 2 seasons of bullshit it has drove me crazy, they don’t treat there core employees right at all. The people that can barely ride or never have before they came out Here get training for shit that i want to do, again FUCK VAIL RESORTS!!!!!
um so sue back for being fired wrongfully. Your job cant fire you for something you did while not on the clock. Sue the shit out of them and tie them up in court for as long as you can. And that guy has shit stains on his thigh.
every ski rider should forced to ride a lift like that!!!
If that is the way this guys employeer and vail responds because this guy took a photo on his personal time with his own camera. People should boycott both of them. Great photo Marty I LMAO.
just because your rich and ride vail doesnt mean you can get away without wiping your ass
AHAHAHAHA thats hilarious. deffinitly give him a job
How do you lose your snow pants, thermals AND undies? Haha, I wish they didn’t stop the lift so he would ride up the whole way to the top like that. But seriously, Marty could sue for wrongful firing if he gets fired. It was off the clock and there’s no way to ID the guy or the place.
Good thing he didn’t catch it from the frozen banana angle, banana being generous… baby carrot being realistic. I mean to sue over something like this? I mean come on now lets be a big boy and put the seat down ourselves. Go Marty!
PS buy a fucking ninja suit bro!
word
What’s so funny? That’s how I take the lift everytime
I feel ya man, Vail Resorts fucked me in the ass. For all of you who may be thinking about working for the company… DON’T! I have nothing good to say about the company other than they own some nice mountains. FUCK YOU VAIL RESORTS!!!!!!
Imagine what itd be like to be the kid sitting next to that cool guy
. . . and so very proud to be his son!
Yeah sure. First of all, in CO, you are an “at will” employee and can be fired any time for any reason. There is no such thing as “wrongful termination”, although lawyers would beg to differ by rattling their swords and often get settlements just to avoid civil arguments and court costs.
Secondly, this is no different than an off-duty cop. If a cop does something off duty, it is the same as if he is on-duty. This dude, Marty, worked for a publisher. He can’t claim special priviledges just because he was off the clock. Come on. He attempted to circumvent his employer. Now he is “independent”.
whatever CEO for vail. a little ass never hurt anyone. but then again this is a big ass
Marty owns full rights to any photo he shoots on his own time, unless his contract with Sharpshooter specifies otherwise. Get to know the copyright laws!
I know the guy in the pic and I can tell you he always skiis all the way to the bottom.
An asshole is exposed…. literally.
Somewhere, in this Windy Valley … is the lost Dutchman’s mine.
“Vail Resorts pulled my pass and it looks like I’m going to lose my job over a photo”
Fuck Vail. I just canceled my planned visit in February. I’ll hit up Breck instead.
Pulling a pass for taking a picture? What assholes.
Oh and the guy who is suing is a jackass.
Doesn’t Vail own Breck? Same company?
I’m glad u guys like the pic. I’ve gone national over night. I was told today that I’m still suspended but not fired yet, and they are trying to claim ownership to all the photos. And you’re right I represent them even when not working. So I will probably get sued for all the money I’ve been offered as well. I need a lawyer!
P.S. Any Job Openings??
Get a lawyer who knows COPYRIGHT LAW. They’re trying to pull a fast one on you! DO NOT GIVE IN!
It just doesn’t make sense. How can the seat be flipped up when the kid is sitting next to him just fine? And how the hell did he slide out of his pants? The ski didn’t detach from the binding, but he managed to pull his foot out of the boot? This skier must have been clowning around.
“”Madoff | 0 Props | 2009-01-07 14:14:43 0“Vail Resorts pulled my pass and it looks like I’m going to lose my job over a photo”
Fuck Vail. I just canceled my planned visit in February. I’ll hit up Breck instead.
Pulling a pass for taking a picture? What assholes.
Oh and the guy who is suing is a jackass.”"
—————————————————————-
News Flash Madoff Breck is owned by Vail Resorts Management Company
MARTY! Start with this:
http://www.editorialphoto.com/copyright/
WOW!!! first i have to congradulate the guy who took this pic, Good Job!! but second I think it is compleatly unfair that he is loosing his job and losing his pass, its not like he was even at
work. Some people are just stupid, the guy on the lift is one of those people. I think that he did this purpously just to get money cuz how the HELL!! do you slide out of your pants. I think marty did the right thing taking the pic, and i commend him for it.
Extreme. “The XXX Games”. Give him his pass back, Vail. You can let your SEO go. This guy just did more to optimize “Vail” on the web than he’ll ever do for you.
heres the sequence
http://www.break.com/index/dude-falls-off-ski-lift.html
This should be the cover of the 09′ photo issue.
That poor kid next to him will be scarred for life and need major psychological help. maybe that is why this guy is suing? to help pay for the kids shrink bills.
Ridiculous! Plenty of kids have seen their fathers wiener. This will be a laugh in the family for generations!
A new episode for “Shrinkage” on Seinfeld’s reunion show…
COVER OF ANY ISSUE, THE ASS CLOWN IN THE PHOTO DESERVES THE HUMILIATION!!!!
I want the address of guy in the picture. I will personally buy him a plaque saying “Officially the worst skier in the world, yes yes, i am that guy who has the entire lift shut down for 30 mins cuz i am a dumb ass”
I guess you can’t blame him for shitting himself.
fuck vail resorts
TRANSWORLD SNOWBOARDING NEEDS TO GIVE MARTY A JOB
You should all read this before giving marty or transworld too much credit:
http://www.vaildaly.com/article/20090108/NEWS/901089974/1001/FRONTPAGE&title=Photo%20company%20sorry%20for%20naked%20Vail%20skier%20pic
On-ya! awsome pic, surely you can’t lose your job over this , you should be get’in a BONUS!
anna what it was your brother or dad would it be so funny.does your personal privacy me so little.he shouldnt have taken the photo
If Mr Odom loses his job over this, everyone with a sense of humour should boycott Vail
screw vail! i hope marty sues and takes over vail. vail is full of snoby stuck up prick skiers anyway. i’ll never go back(that is unless marty takes over). nice pic and i hope everything works out for u marty.
This comes under freedom if information.
It is a situation that the so called celebrities have to put up with all the time.
OK, it’s the crooks’ - aka Lawyers - dreams of striking a pot of gold.
The victim should just grin and bear, and remember than thousands would give their eye teeth to attract as much attention.
owned.
thats for sure.
hahaha.
Fuck Vail!!! Come to Tahoe! You just can’t work at Heavenly…lol
LOL! I hope he was de-BRIEFED to deal with the mental/emotions scars of this traggic ordeal….
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