Skier swallowed by avalanche

Call it what you will, brave or brainless. Either way, the decision by a Canadian skier to trigger and then try to outrun an avalanche has provided one hell of a ride for us all to enjoy.

Eric Hjorleifson is a professional freeskier who has committed his life to performing the unthinkable on the world's most treacherous slopes.While most of his runs end up online and provide countless hours of entertainment for snow junkies, his latest video truly beggars belief.Shot from a camera mounted on his helmet, it shows the 31-year-old taking the plunge from a mountain peak and tackling a series of sharp drops.Within seconds an avalanche develops, but rather attempting to stop or divert course away from the monster, Hjorleifson appears to tackle it head-on.The result is a blinding mass of white that ends only when the tonnes of snow around him comes to a standstill.The relief is obvious in his voice when he uses a hand-held radio to tell his team, "I'm okay." Even a daredevil like Hjorleifson may just think twice should there be a next time.