Companies to send new gear to snowboarder after life threatening tangle with mountain lion

It happened just a state away but should serve as a good reminder to be aware of your surroundings when enjoying recreational time in the Rocky Mountains.

As originally reported by KSL-TV, Utah snowboarder Charlie Duffy ended up in a fight for his life after coming face to face with a mountain lion.

Duffy stated, “a little less than halfway through, I started to see some fresh paw prints.” As he was hiking with snowboard off the path, he added, “and that just got me, you know, on edge. Aware of my surroundings, just constantly looking around.” He then said, “I looked over my left shoulder and, you know, five or six feet behind me, about three or four feet up I saw a mountain lion.”

The lion leapt forward. Duffy retaliated by striking it with his snowboard to protect himself. Duffy said “it kind of got me on the neck when it was pouncing. Just a tiny bit – just grazed it. Nothing piercing the skin.” The lion also snagged his jacket sleeve. “It kind of got it, ripped it up a good bit,” he said.

The cat came at him once again and Duffy used his board to hold him off. He explained, “just took my board and was just protecting its mouth, just not letting the mouth get to me and just push it back.”

Duffy wrote in an Instagram post, “I kept pushing it back, and it eventually ran off very disoriented.” He added, “I am lucky to be here today and to only receive a couple of small scratches from the cat.”

After his story was shared on Instagram, snowboard manufacturer Nitro stepped up to say they would send Duffy a new board. Also, 686 – the maker of the jacket Duffy wore – also pledged to send new gear.