This is the kind of “hat trick” we suggest you avoid. Girdwood, Alaska snowmobiler David Frederikson, 30, has deployed his Float airbag three times in avalanches: once at Hatcher Pass in 2010 and twice in one season at Thompson Pass in 2012. He said he stayed on top every time. Frederikson insists that the position of the Float airbag behind his neck and head enabled him to see where he was going and to fight his way out of the main debris flow. Our suggestion: take an avalanche course and work on your terrain selection! Airbags are no substitute for good judgment.