[DLo]

I have a friend who fell on July 4th on his head at the Calabazas jumps. Broke 3 vertebrae, and lost feeling in his lower body. He's recovering slowly and progressing I hope. But the thing is, about a week ago I remembered an instance that occured around last november. Maybe some of you will recall this, but I posted a short video clip of a guy who went off on us (a group of about 10 riders) when my friend was getting ready to jump off a school roof. We took him calmly, and never once uttered a single word of profanity, though we did throw back some quick jabs at him. He on the other hand, was out of control.. and this was in front of his wife, who was holding a toddler. He had told us that he was a professor at Stanford University, but when I got home that day, I couldn't find a single thing about him. Strangely enough, last night I saw him on the news, found out he was a poly sci professor indeed, and got the correct spelling of his name. Pretty easy to find out his faculty information after that.

What struck me hard is what this guy said to us that day. I remember his words to the line of, "I hope you fall off that roof or something and tomorrow I read about some idiot in the newspaper who broke his neck." Well, now look at the condition my friend is in.. it never occured to me until I remembered this guy a week ago. It's strange how events happen. I usually don't believe in this superstitious "crap," but this was way too odd for me to just dismiss it.

I couldn't sleep very well last night, so I guess I just have to let this out somewhere. Right now part of me wants to head over to his office and wait for him, then just leave him mauled. But I suppose that wouldn't solve much. Thank you for reading. Guess we should really watch what comes out of our mouths

 

[SkaredShtles]

It's not a "curse" - it's a result of playing dangerous games. Nothing more. Jumping off roofs, dirtjumping, mt biking, road biking - all have their relative risks (some higher than others).

Eventually someone breaks their neck...... just ask FullTrucker.

-S.S.-

 

[dh girlie]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Calabazas has taken many a rider out. Hopefully he will have a full recovery.

As for the curse...I totally believe it, but I won't act on it. Once when I was explaining to my grandma how dowhilling worked, and that I was going, and she told me not hurt myself. Well I went to Northstar and I could not get outta my pedal in time and washed out and twisted my knee on Karpiel and it was jacked up for about a month. I can't really maul my grandma for that though. But anytime anyone says something like don't break something...I say DON'T JINX ME BASTARD!!!

 

[tmx]

Jeez, there must be a load of these brilliant arseholes out there because I witnessed the exact same thing when I was in Utah while someone was filming a friend roof-hucking. Some random irate plonker spewing horrible wishes upon the skilled rider, it was unbelievable he was wishing my friend to break his neck. We too kept calm, no cursing, trying to reason with him, but he wasn't having any of it. Just wanted to see my friend destroyed by a fall.

Happens frequently in NYC with the rough-around-the-edges kids yelling at you mid-flight that they hope you crash. Sadly, it's come to be expected and doesn't seem quite as intense as hearing it from someone such as this professor or the old fart in Utah.

I do not believe that professor caused your friends injury, but I do see why you'd come to think of that incident while grappling with thoughts and feelings in regards to the challenges your friend must be facing and even possibly the fear you might also be dealing with.

Wishing your friend swift healing.

 

[DßR]

Curse? I know this is probably a heavy weight for you to deal with (friend's injury) but remember -- he was DIRT JUMPING which is inherently very dangerous to one's head/neck. That stuff does come with the territory to a certain extent; I think it would be extremely tenuous to blame your bud's injury on the flippant remark some douche made a year ago.

 

[DLo]

That's what I think too. Like I said, I don't usually believe in curses and the like, but... this was just waaaaaaaaaaaay too weird. He wasn't hittin anything big either. First jump of the day I heard. What's done is done, but either way, how can one wish such harm on another individual? It's not like we terrorized him and spray painted his car or some junk. I'd kind of expect a little more out of a political science professor, as well as a parent at that.

 

[Skookum]

That's what I think too. Like I said, I don't usually believe in curses and the like, but... this was just waaaaaaaaaaaay too weird. He wasn't hittin anything big either. First jump of the day I heard. What's done is done, but either way, how can one wish such harm on another individual? It's not like we terrorized him and spray painted his car or some junk. I'd kind of expect a little more out of a political science professor, as well as a parent at that.

i'm holding a voodoo tiki doll right now and poking this professor with safety pins and burning him over pages of the bible, then i'm going to smother the charred remains in peanut butter. i really think this will take care of the problem.

 

[DVNT]

I'm hoping for this curse, I can't stand this guy ever since he stabbed those guys outside the Cobalt.

You're probably going to hear a lot about the Madden curse this year, how every player who has been on the cover has had bad things happen to them.

Ray Lewis: That's a thing I believe nothing about. I don't believe a thing about a curse. I don't understand how we can talk about a curse. You have to remember, God is blessed and man can't curse, no matter how hard they try. Whatever your path is, that's your path.

 

[DLo]

i'm holding a voodoo tiki doll right now and poking this professor with safety pins and burning him over pages of the bible, then i'm going to smother the charred remains in peanut butter. i really think this will take care of the problem.

Sweet! Do me a favor and piss n spit on it too!

 

[Skookum]

Sweet! Do me a favor and piss n spit on it too!

No that's taking it a little too far. Only kooky people do that kinda stuff.

 

[douglas]

That's what I think too. Like I said, I don't usually believe in curses and the like, but... this was just waaaaaaaaaaaay too weird. He wasn't hittin anything big either. First jump of the day I heard. What's done is done, but either way, how can one wish such harm on another individual? It's not like we terrorized him and spray painted his car or some junk. I'd kind of expect a little more out of a political science professor, as well as a parent at that.

sarcasm...look it up

 

[WestCoastHucker]

i always get reamed for no helmet at calabazzas, people say all kinds of rude/mean stuff. but when i do bang my mellon, i never think of anybody but me to be at fault, nor do i even think about some snide comment thrown at me when i fall victim to a similar experience as what a malicious person says they hope happens to me. doo doo occurs......

 

[Skookum]

i always get reamed for no helmet at calabazzas, people say all kinds of rude/mean stuff. but when i do bang my mellon, i never think of anybody but me to be at fault, nor do i even think about some snide comment thrown at me when i fall victim to a similar experience as what a malicious person says they hope happens to me. doo doo occurs......

yah snide/mean things don't work, the only time i really thought about wearing a helmet seriously was when i visited a freind who was comatose for a couple of weeks after a motorcycle accident. The prospect of being alive yet being brain dead is something i wouldn't want to put anyone thru, an extremely selfish thing on my part if laid that on my loved ones. i'd rather just die being gored on a tree from falling off a cliff, much better way....

 

[mpd510]

yah snide/mean things don't work, the only time i really thought about wearing a helmet seriously was when i visited a freind who was comatose for a couple of weeks after a motorcycle accident. The prospect of being alive yet being brain dead is something i wouldn't want to put anyone thru, an extremely selfish thing on my part if laid that on my loved ones. i'd rather just die being gored on a tree from falling off a cliff, much better way....

Not to mention..if i have to quit riding early to take your dumba$$ to the hospital from a minor crash that split your nugget. I would be pissed...

 

[golgiaparatus]

Curse? I know this is probably a heavy weight for you to deal with (friend's injury) but remember -- he was DIRT JUMPING which is inherently very dangerous to one's head/neck. That stuff does come with the territory to a certain extent; I think it would be extremely tenuous to blame your bud's injury on the flippant remark some douche made a year ago.

Word more riders are seriously hurt dirt jumping than any other way IMHO. Its one of those thing that if you mess up too bad you are going down REALLY hard.

 

[Acadian]

Word more riders are seriously hurt dirt jumping than any other way IMHO. Its one of those thing that if you mess up too bad you are going down REALLY hard.

and sometimes hurt REAL bad...

 

[WestCoastHucker]

Word more riders are seriously hurt dirt jumping than any other way IMHO. Its one of those thing that if you mess up too bad you are going down REALLY hard.

no way.... when DJing a typical fall is at less than 10mph falling straight down, while DHing a typical crash is over 10mph and usually involves some flipping. i refuse to believe your train of thought.....

the only reason more riders are injured DJing is because they do it more often. i DJ daily but DH weekly, my worst DJ crash could not touch my worst DH crash.......