First off, I’d like to thank the girl who was there to keep my mind off the pain (Pink and White jersey with short blonde hair, had a teammate who injured her wrist) – I don’t know who you are, but thanks for the help. I needed someone there to keep me thinking and talking, even if I couldn’t get the breath to do so. I also want to thank Ken Walters, George Ryan, and every single rider who was there that helped look after me, my bike, and carry me off the course on Saturday afternoon – I appreciate what you did for me more than words can say.
So… The good news is that there is no damage to my spinal column. After I was taken to St. Claire’s in Sussex I got a sh!tload of x-rays and then a lift to ***** Hospital in my hometown of ****** for more tests. CT scans at Valley were negative for fractures in my thoracic spine where I took the hit, ( I think around T5 and T6) and the chest x-rays from St. Claire’s were negative for broken ribs (at first). No blood in my kidneys and my liver was O.K. too. Fortunately there really isn’t any bad news, unless you count not being able to cough without blacking out. :biggrin: The ER doc at Valley said there was still the possibility of having some cracked ribs, but he felt everything was O.K.. My back was pretty jacked up and the back of my ribcage on my right side was super sore. On the way out of Valley ER last night the doc gave me a prescription for some “Hollywood Tabs”, but I think I’m gonna stay away from that sh!t for now.
… and I don’t want any of you crackheads out there tryin’ to hit me up for some, because I don’t want to aid and abet in the abuse of narcotics. :biggrin:
I thought everything was fine – still had a ton of pain in my lower right back/side, but thought I was O.K. since everything was negative at Valley. Then the following night, I get a call from the Ortho doc at St. Claire’s Sunday evening and he tells me flat out that I’ve got 2 broken ribs #9 and 10 on my right side. SO then I had to go back to Valley to figure out what the hell was going on, - and sure enough, they confirmed it. What the other doc in the ER at Valley said the day before was correct – I would be fine and needed no further treatment, but he didn’t mention the broken ribs. The treatment is just bed rest – they don’t like to wrap rib injuries because it prevents the patient from inhaling all the way and this puts them at risk for pneumonia.
What still doesn’t register with me is the fact that I didn’t suffer any other damage. Both ER docs said I was REALLY lucky that it wasn’t any worse – meaning paralysis. It was a miracle that I walked out of this with nothing more than some scratches, a sore back, and 2 broken ribs. If it weren’t for the back-plate in my Dainese body armor, things would have been… worse.
What happened:
It was a beautiful day on Saturday at Diablo – cool breeze, blue skies, and sunny. The conditions on the course were perfect – not too dry, not too damp but just right. So I took 2 practice runs and went slow, getting off my bike to scope out my lines. I stood on the side of the course at the top of the first rock garden and was talking to a photog that was sponsored by Sinister. He and I discussed the different options, and then from there, I figured out what the best line would be for me. Then I got off my bike before the second rock garden and did the same – talked to some riders, scoped out the lines and got a feel for what would be best suited to my capabilities. I can remember walking to the bottom of that 2nd section and making a mental note of this rock that was shaped like a tombstone (unsettling) in the entrance to the corner which stuck up straight out of the ground after this big rectangular block of rock. I remember looking at that thing and thinking, “Man, I’d better not hit that – gotta stay to the inside of the corner when I come off that block.” So I felt pretty confident and decided to go for a 3rd run. Cleared both rock gardens without any problems – stayed on my pre-determined lines and made it though. I remember thinking on the lift ride back up that it felt easy… too easy, but I didn’t pay much attention to that. I didn’t feel over-confident or that I dominated the course – I still had a healthy fear of the tricky sections – it’s just that I felt a lot smoother than usual… and it felt weird.
So here comes the forth run: I decide to crank up my speed a bit, and try to carry a bit more going through the second rock garden. This combined with not being completely focused and not remembering exactly where that tombstone was is why I wrecked. I hugged the wall to my left on the off-camber entrance to the 2nd rock garden, braked, and then cut across to the right toward the giant rectangular rock slab. I was so focused on my front wheel and the obstacles coming at me that I didn’t re-adjust my field of vision and look ahead of me into the turn while I was on the giant block of rock. Instead of cutting to the inside of the corner off of the rock slab, I went straight, and landed just before the tombstone.
Immediately after I landed, the front wheel hit the tombstone rock, so I tried to absorb as much as I could. After the front end cleared it, I braked as best I could w/o locking up but it wasn’t helping. At this point I’ve got one foot off the pedals and was doing a nose-wheelie. I’m not sure what happened after that but at some point I decided to tuck and roll instead of jumping over the bars, so I put my left arm out, tucked my left shoulder and rolled. My lower body came around, with my legs extended, and while I was still upside down in mid-forward somersault, that’s when my back slammed into a tree. I didn’t hear it, but I felt a “CRUNCH” in my back, bounced off the tree, and then landed with my feet facing down hill somehow. When everything stopped, I was immediately doing a systems check on my body, and could move my legs and feet – no tingling, but I could feel a TON of pain in my back – but at least I could FEEL, so that was some good news. What really freaked me out was that on top of the pain in my lower back, it was excruciating to take a breath. I thought for sure that I had some broken ribs in my lower back and maybe cracked vertebrae. So I’m taking all these little shallow breaths to try and get oxygen into my body, and that’s when everyone showed up. Once again, to each and every one of you who helped me that day, “Thank You”. The thing that comforted me the most was to see everyone around me, looking after me. That made ALL the difference.
The blonde-haired girl in the Pink/White jersey was the first person to get to me, and she, along with a bunch of riders kept me company until the medics showed up.
On a side note: Some guy rode his bike within an inch of my head and the girl next to me, while I was laying there unable to move on the side of the course …. I could say more about that, but won’t at this time.
Got the full-on backboard treatment and a ride in the pickup to the bottom. I don’t know who was driving, but they did an awesome job of making it as smooth as possible – I know how bumpy that fire road is.
I love racing DH, but that was just too much of a close call. For me, the risks of racing DH outweigh the benefits, so I’ve decided to retire from racing. I know Eric Carter had a similar off-the bike experience, and now I completely understand his decision to stop racing DH. I was almost going to stop riding completely, but that Sunday IS a pretty sweet bike… :biggrin:
I’m out until September, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see me at the Diablo races just hanging out, or as a Course Marshall there.
Nothing has really changed, other than the fact that I won’t be racing anymore.
From now on, a clock will not dictate how fast I go down the mountain – it’s just gonna be me, my boys, and some sweet runs down whatever trails we feel like.
The downhill riding community of today reminds me of what it was like when I first started snowboarding almost 14 years ago - it's a tight-knit community where we all try to look out for one another and take care of our own. That’s why I’ll always love DH. That’s why I’ll always RIDE.
C.K. (My real first name)
So… The good news is that there is no damage to my spinal column. After I was taken to St. Claire’s in Sussex I got a sh!tload of x-rays and then a lift to ***** Hospital in my hometown of ****** for more tests. CT scans at Valley were negative for fractures in my thoracic spine where I took the hit, ( I think around T5 and T6) and the chest x-rays from St. Claire’s were negative for broken ribs (at first). No blood in my kidneys and my liver was O.K. too. Fortunately there really isn’t any bad news, unless you count not being able to cough without blacking out. :biggrin: The ER doc at Valley said there was still the possibility of having some cracked ribs, but he felt everything was O.K.. My back was pretty jacked up and the back of my ribcage on my right side was super sore. On the way out of Valley ER last night the doc gave me a prescription for some “Hollywood Tabs”, but I think I’m gonna stay away from that sh!t for now.
… and I don’t want any of you crackheads out there tryin’ to hit me up for some, because I don’t want to aid and abet in the abuse of narcotics. :biggrin: I thought everything was fine – still had a ton of pain in my lower right back/side, but thought I was O.K. since everything was negative at Valley. Then the following night, I get a call from the Ortho doc at St. Claire’s Sunday evening and he tells me flat out that I’ve got 2 broken ribs #9 and 10 on my right side. SO then I had to go back to Valley to figure out what the hell was going on, - and sure enough, they confirmed it. What the other doc in the ER at Valley said the day before was correct – I would be fine and needed no further treatment, but he didn’t mention the broken ribs. The treatment is just bed rest – they don’t like to wrap rib injuries because it prevents the patient from inhaling all the way and this puts them at risk for pneumonia.
What still doesn’t register with me is the fact that I didn’t suffer any other damage. Both ER docs said I was REALLY lucky that it wasn’t any worse – meaning paralysis. It was a miracle that I walked out of this with nothing more than some scratches, a sore back, and 2 broken ribs. If it weren’t for the back-plate in my Dainese body armor, things would have been… worse.
What happened:
It was a beautiful day on Saturday at Diablo – cool breeze, blue skies, and sunny. The conditions on the course were perfect – not too dry, not too damp but just right. So I took 2 practice runs and went slow, getting off my bike to scope out my lines. I stood on the side of the course at the top of the first rock garden and was talking to a photog that was sponsored by Sinister. He and I discussed the different options, and then from there, I figured out what the best line would be for me. Then I got off my bike before the second rock garden and did the same – talked to some riders, scoped out the lines and got a feel for what would be best suited to my capabilities. I can remember walking to the bottom of that 2nd section and making a mental note of this rock that was shaped like a tombstone (unsettling) in the entrance to the corner which stuck up straight out of the ground after this big rectangular block of rock. I remember looking at that thing and thinking, “Man, I’d better not hit that – gotta stay to the inside of the corner when I come off that block.” So I felt pretty confident and decided to go for a 3rd run. Cleared both rock gardens without any problems – stayed on my pre-determined lines and made it though. I remember thinking on the lift ride back up that it felt easy… too easy, but I didn’t pay much attention to that. I didn’t feel over-confident or that I dominated the course – I still had a healthy fear of the tricky sections – it’s just that I felt a lot smoother than usual… and it felt weird.
So here comes the forth run: I decide to crank up my speed a bit, and try to carry a bit more going through the second rock garden. This combined with not being completely focused and not remembering exactly where that tombstone was is why I wrecked. I hugged the wall to my left on the off-camber entrance to the 2nd rock garden, braked, and then cut across to the right toward the giant rectangular rock slab. I was so focused on my front wheel and the obstacles coming at me that I didn’t re-adjust my field of vision and look ahead of me into the turn while I was on the giant block of rock. Instead of cutting to the inside of the corner off of the rock slab, I went straight, and landed just before the tombstone.
Immediately after I landed, the front wheel hit the tombstone rock, so I tried to absorb as much as I could. After the front end cleared it, I braked as best I could w/o locking up but it wasn’t helping. At this point I’ve got one foot off the pedals and was doing a nose-wheelie. I’m not sure what happened after that but at some point I decided to tuck and roll instead of jumping over the bars, so I put my left arm out, tucked my left shoulder and rolled. My lower body came around, with my legs extended, and while I was still upside down in mid-forward somersault, that’s when my back slammed into a tree. I didn’t hear it, but I felt a “CRUNCH” in my back, bounced off the tree, and then landed with my feet facing down hill somehow. When everything stopped, I was immediately doing a systems check on my body, and could move my legs and feet – no tingling, but I could feel a TON of pain in my back – but at least I could FEEL, so that was some good news. What really freaked me out was that on top of the pain in my lower back, it was excruciating to take a breath. I thought for sure that I had some broken ribs in my lower back and maybe cracked vertebrae. So I’m taking all these little shallow breaths to try and get oxygen into my body, and that’s when everyone showed up. Once again, to each and every one of you who helped me that day, “Thank You”. The thing that comforted me the most was to see everyone around me, looking after me. That made ALL the difference.
The blonde-haired girl in the Pink/White jersey was the first person to get to me, and she, along with a bunch of riders kept me company until the medics showed up.
On a side note: Some guy rode his bike within an inch of my head and the girl next to me, while I was laying there unable to move on the side of the course …. I could say more about that, but won’t at this time.
Got the full-on backboard treatment and a ride in the pickup to the bottom. I don’t know who was driving, but they did an awesome job of making it as smooth as possible – I know how bumpy that fire road is.
I love racing DH, but that was just too much of a close call. For me, the risks of racing DH outweigh the benefits, so I’ve decided to retire from racing. I know Eric Carter had a similar off-the bike experience, and now I completely understand his decision to stop racing DH. I was almost going to stop riding completely, but that Sunday IS a pretty sweet bike… :biggrin:
I’m out until September, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see me at the Diablo races just hanging out, or as a Course Marshall there.
Nothing has really changed, other than the fact that I won’t be racing anymore.
From now on, a clock will not dictate how fast I go down the mountain – it’s just gonna be me, my boys, and some sweet runs down whatever trails we feel like.
The downhill riding community of today reminds me of what it was like when I first started snowboarding almost 14 years ago - it's a tight-knit community where we all try to look out for one another and take care of our own. That’s why I’ll always love DH. That’s why I’ll always RIDE.
C.K. (My real first name)
.
