[S.K.C.]

Found this on HCOR, so I thought I'd post it here:

Link to orig. story on Busted Spoke:

http://www.bustedspoke.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=29519&start=20

RIDE FOR RICH
October 21st at Highland Mountain


On July 25th Rich was out for a ride with a few friends and broke his bike and himself in two. Rich was taken to the hospital and was paralyzed on arrival. His injuries include:
• Multi fractures to the spine including shattered vertebras
• Skull fractures (yes he was wearing his helmet)
• Crushed teeth
• Broken ribs
• Permanent hearing loss in one ear
• no health ins. Mega 6 figure med. bills (ouch)

Rich under went a 9 hours surgery where a team of surgeons fused his 2nd thru 7th vertebra with 10 inch and a half screws and two 10-inch titanium rods. Luckily, Rich is not paralyzed and has a hard head and he is here to prove it. Rich is now at home in HI, dealing with the pain in a full back brace slowly recovering.



Help support a fellow rider.

Join us October 21st at Highland Mountain to raise money for Rich. Lunch (burgers and dogs) will be available and all food donations will be sent to Rich.

(About 50 min. from Boston)




So come next week to support him.

If you can’t come and would like to send him a donation sent it to:

Richard Kendrick
452 Liberty St.
Rockland MA, 02370

Pics:

I don't know Rich, but sending thoughts and prayers to a speedy recovery.

 

[PatBranch]

S--t...Those pics are scary. What the hell did he do? That frame is messed up. Is that a big piece of dirt in the TT?
I hope he heals quick and well!

 

[mandown]

tragedy. best wishes to his recovery.

 

[PoserNewbie]

I wonder what could you possibly do to break a frame like that. Hope for a speedy recovery.

 

[intensified]

For all you folks hitin platty this wkend stop by the top parking lot and get your raffle tickets..There are some awsome prizes!!!450 in CASH, an autographed shirt donated from Lucent Productions signed by all your heros, ODI Lock on grips, and more to come..Stop by have a beer and get some tickets to help a great cause..
Rich claims he was in the best shape of his life prior to this and that is what saved him.. His spinal cord was pinched when he couldn't move and that is way to close for comfort..

 

[intensified]

I wonder what could you possibly do to break a frame like that. .

i'm leaving that one alone but as hard as it is to believe, Not Much.

 

[Bicyclist]

Damn. I hope he's got a speedy recovery. Healing vibes his way!

 

[.Pit Steelers.]

From what i heard it was a little root type jump on a mellow trail, and he fell back?....I havent talked to him since the crash but i have heard that he has been walking around his house with some help and he is doing much better. This from a freind who lives across the street from him, and whom i live a mile from.

 

[bikenweed]

Wow, just, wow. Broken backs suck. Good luck with the recoverey.

A friend of ours just broke his back at AngleFire two days before I broke my pelvis (this was 2 weeks ago) and he's already made it back to school, gone to class, and has moved back in to his old house. All with a head/neck/back brace. Rich is one lucky dude to not be paralyzed with such a horrendous wreck.

Dang, the engineers at SC must feel horrible.

 

[PoserNewbie]

I'm sure there is more to the story on that frame. A frame just does not break like that.

 

[Cant Climb]

Good to hear his not paralyzed....originally i was under the impression he was...

Hope his back heals without any major setbacks.

 

[ElTORO]

Dam that bike got f-up!!

A buddy broke his SC in the EXACT same spot!! CRAZY!!! He just hit a little 2ft drop and the frame folded on him. Prob. the exact same thing that happened here. WOW!!!

And very Scary!!

 

[dante]

I'm sure there is more to the story on that frame. A frame just does not break like that.

was wondering that too. that d/t makes it look like he cased something hard the way it's that mangled...

 

[ElTORO]

Just found out that my buddy was riding a Santa Cruz Super 8 (The last year it was produced). So it prob. had it coming.

But this guy's bike look's pretty new.

 

[LaytonDH]

I'm sure there is more to the story on that frame. A frame just does not break like that.

That frame is gaining a reputation for that.

 

[Biscuit]

Sounds like he hit the ground hard. Best wishes to a full recovery.

was wondering that too. that d/t makes it look like he cased something hard the way it's that mangled...

e-spec: It looks to me by how broken it is (the bike and him) that most bikes probably would have failed under the same circumstances.

It looks to me like the top tube sheared (clean break) then the down tube bent and tore (hence the dent's and deformation). I would guess he nosed into something really hard. really really hard.

 

[gotnoname19]

Its suprising how easy it is to snap a frame like that. I was watching some kids DJ at whister last year, and some sponsored Ventana rider cased a jump, and his frame snapped clean at the TT and DT. We couldnt believe it. Wasnt really that bad of a case. This all makes me feel very uneasy about riding my Santa Cruz.

 

[k9handler]

I doubt it's really a SC fault as the metal tubing failed...not a weld or butted joint. Really makes you think about the bike you ride when you see something like this. Time to buy an SC since incidents like this may cause people to sale em off cheap. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

[Yeti]

e-spec: It looks to me by how broken it is (the bike and him) that most bikes probably would have failed under the same circumstances.

It looks to me like the top tube sheared (clean break) then the down tube bent and tore (hence the dent's and deformation). I would guess he nosed into something really hard. really really hard.

would be interesting to see some CAE simulation about hard nose diving. Man i really wish the best recovery and hope he gets to raise enough money for the bills, i don t want to be a s ucker but this kind of gives u a reason to have an insurance.

 

[caputo1989]

Glad to hear that he is walking. Best wishes for him and his family/friends.

 

[dw]

Whoa damn! I just saw this for the first time. Heal up quick Rich!

Anyone who knows Rich will tell you he is smiling 99% of the time. What a great guy. Doesn't Rich live in Hawaii now? Its been a couple years since I have seen him. Whose address is the Rockland one? I want to help, just want to make sure I get to the right person..

Dave

 

[.Pit Steelers.]

Yeah he lives in Hawaii, like i said in my earleys post i hear he is doing fine from a freind who lives across the street and whom i live a mile or some from.

 

[intensified]

rich has since made huge steps and is back to riding, what he loves to do. he got bumped from the pro class and glad we an keep up with him now

 

[Hesh To Steel]

I hadn't even started riding when he got hurt, but glad to hear he's doing much better now. I hope he's got insurance now! I can't imagine riding without it, and I'm not even a big risk-taker.

 

[heavy metal]

I just saw him the other day. All smiles, just got back from riding. Rich is the man!