i´ve always thought ot downhill racing as fun times with friends, some beers and the usual heckling....
almost always, someone would eat dirt hard... bruises had become customary; but almost never serious enough to get in the way of the heckling.
yesterday was practice for today´s (cancelled) race.
at 4pm, after many runs, people were getting ready to leave, when the most bizarre thing happened.
a rider, 23 years old guy racing hardtails, went down hard on the brand new race line.
the next rider on track, stopped at the sight of the guy laying 10ft below the race line.
the rider was unconsious. people freaked and paramedics were called. minutes later, the guy was pronouced dead on the scene.
now, this has happened on very familiar trail on public land, a place where we had done hundreds on laps before.
by local laws, the paramedics could not move the body, and the cops and coroner had to be called.
so there we were... several riders absolutely dumbfounded, sitting at the bottom of the track, with a few guys standing next to his deceased friend in the middle of the trail; waiting with a cop, while the coroner and the family arrived.
saddest thing ever really. no words to describe the feeling of vagueness, emptyness and incredulity in the air for the next 3 hours while the coroner arrived; and there was nothing we could do about, but wait.
damn, had a hard time last night sleeping.
such a young guy, such an stupid way to die.
rest in peace, ever.
almost always, someone would eat dirt hard... bruises had become customary; but almost never serious enough to get in the way of the heckling.
yesterday was practice for today´s (cancelled) race.
at 4pm, after many runs, people were getting ready to leave, when the most bizarre thing happened.
a rider, 23 years old guy racing hardtails, went down hard on the brand new race line.
the next rider on track, stopped at the sight of the guy laying 10ft below the race line.
the rider was unconsious. people freaked and paramedics were called. minutes later, the guy was pronouced dead on the scene.
now, this has happened on very familiar trail on public land, a place where we had done hundreds on laps before.
by local laws, the paramedics could not move the body, and the cops and coroner had to be called.
so there we were... several riders absolutely dumbfounded, sitting at the bottom of the track, with a few guys standing next to his deceased friend in the middle of the trail; waiting with a cop, while the coroner and the family arrived.
saddest thing ever really. no words to describe the feeling of vagueness, emptyness and incredulity in the air for the next 3 hours while the coroner arrived; and there was nothing we could do about, but wait.
damn, had a hard time last night sleeping.
such a young guy, such an stupid way to die.
rest in peace, ever.
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