Stop,drop & roll

[Rdy2ski]

Been 3 days since the 'event' for me and finally able to stay lucid enuf to type. Been reading a lot of the threads and my spill seems like a grain of salt compared to a lot of them but what the hell...it was pretty wicked in my own mind.

The day was "on" for me... I was on my new B1's and having a ball finally keeping up with my son. Everything was just clicking and the two of us were grinnin like fools.

My recollection is pretty limited, one minute i was rippin down the hill and the next i was lookin up at a lot of strange faces who were firing off questions to me. Here is what actually happened from the few ppl that saw; we were steady cruising long radius turns (estimate50mph?) and by a fluke both my son and i decided to grab a quick turn - we collided. Him having some advantage in size, i catapulted off him and flew into a tree. The hit with him knocked me out and my resting spot was a rock under my chest and a tree in my face.

Apparently 2 boarders and 1 skier were first to surround me. 1 called for patrol, one gently told me to stay put and took his handwarmers out of his gloves, curled my hands around them and put my gloves back on. By that time my son had scrambled over a (in his words) - just watched the surreal events take place since he heard me respond and knew i wasn't out of it. Ski Patrol came (8 of them!) in what felt like minutes.

I kept my eyes closed, answered their questions and did my own mental checklist; could i feel me legs, could i wiggle my toes and fingers, etc. "Do NOT move!" they repeated as they braced my neck and slid a board under my back.


My head was screaming, my face burning and my chest felt like some sumo wrestling mother fucker was sitting on me...

They ended up giving me a lovely ride by ambulance to a trauma center in Denver (can't wait to see that bill). End result? Staples in my head, butterflys on my face (which looks like it was mauled), bruised about every bone from the waist up and tore the ligament completely from pointer finger to thumb (it can now fall easily to my wrist). I'm really lucky, and thankful when i think about how bad it could've been. I can still hardly move from all the bruising, my face looks hideous and i'll likely get surgery next week to try to reattach my ligament....

my biggest worry now? I hope they can give a cast to go around my pole!

Anyway...be safe out there. and any of you who are spending this new years eve recovering...take TWO pain pills and call me we'll have our own party

[L7]

I just realized you post on epic as well. I guess that should be secret here but I don't buy into that us or them nonsense anyways. At any rate I posted there in regard to your question of skiing with buggered thumb. You got some good replies there. I think putting surgery off a bit is the way to go myself. It may heal enough and won't hurt the eventual surgery.

Good luck with the recupe. Stay away from the booze, nothing worse then waking up with a hang over AND real pain. I've discovered that the hard way.

[Rdy2ski]

Yea i saw the replies in epic and have been smiling quite a bit about still being able to ski (obviously slower and careful). epic & tgr are like the alter egos within thx for your input!

[GT40]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Lots of Mags hitting each other.

Glad it wasn't worse.

I broke my wrist 3 weeks ago, but have skied 3 days this week. I just don't use a pole in that hand.

Get better soon. Lots of season left.

[Rdy2ski]

Sorry to hear about the accident. Lots of Mags hitting each other.

Glad it wasn't worse.

I broke my wrist 3 weeks ago, but have skied 3 days this week. I just don't use a pole in that hand.

Get better soon. Lots of season left.

Did you try with no poles? I'm wondering if it'll be easier to go without or with one...kinda wonder if it feels unbalanced with only one.

[GT40]

Did you try with no poles? I'm wondering if it'll be easier to go without or with one...kinda wonder if it feels unbalanced with only one.

Now after 4 days skiing, the 1 pole isn't too bad. I like to have it, to push on traverses or to load on lifts. I also just do a phantom pole plant on the turns. Best of luck to ya, when you get out again.

[Rdy2ski]

A week and a day since I had the surgery to fix my hand. Went in today to get the stitches out and I grinned up at my doc and said, "Um, I don't plan on staying off skis for another 3 weeks". He shrugged, laughed back and said, "yea? And I don't plan on letting you or any other skier with this type of injury walk out without a nice hard cast on".

Actually he was very, very cool. He made the cast as small and efficient as possible. So I'll hit the hills tomorrow for the first time..pretty psyched. Obviously won't be doing anything intense but it'll feel good to get out there.