Jason Mitchell, Seismic Nationals 2007, Hybrid Slalom.  Photo by Greg Fadell Northern California Downhill Skateboarding Association
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Skateboard Crashing Stories

 
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Crashing Stories (1418 Posts)
Topic Crashing Stories
Slightly Bad
On 4/17/2005 MikeR wrote in from United States  (68.226.nnn.nnn)

The weekend I was learning how to board my friend got slightly messed up. We were at a campground near the beach and he had brought his board so we were all taking turns learning and every now and then a trailer would pass by going ten mph. He'd look at it and go "damnit, I'm gonna skitch one of those," but he never got the chance until later when my friends and I were going to go pick something up from the store.

As we were leaving we asked if he wanted to skitch the car. He said ok and grabbed on to the rolled down window that I was sitting by. He was hanging on on the right side of the car right in front of the rear right wheel. We started going and he kept yelling faster and we soon got to 25mph at which point he yelled stop. My friend who was driving braked and then let go which caused my friend who was skitching to go forward and back and then I just saw him fall and heard him hit the pavement.

I looked back and he stood up and came over to us to show us his hands. The skin was literally pealed off since he landed hands first and then his hands had let go and he slid on his arms and then on his body. He wasn't wearing any protective gear. In fact he was only wearing a pair of jeans.

I think that's pretty bad, but then I looked ahead and saw that we were about to make a turn, which would have meant we'd have run over him, so I guess it all worked out in the end..

 
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lol
On 4/16/2005 aaron wrote in from United States  (67.176.nnn.nnn)

ya always wear gear!! no I coulda carved the hill but instead bombed it. But ya always wear gear and keep your trucks tight! never bomb hill on first attempt either. All in all it was a good rush. pro helmet supporter here.

 
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Aaron
On 4/15/2005 sean wrote in from United States  (63.105.nnn.nnn)

Aaron -You are dumb not lucky. You need to know your ability level and wear a helmet. You should also know what your gear is set at before you jump into a hill and if adjustments need to be made.Kludy is lucky and smart. Do you see the difference?

 
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Intense
On 4/9/2005 Aaron wrote in from United States  (67.176.nnn.nnn)

So two days ago I got together with 15 of my friends to longboard at night. (I guess it is more of a club than anything). We decided that since we had so many people we would find a new hill to bomb. As we eventualy found the 2 mile long hill we were in uproar of how fun it was going to be. Mind you half of us have been boarding for years. As I took the hill on my board I just realized I had my trucks completly loose. I thought nothing of it as I kept going. About 1/4th way down I was getting sick speed wobbles, like ones that throw you from one side of the road to the other. We were doing this at 11pm so little to no light except the cars headlights behind us. The street light gave out so it was almost pitch dark. This was the last thing i remmember on my board(I guess due to me hitting my head on the concrete). What seemed like 15 seconds later I was lying in the grass/gravel next to the street. Results were complete break of radius and ulna and scaphoid(bone by thumb) I was so fortunate especially with hitting my head. Out of 16 of us only 6 made it to the end. They all repeatedly said they saw their lives flash before their eyes after they hit roughly 45+. I think after this crash I will giveup the sport =( but it was a hell of a run until i fell lol.

 
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A WAKE UP CALL CRASH
On 4/9/2005 KLUDY wrote in from United States  (64.12.nnn.nnn)

I just had the crash that we all wish would never happen.I have in the past messed both shoulders at the graviy games in 1999. I broke my thumb one year at the skid road, red bull race and my leg the following year.Have messed my neck up bad from hitting hay at 45.Last weekin I was at a one mile road with 5 of the best american speedboarders and I was testing wheels.The 1st set was slow and the 2nd set was faster and I was in the pac when I started too go by a rider at 50mph.The weekin before the same thing happened and I hit road dots not to get too close to two other riders and dame near hit a car head on.This time the road had two yellow lines but no road dots but it frecked me out so I came in on that rider, as i was making a pass our wheels hit at 50mph.Life was very slow motion as i was hitting the ground over and over again and again the other riders board hit my ribs, I broke two.Jimmy flew over me at that speed not too hurt me but his board had other plans.I have raced all over and had no fear and I will tell you now thats all bad,fear is something you should always have and always know where you are on a hill!That was a great wake up call for me and this sport have been a blast but I could have died and am over it.Have fun riding but dont let it go so far that you lose your life!

 
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to skate too close!
On 4/8/2005 Hook wrote in from United States  (131.212.nnn.nnn)

we were almost at the end of our three mile gradual downhill. As we were getting close to the car, I noticed I was gaining too much speed and was getting waaay to close to my buddy. Now we weren't going extremely fast, but I just had my wisdom teeth removed the prior day (stupid to go longboarding after getting wisdom teeth removed- I don't recommend it) so I was still feeling a bit loopy. Not to mention, passing was not an option as a couple of civilians were comming towards us on the left side. Anyway, as I got close, i hollared out "watch it! i'm getting real close" so my buddy tries to kick to get more speed. Well, he kicked my board out from underneath me and I go crashing to the ground headfirst. I busted up my left hand real nicely, and to remind myself, my left pinky now has a permanent 90 degree angle attached to it. Mind you, it won't straighten out at all. that is why i call myself hook.

 
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dumb injury # 89
On 4/7/2005 Anthony wrote in from United States  (68.49.nnn.nnn)

Here's a novel one. We have this really cool ramp set-up in an abandoned warehouse here in DC. Basically quarterpipe wall rides and a corner made of masonite and street signs. It has it's share of problems, such as a roof that leaks right into the middle of the floor. We combat the water with squeegies and a propane heater. The heater suspends off an arm, aiming at the floor. We had it on so it was super hot, and we pulled it (mostly) out of lines way. I took off, pumped up the walls in a halfpipe approach and set up for a big carve in the corner. As I came off the ramp, I was heading right for the heater, which looked like a metallic flat book. I should have simply jumped over it but instead I tried to carve/soul arch around it (at speed). The sharp edge caught my calf so cleanly I barely felt it, but felt it none the less. I knew without looking though, it was gonna be ugly. And it is. I'll try and post a photo.

Like a hot knife thru butter

 
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Crashing
On 4/3/2005 Westin wrote in from United States  (69.4.nnn.nnn)

Well, when it comes to hitting your head, concussions are always a possibility. In my personal experience.. everytime I've ever gotten a concussion I experience the same symptoms, the most prominent being upon standing up after the injury.... I feel a sharp fuzziness in my fingertips, toe tips, and in my vision. I'm not sure if everyone suffers from the same effects when they are concust, but those are soem of the indicators for me.

 
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Lucky
On 4/1/2005 Brock wrote in from Canada  (24.64.nnn.nnn)

well i had just orderd some rII'sand 81a gumballs and bearings of ebay and put them on my 38" deck(looks like a lush kuni). Anyway all excited brought it to school and most of th people arw like wow thats a big board(lol). so i was going home and the street was a slow downward slope and this was baasically my first riding this setup and mostly my first tme TRULY LONGBOARDING. and then i get these huge wobbles(never tightened the trucks they were LOOSE) and start heading to the grass and the curb is one of those flat type so i had to jump and thats the last thing i rember. i woke up grabbed my board and went home my only injury was 3 cuts on my head and a scrape on my shpulder. i wasn't even goin that fast maybe 30k or less(lol). No pads helmet or gloves. so know your board and equipment and wear a helmet .i guess i hit the curb before i jumped and got flipped sideways and smacked my head or something. got anyideas what i might have done.

 
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Ouch Phillip
On 3/25/2005 sean wrote in from United States  (63.105.nnn.nnn)

Phillip I hope ya have a speedy recovery. Have you gave any thought to entering the Mary hill race in Goldendale Wa just a couple hrs from you?

 
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lake oswego is lake no negro
On 3/14/2005 Phillip Hickey wrote in from United States  (24.20.nnn.nnn)

IMPORTANT


i have been longboarding for a good 9 years now and i took my boggest fall bout a week ago, i was bobming asome hills me a a buddie found and we took it up a notch walking up a few hundred more yards up more hills and we didnt think to much of it, we kick straight into it, we are goin and goin and we feel it goin a lil to fast(bout 35 40 give or take a few mphs)) and i start to do a mellow slow carve and i lose it in some loose gravel on the street, i bail into a curb and split my scalp open(i had 28 stitches) broke my cvollar bone and broke my anckle and got a major concusion, and of coarse my being 17 i dont give a s#@!, im still longboarding every day to and from school, but i am in the most crazy pain i ahve ever felt when i turn or what ever i was in the hospitol for a good 6 days and had skin graphs on my back and i have to have surgery on my anckle, it was bad, but i just have to say, dont try to exceed your limits and be all cocky for the women, altho the women liek the stories, but yea keep it safe but fun and keep on cruisin

 
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One collarbone, three pieces
On 3/13/2005 Kevin the board maker wrote in from United States  (68.225.nnn.nnn)

Man, I wish I read this stuff on "safety" about a year ago! Well, here it is: I'm down in SoCal (the OC) and my buddy and I got into bombing hills about a year ago when I started to make long boards that look like 50s surfboards (very sweet). We were taking some big hill after school and he was telling me about this monster hill that had legendary status near were i live. Being a cocky kid of 17, I naturally felt invincible and decided to take it on. I was riding a board i learned to skate on which was my aunts original from the 70's (100% original Tunnel board, sat in a closet for thirty years) We got to the top of this hill and it looked like the edge of the world. He was stoked on it and started to kick into it. I could feel my balls in my throat just looking down the hill but went anyway. We carved a little to slow down but i panicked and straightened out. HUGE MISTAKE!! This little, 27 inch board turned to jelly under my feet as i remembered loosening the trucks a few months ago. I knew the ride had come to an end so I decided to run it off. I soon realized I couldn't run 30 mph and didn't get two steps in before i turned and slammed the ground with my left shoulder. When I stopped tumbling, I instantly popped up to find my board with little care to how I was. I realized two minutes later that the t-shirt and jeans I was wearing didn't protect as much as I had hoped: thrashed both knees through the jeans, tore up both elbows, massive scrape on my left hip, and my left collarbone in three pieces with one making a sharp bump under the skin. RESULT: i've still got the sharp bump, dark scars, and I only ride the boards I makel. I am also looking into some safety equipment.

Helmet and gloves would be a good purchase. ;)

 
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CO crashes
On 3/5/2005 BeTtY wrote in from United States  (24.170.nnn.nnn)

That sucks. Did he ever tell you why he fell? Like, was it speed wobs, trying to bail, or what? I live for this thread, by the way. I fell today.

 
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Worst Crash Ever
On 2/23/2005 Eric wrote in from United States  (64.12.nnn.nnn)

I live in Denver Colorado, and i was reading up on some North Cali stories, and i wanted to tell you all what just happened to my friend. Me and my friend Andy decided to go hill-hunting, and we found a straight hill that just dropped straight down. First run, i pulled ahead of Andy right at the bottom, i stopped, picked up my board, and turned around to see Andy on the ground. I ran over to him and asked him what happened, and all he said was "i busted my arm." I looked at his arm, and to my surprise, i could see both his wrist bones. To sum it all up, Andy left the hospital with a 13" rod, a 1.5" by 4" metal plate, and 6 screws. It was the crazyest longboarding injury i have ever seen

 
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Ouch
On 1/11/2005 BombHillsNotCountries wrote in from United States  (68.239.nnn.nnn)

We were having contest down a really long, twisting, sketchy road. My friend was riding with super loose randals and we were seeing who could ride further down UNATURALLY. So he looks up, says to me, "I'm going down," I laugh and next thing I know, KA-BOOM!!! He's down, and bad. He Hits pavement, ahrd, bounces up, hits again, and slid about 20 feet. Road rash, bruised ribs, and clothes that were so torn up even Ethiopians laugh at them.

 
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Gloves
On 1/10/2005 Bender wrote in from United States  (128.200.nnn.nnn)

I had gloves on. It wasn't a sliding deal anyway just so much force going straight on top of the wrist. I always wear the gloves. In fact I value my gloves more than leathers. I've had experiences sliding good distances on pucks without having my torso even touch the ground. I think the next step in gloves is wrist support, kind of like a lifting belt, or the fiberglass they wrap around support columns of over passes. It may keep everything in my wrist together if it works on structural and concrete loads. Obvoiusly not the same thing but something similar rather than wrapping or taping a wrist would be cool.

 
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Sublexation dislocation
On 1/10/2005 Adam wrote in from United States  (198.144.nnn.nnn)

The lesson? The use of slider gloves likely would have prevented or minimized your injury. See Cliff Coleman's new forum, Cliff Coleman on Sliding and Safety, in our Q&A section.

 
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Sublexation dislocation
On 1/10/2005 Bender wrote in from United States  (128.200.nnn.nnn)

Riding in the rain on slick stuff hurts. Recently I took a spill and put all my weight square onto my left palm. I heard a pop sound and felt a decent amount of pain. Immediately it swelled and even with ice my palm swelled through the top of my hand. The discoloration was incredible. X rays taken three days later showed tendon damage and apparently it wasn't broken. I had dislocated my thumb away from my wrist and my wrist away from my forearm from the blunt force put on top of it. The lesson in my opinion....Don't fall...it should prolly be dont ride in the rain...but its fun.

 
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busting it
On 1/10/2005 betty wrote in from United States  (64.247.nnn.nnn)

This weekend in Jackson, MS we held an AWESOME gs style slalom race called Madlands Mayhem. During a practice run I was pushing it as hard as I could and I got wheelbite on a 36" pocket pistol... right OVER the handlebars. I didn't get up for a while and I have a wicked hipper. So I realized I'd had my front foot up to far over the front trucks. I'm still gonna race, so on my qualifying run I think I'm racing Ricky Byrd. I hear that fourth beep and I'm pushing, and that front foot, I see, is too far up over that front truck again, and I PICK IT UP and try to move it and I wob and die. Now the knee, the rolled ankle, and the elbow are wrecked. My entire right side this morning feels like ground beef. It was awesome. Oh, and did I mention I WON? and I came close to winning open B class!!! Stoked as hell! :D

 
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OUCH!
On 12/13/2004 North Carolina Longboarder wrote in from United States  (63.167.nnn.nnn)

Anthony: Yep, finger pain can be the worse. I crashed mountain biking and caught my ring finger on my left hand on the break lever as I was doing a two foot over the handle bar dismount. When I came to a landing my ring finger was actually snapped back to the point it was touching the back of my hand!

Hope you heal fast dude!

Marion Karr (a dude)
North Carolina Longboarder

 
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Stupid Skateboarding 101
On 12/8/2004 Anthony wrote in from United States  (68.49.nnn.nnn)

I was having some residual pain today from an accident that happened this time last year and after remembering how stupidly I obtained it, I figured I should share it with everybody. I was riding with Doug Dupin late at night on a dark, sketchy local downhill run and we collided, knocking me off my board. I already knew there was no way I'd catch him standing up, so I jumped on my board luge style and started maching around corners and hunted him down like the dog he is......went to make my pass at the last left turn and leaned hard into it, when all of a sudden my hand hit the front left wheel which basically sucked my hand in and ran over my pinkie which was damn near severed. 145lbs pressure at 40mph. Still hurts to this day and as far as pain is concerned, it was probably one of the worst injuries I've had. They start torture in the fingers....keep 'em away from your wheels!

 
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like an avalanche coming down a mountain
On 12/5/2004 betty wrote in from United States  (24.170.nnn.nnn)

Whilst in Eureeka Springs Arkansas, we were driving up into the mountains and there were motorcycles everywhere, driving crazy, around completely blind turns with no guard rails keeping you from going 5-6000 feet down the side of these heavily wooded hills. Well, as you can probably figure, at one point we get to, there are a couple bikers on the side of the road, bikes parked, looking down, and emergency vehicles. I love bombing hills, but I can't slide well yet either, am learning, but to be going around those curves and all of a sudden finding yourself thrown thousands of feet down the side, screw that. What's tai chi? Meditating? Stinkin' hippies, lol!

 
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good times and friends
On 12/3/2004 s a v a g e crew wrote in from United States  (67.180.nnn.nnn)

My friend TJ and I had scoped out a sick road down Mount Diablo in Nor Cal and we showed up there on a thursday after school to hit the run with my longboarding buddies, andy, brad, taylor and colin while TJ drove and filmed. We took off into the setting sun with the wind at our backs and soon we were bombing exposed mountain roads, and tucking through blind corners. As we arrived at the first of the three danger curves (the ones marked with a "curvy road/15mph" sign to warn cars) we realised we were going a little to fast. Colin and i had taken a run down it before, but we hadnt thought of how much speed we would gain with more people and the drafting effect. The turn itself is a 180+ degree hairpin turn with little or no noticable bank on the outside about halfway down the mountain. As we entered it, brad pulled through the first section, sliding around it to control his speed and direction but he was just going too fast and he hit some sticks on the side of the road and ate it, sliding on his left side and arm for a good 20-30 feet into the ditch on the roadside. Colin was in front of me and he quickly decided that there was no way he could pull through and he just steered toward the edge and did a superman stop, flying into the hill going around 25 or 30 mph until he stopped in some dirt and dead leaves, I tired hard to pull through but there was a noticable problem. I dont know how to slide. I was pulling hard in a tuck and the G forces were crushing me onto my board and it was too much and my back end slid out while I was going heelside and i just hit the pavement and rolled. It was insane, our entire crew went down ont he same turn!!! when the dust had cleared and the damage was done, we had all road rash on our knees, elbows and side of our body, but interestigly enough, our clothes were not ripped. It somehow burned us through the material without breaking it. weird phenomenon. brads shoe had a melted mark on the front toe and sadly andy never made it down to us, as he was stopped by some dick ranger who told him that "skateboarding down state park road is illeagal" and threatened to fine him 300$ ticket. we finished up the day by driving back up to the top and doing tai chi on the mountain side with the setting sun. S A V A G E

 
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Good Stories
On 11/17/2004 Betty wrote in from United States  (24.170.nnn.nnn)

Man, there's some good readin' at the start of this thread, goes back to 1997, I'm tempted to just print it out to have some bathroom reading material. :D After a page or two, I'll just go ahead and warn you now about Spanky Malone. But the crash stories are so gnarley- they aren't just "I fell down," they are, "I wobbled, I flipped over a mailbox and landed ass first through the window of a car!" kinda stories. Getcher readin' on!

 
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pads help
On 11/16/2004 Civ wrote in from Canada  (24.141.nnn.nnn)

I was learning 720 sldies tonight and decided to go in really fast so i could get the 900, I go into the first heelside slide and my wheels grip and to go flying. I land on my knees and slide gloves and slide for 70 feet(measured). Imagine what i would look like if i didnt have knee pads on....slide gloves and knee pads....very important...oh, and a helmet too.

 
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