MattP.

Got up at 5:00, drove to a friends house, where his dad was gonna take him (David), me, and 2 other guys (Branden, Nick) out to Auburn and shuttle us on the downhill. We get there, got in 5 runs on some new trails. Having a great morning.

Then we go to take and 6th and last run, where the crappiness began. The trailhead we started out starts a t the top of about a 30 yd straight shot downhill. At the very end, you need to make a slight turn, hit a burm, if you don;t you fly into a 5 ft ravine. then continue down the trial. I went down first, and then my buddy who races DH (David), followed by the most inexperienced guy (Nick), and then the last guy(Branden). So me and David get to a break in the trail, where we catch the other trailhead, and we stop and wait for Nick and Branden. A few minutes past, no sign of them. We thought that they had taken a turnoff about 50 yds form that first berm, and hit another trail. So I walk up to that trailhead, and no sign of them. So I assume that they took that trail. Me and Dave finish the run, we're at the bottom loading out gear in the car, and suddenly an ambulance wizzes by. The though crosses through our head that it might be them, but we dismiss it. So we go to where that other trail would have ended, so sign of them. Okay, let's go to where we first started. We're turning the corner, and theres like 3 fire trucks, an ambulane, and like 3 park rangers. OH ****! Sure enough it was Nick, the most inexperienced guy. According to Branden who was behind him, he must have had too much speed, and wasn't able to make the turn, and face planted into the ravine, where Branden found him.

Then the cops told us to move the car cause the chopper spews rocks everywhere. OH ****! He was lifeflighted out to the nearest hospital where we met him. Turned out he had a bad concussion and bit off the majority of his tongue. He was barely talking, but he didn't remember anything. He didn't know we were riding, and he couldn't remember the night before.

We determined that it was probably because he was fatigued after the 5 runs before it, but being the most inexperienced guy, didn't want to come out and say, "I'm gonna sit this one out"

So all in all, know your limits, and know when to stop.

MattP.

Oh one more lesson, full faces are priceless!

tominos

ouch.

Flak

Thats terrible. Will he be able to speak properly without half of his tongue?

Man thats really bad.

santiago

Wow, really sorry to hear that. Hope your buddy recovers well.

Quick_Torch C5

speedy recovery to your bud

MattP.

I hope so. They stitched his tongue up, and his lip. 1 month on liquids only. "Tongue therapy" (!?) for days. 6 months no riding.

Flak

Oh they reattached it? I guess thats good (if anything about this can be good). If he has a girlfriend, tongue therapy could be an enjoyable sport for her when he's feeling up to it

MattP.

Turns out, it was barely hanging on. Nasty thing I've ever seen when i saw him at the ER! I can't imagine having stitches on my tongue!

albyhellscream

Some pics would be nice

roundnround

I wonder if He'll be able to have all of his taste buds still, after severing the nerves?! I've heard of people merely getting piercings and they lose their tastebuds/feelin in the tongue.

I had to have a single day of clear liquid diet for an xray. I hated it. I can't imagine a MONTH! Here's to a very quick recovery for your bud!

Quick_Torch C5

If the tatooist/piercer pierces your tongue in the wrong place, lose of taste buds and even some paralysis may happen. Mine, however was done correctly, and I never lost any of my taste buds.

Flak

Losing taste buds. Thats one way to make sure you eat healthy...you might as well since the good food tatses the same as the bad.

DevilsGT2

Acutually, he'll still be able to taste, as most taste sensation occur in your nose. Think about when you have a cold, how every thing tastes the same. What he might lose is that ability to taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and MSG.

Still sucks though, hope he has a good and speedy recovery.

FreeRidin'

Ouch bummer.

Having no taste buds would be killer...I would save sooo much money.

probable556

Do DH riders/racers often wear mouthpieces?

mtnbiker66

Sorry to hear about your bud.

DoYlE_RiD3r

Hope he recover fast...

Some I know wear a mouthpiece for XC so I imagine he would probably wear one for Downhill

MattP.

An update:

Nick got out of the hospital today after 2 nights there. Turns out he had a seizure immediately upon crashing, then another in the helicopter. He had a total of 64 stitches on his tongue. Look at the brigh side, he got out of all his finals!

Quick_Torch C5

Glad to hear your bud's up an' runnin'

wethepeople

Nope, at least none of the people that I raced with. Same with Freeriders (who would need them more) don't wear them.

alumrock12

best of wishes to your bud.

-all hail xc-ers!

mtnbiker66

Glad to hear he's OK......sort of.