The death of snowmobiler Caleb Moore following a crash at the 2013 Winter X Games has shined a negative spotlight on the world of extreme sports and the dangers these athletes face as they fly through the air performing awe inspiring tricks.
Unfortunately, Moore's death is only the most recent incident in which an athlete in extreme sports has been severely injured or killed performing a trick. It's easy to take for granted the dangers of action sports. Whether it's on a skateboard, a bike or a snowmobile the best performers make the most challenging tricks appear easy.
Another recent example of a rider suffering a serious injury performing a trick is BMX competitor Brett Banasiewicz. While practicing on August 23 in Virgina Beach, Brett crashed and suffered a severe brain injury. Doctors placed Banasiewicz in a medically induced come to control the bleeding swelling on his brain. He was wearing a helmet at the time, but according the Athlete Recovery Fund the one he was wearing was not designed for bicycle use.
What is surprising is that he was allowed to get on the bike and ride and possibly even compete wearing a helmet that didn't offer the right amount protection. There is no doubt the helmet saved his life, but it's hard to imagine that his injuries would have been as severe if he had been wearing the proper gear.
More surprising is that apparently rules forcing riders to wear the right helmet were not already in place at feature events such as the Dew Tour and the X Games. Action sports athletes put themselves in harms way every time they step on the ramp, and for event organizers not to force riders to wear the appropriate safety gear is doing them a disservice.
A video posted by ARF shows the surprising difference between soft foam, the helmet Brett wore, and hard foam helmets which are designed to with stand the heavier impact of biking. The soft foam is more flexible, while the hard foam is rigid.
It is easy to see why a rider such as Brett would prefer soft foam. However, like in any sport, athletes need to be forced to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves. It's easy to pick comfort over safety, I did the same while riding my mountain bike, but that doesn't mean it was smart. After reading Brett's story I have much more respect for the dangers I faced even though my wheels never left ground.
Thankfully he is making a strong recovery, and doctors expect him to recover fully. I first saw Brett compete at the Dew Tour in Chicago, and he won the event with ease. He went higher, and right away my friends and I knew this kid was something special.
I hope to see him on the bike once again, wowing crowds and changing the sport for the better. It is always a shame when it take an incident such as this one to bring about change. However, with any luck similar will be prevented as a result of the lessons learned.
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