Extremely painful
The best of the worst of injuries in extreme sports.
By BOB PUTNAM
Published July 17, 2007
Being involved in extreme action sports such as skateboarding, BMX and surfing opens up the large possibility for serious injuries. Broken arms, blood clots, ruptured spleens and even comas - action sports athletes have been a part of all of it. But many have survived and headed back for more.
Action sports athletes are hopelessly hooked on adrenaline. Skillful, fearless - and some might say crazy - these aggressive souls are part of an athletic revolution that puts a premium on the wagering of life and limb.
Most have a masochistic willingness to fall, again and again, in pursuit of the perfect trick. The possibility of physical harm is very real.
For most action sports athletes, busted body parts are a fact of life. Many have fractured bones resulting from their frequent body-meets-pavement experiences.
But the peril and sheer rebellion of it all has captured young fans hungry for thrills.
An MTV show called Scarred features epic wipeouts of amateur daredevils.
Here are the top 10 best - or in this case, worst - injuries of action sports professionals.
Brian Deegan, motocross
One of the most influential riders in his sport, Deegan has had his share of injuries. At the Winter X Games in 2004 he broke his femur and both wrists. The following year he sustained life-threatening injuries while performing a trick for the MTV show Viva La Bam. His handlebars hit his midsection, causing significant blood loss and the removal of a kidney.
Carey Hart, motocross
When he was 15, Hart was performing a table top jump in a supercross race. He failed to notice a truck that was dropping off a load of dirt. He hit the truck at 70 mph. Hart broke both of his femurs in six places, one of which was a compound fracture. He also broke his shin and wrist and almost bled to death.
Mat Hoffman, BMX
He is the undisputed king of action sports injuries. In an ESPN The Magazine interview two years ago, Hoffman said he'd been unconscious at least 100 times and broken more than 60 bones. His worst injury was in 1993 when he fell after clearing 23 feet in the air off a 21-foot ramp. He ruptured his spleen. There was so much internal bleeding, Hoffman was given 20 minutes to live. He even flatlined but was revived.
Brian Howard, skateboarding
Attempting to slide on a handrail, Howard crashed and ripped his head open. He ended up with a blood clot on his brain. But he was back on his board in a month.
T.J. Lavin, BMX
The host of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno ruptured his spleen and cracked several ribs in an accident in the early 1990s.
Mike Metzger, motocross
Nicknamed "the Godfather," Metzger crashed while attempting a trick in December 2004. The footpeg went into his groin, tearing open his scrotum and ripping open a testicle and a major artery.
Dave Mirra, BMX
He is called the "Miracle Boy" because he survives serious accidents. In 1995, he was doing a trick when his shirt got tangled in his handlebars. He fell 20 feet and crashed, and had to have his spleen removed.
Travis Pastrana, motocross
In 1998 at a Triple Crown event at Lake Havasu, Ariz., Pastrana jumped a 120-foot ramp and came up short. He separated his spine from his pelvis, leaving him in a coma for two weeks and in a wheelchair for three months.
Danny Way, skateboarder
Way constantly pushes the limits on his skateboard. But his worst injury was on a surfboard. In 1995, he broke his neck in a surfing accident. The next year, he made his comeback in Tampa, winning the Tampa Pro Vert Competition.
Derek Hynd, surfer
In 1980, Hynd wiped out near shore in Durban, South Africa. His board bounced back and the fin hit him in the right cheekbone and eye. He lost sight in that eye.
Brian Howard, skateboarding
Attempting to slide on a handrail, Howard crashed and ripped his head open. He ended up with a blood clot on his brain. But he was back on his board in a month.
Derek Hynd, surfer
In 1980, Hynd wiped out near shore in Durban, South Africa. His board bounced back and the fin hit him in the right cheekbone and eye. He lost sight in that eye.
Bob Putnam can be reached at putnam@sptimes.com or 727 445-4169.