ANOTHER Mountain Biker Breaks His Neck!

From: Mark Hume
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2011 10:19:49 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Helmets, what do preachers have to do with them?

Hello all on the group here!

I have not read all the posts about wearing a helmet, but thought I'd
share an experience.

My name is Mark, and I'm an active person. I work with kids in lots of
forums, clubs, camps, etc. I do teach sports professionally as a snow
board instructor, I also tech wake boarding and water skiing. Last
summer @ a camp I have been teaching @ I developed an intro to
mountain biking course, focus was on basic riding skills. The trails
were well groomed horse trails @ a camp near Cle Elum, with flat
trails, uphill climbs, and a variety of down hill trails as well. In
one of the flat areas there were two mounds of dirt built up from some
sort of project, both about 4+ feet high. Features were not part of
the class or curriculum, but who doesn't mind riding over a "mound" of
dirt, right? Fun for everyone right? Well, one of the mounds was
missing a "bucket scoop" from one side, which I did not know about,
nor could you see it from the direction we approached. My assistant
instructor just happen to yell out there was a "drop"! I said ok,
launched and
landed a 3 to 4
foot drop. How awesome & fun was that? As I looked back, my assistant
almost crashed as he followed me, but fortunately he didn't! Yeay!

When I learned to snow board, my first time on a snow board I didn't
have a helmet, but after 4 nice falls, I purchased a helmet for both
myself & daughter, & always wear it. The foundation of learning in
Snow Sports professionally speaking is;

SAFETY
FUN
LEARNING

In that order!

So needless to say, I adapted the same foundation for the Mt Biking
course. Yes I had a brand new helmet I was confident wearing. I
brought extras for kids (elementary age through high school) who might
not have one. The class was popular, and a success. However, one day
my assistant and I were scooping the trails for the class that day, &
missing a turn we ended up riding back to meet the students where the
mounds of dirt were. I rode over the mound with the drop. I launched,
was positioned back behind the seat like I should be, but something
unexpected happened. I found myself hurling through the air instead of
riding out the landing. I landed on my head, fell over, got up,
brushed my self off and replied: yes I am ok to my assistant who had
watched and immediately asked " Are you OK"? So I got back on my bike,
rode down the trail, around the corner, up the hill, and back around
to the lodge where the class was meeting. The kids were so excited to
learn
more, and get out on the trails.

As it turns out, something had happened to my neck when I fell because
my neck muscles got really tight & stiff riding back to the lodge from
the fall (less than 5 minutes). What happened next was strange! When I
looked down, there was a "ka-clunk" and my head did something weird.
Something touched something you instantly knew, "that wasn't supposed
to do that!" I did several things, took off some of my gear, took some
IB profin, drank some water, got some ice on my neck, gave myself
"traction", which felt great, but the "ka-clunk was still there. So I
sat on a big sofa, taught the class the lesson of the day from the
book, and decided to not ride, but wait for their return.

Eventually, we called the camp nurse who was going to drive me into
the hospital to get some X-rays, that is until they found a crack in
the lining of my new helmet!! I was like WHAT? I cracked my brand new
helmet??? Geez! So they decided they needed to call the EMT squad. I
ended up in the hospital in Ellensburg, waiting for the C-scan
results. I got up used the bathroom (the EMT's put me in a hard
collar) and walked back to my ER bay, as the doctors were bringing in
the results. They said what are you doing??? Get back on the
stretcher, you are headed for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle
NOW!!

I fractured my C1 vertebra in 3 places! Yikes!! (I didn't mean to!! It
was honestly just an "accident") They call it a Jefferson Burst
Fracture, one of the most deadly breaks you can experience they told
me, 80% or more die on impact!! Most of the survivors are paralized to
many degrees. Yes I am a very fortunate person, after a major sugery
installing two screws and a rod holding my C1 in place, I recovered! I
started teaching snow boarding again the first weekend in December,
2010. My accident was Tuesday July 13, 2010!

Did my helment protect me? I would have to say YES! Did my helmet save
my life? I would have to say YES! Would I be willing to go back and
try this without a helmet? NO!

Just for what it is worth, don't know why anyone would ever ARGUE
about wearing a helmet.....and what about preachers??? I have never
seen one wear a helmet while preaching yet!

P.S. My dad happen's to be a Preacher (more correct, a
Pastor)....Hahaha!

Mark ~ Oh, I also happen to be 51 years old.....

On Jun 18, 10:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:
snip pile of horse poo

All this shows is that bicycle helmets, indeed all helmets, were not
designed to prevent neck injury. Even if you have a helmet on it won't
protect anything below the ears, and precious little above the ears.

And does your probation officer know you're posting this steaming pile
of hate?

On Jun 19, 11:50*am, Opus wrote:
On Jun 18, 10:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

snip pile of horse poo

All this shows is that bicycle helmets, indeed all helmets, were not
designed to prevent neck injury. Even if you have a helmet on it won't
protect anything below the ears, and precious little above the ears.

It also demonstrates just how utterly STUPID mountain bikers are.

And does your probation officer know you're posting this steaming pile
of hate?

I don't have a "probation officer", dumdum.

On Jun 19, 5:24*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:
snip
I don't have a "probation officer", dumdum.

Yeah Kazoo, you just keep thinking that...

On Jun 18, 11:45*am, Mike Vandeman wrote:


Oh my, just the thought of what must have went on in that jail cell
for 8 days!!!

On 6/20/2011 10:00 AM, Opus wrote:
On Jun 19, 5:24�pm, Mike wrote:
snip
I don't have a "probation officer", dumdum.

Yeah Kazoo, you just keep thinking that...

Maybe Mikey V. will blow off his appointment with his PO.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

On 6/20/2011 3:41 PM, Kayak 44 wrote:
On Jun 18, 11:45�am, Mike wrote:


Oh my, just the thought of what must have went on in that jail cell
for 8 days!!!

I imagine Mikey was told by the other inmates to shut up about the
ecological effects of mountain biking.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.

"Kayak 44" wrote in message
...
On Jun 18, 11:45 am, Mike Vandeman wrote:

What did he write?

Oh my, just the thought of what must have went on in that jail cell
for 8 days!!!

Why don't you tell us since you are a jailhouse bitch and have had 20+ years
of associating with criminals.

--
Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

On Jun 20, 8:00*am, Opus wrote:
On Jun 19, 5:24*pm, Mike Vandeman wrote:

snip
I don't have a "probation officer", dumdum.

Yeah Kazoo, you just keep thinking that...

Awaiting your apology, after you find out I'm right (as usual).

On Jun 20, 3:28*pm, Tºm Shermªn °_° ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 6/20/2011 10:00 AM, Opus wrote:

On Jun 19, 5:24 pm, Mike *wrote:
snip
I don't have a "probation officer", dumdum.

Yeah Kazoo, you just keep thinking that...

Maybe Mikey V. will blow off his appointment with his PO.

You are a hopeless idiot -- worse that I ever imagined.
..
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731,-83.985007
I am a vehicular cyclist.