Incredible Journeys

First of all, if you haven't seen it, you MUST watch "The Crash Reel".  It is a documentary on the famous snowboarder, Kevin Pearce, and his epic journey through his life-changing accident and resulting TBI (traumatic brain injury).  When I wandered downstairs yesterday and saw some neat snowboarding on TV, I asked Nate what he was watching and he said, "Oh, a snowboarding movie."  Now, he knew full well what the movie was about, but, I just thought it was a Warren Miller-esque film so I plopped down to watch it. Wow, oh wow.  The film was epic.  Now, Kevin was the number one competition for Shaun White.  There was so much talk about Kevin and how his riding was so clean and so bleeding edge, Shaun would have to really come up with some better tricks to beat him out in Vancouver in 2010.  Many in the snowboard (and ski) world waited, with bated breath, for Shaun White to be taken down a notch or two.  I've never been a fan of Shaun, myself, but that's another story.

Many don't remember the accident so well.  It wasn't really in our faces back in early 2010 on the news and such. In fact, it only fueled the fire of so many who are staunchly opposed to the X Games and the extreme sports.  There were so many "told you so's" it makes me sick. The accident happened as he was practicing his double cork on the half-pipe in Park City on 12/31/09.  He caught toe edge and smashed into the wall.  The footage was gut-wrenching.  Now, anyone who has watched skiing and snowboarding competitions has seen a fall or two and most likely you've curled up and gasped, waiting to see if they move again.  We saw the infamous Shaun White bang his face on the side of the half pipe as he descended from a 10-foot-above-the-wall twist.  He had some ice rash and shook it off.

We all probably heard about the unfortunate loss of Sarah Burke in Jan. 2012.  She was the female freestyle skiier that died from injuries resulting from a fall on the half pipe.  Back in 2010, she successfully lobbied the IOC to have the superpipe event added to the Olympic Winter Games in 2014.  She was a pioneer to the sport.  She was just plain awesome.  And she was lost so very soon....

Watching the documented recovery of Kevin Pearce was so difficult for me. I wanted so badly for him to jump out of that grim new reality and back onto his board.  I watched as he struggled to come to terms with never competing again.  He is so young with so much life before him, however altered. But what's more, he is lucky.  He is alive.  He must face his new calling.  In an instant, his life was forever changed and there was no going back.

I've never been a risk taker.  Heck, the biggest challenge that I've faced is new exercise regimens.  I'm scared of being hurt, of feeling pain.  These kids don't have that fear.  I'm envious of them in a way; and I'm certainly grateful for them, and people like them, in this world.  I can watch things that they do with awe and amazement and it allows me to see things from a completely different perspective.  After watching the film, my admiration is heightened so much more.  Kevin Pearce has such a desire to live--to truly live--even with his new limitations, in his new reality.

I do think these folks should be safe; but I don't think they should stop living the dream.  We all have our journeys.  Each one of them is incredible--and necessary to this world.

:) LG
Life IS Good

                                                         Kevin Riding Before the TBI

Kevin - After the Accident