X Games Snowmobile rider dies

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_22489970/caleb-moore-dead-x-games-snowmobile-crash

Very sad to see this. Upsetting to see an injury that proved fatal.

I think this sport is taking the "extreme" thing a bit too far. When things go wrong, they go too wrong to avoid massive injury.

In reply to gamby:

IDK, how many years has this event been going without fatalities.....

I'm sorry to hear of his passing.

About the 'does it go too far?' part, I understand the sentiment, it's natural when something like this happens. Here's the thing: the risk is why many people do it. If you were to poll the people who do this kind of thing, I bet you'd find that the participants do not want to see their chosen sport take a hit as a result of their death. It's sort of like when the three Apollo astronauts died in a launch pad fire; it was a terrible thing which led to some much needed changes but it did not end the program

I am with Curmudgeon on this one.

If you watch the video he was extremely unlucky in that the snowmobile took one bounce and hit him directly on the second hit. The difference between life and death was bad luck. Another couple of degrees of rotation and he probably walks away.

I'm sure looks are deceiving, but I'd say about 99.999% of the stuff that happens at X-games would kill me, so it's hardly surprising that something like this happened, and truly surprising that it doesn't happen more often. They must be doing something right, or it would be a common occurrence. Still sucks for that dude and worse for those he left behind. RIP.

I agree with you Curmudgeon, but I have to say I'm honestly suprised it took this long for a fatality at the X Games. They're marketed and hyped as "extreme" sports and are always looking for someone to take it to the next level. I don't really watch the X Games, but I know they've had some nasty injuries in the past (the dude who fell off the skateboard while jumping umpteen feet in the air). Sad to say, but I think it was only a matter of time.

Might we add that he did get up and walk away, concussion and internal bleeding found thereafter, followed by "brain issues", which I'd assume would either be some type of swelling or brain bleed causing the fatality. We'll know more in coming days I'm sure.

Coicidentally, his brother seperated his pelvis on the same jump.....

The injures these guys rack up over the years is frightening in it's own. There's always a risk, just like any other form of sports, racing etc. Hats off to these guys for having the guts to try this stuff.

X Games is one of the few events that I try to catch when it is on. I was watching the event when it happened and when he walked away I was hoping he would be ok.

Anybody remember the 'agony of defeat' ski jumper from Wide World of Sports?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinko_Bogataj

yamaha wrote: In reply to gamby: IDK, how many years has this event been going without fatalities.....

I'm a skateboarder (on hiatus from it at the moment) who was always sick of the

"You skateboard at your age?!" "Yes. Yes, I do" "You're gonna kill yourself!!!"

exchanges that happened fairly often. Meanwhile, an adult guy gets hurt playing hockey or softball and it's nothing.

I also think that bailing on a skateboard is a much different story than it is on a snowmobile. I'm all for action sports, but some are a bit too far off the reservation IMHO.

As a road cyclist, I'm also at a massive risk of getting mowed down by McKenna while she's busy texting and driving.

I'm no sled jumping expert, but I did notice that on his previous backflip he was awfully low.

Steven Cole Smith on death in motorsport:

"I decline to apologize or justify. You get it or you don’t. I prefer the company of those who do."

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120524/motorsports/120529900

RIP to Caleb Moore, and to everyone else we lose who 'gets it'.

This was a brutal year for Xgames- there was a female slopestyle skier that went off track and snapped her spine- thankfully she will recover but she was temporarily paralyzed- and then there was the kid who got hit by a runaway sled that clipped him before it hit a truck and was stopped... the weird part is, I went to high school with the kids father... didn't even know it til I read the news report.

But again- he chose it, he knew the risks. He went out blazin', doing what he loved, in the spirit of competition, for the entertainment of us. It may not be the most appropriate, but I'd rather pour one in his honor and celebrate his life, than mourn his death.

friedgreencorrado wrote: Steven Cole Smith on death in motorsport: "I decline to apologize or justify. You get it or you don’t. I prefer the company of those who do." http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120524/motorsports/120529900 RIP to Caleb Moore, and to everyone else we lose who 'gets it'.

I remember when that happened, I saw a report on Windtunnel. That quote fits quite nicely here. Tragic... absolutely. Do I think this guy would hop back on and try it again if he recovered... Yep.

I've linked him before, one of my personal heroes is Doug Henry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Henry_(motocross)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItYINHMg7Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AawNRdISY8I

He's one of those guys Steven Cole Smith was talking about.

"Conditions are iffy" . thread seems to apply. We can mourn his death but not question the means, it was a personal decision he made.

i am sad about this. i was watching it live as it happened, and was very happy after being out cold that he got up and walked away from it.

i think the worst part about it is that he was able to get up and walk away from it, only to have internal damage they didn't initially know about.

i do remember telling my wife that it was bad and how the sled came down nose first on top of his head.

yamaha wrote: Might we add that he did get up and walk away, concussion and internal bleeding found thereafter, followed by "brain issues", which I'd assume would either be some type of swelling or brain bleed causing the fatality. We'll know more in coming days I'm sure.

Sounds very similar to the Corvetter driver that died at an HPDE at Road Atlanta a few months ago.

R.I.P.

i think this is going to come back on their safety and EMS people. they consistently let injured athletes "walk it off" after horrific crashes so the crowd doesn't have to see anyone carted off and ruin the mood. there was a guy a few years ago that cased it on the high jump at summer X they let walk off and he ended up having broken ribs and spinal fractures. if someone has a method of injury that could damage the spine they should be treated as such until they're cleared. doing otherwise is irresponsible