Vertical Rollerskating

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Message 13368 (7. Sep. 2010 21:30) (Tree)

Robert
Regret.
That totally sucks and I don't blame you for feeling bad. I would feel terible as well, but this kid took a chance when he snaked you. I don't ever want to see anyone get hurt, but these kids need to learn there can be consequences to just going whenever they want.
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biffsk8er: Regret. (7. Sep. 2010 19:54)
 I feel really bad about my Sunday night skate session.

I was doing a 360 spin, over a volcano obstacle, at the new Brushy Creek skate park when calamity struck. The street course has always been an issue since there are no well defined lines to take in this park. Skaters continually crisscross, from all conceivable angles, as they skate the street course.

As I waited for an opening to do my run, kids kept hanging out on top of the volcano, which kept me from going. A few skaters, who were aware of my dilemma, started yelling for them to move. When they did, another skater snaked my run. I realized that if I followed him through, I too, would get my run! Otherwise, I could already see skaters coming from the other end of the park who would soon be in my way once again.

I had already failed this trick 3 times, and each time I was closer to success. As I approached the volcano, I was gaining ground on the other skater since he rode the cone of the volcano instead of airing it. I decided that it didn't matter.....'focus on the trick and avoid him after I land'. As I started into my spin (in the air), I heard him sliding out. Crap.

As I came out of the spin, I was able to spot my landing... and my new obstacle; a skateboarder leaning over towards me stretched out into the splits, with one foot still on his board. I had no way to not come down on him with all of my weight. I was able to twist a little bit so as to try to not slam directly into him. My right arm pit landed around his neck, causing him to be pressed down toward the ground. It also pushed him back, and he popped up and backwards, slightly banging his head on the ground.

Turns out that his hitting the head was not that big of a deal, but the way he was writhing on the ground, I was seriously worried that I might have paralyzed him!! After he finally recovered enough to talk, it turned out that he was just coming back from a broken jaw surgery less than 6 weeks old. He said he could feel that it was re-broken on his right side.

I feel terrible. I have never been the cause of someone elses skate injury before, other than my own. And, on top of that, to re-break someone's jaw!! It is worse knowing that I was just getting impatient. I should have waited for him to clear the obstacle. I've always used caution when it comes to skating near others and I chose to ignore my better judgment.

I am not trying to get sympathy. I also do not need anyone to lecture me. I know what I did was wrong. I just needed to get this off of my chest. Maybe, by sharing this, it will help to prevent any similar mishaps from occurring to any of us in the future.

And the real kicker is that I landed the trick perfectly. It wasn't worth it.

The volcano in question :

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biffsk8er: Volcano image (7. Sep. 2010 19:55)
 Whoops. Forgot the image.

The volcano in question :

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Robert: Regret. (7. Sep. 2010 21:30)
 That totally sucks and I don't blame you for feeling bad. I would feel terible as well, but this kid took a chance when he snaked you. I don't ever want to see anyone get hurt, but these kids need to learn there can be consequences to just going whenever they want.
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Ben: Volcano image (7. Sep. 2010 21:43)
 Biff, as the oldest living member of the active Vert community I hereby grant you absolution for your sin.....don't be doin' it no mo....OK?
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biffsk8er: Volcano image (8. Sep. 2010 07:43)
 : don't be doin' it no mo....OK?

OK
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biffsk8er: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 07:47)
 : ...but these kids need to learn there can be consequences to just going whenever they want.

Not a kid; the guy was probably 20 years old or more. No more than 25 though.
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Bernhard: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 08:13)
 Biff, your described what probably is a nightmare to most of us: Hurting someone else when skating. Reminds me of a close encounter I has years ago while skating the vert ramp in Sattel, Switzerland. After I dropped into the ramp a kid (maybe 11 years old) ran into the ramp and I luckily missed him by a hair. I was in deep shock but I immediately ran after him and scolded him to pay more attention in the future. If I had crashed into him I would have hardly noticed but I would have pulverized him. Those are the laws of physics.
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zorg: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 22:29)
 Like Bernhard, I had some missin heart beats when kids ran through the ramp while dropping in the 4m, I also crashed through a bicycle wheel...some parents even wanted to fight but fortunately (for them) they couldn't climb the 4m, haha!!!
Ya some time with adrenaline in our blood, it's hard to refrain action. Poor guy learned the hard way not to sneak+wait full healing before skating...but it could have been worse for him or for YOU. Thanks for sharing, I understand your feelings and will think twice if someone sneaks me...and keep skating hard on the park!!!

cheers
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claudine: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 22:40)
 Learn from your mistakes. Just pray the kid is OK and let it go. If you did not mean to hurt him then it was a mistake. The fact you feel really bad means you meant no harm.
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biffsk8er: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 23:32)
 : ...some parents even wanted to fight but fortunately (for them) they couldn't climb the 4m, haha!!!
: Ya some time with adrenaline in our blood, it's hard to refrain action. Poor guy learned the hard way not to sneak+wait full healing before skating...but it could have been worse for him or for YOU. Thanks for sharing, I understand your feelings and will think twice if someone sneaks me...and keep skating hard on the park!!!
:
: cheers


Yeah, could have been worse. It will not happen again, though. Lesson learned. That's funny about the adults not being able to climb the 4m!!

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biffsk8er: Regret. (8. Sep. 2010 23:33)
 : Learn from your mistakes. Just pray the kid is OK and let it go. If you did not mean to hurt him then it was a mistake. The fact you feel really bad means you meant no harm.

I learn from every hard knock...I just wish they would stop knocking!

Thanks.
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Robert: Regret. (9. Sep. 2010 01:07)
 Hey,20 years old is a kid compared to us old farts.
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biffsk8er: Regret. (9. Sep. 2010 07:25)
 : Hey,20 years old is a kid compared to us old farts.

True. My son is almost as old as he is; He is 18 now.
And I'm at least 28 now! Give or take a few years.
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