THE CURSE OF THE CUSTOM LID
Downhill world champ Charlie Ha on is used to throwing himself like a human pinball down the gnarliest tracks and remaining on that knife’s edge between chaos and control. But in 2021, he slipped over the edge...
“I crashed in Les Gets, France, it must be three years ago now [during practice for the second round of the 2021 DH World Cup ~ ed]. I’d just had this brand new custom-painted helmet, and had done the first three runs wearing it. Then came this huge over-the-bars smash. I landed like a lawn dart, straight into the floor, and was left there.
“I couldn’t move my back, my legs or anything, and thought I’d done something really horrific. They lifted me onto a spine board and I was airlifted away. I was really worried at that moment.
“Luckily, there was a small hospital just out of town, and they were really well-equipped. I got all of my X-rays and stuff back, and, thankfully, they were all OK. There was a compression of my spine, and it swelled up around it a lot, and that limited movement. There was no mobility. But that subsided over time.
“Still, to this day, I’ve got problems with my back – when I have a big training day it flares up, swells up – but, luckily, [the outcome] was a lot better than I thought it would be at the time.
I got away with that one. While I’m still suffering with it, when compared to a broken back, I’d take a sore one any day!”
“I COULDN’T MOVE MY BACK, MY LEGS OR ANYTHING, AND THOUGHT I’D DONE SOMETHING REALLY HORRIFIC. THEY LIFTED ME ONTO A SPINE BOARD AND I WAS AIRLIFTED AWAY. I WAS REALLY WORRIED”
Ed’s note: Sadly Charlie’s Bell Full-9 lid – which had been custom-airbrushed by Shropshire’s Lee Morgan Artworx
– didn’t get off so lightly. Isn’t that always the way with new kit you’re excited (and maybe a little bit precious) about?