All call for Kevin Pearce

All call for Kevin Pearce… Pull through, pal. You’re needed on the slopes again…

The news of snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s accident on the half-pipe in Park City has more than a few people wondering about the risks involved in pulling complicated moves in sports considered extreme, which, of course, snowboarding is.

That said, personally I don’t think it should ever be about not taking the risks. Hell, there’re enough couch potatoes watching reality shows already. Rather, it needs to be about mitigating risk in these sports to the maximum extent possible.

Which, by all accounts, Kevin Pearce does. He is a professional boarder, equips himself with the proper safety gear, then practices by pushing himself (like pros in every sport do) to perfect his ability in his given field of play. Accidents happen, even when you’re at the vanguard of what you pursue.

So what’s to say about Kevin’s accident? Certainly nothing more from the peanut gallery than, “Fight, buddy, fight. Pull out of it. Get yourself up and around, and (when the time is right) out on the half-pipe again.” Which, taking the positive motivational side to all of this, I definitely want him to do. With a vengeance. Everybody loves a comeback story and based on the latest news from his family, he may well be entering the early tracks of one.

Kevin Pearce. Never met you. Don’t need to. Fight like a banshee and come through this. I’ll be part of your rooting section for life.

So while Kevin fights, then recuperates in a Utah hospital, let’s say a prayer. I am most definitely not a religious type. However, I am a deist in moments like this and the deist in me can pray mightily for a man like Kevin.

Good luck, god speed, and may we hear great news of you again soon.

from Bill Westbrook on the staff at XSP…