ShocknAwe 0 Posted February 10, 2009 Freestyle motocross racer Jeremy Lusk dies By MARIANELA JIMENEZ, Associated Press Writer SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP)—Jeremy Lusk, an American freestyle motocross racer, died of head injuries Tuesday after crashing while trying to land a backflip in competition. He was 24. Jorge Ramirez, chief of the intensive care unit at Calderon Hospital where Lusk was taken, said the motocross racer suffered severe brain damage and a possible spinal cord injury. Lusk won a gold medal at the 2008 X Games. He was injured Saturday night when he failed to complete a full rotation while attempting a Hart Attack backflip and slammed headfirst into the dirt. Lusk crashed in almost identical fashion in the freestyle semifinals at the 2007 X Games but was not hurt. He had a successful 2008 season, winning Freestyle gold at the X Games and silver in Best Trick when he landed the first double-grab Hart Attack backflip. He won a bronze helmet in Freestyle at the Moto X World Championships in his hometown of San Diego. Ramirez said Lusk died with his parents and his wife, Lauren, at his side. He was in a medicine-induced coma as a protective measure, and the medicine was being reduced to see how his organism responded,” he said. “That didn’t mean he was going to wake up. He was in shock and that got worse last night, until he stopped responding and entered into cardiac and respiratory failure.” Lusk lived in Temecula, Calif. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PastaPilot 17 Posted February 10, 2009 Very sad. I am in mourning, I shall drink a beer to the man. R.ide I. P. Video of the X-Knight freestyle show in San Jose, Costa Rica can be found here J Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jed 0 Posted February 11, 2009 Very sad, he was a great rider. I enjoyed watching him and his Metal Mulisha team. Not good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 561 Posted February 11, 2009 Very sad. I am in mourning, I shall drink a beer to the man. R.ide I. P. Video of the X-Knight freestyle show in San Jose, Costa Rica can be found here J The video got removed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandiegoland 0 Posted February 11, 2009 Wristbands at MotoWorld... http://www.motoworldracing.com/Jerem...rist-Band.html All proceeds go to Jeremy Lusk's Family. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted February 11, 2009 Very sad. I am in mourning, I shall drink a beer to the man. R.ide I. P. Video of the X-Knight freestyle show in San Jose, Costa Rica can be found here J The video got removed. rightfully so... I would not want the death of a loved one gawked at by a bunch of lookie loos either.... RIP Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KIP 0 Posted February 11, 2009 Saw the video on the 10pm news - I agree with the guy from Motoworld that was interviewed "I don't want to see it again". :clapping: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShocknAwe 0 Posted February 11, 2009 There is an edited video of the deadly jump online. It shoes him landing it one time and crashing in slow motion from different angles another time. Below is a NY Times article about the dangers of motocross. Rider’s Death in Competition Points to the Perils of Motocross Albert Marin/La Nacion, via Associated Press Jeremy Lusk during a motocross event in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Saturday. He later sustained a fatal injury as he tried to perform a backflip. Published: February 10, 2009 Jeremy Lusk, a freestyle motocross star who won a gold medal at the 2008 X Games, died Tuesday, three days after sustaining serious head injuries while competing in an event in Costa Rica. He was 24. Albert Marin/La Nacion, via Associated Press Jeremy Lusk during a motocross event in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Saturday. He later sustained a fatal injury as he tried to perform a backflip. Lusk, from Temecula, Calif., was attempting a move known as a Hart Attack backflip during a competition Saturday. He failed to fully rotate while soaring more than 20 feet above the ground, landing on his front tire and then crashing face-first into the dirt. Lusk never regained consciousness. On Monday, his condition worsened, and he died shortly after midnight Tuesday, Cameron Steele, a friend and announcer at the X Games, said by telephone from Costa Rica. In a sport in which riders soar dozens of feet through the air while pulling aerial maneuvers that are scored by judges, gruesome injuries are an accepted part of the game. Yet several professional freestyle motocross riders said Lusk was the first rider they knew of who died. “It’s amazing it hasn’t happened to a handful of guys,” said Mike Metzger, 33, whose freestyle career ended in 2007 when he broke his back while attempting to jump between two barges. In his career, Metzger, known as the Godfather for his pioneering role in freestyle motocross, won five X Games medals. He set a Guinness record in 2006 when he pulled a backflip while launching 125 feet over the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. But he also sustained concussions, broken arms and broken legs, and he lost a testicle during crashes. “You put your life on the line when you ride a motorcycle,” Metzger said. Although Metzger and others said the freestyle community would mourn Lusk, his death would probably not lead to restraint among the sport’s elite. “Everybody I know in the freestyle game are strong individuals — freethinkers,” Metzger said. “I don’t see the loss of a brother stopping them from what they enjoy doing in life.” At the 2007 X Games, Lusk attempted the Hart Attack backflip — extending his legs with one hand on the handlebars and the other on the rear of his seat while inverted — and fell in a similar manner, but he walked away unhurt. He told ESPN that he did not attempt the trick for months afterward. “I was a little scared of it,” he said. Yet Lusk overcame his fear to rise to the top of his sport during the 2008 season. He won gold in freestyle at the X Games, and a silver medal in the best trick event when he landed the first double-grab Hart Attack backflip. That year, he also won a bronze medal in freestyle at the Moto X World Championships in San Diego, and finished third in freestyle on the Dew Tour. The magazine Transworld Motocross named Lusk its 2008 freestyle rider of the year. Paul Taublieb, the motocross sport organizer at the X Games, described Lusk as a rider who separated himself from the pack with a willingness to push boundaries using innovative and stylish tricks, a requirement for those who aspire to land on the podium at competitions. “That means taking huge risks,” Taublieb said. “That’s where he put himself. And it’s a tragedy what happened.” Lusk had dedicated himself to becoming a leader in his sport, friends said. When Metzger met him in 2006, Lusk was an unknown. But he made an impression with his serious attitude. “I knew he was very motivated to be on top,” Metzger said. “He was one of the more strong-willed human beings I’ve ever met.” At contests, Lusk was often the first to test jumps. “He wasn’t afraid of anything,” said Erik Apple, a mixed martial arts fighter who flew to Costa Rica on Sunday with several of Lusk’s friends. Lusk was a member of the Metal Mulisha, a clothing brand and a crew of hard-edged, tough, tattooed riders and fighters. Among them, Lusk was known as Pit Bull, Steele said, because of his tenacity and his ability to shrug off big crashes. But he had a strong sense of humor, too. “Always a joker,” Metzger said. Lusk was born in San Diego and began riding motorcycles when he was 3. He is survived by his parents and his wife, Lauren, all of whom were at his side when he died. After his success in 2008, Lusk talked with Transworld Motocross about leaving a legacy in his sport. “You can either be that one guy who wins a medal and is forgot about in a year, or you can be the guy who becomes an icon in the sport,” he said. Apple said: “I’m proud of Jeremy. He lived his life the way he wanted to. He went out on top.” Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ADV Bum 205 Posted February 12, 2009 I watch these extreme sports, motorcycle jumps, skateboard jumps/40ft vert ramps and have always wondered one thing. Why on earth dont they have spotters with nets? Kind of like catching people jumping from buildings. 4 guys with a big net would not cost much, but would save some serious injuries. Feel free to pass that on to Industry people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikeslut 1 Posted February 12, 2009 I watch these extreme sports, motorcycle jumps, skateboard jumps/40ft vert ramps and have always wondered one thing. Why on earth dont they have spotters with nets? Kind of like catching people jumping from buildings. 4 guys with a big net would not cost much, but would save some serious injuries. Feel free to pass that on to Industry people. Most of the guys practice these tricks in to foam pits, on pit bikes, then gradually get to full size bikes over hard pack. I think the danger factor is what makes it some impressive, therefore generating the revenue and attention they all desire. I'm not sure the same appeal would hold, with a bunch of nets. I have another question, and I mean no disrespect to him or his family... Doesn't the industry or sponsors have a program to help cover these costs? It's not like it's lawn bowling people! They should expect, and account for significant injuries! Selling bracelets for $2 a pop? Seriously? Have RockStar, X Games, Monster, (whomever) foot the bill... it should be built in to a business plan! We have our own insurance, and in some ways run a very dangerous operation (they're called KILLER whales... what we want you to do, is get in the water with it...) When we have an incident, it is covered... Don't tell me the big guns putting on these shows can't accomodate money going in to a serious fund! These companies are making a lot of money from these people risking their lives... NOW... if it happened out at OW, on their own time???? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Erick 0 Posted February 12, 2009 I wonder what the true story is about financial/disability coverage for these extreme athletes. Seeing the bracelets for sale and the immediate call for donations surprised me. Not that it's a bad thing. But, considering these guys are on the cutting edge of their sport, with global coverage in all forms of media. These guys drive a decent revenue stream. To think the athletes could be "on their own" if they become unable to perform is troubling. An abrupt end to their careers is a daily reality. Hopefully there's some kind of coverage... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShocknAwe 0 Posted February 12, 2009 The points about medical coverage are well taken, but we probably don't know all the facts. Since he died shortly after the accident, I'd be curious to know what his medical bills are. I would be surprised if those big corporate sponsors would not fit the bill (assuming there is no insurance coverage). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirt dame 561 Posted February 12, 2009 I found the video and watched it. Nuff said there. What I wonder, is if he would have had a different outcome if that had happened in the U.S.A. I am always wondering if the health care is good enough when people travel abroad. Actually, these days, I wonder if the health care is good enough anywhere.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paulmbowers 236 Posted February 12, 2009 I gotta agree with Bob. These guys have sponsors- selling $2 wristbands is, in my opinion, a little insulting. I'm hopeful the wristbands are a sentimental gesture, and the $2 is just covering the costs. I realize it's unlikely any life insurance company will insure a Freestyle MX-er, but the sponsors must have some sort of coverage for the rider and his family. p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
