Brown suffered concussion in spectacular X Games fall

[Lil Bit Special]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2960510&type=story

LOS ANGELES -- Jake Brown, who had a spectacular crash in Thursday night's "Big Air" skateboard competition at the X Games, remains hospitalized on Friday, but was expected to be released. He had only a slight concussion and stayed overnight as a precaution, X Games officials said. He spent the night in the hospital after falling 40 feet on the Skateboard Big Air mega ramp during his fifth run Thursday night at Staples Center.

After pulling off a difficult 720 over the ramp's 70-foot gap, he launched up the adjacent quarterpipe and immediately lost control. Plunging face first, his legs pedaling wildly, Brown turned over in the air and landed on his tailbone, with his head and limbs hitting soon after. He slid limply down the last few feet of ramp and lay motionless for nearly five minutes. The crack echoed into box seats at the top of the Staples Center.

Fans and fellow competitors worried Brown could be paralyzed or worse, and Bob Burnquist, the only competitor with a run remaining, said he thought seriously about just letting Brown, who was in first place, have the gold.

Vert skaters typically don't wear pads on their lower back and tailbone, but in the super-risky Big Air event many wear gear similar to body armor. Burnquist topped Brown's score in his final run to take the gold, then sprinted into the nearby corridor to see Brown off to the hospital.

[D_Eps]

this **** was crazy. i have it as the wallpaper for my phone. the impact was so hard that his shoes came flying off. Thats what happens when you fall from 40 ft. in the air.

[ShadowJet35]

His friggin' SHOES flew off, I didn't even know that could happen.....