Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg falls from the sky in Louisville Chris Tedesco, Courtesy TEDESCOPHOTO.COM
Twitch's Freestyle Motocross Blog
Nov 02 2006 / Los Angeles, CAUpdate: 10/17/06
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the fool didnt listen! I actually have a lot to do down there. Panasonic Oxyride batteries did a big sweepstakes and I am going to meet up with the winners. I dont know what all they won, but just in case, I had something special made for them. See, when you support what my sponsors do, I take care of you too. I'll tell you what it is after I give it to them, but I want it to be a surprise for them.
-Twitch
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9/13/06
What's up race fans! I didn't write anything about San Jose because I wasn't there, and FMX got all screwed up from the wind and stuff, so I really didn't have much to tell anyone. Nate has a pretty smooth ride right now, with Me, Kenny, Travis, Ailo, Rebeaud, and Faisst out of competition. Pisses me off. Not that Mason, and McNeil and Jones and Bamburg and guys like that aren't great riders, because they are, but truth be told, Nate has it wrapped up if he stays on two wheels, which is something that a lot of us weren't able to do this year. Even if Pastrana, who is in second in points, wins in Orlando, which he isnt going to ride, Nate only needs to get 13th place to win the Dew Cup. I'm stoked for Nate though. He had a tough year last year, and now this year, he gets the Dew Cup. He worked really hard, and would have been really hard for any of us injured guys to beat, but next year I promise, he is going to have to work even harder...
I spent my weekend enjoying myself, and spending quality time with my daughter. She started school, and I dont get a chance to hang out with her nearly as much, so I asked my sponsors if I could pass on going to the event where it would be all about daddy, and just spend time with her, where it could be all about her. We had a great time. I took her to the Last round of the MX Nationals that was pretty close to where we live, and got to see Ricky Carmichael's last race, and Ryan Villopoto's first championship. It sucked to see RC leave the track in pain like that, but watching Villopoto wax everyone was pretty amazing. That kid is crazy fast, and it's only his rookie year.
This monday, I get BOTH CASTS OFF!!! I cant wait! Now I can do pool work, and start lifting, and pretty soon I'll be allowed to ride again. I'm not waiting for permission though. I even rode around my place last week. Both casts on, one of them is over my knee, but I could still hit a few of the smaller jumps, and it just felt so good to start my bike up, blow it out, pull in the clutch, tap it into gear and let it rip a little. I dont think that feeling is ever going to get old. That's the kind of stuff I have been dreaming about since I can remember, and probably since I was in diapers. It sucks to lose that feeling for so long.
Well, hopefully more for you next week because I'll be out of these damned casts and off of these damned crutches.
-Twitch
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8/20/06
Gotta give props to Travis, he layed it down in Portland. So did Nate though, and I know he is going to be pissed and motivated for San Jose. It's only a short while away, and he can either tie again, or pull into the lead. Like him or not, Nate doesnt back off of training, and settle for second. He'll bee back with a lot to prove next month. Adam Jones was on his game and pulled it off well this weekend too. We'll see if he can make it happen on a big and technical course in San Jose (if it is as tech as it was last year...)
Too bad you didnt get to see this one on TV. There were some good runs, and there are guys that got hosed in the scoring. Dont go judging the riders by their scores from this weekend. I dont want to say too much and piss off any judges, and I know it's not an easy job, and they really dont get paid squat, but damn I feel bad for some of the guys that rode there. I dont think they did what they did on purpose either. I just think that after 3rd place, they put a hurtin on some riders. If you think about it, the judges are riders from the industry. They get paid almost nothing to judge, and they take a big risk of being hated by riders and sponsors, and everyone else in the industry. I'd never do that job... It's not the fault of the riders that get judged way too high either. It comes around and goes around, but it can mean a lot, especially to the guys in the lower end of the scoring. Oh well. Jugdes sports are tough. When you pick a rider to root for, just pick a guy that has the kind of style you like, or stands for what you do, or busts his ass every time or stuff like that. Dont be a judge in the stands or at home on the couch, and dont get down on a rider you like just because the judges score him low. It always feels good to hear the crowd boo when you get a low score, or to have a fan come up to you and tell you that they thought you rode the best. That's where the fans can make all the difference in the world for a rider.
Oh well. Done with Portland, and back to Business. I'm hoping to hear more this week about my deals for next year. I have a killer package already, but it's getting even better for next year. I'll let you know more when the time comes.
-Twitch
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8/19/06
FMX finally got started today. It was weird because at the other stops of the tour, we started practicing early and then had open qualifyers and then some more practice and then prelims and then more practice and then the finals. We had tough courses to get lines on and get figured out and all, but Portland is different. Portland is your basic IFMA type circle track, and it's all about acrobatics, and landing smooth, and mixing up your run and stuff like that. The guys that rode a lot of IFMA contests have an advantage there. I was looking forward to seeing how the Nate and Travis battle played out. All of their main competition is pretty much sitting on the couch right now, and they might feel safer because some of us are out, but it's going to be a chess match between those two.
Nate won the prelims. He set his run up really nice and the way he does all his stuff perfectly worked really well for the course. Travis threw out all his big stuff, and Nate did too, but this is just qualifying, so we'll see what happens tomorrow in the finals. Bamburg was back tonight. He's in his home town, riding an IFMA style course, and he's gotta be pissed about crashing or missing tricks at both of the other stops. I'm thinking he'll do pretty well in the finals. Not too much to really say about today. Portland is a weird stop. It's good and all, and the town is really cool, but it's just not much as far as FMX goes. There is no creativity on the course, or in the lines we take, or any transfers or anything. It's good for mixing the points up though. It's almost like a different sport here, so it gives some guys some hassles, and it gives some other guys a bonus. It can switch guys confidence either on or off and that can carry on to the next round, so it's an important stop, and the points are the same, but I'm looking forward to San Jose. I hope they used the extra time to come up with a gnarley design that everyone rides differently.
Oh, one last thing, I came up with an event of my own. It started coming together this weekend after a few meetings, and it's going to be Baaad... I'll fill you in when I can talk more about it.
-Twitch
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8/19/06
I got to Portland at like 2:30 in the morning on Thursday and there wasnt much time to sleep or check out much of anything at the Dew Tour that day. I filmed a piece for a special on MTV, did an interview/update with NBC, met with a sponsor for dinner after my autograph session at their booth, and headed to bed. The MTV interview was pretty cool. People might not think about it much, but doing interviews gets pretty old sometimes. No, shut up, trust me, it does... I hate it when guys game it up for interviews and are more like actors than they are athletes just talking about stuff. I always just try to say what's on my mind, and let people know what's up, but when you do like 20 interviews on the the same old subjects, it's just like you're repeating yourself, and it feels boring, and you know that if someone is watching a few of them, they are going to be bored with it too. The MTV one is going to be pretty cool though I think.
Dinner with Brian from panasonic Oxyride was a different story though. It was Brian, Drew from Renegade marketing that does the marketing for Panasonic, Drew's son, my manager Rich, and my buddy Luke Parslow that rides BMX Dirt. We went to Ruth's Chris steakhouse downtown after Luke was done with prelims, and the food there, if you have never ate there, is off the hook! I had a filet with some grilled onions and some mashed potatos and it was like heaven! Me and Luke were both big time soccer players growing up, and Drew's son was too, so it was kind of fun talking about soccer. I hadnt really done that in a while. I think I might try to get into an indoor league in the off-season for fitness. It takes a long time to finish a meal there and we started at like 9:00 when Luke finally got there, so we got done at like 10:30, then me and Luke and Rich talked for a while, and headed back to the hotel for the night. Long day, but I
got a lot done. The guy from Panasonic Oxyride was pretty cool too.
I was kinda surprised when he told me he used to ride dirt bikes with his cousins when he was young. He said they just had like some old Yamaha enduro 100 to ride and they had to fix it a lot, but really, it's all the same. Riding dirt bikes is riding dirt bikes, and anyone who knows what it feels like will never get it out of their blood. Maybe I'll get to show him what Yamaha has been up to lately... 2006 YZ250 is a bit of an improvement from what he had to ride back then...
Today (Friday) I did another autograph signing, did a Fox Sports Radio show, and just got to watch some competitions. Luke lead the BMX Dirt finals for a long time, but Cameron White busted out a triple tail-whip then followed it with a front flip and some other good tricks, and ended up winning. Luke was stoked for him, but he was pissed that he ended up second again. It seems like he is getting second so many times to different guys each time, and is really ready to win one. I told him that I know a little about that... If you havent followed my career much, in 2004 I think I got
second in every stinking event I rode! Sometimes I should have won.
Other times, I should have been second, but it pisses you off big time! I would have rather got last than to keep getting second... I learned a lot from it though. I got more patient. I realized that getting second a lot isnt so bad (after you win a few and can look back at it) and it made me a little more humble. If it's a judged sport, you just cant get too wrapped up in the scores. You have to look at what you did, and see if you're happy with it. If you are, then you shouldnt bitch too much. You gotta remind yourself that you are riding a dirt bike for a living, and that aint too bad. And you can also be stoked that you finished the contest and didnt BREAK BOTH YOUR FRIGGIN LEGS!!!
-Twitch
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8/7/06
I was pissed that I was so far behind with my broken legs and all, but after this last X Games, I'm not so far behind anymore... I really hated to see all the guys go down and get hurt. Maybe we can set up a Van-pool to therapy sessions or something.
I watched BMX Vert to see how my boys Kagy and Robinson did, and they pretty much cleaned house! Kagy is the first guy in a really long time to win Vert other than Bestwick and Mirra and busts his ass non-stop, so I'm really stoked for him. New baby on the way AND a gold medal... Enjoy the ride man! Then for all of you that dont know what has gone into Robinson's Double Flair, or how long he has been
trying to pull it, then you must not know Kevin Robinson. He's been in comas, herniated disks in his back, and just basically broke himself a bunch of times. I cant even imagine how he felt when he pulled it right when he needed it most. Then in the BMX Big Air contest on the mega-ramp Robinson and Kagy straight owned it. No
disrespect to Morgan Wade or Allen Cooke, but this is a vert rider's style competition. I think Chad had practiced on the ramp once before, but Kevin hadnt done it at all. I used to see those two ride the big ramp on the Huck Jam though, and knew they would kill it on that thing. Props to them both, and big props to Robinson for
pulling two golds this year at X Games.
Ok, now for FMX. Best trick was beyond richter! Travis was so dialed on his double flip, I just couldn't believe it. I guess that's why they call him wonderboy. He went so high, and rotated so fast. You
have no idea how amazing it is that he landed that so perfectly. All the guys in the pits were swearing that they are leaving that trick to Travis, but now that he has done it, the rest of us have to too.
It will take a while, but I have a new goal to shoot for. I bet Nate will too though... I was stoked for Bilko too. There were a lot of people doubting him, and honestly I dont think he was anywhere near ready when he got the invite, but he threw it down in the contest,and there was really nothing you could say other than he did it perfect! Rebeaud's underflip-nac was sick too. I've tried that underflip and it is really hard to get consistently. To throw a nac-
nac in there too is pretty sick. The one handed thing didnt even matter as far as I am concerned, the underflip with the nac was all he needed to grab a silver. Nate too. a 360 is a trick that hardly
anyone has ever been able to do, and nobody has ever done it nearlyas well as Nate. Dont think for a minute that Pastrana's 360's compared just because of scores you have seen. nate is the only master of that trick. To throw a nac-nac into it is bad ass. I would have to put that right there with Rebeaud's trick. I really couldnt decide who out of the three guys behind Pastrana should have got what place though. Travis definitely won it but there really should have been 4 medals. I also have to give some big props to Deegan. He didnt score too well, but pulling another 360 at X Games was a big monkey off his back. I know how nervous he was and how bad he wanted to pull it all off safely and not do any more internal damage. I'm really stoked for Brian.
Step-up was all about Buyten. Metz pulled out of another event? Shocker... Myles deserved that spot anyway. I really thought he would have done better from the way he looked in practice, but the only thing that counts is how you do when the camera's are rolling. Buyten needed that win pretty bad, and the way he won it was cool
too. Nobody was even close. I think he cleared that last one by like 5 feet, and he had a lot of room from the bar going up and coming down. I was hoping to get an invite to step-up. I won some titles in that before, and I can ride step-up really well, so have a good time with your gold Buyten, but if they let me in next year, watch out!
Ok, on to the weirdest FMX event I have ever seen. The whole season just got turned upside-down! Pastrana: Knee Surgery this week after tripping while walking around. Bartram: Surgery this week and a couple months out; season over. (by the way, that was sooooo gnarly how he rode the rally car race with his injuries...) Ailo: Out of X Games and will have to ride in a lot of pain at Portland Dew Tour. Nate: Out of X Games, with another concussion (that is a lot of concussions for Nate in a short amount of time... Be careful with that, kid!) Rebeaud: I think he broke his arm. Not sure though. So when you add me and my injuries into the mix, that is pretty much all of your medal contenders out of FMX right now. Guys like McNeil, Mason and Adam Jones are surely bummed for us cripples, but they have to like their chances at earning some good dough in the next few months. I also thought the scoring was kinda jacked up. I wont say who got robbed in the finals, but Robbie Maddison should have been in the finals for sure.
Well, that's it for my account of the Cursed X Games of 2006. I wonder what X Games 13 is going to be like if X Games 12 went so bad?
-Twitch
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7/24/06
This is a hard one to write. I had a doctors appointment the other day, and they let me know that there is no way I could ride X Games safely. I was ready to cut casts off and just deal with the pain, but they said that if I re-did my Talus bone in my right foot, that it could die from lack of circulation, then collapse, and they would have to fuse my foot. If they fuse your foot, it doesn't move anymore, and I'm not about to risk that for any comp. Better to get healthy and be able to ride for the rest of my life, than to ride one big show, and be crippled forever. I knew that my chances of riding were really slim, but as long as there was any hope, that was all I was going to focus on. Just get myself better, plan what I was going to do, and not think about not being able to do anything. As much as I thought I was ready to make that decision when the time came, it was hard to say the words. Still is.
My plan now is to just get back to 100%, then go another 10% or so, and hit whatever comp I come back at with everything I have. I have a lot of really supportive sponsors that want to see me out there competing and getting on camera, but every one of them that I talked to said to just get better, and come back when you are fully healthy. So that is what I am doing right now. I'm doing Physical Therapy with Richard Wright, and having Dr. Feder and Dr. Frey watch the healing in my legs, and having Dr. Bahr and his crew oversee the whole process. It's really great knowing that the doctors that are at the events with me, and see what I do, what I need to do, and how things happen, are the same doctors taking me through all of this. I don't know what event I will come back at. It wont be Portland for sure, and I doubt San Jose is far enough away for me to be all rehabbed for, but it would be really cool to get back by Orlando Dew Tour. That will be a tough one because everyone has the whole season of learning tricks and being in competition and all, so I will have to really be ready to kill it if I am going to go to Orlando. If not, there are some cool events in Europe I might go do, but I'll only come back at a major televised event where everyone can see that I am back, and I really am back at the top.
-Twitch
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7/18/06
-Twitch
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7/16/06
I want to send a big pat on the back out to Dustin Miller, cause he finally got the flip down and pulled it in a competition! Miller qualified 4th today, and it's been way too long since he has done that in a big competition! Way to go Miller! We all knew you had it in you, now we all need to watch out cause you're going to kick some ass now that you're going up-side down! And Drake (I got bad info yesterday, or just didn't listen, or maybe it was my pain meds, but Drake did make it to prelims) qualified into the finals, and it has been too long since we seen that too... Way to go Drake, now you just have to take that flip you have dialed into the pit to dirt, and get your butt back up to the top. For anyone out there that knows FMX, and has followed it for a while, Drake and Miller are bad-ass riders that just havent flipped in competitions. Now that Dustin has it, he is going to really be tough to beat. When Drake starts pulling them, he's going to be just as tough to beat. Damn I need to get these casts off and get back to riding!
I also heard that Faisst rode great today. he qualified 3rd on a really tough track, and he didnt have the rides he needed in Louisville, so I'm thinking for Denver it's on for Ronnie. I know that dude has some wins in him, especially with all the huge gnarly tricks he has now. Way to go Faisst! But I was totally surprised to see that Nate messed up in his first run, and didn't qualify in the first group. Then in the second run, he messed up again and could have really got hurt from that one. Nate cased one of his cordova flips and landed flat on the top of the spine type landing, then bounced way down the landing. That could have been really ugly... I havent seen it yet, but I'm really glad to hear he was still able to do hiw whole run, and keep things together.
It looks like a lot of the old-school guys are kickin some tail in Denver, but that's not really a big surprise. The altitude there robs all your horsepower, the heat and wind are brutal, and the dirt in denver is like chunky pavement, so the guys with the most bike skills, and with the most luck, are going to rise to the top for sure. The last thing I wanted to say was that all the guys out there running fruit loops for tires, "get rid of them now!" they break apart, wear down in like 5 minutes, and no paycheck is worth ruining your season with crappy results, or even worse, and injury, because your tires suck! Me, I like Dunlops. I always have. But there are a couple other tires out there that do just fine. Just don't use those stupid looking fruit loops! It might look like it pays good, but in the end, you are the one that pays the price...
I gotta get to bed now. I'll fill you in on my take of the finals tomorrow.
Twitch
P.S. lat34.com told me that they have been getting a ton of emails from fans wishing me a quick recovery. Sincere thanks to all of you that have sent stuff like that in, and all of you that even think that. I can totally feel all that support, and it really makes me feel like I am special to a lot of people, but what is really special to me is all of you out there that care about me like that. I'm really honored, and God bless you all.
-Twitch
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7/15/06
Ok, I'm sitting here in my living room watching BMX Dirt on my big new Panasonic Plasma that the kind folks at Panasonic Oxyride sent me, and really bummin that I'm not there... All of the hospital stuff and wheelchairing myself around, and sponge bathing and all is a bunch of crap, but Sitting here knowing that my friends are all riding practice and getting ready for prelims, and planning out their runs gets to me the worst. I have got to get back out there before I go postal...
First I'll give you the update on me. I went to the ESPY awards on Wednesday and had a great time. That show was off the hook. I was pretty surprised at the winner. Who would have thought that Shawn White would have beat me and Ricky Carmichael? I'm just bustin on him. His whole year was unreal, and he has sort of become like the new Tony Hawk to the younger kids, and deserved the award. I was really honored that I got put into that mix. I wonder who got more votes between me and Ricky though??? I voted for RC. Not many guys get a nick name like "The G.O.A.T." (Greatest Of All Time) while they are still racing, but RC definitely fits the name. To be listed with guys like that for that award is pretty humbling. On the way home from the ESPYs the next day, I hadn't eaten anything, and took a pain pill on an empty stomach like a fool. I was so sick! I missed my physio (physical therapy) appointment with Richard Wright, and it was supposed to be my first day of working legs and feet. Stupid move. Then today I was supposed to get my casts cut off, and get some new X-Rays to see how my bones are doing, but my appointment got canceled, so I'm hoping to get in on Monday. A lot of people are hounding me on when I will be back, and if I will be riding at X Games, and will I be in Portland for the next Dew Tour, but really I don't care about them getting their answers... I JUST WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS MYSELF!!! You have no idea how sick I am of sitting around watching everyone else train, and ride and go to the events... Oh well. I'm learning a lot about patience right now, and I guess that's as important as learning new tricks...
Ok, now on to Denver. All this stuff is just what I'm getting from phone calls from Faisst, Buyten, my mechanic Cliff, and my manager Rich. Buyten crashed and hurt his ankle in the open qualifier. He thought it might be broken, same bone as I broke in my right foot, but he got X-Rayed and it was just a bad sprain. Pastrana popped his knee out or something, but he's still ok to ride. That dude would ride with his head broken off though. Metzger pulled out, but I dont really know why, and he had been given a wild card into the prelims. Now Bilko gets his spot. I'm thinkin Nate has a great shot at winning again. He definitely has the best tricks, rides the smoothest, and of course is on a Yamaha, so I gotta go with him for the pick to win. Thor and Parts Unlimited got me and Nate a rig, and it was great to have in Louisville. The riders all have to hang out in the sun, sitting on pavement, out in the sun for 10 hours a day, and that Rig means a world of difference. That's another advantage Nate has cause me and him and Travis are the only Thor guys in the prelims tomorrow, and we all have rigs, so if you see some guy with a dead coyote looking design on their jersey riding like the just finished a 30 minute moto, don't hold it against them. They just ride for Fox. Ha ha! I heard Ailo was riding good in practice and Faisst has some cool stuff that he should be able to pull, so it should be a really good comp. Drake didn't make it into the prelims and that just sucks. Drake has some of the best style of any rider out there, but he isn't flipping. If he gets his flips to dirt, everyone is gonna have to watch out. Dustin Miller flipped in practice today, and he's another guy that should jump way up in the standings now that he has flips down. I heard he almost came up short on a few (no pun intended Dustin) so I hope he pulls them all safe tomorrow.
Well, that's about all I know right now, but I'll be sure to fill you in with whatever info I get tomorrow.
-Twitch
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7/4/06
I want to give a special thanks to my nurses and Doctors in Louisville: Carol (Thanks for hanging out and talking moto with me) Donna, (thanks for all that you did to get me out of there on time), Julie, the house manager (for making sure the right people were able to be there and help me, and the wrong people couldn’t find me), Annie(because you were always on top of things no matter what) and Stephanie (you probably were there for the worst of it all). The docs there were great too. My Doctors from the event, Dr. Rick Bahr, who coordinated everything and was always really calm and made me know that he had it all under control, and Dr "Bear" Gamboa, for all the follow up to make sure all was being done correctly. Dr Roberts from the hospital in Louisville who did the surgery to put the external fixator in (everyone said it was perfect) and some Doc named Carter that I remember from the E.R. for shooting me straight and obviously doing everything right. A lot of times in a hospital I hear a bunch of crap about being stupid fro riding a dirt bike, or they see all my tattoos and think I'm a dirt bag and all, but these people treated me like they were a part of my team, and I want them to know that the rest of the stuff I do on a bike in my career has something to do with what a great job they did.
Twitch waiting on a delayed flight.
Dig the swollen feet.
Today had to be one of my longest days ever. My manager, Rich, came to the hospital at 4am to get all my records and get me checked out. Then he had to pick me up over his shoulder and put me in the rental car. Same thing when we got to the airport at 5am for our flight. I was pissed when they told us that our flight was delayed because the crew had to rest because they got in late and we would leave at 9am, because that would give us about 20 minutes to get to our flight to LA. Then the crew was there on time, but they dorked around and we didnt leave until 9:30am, so we missed our next flight. Delta Airlines was on my "Bad list" now for sure. Then in Atlanta, we got on the next flight so it wasn’t too bad after all.
Again, kinda hurting over here.
If he can rebuild Olympians, my doctor can rebuild me.
Traveling went a lot better than I thought it would. Nobody bumped my leg, and even when the flight got bumpy, it didn’t hurt. Rich had to pick me up on his shoulder whenever I got out of one chair and into another, so it probably looked pretty funny to everyone, but it worked. My buddy Damien from Boost Mobile got a limmo with really long doors to pick me up from the airport and take me to my surgeons, Dr. Feder and Dr. Frey. We got to their office and they took me right in. When we went into the back, there were all these jerseys and letters and pictures from guys like John Elway, Cobe Bryant, Michael Jordan that had these docs work on them, so that made me feel really good. They put the Xrays up on this big 36 inch plasma, and were looking at them while they put footage of the crash from lat34.com up on the same screen, to see just how my leg bent and all. It was pretty cool. They cleaned the leg up and casted my right leg, and set me up for surgery on Thursday for my left leg to put a rod in my tibia, and surgery for Friday to put screws in my talus in my right foot. So by Monday I will be able to walk on my left foot (the one that had 3 gnarly breaks, and then a little longer for the right foot. The nurses and other people back in Kentucky were saying how this injury could take 6 months to heal from, but Dr Bahr and Gamboa had assured me that seeing the best specialty docs would be totally different. You don’t know how stoked I am to be able to walk on my left leg next week and my right foot a little while after that. I'm still thinking Denver is possible, but I have to see how the right foot goes. If it isnt 100% sure, then I will just wait for X Games in August.
The break
The break part 2
We got done there at about 5:30pm and the limmo took us to In-n-Out. That was the first real meal I had, and there aint no better meal to start with than a double double with grilled onions and no tomatos. Then the limo dropped Rich off at his house and dropped me off at my house. I was so cool to be at home in my own house, on my own couch and in my own bed, with my fiance there to give me some TLC. It's hard to believe that I only crashed 3 days ago and went through all that crap, and now I'm already home.
The Lat34 on the screen with my mended leg.
Riding in style curtesy of Boost Mobile.
Oh, and I also got a letter from ESPN saying that I was nominated for”Best Male Action Sports Athlete" in the 2006 ESPY awards. So go to ESPN.com keyword ESPY and vote for me! I wont be pissed if I don’t win it, but it would be such an awesome thing to win after the way my
season started out!
-Twitch
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Update 6/27/06
I had a lot of time to think about the crash and the whole event. The whole time, I was just feeling off, and not feeling like being here. I knew what I had to do, and I didnt feel like I wasn't riding good or anything, but I ride best when I am excited about riding, and excited about competing. Taking this time offwill drive me crazy about getting out there on my bike. I worked so hard in the off-season that I was getting kind of burned before the season even started, and that's never a good thing for me. The first riding I am going to do is go hit the hills in Beaumont or Ocotillo Wells or somewhere like that. Then I want to hit some good mini tracks, and then get back to ramps. It will all depend on how soon before Denver it is, or how soon before X Games or whatever. I want to come back right away, but I'm going to enjoy the time off, get my new house set up, and come back at 100%.
-Twitch
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Update 6/25/06
Hello everyone. Here is another dictated blog from Twitch. He has been hearing a lot about how everyone is concerned and sending him well wishes and prayers, and he wanted to give you all an update.
I had surgery last night to stabilize my left tibia. They put an external fixator on it so I can fly home to some specialty docs in LA. When I get home they will put a nail in my tibia, and I'm not sure what they are doing with my fibula. They said that should heal up good, and that it wont take that long. I broke a bone in my right foot that doesnt get good circulation, so I am going to see a lady that is supposed to be the best foot and ankle surgical specialist in the world, so I'm pretty stoked on that. I'm really hoping to ride Denver, but that will depend on my right foot.
Today I just laid here in bed thinking about how much I hate getting hurt. My legs ache, but it's not as bad as it could have been. I saw my crash on NBC over and over today. I'm glad I got to see it and all, but I really would have rather watched Skate Vert and BMX Vert without having to be reminded so many times about why I'm laying here. I head home on tuesday morning, and I'm looking forward to that for sure.
Thanks again for reading. Sometimes it feels like I have a bunch of friends that I am leaving messages for, and that's a good feeling to have while I'm stuck in here.
-Twitch
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UPDATE: If you want to send a get well wish to Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg: Email us Now at Submit@Lat34.com
-Lat34.com Staff
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Hey everyone, this is Jeremy's manager Rich. Jeremy asked me to type something in here for him today because he is hurt and in the hospital tonight. Jeremy said it would be funny to only write "Today Sucks." But then he also wanted me to tell you that he was pretty relieved to hear that he still held onto at least 4th place for the championship, only one spot below his minimum goal. He always says he's not worried about winning, but he hates being beat by Pastrana. He was really excited that Nate Adams got the win.
Nate, Faisst and Deegan came to the hospital to see him before he went in to get his leg fixed, and that really lifted his spirits. Kenny Bartram and other riders got an impromptu prayer group together after the finals for him, and a lot of riders, and Dew Tour staff pitched in to make sure his fiance and daughter were well taken care of, and that all of his equipment was taken to his hotel. He really appreciated all the love that everyone showed him. I never saw him start to cry over the pain, but when he saw how everyone was so concerned and helpful to him and his family, he got a little choked up.
Look for a new blog this coming week when he gets back home. He'll have some extra time to write over the next two weeks.
Thanks for reading,
Rich Swisher,
Sports Syndicate
UPDATE: 11:00 PM 6/24/06
Just in from the Twitch camp (courtesy of McClellan Nichols Sports Syndicate) here's the official update on Stenberg's condition:
"June 24, 2006 (Louisville, KY) Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg crashed today at the Panasonic Open in Louisville as he was ripping through his second run of the FMX finals. He has a few broken bones in his leg, but Docs give a good prognosis….he could be back in as few as three weeks.
Disappointed in his first run of the finals Jeremy knew the second run was for all the money. He increased the difficulty of his tricks and planned on much better extensions and changed his run up to include a seat grab backflip off of the backside of the giant landing . He knew he had to go really high but he just didn’t expect his Dunlops to hook up as strong as they did at the top of the lip. He went about five feet higher than he wanted and the extra traction put the bike in the wrong position to pull off the trick.
“When I was way up there I could tell how high I was and I could see the bottom of the landing way down below me, and I knew I just had to get to my feet”, said Stenberg. “I was too high to land on my head or my neck. When I hit the ground I felt a burning shot of pain up through both of my feet, and I was sure I had broken something.”
Jeremy has been stabilized at the University Medical Hospital in Louisville, and has follow up appointments in LA on Tuesday.
“I’m really bummed I wasn’t able to finish my second run because I could have at least got 2nd. At least I got 4th place points, and it looks good for me riding in Denver. “
“I talked to Jeremy, and I know he’s really disappointed for not getting this win, and no one wants to be injured” said Jeremy’s manager, Rich Swisher of the Sports Syndicate. “But this is the reason Jeremy spends hours every day training and working out with his personal trainer getting into top physical condition, so that he can come back quick and strong from something like this. I know Jeremy, and this kind of thing will only fuel his fire to win.”
About McClellan Nichols Sports Syndicate
MNSS LLC is full-service athlete, team, and event and corporate sports marketing agency. More information about MNSS is available online at www.thesportssyndicate.com, including a complete list of represented athletes. MNSS is the premier booking agency for international action sports events and competitions.
UPDATE
Jeremy Stenberg (aka "Twitch) aired out of the quarterpipe during FMX Finals today, and then continued up the other quarter to air over it and backflip to the step-down landing, which the quarter is built into the backside of. About halfway through what was a very high backflip, Twitch got thrown from the bike and into a free fall. He was still going up so he traveled another 5+ feet before he began to fall, he was also pushed forward in the air, so he was headed considerably farther down the landing than he would have normally been. He was upside down when he started to fall and he managed to flip himself over so that he'd land feet first, but in doing so he took a huge gamble that his leg would hold him.
Twitch did not get up once he hit the ground, he took off his goggles and motioned toward the sidelines as medics rushed out to tend to him. We will keep you updated on his condition as the Dew Tour progress.
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June 23, 2006
I'm pissed... Really pissed that I didnt ride like I know I can, not even close! Tomorrow will be different as far as the way I ride, but I'm bumbed on how some other stuff is going down. Like the course has some cool stuff on it for sure, and I know they are trying to progress the sport without just making things a lot more dangerous, but this new design doesnt flow. You land off of one jump and then the closest one you can his is 2 or 3 turns away. We end up spending a lot of time riding around on flat groud getting to our next jump, so we only get about 8 tricks in the minute and a half they give us. We normally get about 15 or 16 tricks in. Not only do the fans miss out on some of their favorite riders gnarley tricks, but for guys like me, Nate, Travis, Kenny and Ailo, we have 15 or 16 gnarley tricks, and other guys only have half of what we have. Well, on a course like this, it doesnt allow us to separate ourselves from the riders that dont know as many good tricks... It also just looks kinda amateur when we're riding all over the place so much on flat ground. The Dew Tour knows it, and they are already going over the next course design to try to make it more of a challenging course that lets the really good riders put on the kind of show the fans are used to seeing from them. I'm not mad at anyone. I saw the design before I ever came here, and thought it was cool. None of us thought about how bad it would flow. It's different though, so thats good I guess. Gives some guys that wouldnt get a chance to finish well a chance to earn some points, I just hope they get back on track for the next round.
So,,, Metzger pulled out today. Big surprise. He got on the commercials and all. Got a bunch of press. Then pulled out. I heard he rode a lot a few weeks ago, and didnt see any reason for him not to ride, so I kinda thought he would, but after I saw how good so many riders were riding here, I knew my prediction was a good one. Oh well. Maybe he'll be at the next Dew stop in Denver. Maybe he'll be at X Games. I just want to ride against him on a real FMX course as soon as I can.
Oh, I qualified 6th. That sucks by the way. After my run in the finals, the judges will see Renner go, then Bartram, then Ailo, then Nate, and then Travis. It will work against me in their heads for sure. I just want to make sure I am in the top 3, and that's going to be tough. Wish me luck, and say a prayer for the safety of all the guys. We've had a lot of riders get hurt, and a lot more that somehow didnt. I want to win, but most of all, I want us all to go home healthy.
-Twitch
We have prelims tomorrow, and I'm feeling pretty comfortable about making it in. I want to be in the top 3 at least. But you are always just a tiny mistake away from missing the finals, so tonight I'm going to take it easy and get myself ready. A lot of guys are riding really well, so I'm not taking anything for granted. Pastrana is here is here, and rode the course well today. Nate is riding really well, and his cordova flip is looking sweet. Mason, Ailo and Bartram will all be up there if they dont mess up. On top of those guys, I hear Metzger is riding now after all, and I can’t wait for that... All that stuff he talked has gotta be backed up now, and I really figured he'd pull out before now. We'll see who needs to "step it up" tomorrow...
