Tom Kvilhaug Crash.

You may or may not have heard of Tilt and Victory rider Tom Kvilhaug being put in the hospital this past weekend after a nasty crash on a 16 stair.  Well Tom is out now after staying overnight Sunday at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.  I was able to talk to him and find out some more about what happened.


Tom was trying to barspin a 16 set, landed perfectly but his bars unfortunately snapped, slamming his head into the ground.  According to him, he  "had to get seven stitches in my left eyebrow and I broke my eye socket and one facial bone."  Tom had already barspinned a 12 and 360'd an 11, so he figured he could land this- "I was thinking about just committing and landing it this time. (My bars snapped on my second try) My bars snapping didn't even go through my mind."  


But he definitely wasn't overconfident. He says he "was scared, but it was more of just nerves than actually being scared of the set. I usually get butterflies before I do stuff down gaps." So after he landed, the impact broke his Lucky bars at the top of the slit (which were NOT cracked before he attempted the gap), and he took a ton of force straight to his head. Tom's friend Dorian Robinson quickly called 911, and paramedics arrived. Dorian as well as Alex Bukaweski and Kyle Wilson were there helping Tom as they waited for the ambulance to get there.


The first thing Tom remembers after the crash is "the nurse talking to me and telling me that 'the stitches won't hurt, you'll just feel a tug.' That was about five hours after the crash." Tom stayed overnight at the hospital and arrived back home at about 2:30 this afternoon. The doctor told him that as soon as he feels 100 percent again, he can go back to riding, which should be in about two weeks. When asked if he would ever think twice about riding or doing something gnarly, Tom said he definitely will not, however, he "might slow down with the gaps and big sets though."


Finally, Tom wanted to " tell all the guys that were there thanks, and if the paramedic that cut my Bangers T and flannel off is reading this, I expect a replacement haha."



Tom's horrific crash was captured on video...however, due to its graphic and disturbing content, I am only going to post the link.  There IS blood and Tom is visibly and audibly in pain.  If you can't handle that, don't click the link.  Also under the video link, are links to pictures of each side of his face.  One, his right side, was mostly unaffected by the crash.  His left side shows the injuries as of earlier today.  


1st Angle


2nd angle


Right side (unaffected)


Left side (affected)


Also, if this makes you doubt Lucky bars...don't forget that Lil Jon, who has hit El Toro (a 20 stair) a couple times, rides them, and Stefan Hefner has tricked a 16 with them as well.  Tom, understandably, says he will not be riding Lucky bars again though.  Hope you recover soon Tom, from everyone at IS.