Is it worth the risk?
Mesha Naiker, Justin Tarasoff, February 10, 2022
Warning! Stomach churning photos are about to be shown.
How extreme can a sport get? Well, let me tell you a little story about my friend Justin Tarasoff…
Inevitably, the largest part of extreme sports is the degree of risk and danger that comes with it, hence the term “extreme.” Every time a skater steps on their board, a biker gets on their bike or a skier straps on those skis, they are taking the chance of getting a sprain, injury or even in the worst cases, death.
Thrill does not come without risk, with skateboarding being no exception. Back in July 2020, Justin Tarasoff went for a joyride at his local skatepark when he took a turn for the worst…
While trying a pop-shuv tail grab Justin broke and dislocated his ankle, shown in the picture to the left.
Justins first thoughts were…well… he had no thoughts. He was in shock, stating that “he didn’t feel anything and it hadn’t registered in his mind that his ankle was broken.” The person behind the camera had to tell him what had happened for Justin to comprehend what was going on.
Post break, he sat on the ground, contemplating his existence. Multiple friends offered him smokes and marijuana to ease the pain. But at that point he knew it was doctors care that he needed most. So he kindly declined and sat tight while anticipating the arrival of the paramedics.
Justin was rushed to the hospital, where he got an x-ray. A clean break was confirmed. Shortly after, he had his first surgery where he had to have several staples put into his leg (shown in the picture to the left)
The next day, Justins mom drove him 3 hours from the hospital in Smithers to the hospital in Kitimat for his second emergency surgery.
After 3 months of rest and rehabilitation and not being able to walk, Justin went back to Kitimat for his third surgery. Shortly after, Justin gained mobility back into his ankle and was able to walk out.
Fortunately after his last surgery, Justin was able to do physio-therapy treatments to aid in completing his recovery and to regain strength.
The question remains… was skateboarding worth the risk?
Justin admits that it was not worth it. For three months, he was jobless and broke… not to mention the terrible PTSD ankle-breaking nightmares that followed.
Other important questions and thoughts Justin had to consider:
Do he ever really think about the risk factor of doing what he does? If so, why did he still do it?
He thinks about the risk factor more than he did before but the risk is what makes it exciting to do. Justin also does it for community reasons as well as its a great way to kill time and be active.
How does it effect him now?
It effects him mentally in a way that he is more cautious when approaching tricks. He is effected physically because his ankle is now supported by metal rods and screws. His ankle clicks often, and reminds him of how it will never be as strong as it once was.
Did this scare Justin away from skateboarding? For awhile it did. Recovery took a combination of 3 months time and 3 surgeries before he could even think about stepping back on the board. But once he was fully recovered, he started skating again.
Why? Because the amount of fun you have doing the sport is worth the risk, even if it means breaking a bone.
Justin now skateboards still but stays lower to the ground and is thankful that he was able to ride.
Could it have gotten any worse? Where is Justin now? How can you prevent injuries like this from happening in other sports? Tune in to the next post to find out!