Scars

 i burned my tongue on some hot coffee once

 Great article, compound fractures have to be the scariest sports injury. This spoke to me because my scars were my identity for a lot of years after I got third degree burns on my chest, neck, face and hands. I was ridiculously self conscious until I found out what I was good at and learned to own my scars. But the scar that I got from my scars was a massive chip on my shoulder and worries about how people perceive me that took me years to get over. I was quick to get in a fight if I thought someone was looking at me wrong. Over the years it's been a positive experience for sure. I'm physically and mentally tougher and able to be open to people and their imperfections, physical and otherwise. When you see a guy or gal with something wrong with them, instead of judging or making assumptions, think about your own scars and how you got them, and know that they've walked a different road that has left them scarred too.

 More excellent content to be found lurking beyond the front page pf PB . Thought provoking, both about the role that a scar plays in the lexicon of our memories, and about my own, predominantly right sided, scars. A pleasure to read over a coffee. Thanks.

 Totally makes me want to huck a cliff to flat in order to join the club!

 This just proves how badass mountain biking is and how tough riders are. I'm so sick of people thinking its some pussy sport because they have some image in their head of mountain bikers cruzing down grass double track or some shit. Lets see people in football, basketball, soccer, any sport take an injury like that and come back stronger.

 My favorite scar is the one on my back that looks as though it was caused my harpoon impalement... lost control while drifting/sliding around an easy corner and landed directly on a sharp rock. Luckily I didn't require any surgery but the doctor at the hospital did spend a good amount of time tweezing little pieces of rock out of my back. He also managed to locate a potentially dangerous birth mark that I ended up having removed... maybe that crash saved me from cancer in the future?!?

 I found an original pair of new in box Shimano DX bmx pedals in Chicago back in the late 80's. Had 3 pairs and they were some strong pedals. I put the unused Chicago pair on my first mountain bike in 1990, cuz I kept bending spindles and cages of the mtb pedals of that time frame. The first mtb pedals sucked. So I'm out jumping. Land kinda hard from a flyout type jump. I just see a flash of red. My first thought, "Broke the pedal spindle? No way". Walk over to the pedal, had the crank arm and a short piece of spindle on it. I walk back up the hill and some little kid looks like he's gonna puke and asks, "Does that hurt?" I look down and see a really deep 3 inch gash in my calve. Even had some stuff hanging off the broken spindle on my bike. I called my mom and said, "Can you pick me up? I need stitches" She yelled at me all the way to the hospital about how she's getting sick of driving me to the hospital, never seeing the injury. Doctor comes in and takes the gauze off and my mom spends the next 2 weeks apologizing. If I point at my scar today, 23 years later, she still feels bad... Haha.. Todays parts are waaaayyyyyyyyy better btw...

 Super interesting and crazy to think that everyone else has their own scars.
I have my own on my left ankle from surgery giving me some of my own hardware - A titanium plate and 8 screws.
It definitely isn't a deterrent. I always get asked "Why do you still ride?!". I honestly can't give a short answer, and I feel everyone knows the feeling.

 I have some scars in a place that shouldn't be shared on this website..................... it has nothing to do with bikes

 "Find what you love and let it kill you." Charles Bukowski
And in Mountain biking, if it won't kill you it will make you stronger.

 And finally, by far the scariest encounter of my life that has resulted in a scar: While partying with some people that I didnt know very well in Orange County, one of the party-goers, a tweaker I later found out, decided he didnt like me. He sucker punched me from behind while I was hanging out outside the room, I hit the ground. Got back up, told him I dont want fight. He punched me again, I again told him I dont want to fight him. This went on 2-3 more times, and everyone who "had my back" fled inside the motel room and closed the door. I ended up with my back literally against a wall, still being punched. being a pacifist at the time, I just didnt fight back. The fact that i wouldnt back down either though, really pissed this guy off. With my back against a wall, the bastard pulled a pocket knife on me, and proceeded to spend 30 seconds trying to stab me in the gut. Thankfully, even in my intoxicated state, I was able to deflect the blows with my arms/elbows. He actually only broke skin once, right on my elbow. There's still a 1/4" bump from where the knife penetrated the bone there. After he realized he wasnt going to incapacitate me, he just stood there lookin at me. I said once more, dude, I dont wanna fight you. He then just walked away. Tattoos kick ass.. But scars are definitely tats with better stories Stay safe and happy trails my fellow pinkbikers!

 On way home on nice shiny new bike and got hit by a car, was knocked into the middle of road and was then run over by a bus, smashed ankle that was rebuilt, 105 stiches both internal and outside, in plaster for 6 months, hey ''live life '' that what I say.
Not stopped me riding n yep there r scars :-)

 I have two 5" scars on my right fore arm, which hide 2 titanium plates and 8 screws, as well as an exit wound. Hit the wrong side of a double as I wasn't carrying enough speed, landed on my arm and bent it round so I could touch my elbow. All because of the those infamous last words of "One More Run"

 Scars are part of riding. Each one makes an excellent story. Everyone has to have there shins covered to be a real biker! Or at least a real hack..

 Everytime I see my scar it reminds me of who I used to be, and how I'm not invincible. I thought i could do everything on a bike, had a stupid crash, and was left with a foot long incision on my belly, along with the loss of my stomach, gore bladder and some other organs. Everytime the story comes up in conversation it gets funnier and funnier

 Degloved knee? Do most people here know what that means? I "degloved" a finger once. Ring got caught and just kept getting pulled. Goodbye skin! Do not google that. You won't be happy when you see it.

A lot of those injuries are bad, but a degloved knee... that makes me shiver in utter fear the most. Jesus...

 oh yeah? i have a scar on my kidney!!! how hardcore that is uh? haha

 I feel like a wuss looking at the scar on my elbow. I was charging down the dirt road I live on and my SINGLE SPEED chain slipped (I didn't tension it properly), sending me straight to the gravel. No hospitalization or anything..

I did send myself to the hospital washing out of a corner on an actual paved road, though. Landed on my chin. Was again charging down the road (no common sense- middle of winter, snow and ice melting everywhere, SB8 up front and a tire akin to a Rythm Lite in the rear, 80PSI in both). Moral of the story? Don't crash on Valentine's day and ask your girlfriend/fiance for a lift to the hospital.

 i would really like to know if all this scars were made while not having protectors ?? or with them, you see i wanna know how good are the protectors ??? here seems like if one had full face, knee shins/pads, neck lace would rather not have this scars !?? or they were too big that even protectors weren't good enough??

 I had 5 stitches put in to close a tear on my scrotum.

Had my seat at a steep angle and my bars suddenly twisted. With the majority of my body's weight on the seat and the forward momentum my scrotum tore open an inch, enough to have lost a testicle (still have both). I also fractured my collar bone and shredded my chest in the same swift crash.

The scar still remains on my scrotum, but I ain't posting a picture!

 That i like to walk into my pedals whilst pushing

 Shit. This gets me stoked, scared, creeped out, and motivated all at the same time.

 I have a lot of scars...but none that bad!

 I have a good few scars.. Many from bikes, many from other sh*t.. My first scar was at the ripe age of three: After throwing a temper tantrum when my mom refused to change the TV channel, I somehow got my hands on a ceramic cat of hers, and smashed it into my head in a blind rage. Still have a scar right on my hairline from that lol. Some of the stupider ones Ive gotten involving bikes: ---8" vertical scar on my knee from cracked patella: wrecked on a city bike path of decomposed gravel on a beach cruiser. I also have a 1" scar on that knee from a DIY surgery.. After it got inflamed to the size of a very large grapefruit following a street riding incident, I decided to drain the fluid myself by slicing it open with a razor blade, squeeze out the goo, and then stitch it up myself; no anaesthetic. I used a quart each isopropyl alocohol and hydrogen peroxide to prevent sepsis, and it healed wonderfully. Stupid, I know. But it was that or add to my 30K+ debt of hospital bills. ---6" on the side of my leg just above the knee: Was riding with no hands down the sidewalk. Completely enamoured by a cute girl walking down the opposite side of the street, I rode straight into a 4 foot tall electrical box. The girl didnt even notice, damnit!

 I'll be able to join the scar party in a couple weeks. Broke my collar bone last weekend and had surgery yesterday. Its all bandaged up so no idea what it will look like. Jump was a little different than what I'm comfortable on but I felt ok the first time I tried it. Just needed a little more speed. Had the right speed, but was thinking more about the speed than the landing. Crash, snap, end of riding season and a delayed snowboard season.

 a faded scar but still visible received on my 5th birthday. a motorcyle with a sidecar lost control into my uncle's driveway and managed to hit me while trapping my left leg inside the front fender and dragged me to a stop. so, plenty of blood and tissue shredding. good times. a tiny scar on my nose from doing a header of a blind drop with my first "real" mtb. do miss that yeti fro w/accutrax fork though.

 "Seann - There's nothing more disheartening than seeing your foot on backwards". No kidding! Been there, done that......twice. After crashing I thought "how the hell am I going to get down the mountain with my foot on backwards", so I grabbed it and straightened it out. Firefighters packed me out on a stretcher. Got a plate on the fibula and screws in the tibia. Second time doctor removed the plate and screws then put a new plate on the tibia to hold it together. If you're busted up in the Fraser Valley you'd better hope that Dr David Lee is your surgeon in Abbotsford. Awesome guy and does awesome work!

 I shattered my right heal in a box race which is now a fussed ankle. Broke my left elbow on my dh bike. Still ride as much as I can. Just way more risk now with a fussed ankle.

 I have a fresh new scar that is forming on left elbow from this past saturday, after i wrecked at the two rivers downhill course, but i also got along with the scar a fractured pelvis. So now i will have a good story to tell about how i got the small scar on my elbow and fractured my pelvis.

 Scar running right round all but five millimetres of my finger just below the first joint along with a messed up finger nail. Three wires and an X ray showing a perfect cut through the bone say Fingers don't go in Disc Brakes! All credit to the hospital for stitching the finger back on after an hour and a half op though

 I got countless number of pedal scars on my legs, all of my broken bones are from bike fails...6 in all. Im now recovering from a broken collarbone for the second time. the first time I broke it was 12 yrs ago. I forgot how it hurt the first time. But it feels worse now

 Scars aren't nearly as cool when it's 2 feet long down your entire spine from when they inserted 4 titanium rods to put your broken spine back together. Never walk or ride a bike again.

 Tail whipping my son's 16-inch wheeled bmx at the pump track during a lull. Went sideways on a small jump and couldn't pull back, but ego prevented what would've been a harmless bail. Landed on toe in a mushroom cloud of dust. Get up, shake it off, try to walk off the course, foot doesn't work. Look down, notice foot on sideways. In panic, pops foot back in place. On lookers wince noticeably. Walk back to car, and drive 20 miles back home. Go to urgent care and was told to ice for rest of the weekend. Come Monday, foot and leg look like purple water balloon. Dr. friend strongly advises on second opinion. See orthopedic surgeon on Turesday. Surgeon takes one look and turns to have assistant call all nearby OR's. Surgery that afternoon. Five hours later, come out proud albeit loopy owner of 200+ stitches, a plate, 4 screws a 6-incher on the inboard side of calf and a 13-inch zipper on the outboard side. Original urgent care Dr. calls back in a week apologizing profusely for misdiagnosis (though not in so many words). Back on bike after 8 long months. Life lesson...when it comes to injuries, ignore the recommendations from the cat 3 weekend stand-ins and go straight to the experts.

 Hell yeah p3! Somethin u just cant shake. I havent had bars for 2 months, and during that time i tried to fill the gap with dh longboarding... Its a rush to, but nothing compares to mtb! Its litteraly unexplainable.... Finaly got the bars, went on a ride while sick, topping off the month with 6 new scars, and 5 visits to " medical facilities" because ive been living my life to the fullest!

 Chicks dig scars, my work mates never talk about scars or accidents for fear of the mountain biker starting and hogging the conversation.... lol. First year not in cast in 5 years, lets hope I get to the end that way. Broke ribs on the 2nd Jan though.

 I have the same scar as Darren on my right foot after shattering my heel while dirt jumping. It was pretty much during the same time as Darren. I also have a long one along my lower left leg after suffering a compound fracture of my tibia two years ago. Being a flat peal rider - my shins are a canvas full of scars. Not much room left for anymore.

 ---1/8" wide by 1.5" long scar below temple: After blacking out drinking at a party, apparently decided to ride home on a beach cruiser with no helmet. I dont remember wrecking, but I hit the ground so hard with my face that it knocked me out of my blackout. It also broke the handlebars in half. 1/2" below my temple, and I had a 3" by 4" section on the side of my face that was road rash for a good month. Very, very lucky. ---Another one on the forehead: Bike related, but not from riding.. After I broke my Cannondale Gemini in 2 behind the headtube, I strung a length of bike chain through the headtube and hung it on the rear view mirror in my truck. I was headbanging to some death metal, and an idiot "friend" grabbed the headtube by the chain and swung it into my face as I was moshing. Jackass. A few assorted non-biking scars: A sweet 1/4" by 3" on the palm of my right hand from a mazda 323; was replacing the engine, a rusty bolt head rounded as I was loosening it, and gouged my paw on the unibody. ---One more forehead scar: During a 2-year stint working at Discount Tire Co, I was dismounting a low profile Nitto Terra Grappler all terrain tire off of a 20" rim. The 2 foot long tire iron slipped out of my hand right as I got the bead pulled over the lip of the rim, and smacked me in the face. 2 hours and 7 stitches later, I was back at work

 I have a tastey scar on my knee cap and an even bigger one up my thigh where I had to have my femur put back together again after snapping it.
2 bolts in my knee and 2 in my hip and a rod still inside my femur it's still painful sometimes even after a few years but enjoying my bikes again

 Chainring into my Calf been there done that, I had to scrap for leaves to stop the pissing blood. My friends had to turn away seeing the blood gushing out. Oh and AC3 collarbone also, now that really hurt !!! Well like the old saying goes..."Nothing ventured, nothing gained".

 I got two scars on my belly, one on left under collarbone, and a speck on my groin. None were from riding, but had to do with my health. I'm thankful to be alive and able to enjoy shredding trails. As far as bike-related scars go... I have a couple above my right ankle from contacting a chewed up old plastic pedal while coming to a stop using my legs.

 Whistler Bike Park, June 17th this year, crashed badly over the bars on a-line, realised all the lads were in front of me. Felt my shoulder which felt really really bad, got back on the bike, rest my arm on my leg for support and rode down to catch up with mates (only about 500 metres or so). Got a lift the the clinic from patrol, turns out two broken wrists, 3rd degree separation of the right shoulder, broken fibula and broken bone in my foot. Good times!!!! I have that many scars it's not funny, but they all have a story to tell.

 i do not have pctures of my scars, funny enough i don't even have that many... but scars are only a reminder of time not being able to ride your bike so guess here is my "collection"

a total of 1 and a half years of not being able to walk due to multiple knee injuries from riding bikes or snowboards...
a total of 2 years of not riding my bike because i couldn't hold a handlebar after breaking both hands in multiple locations
some weeks of because of smaller injuries and or concussions...


in shorts scars don't rock or tell great stories they remind me of not being able to ride...

 www.pinkbike.com/photo/10280024

I feel I should at least get honorable mention for this one, not because of the gravity of it (though getting garotted is not a nice sensation) but due to it being pretty unusual.

 Great story. Scars are a funny thing. At once reminding me of my own mortality and how teetering on that edge is where I feel most alive.

 Someone should have told me that going over the bars at 70 km/h is not a proper way to dismount from your bike.
Today a year after the crash i am doin jokes about 4 broken vertebras and hardware with 9 screws in my sternum.
These 15 centimeters of scar are always good for a campfire story in the bikepark

 gots some scaring on the back of my right shin from a peddle slip on landing up north shore

got countless less impressive scars all over with amazingly more impressive stories attached to each one B)

 Got to many scars to count, but i did recently add a very nice one to my neck when i got impaled by nature, with a short cut off bit of branch lol, virtually hugged the tree haha.

 I had nine stitches in my top lip, now got three three scars on it, sorta looks like a claw mark! That's what happens when your chain drops off going down a concrete hill and you're wearing a pisspot!

 My arm schould be on there ;-)

www.pinkbike.com/u/michafrombelgium/album/Arm

 I've got more scars on my body than i can count, added a few more this year. not mad about a single one. great article

 the warriors were recognized by the gods when they died for the scars over their body..... in our case how experienced riders that we are!

 Got my scar when I was two. I had cancer should be able to do half the things I can now

 My shins have seen some shit!

 Anybody else just let their flag fly? Cuz even when mine are fresh, i let them breath! Unless its like a punture wound.... Then it gets wrapped. Go injuries, cuz if your not getting hurt, your not trying hard enough.

 Some people think tattoos are the best, but I've never seen a tattoo that had more 'meaning' than the story behind a decent scar. Great article. Keep 'em up Danielle.

 Straitline pedal vs shin to OTB into a riverbed... 11 days in hospital... hi5
s744.photobucket.com/user/derstefprev/media/26fbe400.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6

 Scarry,....these pics, now i can't stop thinkn about my awesome healthcare plan- that's about to go bye bye!
Hope and change I guess. ...(but hey, obama said If I like my dr. And my plan, i can keep em)
Liar liar pants on fire!

 2-piece collarbone, two devolving shoulder joints, crooked hips, crushed lumbar disks, non functioning spinal stabilizers ... Body is failing from the inside out, but the stoke is still strong, still holding it all together.

 I have a formula rotor burn, branded on my leg. Best natural tattoo ever

 compound fracture of my lower leg going through my frame on aline and shoulder popped out after hitting a tree on shleyer on whistler

 Didn't happen while mountain biking, but I still almost died. I was biking home and an Idiot cab driver blew a red light and t-boned me.

www.imgur.com/b7mKyGk

 My buddy just crashed on a dirtjump a few hours. Broke his clavical and collarbone. I'm sure that'll be a nice scar after surgery tomorrow.

 check the bullet holes i got thru my calf from my cousins and i shooting goffers from our bmx's...good ol' saskatchewan. go riders!

 did some kind of front flip cause haven't seen a ditch afore me.in result face planted in sand, and have a little scar on left leg

 I just have a lot of little "I'm an idiot" scars from stupid crashes that shouldn't have happened

 So accurate. I've got my fair share of scars and there's a bike story behind each one. Really great article.

 I tend to fall on my right arm so from elbow down its one big scar

 how was it put...." scars are souveniers you never loose, your past is never far away"

 I have a gnarly scar on my shoulder from the surgery I needed after I tried hopping a curb. Call me hardcore.

 First pic - Darren Butler - watching that on Drop-In was one of the most disheartening things I've ever seen. Was happy to see him back on a bike.

 Comparing scars huh. Pointing to my chest, “Right there...Mary Ellen Moffat, she broke my heart.”

 I've not clearly understood about "Dave - Separated shoulder on the pile driver on Bogeyman." the shoulder was separated from th body? looks like he misses his collarbone.

 Pinkbike has completed one of the steps to becoming a mountain biker! Matt dennison would be proud

 My favorite scar has got to be from shoulder buzzers. Seeing peoples reactions to "that means I did the trick well" is pretty priceless..

 very few people "earn" scars sitting in their LazyBoys.

 Absolutely the worst type of article to read just before three days of riding on a long weekend. So disheartening. But yeah, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

 I have a scar on my chin like in one of the above pics... Fell off a curb whilst looking at xmas decorations. Fail on my part.

 When I was 4 years old I thought I could fly. I executed a perfect dolphin dive into my grandparents' fireplace. 1st scar.

 My elbow looks just like Steves, same injury. Cool. My scars remind me of the mistakes I have made, and that I am human, and not to take my health for granted.

 Arthur's scar (5th image) look a bit like Marzocchi's logo!

 I hit a tree with my foot 2 months ago, today the toenail popped off. otherwise i've been pretty lucky in terms of not getting injured

 www.pinkbike.com/photo/5820806 head first into a tree after my wheels washed out on a landing. T5 to T10 fuzed together with a bone from my pelvic bone ... good times

 i have scars on my head lol from jumping on a bed. Got lots of scars from the 90s riding bmx lol, and a nasty sholder scar from Oakley jumps.

 I found the part about finding you foot on backwards quite funny.

 Got 8 fingers now due too an overly clingy disc rotor lol

 lot of scars on my left shin from learning how to bunny-hop days hehehehe..

 My scars tell everyone that i have shit luck because the one time i forget to wear my bloody pads i fall off.

 The majority of them are from acting a bellend ! Oh this will be fun.........wake up in hospital The big boys are from dh

 scars are the natural, raw tattoos!

 My legs are just covered in scars. Maybe flats aren't the way to go?

 Pain is temporary. Glory lasts forever!

 ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb1185870/p4pb1185870.jpg

 Arthur - City boy tries to ride the north shore.


Looks just like my legs

Pedal pins plus shins is messy.

 Arthurs not so race light ride - pretty decent effort at a Marzocchi logo!

 I was wearing shorts and I slipped off my pedal landing a drop and the posts on my pedal dug into the side of my leg

 Going to mess with my friend after his surgery that's all doped on pain meds if anyone wants to join!

 Whenever I think I have something to complain about... I'll click on this link.

 city boy riding the north shore.. my legs look exactly like that and i live on the shore!! hahah

 1st picture is Darren Butler right? He huck that drop on the his feet baad. Classic dropin

 i have a scar on my dick, yes, it is from a biking crash. Skin is only stretchy to a point! :/

 lol that guy has a Marzocchi M on his arm

 Front tire case & Over the bars, Hit the ground hard - ripped artery to kidney, lost it.

 Front tire case and over the bars - Ripped the artery to my left kidney, lost it.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/7822343

 I f#cked up... that's what mine say

 I seem to bounce.... Not break!

 Don't overshoot landings. www.pinkbike.com/photo/10275409

 I got my arm cut it cut all my tendons nerfs and bone

 My foots been on backwards to! I've got three scars to prove it!

 Good lord, that makes me wince just looking at those.

 www.pinkbike.com/photo/10279646

 8 stiches on my anus from 5 years in the Kingston pen.

 www.pinkbike.com/photo/8889190

 ive got like an 18 inch scar... plus multiple shorter ones.. fun times!

 www.pinkbike.com/photo/1185870 before the scar....

 i just seem to break collar bones...4 times :-(

 personal experience advice: wear full face as much as possible, enduro...

 Cramps

 A broken Collarbone is a must have ! A true Freeride Accessory