#IRIDEFORPAUL
In 2004 a 17 year old from Nevada won the second mountain bike contest he’d ever competed in: Crankworx Slopestyle. Unknown and unsponsored, Paul Basagoitia borrowed Cam Zink’s bike and nailed
an instantly iconic run with a backflip on to tailwhip off the final feature to take the win. He beat out heavyweights like John Cowan and Timo Pritzel - the result earned him a factory sponsorship with Kona and eventually a coveted Red Bull helmet. Bas has spent the last decade starring in legendary video segments -
his NWD 6 ender is a true classic - and scoring numerous contest podiums. Lately, he’s moved away from slopestyle to focus more on riding in web videos and running his own filmmaking business.
To most readers on Pinkbike, Bas is a superhero: the man who stomped the first 720 in a movie and changed the way slopestyle runs are ridden. Bas’s riding progressed the sport and inspired a generation of athletes. At events he’s an affable, easygoing presence. He always makes times for kids and anyone else who wants to connect. He’s a genuinely nice guy, friendly and kind. On Friday, October 16, Bas suffered a severe injury at the Red Bull Rampage. He fractured the T12 vertebrae in his spine and was airlifted out of the event site. He was put in the Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital and underwent a gruelling nine hour surgery. Bas is one of the toughest and most competitive guys out there, and if he treats rehab like he treats contest runs, then there’ll be no stopping him. For years he’s inspired our family of mountain bikers here on Pinkbike, please support Bas and his family in their time of need.
Update: Oct, 19th, 2015 from girlfriend Nichole Munk, “His chest tube that was put in to assist with access to his spine during surgery was removed today and he is such a fighter that he is already looking forward to rehab! This is all new territory for us and we are flooded with information right now, but he will beat this! Thank you to all the riders, sponsors, friends and people involved with the event that have shared their support”.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
I know some will say "no guts, no glory" and all that jazz but think about it. Some of these people have wife and kids. Most ride for a living. Is it worthy to go all in in one single event?
Shame on Redbull though, these people are their bread and butter.
I went as a competitor, and was there for 2 days - day 1 was final qualification, and day 2 was the finals.
ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb834040/p4pb834040.jpg
I found Paul to be a very friendly guy and very supportive to all the riders at the event. Paul and Grant Fielder (Kona Klump) were judging the action along with the guys from MBUK magazine. Paul liked what I was doing with my riding, and put me through to the finals as a wildcard.
I did not win the event, but thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and getting to spend time chatting with Paul and Grant.
Its sad to see that Paul got injured at the latest Rampage event, but I understand how thin the line is when riding these massive stunts with huge exposure. It does not take much for it to go horribly wrong.
I rode for Devinci, then Banshee Bikes and Da Kine as a Pro freerider for several years, and thoroughly enjoyed all the travelling, riding, filming and sending stunts, but took a decision eventually that it was not worth the risk for the meagre rewards on offer. It was hard to make any kind of living, I paid for accident insurance, but still never felt 100% comfortable, which is probably a good thing.
Unless you've literally risked your life sending huge stunts, its hard to understand why a rider would do this. Its a huge buzz but the result of it going wrong can be catastrophic. I was searching out mining quarries to find the biggest hucks, and building timber / dirt stunts...it was getting huge, the 2015 Rampage shows that progression and its insane!
I sincerely hope Paul B makes a good recovery from his injury, and enjoys getting dirt under his wheels in the near future. A call for all his sponsors and supporters to do everything they can to assist him in this difficult time.
Rob C
London, England
www.road2recovery.com/cause-view/irideforpaul
its really easy to make a donation using PayPal and leave some comments for Paul to read
Nothing will ever change if this is the case.
-Euripides
Personally I'm no pro at all, but for €2 extra per month I also insured my medical costs specifically if I get injured while doing an extreme sport, because my standard medical insurance doesn't cover that. And it is totally worth it.
I know most Americans don't have health insurance I know quite some riders in the States, and what I constantly see stuff like "broke my leg, but won't go to the doctor to get a cast because it is too expensive." It's not an assumption I made, I based my view on those 40+ people I know in the USA.
I don't know the price of the insurance, so don't know if it's penny pinching, but as an extreme sports athlete you NEED to have a health insurance in my opinion.
PS: Don't get me wrong, I'm fully for fundraisers like these and we should definitely support them.
But it sucks for the riders having to need these fundraisers, and if you're not famous or don't have the right connections they will not cover your bills.
I just hope that other pro riders will seriously consider getting a decent health insurance.
the insurance would provide a pay out for extended stay in hospital, and in long term for life changing injury such as spinal or head trauma leading to life long loss of earnings and living costs.
when travelling overseas, I would take out specific extreme sport insurance which covered freeride and downhill mountain biking. This would provide cover for all-country costs such as air ambulance extraction, accident & emergency costs and repatriation to my country.
expensive but highly recommended.
Americans have the luxury of choosing whether or not they want to take the risk on medical cover or not. With all that tax money they aren't paying, the lower cost of living and higher salaries for equivalent jobs, their pockets must be stuffed (in general)!
Also, Redbull simply invites riders. This idea that riders are risking their lives for Redbull is ridiculous. No one is doing this for the benefit of a company that's not paying them. I agree that riders should be fairly compensated and provided adequate insurance but it's the riders individual sponsors that they are riding for and representing out there, and who gains the most from what they do. It's these companies that want thier riders getting the exposure Rampage provides. Some of the top competitors like Zink, Aggy, and Sorge are out there wearing the logos of Redbull's main competition. If there is any corporate sponsor pressure on these guys it's going to come from thier own individual sponsors not Redbull. It's these companies with direct financial investment in these guys. It's these companies that people should be looking to direct thier anger at. They are the ones who should be providing the travel money, insurance etc.
Also.. did you really just complain about a for-profit event-hosting company benefit from their event-hosting?
Sorry, but you must be some kind of retarded.
Never saw a promoter of a boxing competition pay the medical bills for their boxer either.. just saying.
Good for you Red bull, you're a genius.
But the f*cking truth is different, as always. It turns out that that job is highly dangerous (some crazy guys might very well die), and it turns out that we live in the twenty-first century and it's just INTOLERABLE that safety has been taken out of the equation, and it's just INTOLERABLE that in an event organized by one of the wealthiest corporations in the world every time an athlete suffers a serious injury his family has to borrow money to cover medical expenses.
So perhaps Red Bull needs to change his business strategy for once.
If RedBull "steps in" when people get hurt, it is only because they need to play nice to distract the audience.
They are the ones who push the extreme sports.
A company like RedBull can easily give 1 million to Paul. 1 million for them is like 5 dollars to us.
If you look how RedBull got to win in F1, then you understand better...
And yes, a company like Redbull (not the bakery in my neighborhood) cannot allow pro athletes "beg" for money to pay medical bills cause is intolerable. I know of no top-level sport where this shit is allowed.
And why should that be the case? Of course, Red Bull can pay for the insurance of all the riders taking part in the event, instead of the riders paying for insurance themselves.
Sorry mate, but that's nonsense. Except for the helmet, there's no usefull protection in the Red Bull Rampage. These guys do so big jumps with so much speed that no protection will help you out in a crash. I'd rather stay more flexible than wearing this Leatt crap that makes no sense at all and reduces your moving ability.
However, I will take no responsibility for any harm, serious injuries or fatalities to the sports persons I invite to the "extremely dangerous location" where I choose to host and promote my product/sports event. In addition I also get to choose what is covered and published in the media from my event.
100% Ethical?
#IRIDEFORPAUL
you totally nailed it, buddy
There was a poll in this very website 10 days before rampage and everyone agreed by a massive margin that:
+ 593
flag thrasher2 (Oct 2, 2015 at 0:07)
What if Redbull at least pays for a weekend of good insurance?
Now all you f*cking cutthroats are trying to void HELP from RedBull? it was them that pressures paul into sending the biggest step down we have ever seen this is very accurate Yep, we must recognize this business strategy is unbeatable, actually the wet dream of any entrepeneur: making the maximum profit taking a minimal risk. To take risks we invite some crazy guys to do the job and pay them peanuts, right? Good for you Redbull your a genius.
So I ask Whos behind the keyboard some paperpushing marketing rep from RedBull?
At least let him into your rehab headquarters and help the one rider that was yours and helped take your brand and the sport to the next level. Dont bitch out Redbull you piss that money in fuel and tires every F1 race. You should be ashamed.
Look at your f*cking countries external policies before making stupid comments. The fat-nazi regime is destroying whole economies every single f*cking day. You german arrogant prick.
While the riders are not properly compensated for the skill and the risk.
Any human being that can go down a rampage course is more athletically capable than a formula 1 driver, MX1, soccer player, football player, hockey, golf (lame) whatever.
It is the most underpaid sport on the planet and demanding less for your fellow riders is not helping.
Im willing to bet there is a shitty goal keeper or striker on the New york Red Bull's lineup that makes more money than Semenuk. say Thierry Henry.
what are you talking about? noone is searching for a scapegoat here, at least the sane majority. Don't make Red Bull the poor latino illegal of sports event managment. Fact is, that the RB Rampage is a insanely dangerous event, so it is time to think about some responsibilities that everyone - riders, organisators and sponsors - has. The riders should be insured, but the sponsor should also contribute to the riders treatment. Btw Red Bull has all in all a bad reputation in every sports they entered in.
The physio is the important thing for him now I guess.
But truth is these guys send big stuff for red bull or not. It's what they do. They don't just think sod it red bull is here lets hit massive jumps. It's all calculated. But the tragic thing is the calc went wrong this time.
ignore the marketing exposure and revenue for a second with F1 compared to MTB'ing. its not even close to being even comparable... just consider the $500 million a year that it costs to run one of the top programs... what is $100k? you figure that every year at Rampage until this incident, there was nothing majorly serious... a few routine bone breaks each time around. how much could a blanket health policy possibly cost them. its not about assigning blame or pointing fingers, it just needs to be looked at, as a mutually beneficial relationship...
without riders or mountain climbers or space jumpers or pilots or snowboard lunatics or motorsport nuts... Red Bull doesn't have its zest or presence. without Red Bull... all those people have exponentially less avenues to try to make a living out of their extreme sport passion. they both need each other. they both should look out for each other using the different types of support from either side to the singular common goal and end product.
By heavily invested I meant organizing the event and paying for building, camera crews, helicopters, security, afterparty, prizemoney, first aid and medical crew and so on... It's only logical that they wouldn't do that if there wasn't to gain some benefit from it.
To @Treze ... yeah well, someone playing the nazi card on Germany over the internet, guess that is something I've never seen before... lol.
He just made a fool of himself proving that he is mentally challenged by writing a purely insulting and racist comment, rather than making any point... so why would I take him seriously. It's just kinda painful to see his opinion on Germany, the country that just mainly helped to refurbish their economy and that is pretty much the only grip to hold on at the edge of an abyss.
@Sweatypants your last paragraph is precisely what I wanted to underline in the first place, when I said that RB is something like a service provider for the extreme athletes, just couldn't find as good of words I guess. Now I'm really tired of this topic :p
Still, all the best to Paul Bas!
Come on dude, calm down. I actually live at the border to germany and I am often over there in the bikeparks and you should not play the Nazi card that easy. You can find fascist and other retarded folks in every country, even in Portugal.
"Whats your problem you f*cking little dickhead?
You don't know shit about me and you're obviously an uneducated peace of shit.
So better shut the f*ck up.
I stated objective criticism on the american healthcare system that anybody with a brain no matter what nationality absolutely supports and you start insulting me for being german?
You are the nazi bitch, not me.
Besides, you should be thankful for the help you got after the financial crises, when your country went down the drain. Without germany you would be f*cked right now. That has nothing to with arrogance, it's a fact."
Living in a blissful lie, even if the facts tell otherwise...
I had no argument at all with this guy and he starts insulting me for my nationality?
This guy should be banned.
Can't believe his comments aren't even below threshold.
The NFL has payed retired players in the past for brain injuries and still does to this day so STFU
(CNN)A federal judge has given final approval to a class-action lawsuit settlement between the National Football League and thousands of former players, the league said.
The agreement provides up to $5 million per retired player for serious medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma.
While the lawsuit was a combination of hundreds of actions brought by more than 5,000 ex-NFL players, the settlement applies to all players who retired on or before July 7, 2014, according to Judge Anita Brody's 132-page decision.
It also applies to the family members of players who died before that date.
edition.cnn.com/2015/04/22/us/nfl-concussion-lawsuit-settlement
1. THE ATHLETE- . At some point a kid decides he/s she wants to be a pro athlete in their chosen sport, they compete at local/regional or national level and get noticed/win. they are offered a sponsorship deal. this can then grow to be several sponsors and may or may not include money, that's up to the athlete to decide if they're happy with their reward. I see way too many kids desperate to "get sponsored" when they have actually got no idea what's involved or expected. no one is forcing them to do anything, ( i say that, but i've seen more parents pushing kids to do stuff than brand or team managers)
2. THE BRAND. Brands usually have 3 or more tiers of athlete, 1- national level, this athletes are noticed at grass roots level and are offered a deal by the distributor/ agent of that country, the athlete is not actually backed by the brand as such, but by the local reps for the brand, the athlete is not on the books of the brand itself((usually).
Tier 2 is international/ european team. The athlete is now "on the brands books", they are managed by a team manager who knows whats what and has been in the industry for some time, commonly an ex pro themselves. The athlete is now receiving a salary for their work, its a job.. travel allowance/ kit budgets etc on the table too.
Tier 3- The global team, the cream of the crop rise to this level, they are looked after by head office and the global team manager, receive a higher salary as well as other perks.
Having looked after athletes on their 2 and 3 for more than one brand I can honestly say that at no point has the athlete had medical insurance provided by the brand. However I always made a point of discussing insurance with each athlete and made sure they had coverage suitable for what they were doing. This was also taken into account when it came to renegotiate the package.
( small point to throw in here. you cannot insure a car with several different companies, i.e. have more than one policy on a car, some of the folk on here saying the brand should insure the rider,, what if the rider is backed by several brands, who should pay the insurance? if the athlete were to have more than one policy covering the same thing then it opens a whole tin of worms.)
3 THE EVENT. Putting on events costs money, it's usually taken from the annual marketing budget. For an event to get the green light (not sure about the US but in europe) the event has to provide 3rd party liability insurance, this basically covers spectators getting hurt, its bloody expensive.... for an event to cover the insurance costs of every athlete involved would cost so much that for most brands the event wouldn't even happen, and i'm not talking small brands either. A competition is just that, prizes are awarded for the top places and that's it, some sports cover lower down the rankings but it's not the given. athletes are not forced to enter, or to do anything they don't want to, as was proven at this rampage when riders refused to do their second runs. Not all the events you see are put on by the brand HQ, in a lot of cases it's the regional distributor for that brand and the HQ actually has nothing to do with it as such..
As has been said on here already, red bull do actually invest a bucket load of money in rio research etc. the media house is the arm that makes the money, and they put back into action sports more than most on here realise.. an example of the top of my head is travis rices art of flight snowboard film, that film moved the action sports cinematography to the next level,, who do you think funded that? it certainly wasn't quik or DC....it was red bull.....
It is upto the athlete to make sure they have adequate insurance to cover the activities they participate in, it is upto the athlete or athletes manager to negotiate a package with the brand that allows them to be able to financially do that....
sorry for the long winded post...
you say"red bull pays them for riding", they don't, there are "prizes" for podium positions and maybe a bit further down, but no one is "paid" that's part of what's rubbing folk on here up the wrong way...
INVITE is not a hiring clause, not outside the US anyway....
So If I were an English pro biker I could take part in Rampage with no fear of getting hurt because the british health system would cover me. Yeah, I certainly envy you.
Additionally, most plans that are reasonably affordable here have a high annual deductible. I'll be paying nearly $10,000 out of pocket for my daughter's broken arm and wife's surgery this year. That's quite a chunk, if I had to take weeks or months off work to care for them that would have meant no income, either. About 10 years ago my dad broke his neck in a car wreck and was in hospital for 3 months. You can bet he wasn't making a dime, yet they still had a mortgage to pay, food to buy, other bills. The socio-economic machine doesn't stop just because you can't pay your bills, it just eats you up. Check out how many people in this country have to declare bankruptcy because of a major hospital stay :/
The kid not having Private Health Insurance is somehow unbearable to my mind.
I broke my spinal column two times in a horrible DH-Crash and I'm lucky not to be paralised or dead (has now any problems from that accident and still ride DH). If you have weeks of time to think about it while laying arround at home in the sence of: what if... why I only did... why I made this horrible linechoice...why is that happend to me? This thoughts are a real punishment for yourself and you have to watch out not the get crazy about it.
Luckly my healt insurance covered all the costs and I got also my salary over this period (5 months) of not working. Health insurance in Switzerland is compulsatory. I'm happy with that, otherwise I would be ruined now and paying some years for this shit. If something happend like Pauls accident then you don't want to think about your economical problems when you already has serious health problems.
So I want to encourage you to take off a little of his heavy load and made a donation - I already made mine! Taking care of you is your own responsibility. If you do dangerous things so get an insurance, even when it costs a lot, it's worth the money!
@simooo, i get ya. Getting Private Health insurance is one thing...getting a good one that will respond to you is the next step. What i've learned is that your agent has to be a relative or a person close to you that really cares to provide you a good service and has lots of of experience, there's lots of loopholes in the insurance world better have those loopholes work for you not against you.
The riders here are in a real hell and it is propagated by people who want more....and more and now like your hand puppet that dominates your every thought....ya you want INSTANT GNAR and CARNIAGE.
get a grip and pony up.
I think the point mb00033 tried to make was that there is a government that can spend billions and billions for decades of war under the banner of helping an freeing people in foreign countries (no mater if they like to be freed or not) and the majority of people are backing this but when it comes to health care for their own every Cent spent is to much.
Seriously this is fu**ed up and hard to understand...
@madmon there was nothing about insurance mate, read the paragraph again, its about the comparison of two pursuits, its about a job with high risk and not enough governmental support. I donated my bit before you where thinking "should i buy a 6 pack before 11 or donate for Paul".
How about istead of #iridefropaul ,that mister Secco has started, hang your bike to the wall and every time you thought "o'today i'll go out to ride for paul", lie flat on your back and do not move and not go out untill Paul DOES, eh? Hang this one to the wall too carved in metal #iwontrideuntilpauldoes
Now Sir @CaliCol, thankss for the info, certainly being a proud veteran or a proud friend of one, as you couldnt compare this situation out your bubble, it was just a very optimistic utopic healthcare for veterans brother. Offcourse US does these supports, it really depends on which states it is, u r in Cali, how about speaking from the stand point of an eastern states soldier. And hey, would that monthly pay check give him his mobility or arm and leg and happiness back??
AND there isn't any hatred aginst US army there, US army can go blow the shit out of the world, let them do it, no objections to that? Its made for that! A soldier is gonna enjoy and hate the war at any point just like any of these Bike Gladiators love and hate jumping off cliffs. Now if the US government, just like you, can't compare the two and support both, then its too bad for your country and the whole world gonna miss a hero whether in war or in sports, I'm not trying to degrade any of these veteran here.
Try pedaling with one foot and handling with one hand next time you ride and be thankful for ur health. Its all apples brother, its two people sent for the same risks to earn money aint it? Next time you better cut your fingers comparing any HUMAN to vegtables for making examples, humans are all the same either in fighting for a country or pushing the boundries of a sport for a country sir. Open up ur mind, smoke some dope and chill mate, at least its a free country, promoting and serving Freedom to the world, as @michibretz said:"no mater if they want to be freed or not".
he is one important role in amercia's new freeride generation, another true veteran, get your government to pay for him, Peace mate. @CaliCol
..@mb00033 ......sorry for robbing this train......feeling emo & not so proud to be a mountain biker right now
I posted this as a message on your FB page as well. I hope it helps.
One week after my 60th birthday I also broke my back dislocating T11/12,L1/2/3. It took me nearly four months to get out of rehab and ten to get onto a bike again. There are four things I would ask you to do Paul:
1. Watch a copy of Morris E. Goodman's "Miracle Man.' SNIOPS (sending the negative impulses of other people south) rules. Its never 'if' but 'when.'
2. Not to set any objectives, just be the very best you can be right now. This second, this minute then you'll never suffer disappointment of not meeting an objective.
3. Should any sign of depression start to creep in you must react immediately by seeding your mind with the positive. i.e. That's a great colour white in the wall, the guy's shirt looks cool, the nurse's legs are amazing, etc. The dark clouds will disappear but it takes concentrated work as its too easy to slip into the pit of self-sympathy.
4. Realise that the only person unequivocally caring about your welfare is yourself.
These worked for me and at 71 I'm still enjoying the thrill of descending a technical hill.
Take care,
Storm Ferguson
Durban, South Africa
2) Red Bull told the broardcasters to broardcast that he was ok, when he really wasnt.
3) Red Bull provide no event insurance for the riders.
4) Red Bull have not yet said they will be supporting Paul though his recovery.
5) Red Bull pressures riders to drop in when the wind is dangers simply to save money on helicopters and running the live feed as well as to keep the fans happy.
Thats why #f*ckrampage
We did know that this would happen eventually, and probably worse, however Redbull is owned by a billionaire who owns a private island and a submarine worth more than a billion dollars (among other outrageous things). The company makes this much money because they sell their cheap, over-caffeinated, soda at crazy premium prices to kids and young people who have bought into the marketing that Redbull gets because athletes put their LIVES on the line.
I repeat. Redbull is making BILLIONS of dollars because people like Paul are willing to put their lives on the line for their sport. Redbull can certainly afford to help out the people that get hurt helping them, even if the extreme athletes had fun in the process.
The founder of redbull was instrumental in setting up Wings For Life who's mission is to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. You'd have to be pretty dumb to think that a firm who are so closely tied to spinal cord research wouldn't help someone who has suffered a spinal injury at one of the headline events.
Poor old Paul will only just be recovering from the surgery and it takes a while for the extend of any damage to the spinal cord to be assessed. I know I've been there! I'm sure once he's been properly assessed then redbull/wings for life will be the first to help him on the long road to recovery.
People need to chill out and stop slating redbull when they have no idea what's going on.
Backin the day they knew there was no reward only pain but it was limited. Now we all want unlimited more and it is NOT in the tank. Quicker access and more signal, higher resolution and unbridled pain and carnage. That is what Zink said so eloquently and if you don't get it I feel sorry for you.
Maybe it takes Cam Zink who is one of a handful of riders who could drop the line he dug to step up like a man and speak the truth and it may end his career as a sponsored rider. No one here would dare drop in after looking down and calculate the risks of Zinks line not even for $100,000.00. There are a few who would who are dreaming of grandeur and the riches that follow the number 1 rider in the world. Now compare those riches and rewards to other number 1s in their fields like Tiger Woods or an F1 driver who both are Red Bull employees either direct or through a sponsorship that drives the pain and sorrow.
I'm sending Paul my money knowing he was going big and would crash out. I knew to win he had to go so far out of his comfort zone, that space we saw 4 or 5 years ago in other competitions. He was not dropping an 80' drop to double cliff falls.
Everyone that signs up for these sports is assuming these kinds of risks every time they compete.
Does your employer offer on the job insurance?
answer honestly cause mine sure the hell does or NO ONE works.
...their best interest comes first no matter the consequences.
*Hint: German Government*
Why aren't there funds in place for the guys risking their lives and health? How is it that we have companies that bring in BIG money can't support the riders that support them?
Where is the compassion?
This isn't the first time this has happened at rampage either. I love this sport and the community behind it but, where is the industry?
A long with the #irideforpaul I propose there should be something similar to raise awareness to the way redbull and the organisers
It reminds me a little of the sauna world champs..... which ended with two dead persons in the sauna.... hmmm, kinda the result you would expect from an event like that.
Sucks he got hurt but everybody knows someone will get hurt. When I crash and can't work nobody sends me money.
We have it good in Canada.
Why the hell did the riders ever sign that paper who says they stand on their own?
What i'm saying is that crash was bound to happen - sooner or later. Sooner for riders who challenge the mountain in that way Paul did.
Now it happened at Rampage and not FEST series etc. - so now RedBull should pay? Who would have paid for a rider if anyone got hurt in the FEST series?
Accidents happen - I don't think its right to blame anyone.
I wish Paul a speedy recovery and the best of luck in his recovery.
#irideforpaul
I own a small bikeshop called 'Monsieur Vélo' and I'm gonna #IFixForPaul the next few months!
Keep on fighting, Paul!
Thomas, Monsieur Vélo
www.facebook.com/Monsieur-V%C3%A9lo-457063741086362
www.facebook.com/121214941259631/photos/a.156130904434701.31802.121214941259631/920705194643931/?type=3&theater
But bottom line... where is redbull on this? I know they don't HAVE to do anything as all riders sign waivers but it seems like the right thing to do. He was riding in an event marketed by them, making money for them. He was part of the redbull family. Etc. I don't see how they don't have the dough to pony up for some of these medical expenses... or at least the rehab expensive... which will be EXTENSIVE.
I think the community needs to put a little bit of pressure on them to step up and do what's right.
I'm sure between his sponsors, High 5 and the community there's got to be a way to take care of this dude. He's a hell of a rider and competitor and from everything I'm hearing from those who road with him a hell of a guy.
#irideforpaul
Pretty sure redbull helped soderstrom out with his recovery last year, and so on...
#RIDEFORPAUL
Have a speedy recovery man ! #IRideForPaul.
Positive vibes for Paul!! #staystrong
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Guys, get your site together!
I just stopped buying Red Bull.
I really hope Redbull are helping also
I think it is a legitimate question..
#irideforpaul heal up quick !!!
#IRIDEFORPAUL
Now is the time to care, not to hate. Donate.