Nina Hoffmann Out For The Rest of the Season After Training Crash

Aug 22, 2019
by Ed Spratt  
Nina Hoffmann was awarded the first ever Privateer Award by Wyn Masters the other day and she surely earned it.

Nina Hoffmann announced this morning that she will not be attending both the World Champs and the final World Cup after a crash in training. Hoffmann was testing a larger frame for World Champs when she slipped out on a root and landed badly on her right shoulder. After being checked over at a hospital she discovered that she had partially torn a ligament in her shoulder. Hoffmann has said that her 2019 season is now over and she will have to decide whether to have surgery or not. It is such a shame to see a breakout season from the German rider end in this way.

bigquotesI think something doesn't want me to have a positive ending of the season.
What happened: tested a larger frame for World Champs yesterday - took it super easy to NOT crash before the most important race of the season - had a lot of fun - slipped away on a tiny root - landed super hard on my right shoulder - thought everything could be okay (just bruised and strained) - went to the hospital for a quick check and got the diagnosis of a partially torn ligament in my shoulder, the question now is surgery or not... That's it. Season is over. Have fun everyone at World Champs and World Cup finals, I'm out.
Nina Hoffmann


We're wishing Nina all the best with her recovery and hope to see her back on the bike soon.

Author Info:
edspratt avatar

Member since Mar 16, 2017
3,063 articles

53 Comments
  • 93 1
 Gutted for her, she’s been an absolute star this season.
  • 3 0
 Totally. I was worried though because she was riding the ragged edge all season.
  • 1 0
 @pimpin-gimp Damn. I've been rooting for her all season. I was really looking forward to watching her at Worlds & Snowshoe. I hope it doesn't hurt her chances of picking up a full ride next year.

Werde bald gesund Nina!
  • 66 0
 The women field is getting decimated by injuries this season
  • 7 0
 Yep, it's been a crazy year.
  • 12 3
 When the field is much smaller than the mens it only takes 1 or 2 to make a difference. Hopefully everyone heals up for next season as the racing could be some of the best ever when everyone is fully fit
  • 5 9
flag graniteandrew (Aug 22, 2019 at 12:20) (Below Threshold)
 Thats progression
  • 8 1
 @graniteandrew: nope, that's a crash
  • 1 0
 @zsdoom: Yeah but this makes what, 4 or 5?!
  • 32 7
 I hope I'm wrong, but with the current speeds and improvements in equipment we may not be far off from a life-altering injury from a downhill competitor. I also don't want to discount the career-ending injuries and long-term effects of other injuries that racers may be experiencing - both now and in the future as they age.

I wonder how many are making an income that justifies the risk (not that it's the only metric - some will compete no matter the financial reward).
  • 8 0
 Like you said, I hope you're wrong, but there can be no doubt tracks are faster than ever and there's some seriously big jumps that more and more ladies are hitting now as well. I also think the degree of competition has amped up significantly, which is great to see on one hand, but it also tends to push racers to ride closer to (and over) the edge.

As for the income, I don't think any mountain bike racer is making anywhere close enough to "justify" the potential for a serious, life alternating injury. They mainly do it because its pretty rad to get paid to do something you love, even if its not a ton of $$$. One could argue that no sport offers enough money to make the serious injury math work out, but at least with pro level football (Murican version and World version) and some others you can potentially accumulate generational wealth and have access to the best medical services.

Anyway, I hope Nina can get on the mend quickly and someone will pick her up on a factory team.
  • 11 4
 You're right - starting in 2020, they should race UP the hill
  • 8 4
 Nope. You're wrong. DH is a 2 wheel bicycle race over terrain that is never the same way twice & the chances of an accident are maximal.

This sport is one of attrition, not of excessive risk. And it's a sport, not a desk. In the old days, there were just as many devastating injuries. It is a non-perfecy endeavor with so many variables that you simply cannot stay up every time.

GM has had gnarly "career threatening" injuries since he was young. Same with Hill, Atherton, Peaty and back and back. The change our sport needed to save its stars was ditching 4 Cross. That is and was a death race. Wink
  • 11 2
 Let’s not get out of touch here guys....it’s dh racing ffs. Career ending injuries have always been at the front of mind.

Those ladies are choosing to hit the jumps just like the men. There isn’t enough money in this sport to say anyone is doing it for that reason...other than the ultra top.

If you don’t want the risk or can’t handle the gnar, don’t show up.
  • 6 0
 @bizutch: Yep......Johnny Wadell and Francois Gachet both had career and life changing crashes.

Worst of all Haruko Fujinaka at the Big Bear National and “Earthquake” Jake Watson at the Keysville Classic.

I would argue it was more dangerous in the good old days when average speeds were higher and the technology was not as good.
  • 6 8
 @zutroy: Wonder who got their feelings hurt to downvote me twice? I hate that stupid "feature" about PB. Makes no sense. You'll say something like "chocolate is delicious" and if there are a group of dietitians online that day, they downvote you and your comment is hidden like you did something wrong.

@pinkbikeaudience you really need to change that foolishness.
  • 4 2
 @bizutch: yeah, say something factually correct and people downvote you to hell. It's bizzare.

As for life changing injuries, Matti Lehikoinen.
  • 3 4
 @bizutch: just upvoted you, I hope you're feeling better. Smile
  • 1 1
 @bizutch: don't be silly... it's a democracy
  • 2 6
flag tobiusmaximum (Aug 23, 2019 at 3:31) (Below Threshold)
 @bizutch: I totally agree with you. I pride myself on having never touched the neg prop button (even if someone directly slanders me) and personally I think if you use it routinely you’ve got issues. To me, it’s the equivalent of a six old year whining ‘waaaa I don’t like broccoli’..

Props, great. Neg props, grow up.

For my money, if you’ve got a real issue with something someone said then say something. And the other funny thing is, everyone bangs on about how we should all be more positive.. but nobody wants to do away with the neg prop. Go figure.
  • 1 0
 @zutroy: Tara Llanes
  • 1 2
 @ColquhounerHooner: hah...someone downvoted you for it. the vengeance is astounding Big Grin
  • 1 1
 @PNdubRider: true. She's not in the spotlight any more and still should be.
  • 16 2
 Really hope she’s gonna be well in time for the next season, she had such a good start in this one but got a bit unlucky in the later races.

Also, Nina on Syndicate please.
  • 10 2
 "Also, Nina on Syndicate please."

This.

edit: then again, does her team get the same level of support now?
  • 2 3
 Heard a rumour that she's already signed for the Syndicate in 2020.
  • 6 4
 @Folks: Cathy has said many times there wouldn’t be any women riders in the past. Hope it changes
  • 3 1
 @freeridejerk888: From what I remember, she said that there was no woman fitting the team philosophy in the past. But if there is a girl that fits, she doesn't rule it out for the future.
  • 1 0
 Yeah DH can be so brutal, she started the year with everything going perfect but then it was one bit of bad luck after another. hopefully she is not discouraged.
  • 5 0
 Bummer! I really like watching her ride and she seems to have a great attitude. Easy to root for. I hope she heals up as quickly and well as possible. Hopefully she'll get some more support next season and we'll see her at all the races!
  • 7 0
 can everyone stop getting shot?!
  • 3 1
 Serious question here, While I kind of understand not wearing allot of body armor on a race weekend why don't pros wear armor when they are "training"? I don't know if a few shoulder pads would have helped Nina or even Tahnee mitigate some of they're injury but what's the harm? Is it just ego?

I would personally do everything I could in my control to make sure I make it to raceday in the best condition possible.

On one of the other clips I saw EWS pros wearing half shell helmets at their Northstar "shakedown" day. This boggles my mind since when your at a new location, the first day is probably when you are gonna crash.
  • 8 0
 AFAIK shoulder pads don't help much. The pad takes the energy between the body and the ground, but the shoulder is special in that it is the only "floating" articulation of the body, hold in place by 5 or 6 different muscles/ligaments so when you hit it, the energy will push the pad then the pad will push the shoulder almost the same.

Maybe this could work with some US football shoulder pads, something rigid not strapped to the shoulder but to the whole upper body to mitigate the energy everywhere but on the shoulder.

In that case, it may well be her being cautious that caused the fall. Had she bombed through it, she would have flown over that root. Maybe by being cautious her reflexes were altered. Just a guess, I'm no pro^^
  • 4 1
 Steve Peat...full suit. Separated shoulder. Rachel Atherton - full suit. 2 destroyed shoulders.
Max Morgan - same. Dakota Norton - pretty sure the same. Aaron Gwin - full suit. 2 shoulders.
The list of elites with blown shoulders wearing pads is long.
@Will-narayan is on it. The shoulder isn't a bone. It's is, however, the most mobile joint on our bodies & the one that DH riders like to get rolling and toss onto the ground with the weight and rolling inertia of an entire human body.

Oh and bizutch - no armor...separated shoulder. And I had armor I wasn't wearing the day I went down & it would have done nothing.
  • 3 3
 I would do a lot more local enduro races if i could do them with an open face helmet (I'm running a Poc Tectal). I don't really like the full face helmet and only started riding it this year since i needed it for the Megavalanche. I did the Davos Enduro 2 last year with the POC.

Yeah, not the smartest thing, but i come from XC. I started wearing kneepads 2 years ago after almost 10 years of riding ~150 mm full suspension bikes. With the fullface i really hate how the chin guard hides my handlebars from peripheral vision which means i don't know where the bike is under me. With an open helmet i know how high i am in the berm.
  • 1 0
 One reason might be that any additional armor won't help much against the most common and dangerous DH injuries. There isn't really any kind of practical solution to protect wrists, shoulders, ankles and the spine from overextension.
  • 4 0
 U r a beast nina! Fastest in the races I watched this year, jus maybe a bit wild. My new favorite. Wish you the best
  • 1 0
 The woman’s field is now packed full of very fast very talented riders and there are only 15 places available on Sunday ? All the woman are having to push so hard if they wanna race on Sunday, I think this has something to do with the amount of injuries we’re seeing (just my opinion)
  • 3 1
 What is it with the term “gutted” being synonymous with MTB injury threads on PB? It’s a fine word, just an interesting trend, well to me at least.
  • 2 1
 Brits say that anyway. When it's interesting is when Americans say it to sound like Brits so they sound like they're good downhillers. Next we'll all have to use some French word because those guys are owning it now. I know I'm saying merde a lot more lately. And come back soon Nina!
  • 2 0
 It’s just something we say when something bad happens to somebody, it means it hits us in the gut, or the pit of our stomach like you often feel when you hear bad news.
Or at least that’s why I assume why we say it.
  • 1 0
 @pimpin-gimp: Or even more extreme, I think it might mean it feels like having your guts ripped out.

Like quite a few of our phrases, I imagine it has its origins in mediaeval times.
  • 4 1
 Get well soon Nina, look forward to you being part of my fantasy team again, such a promising rider
  • 4 0
 What a bummer! Get well soon and come back stronger next season!
  • 2 0
 This sucks! I was really hoping to see her sending it in person at snowshoe. Fingers crossed she lands good sponsorship and comes back full tilt next year.
  • 4 0
 ( ( ( healing vibes Nina ) ) )

Also, everybody's fantasy team is rekt.
  • 2 0
 It’ll click, the win it or bin it will turn more to winning, Bruni was the same as many more before him
  • 2 0
 hope she has a fast and full recovery and is back on the bike before too long.
  • 3 0
 Oh no! All the best!!! Get well soon
  • 2 0
 Tough luck Nina ...... heal well and heal strong for a flipping awesome 2020 season to come!
  • 1 2
 Sign nina - ditch kathy !
  • 1 2
 And another podium spot for K.W







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