Carson Storch Breaks Collarbone Jumping From Helicopter

Jul 16, 2021 at 9:57
by Alicia Leggett  
Carson Storch announced today on Instagram that he broke his collarbone jumping from a helicopter when the rotor wash caught his wheels before he landed. Luckily it seems like his recovery will be relatively straightforward and he should be back in action soon.


bigquotesWas good til it wasn’t! Rotor wash caught my wheels before I landed. Motivated as ever to come back strong! Little re-broken collarbone, few weeks I’ll be solid! Thanks for the opportunity @flybend. Postponing this project for a couple months.—Carson Storch

Carson previously broke his collarbone at Joyride in 2015, and it seems like he re-broke some of the same spots this time and bent the plate that is installed. He also fractured his tibial plateau earlier this year, so hopefully he can stay in one piece for a long time once his collarbone heals.

photo

Helicopter rotor wash is no joke. In the comments on Carson's post, both Ethan Nell and Fabio Wibmer said they have had similar experiences. We look forward to seeing Carson's finished media project, as it sounds like he'll be trying again once he is back on the bike, but we hope he and other riders can stay safe both in the air and on the ground.

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78 Comments
  • 220 2
 Seems like they could've waited to wash the rotors until he landed -- were they super dirty?
  • 15 1
 Guess the pilot didn't wash his helicopter and so the guy "fell" out with his bike Wink Keep your helicopters clean, people. It's no joke! Outside fail of the week!
  • 9 0
 Came here for this joke, not disappointed.
  • 5 5
 who down voted this???
  • 9 1
 Crash photos behind the paywall. Heal up Carson!
  • 1 0
 washing him a speedy recovery !
  • 1 0
 @CSharp:
  • 1 0
 That’s a great new excuse for crap race runs
  • 71 2
 You think the Pinkbike employees have had a shitty week listening to our moaning, and then you see a headline like this! The MTB way of life is a crazy one, cheers all, it's Friday, there's no paywall, and I managed to manual about 5 metres today, yeeeaaaaahhhhh!
  • 3 0
 Like the way he bent a pre existing plate… says tough guy all over it!
  • 54 17
 Please subscribe to Outdoor+ to get the full image burst
  • 26 1
 Better outcome than when Maverick and Goose got caught in the wash.
  • 18 1
 To be honest, jumping out of a helicopter on a bike sounds dangerous.
  • 12 1
 When the normal reaction to a headline like this is, "sounds about right", maybe we've reached the point of Roman Empire bloodsport entertainment.

Next week: "MacAskill suffers flesh wounds from trials hopping the backs of a pack of lions." Injury coverage headlines please sponsors.
  • 5 0
 Pretty sure this falls under "win stupid prizes". Gold stars all around!
  • 12 0
 I stopped at "rotor" reading that as "his wheels got caught in the rotor" and thought WHAAAT!??

Glad he wasn't caught in the rotor itself!
  • 2 0
 yeah ditto, in my head there's just spokes everywhere
  • 11 1
 Sorry but surely this was accident was totally predictable, just try and stand under a low hoovering helicopter and we'll you can't! Hope he gets better soon.
  • 18 8
 Never could have really known unless I tried!
  • 4 1
 @carson-storch: I suppose apart from trying to stand under it or ask the pilot you're only choice was to leap out on your bike. Hope to see you riding soon, take care.
  • 9 0
 Pretty sure if I jumped from a helicopter I’d come away with a bit more damage than a bust collarbone. Fortunately I don’t know anyone with a helicopter to try…..
  • 3 0
 dude already had plate and screws in there BEFORE the crash. landed hard enough to bend the metal
  • 2 0
 @SATN-XC: Seriously. Just how hard does one have to land to bend the Ti plate??

I have a plate that looks exactly like that -- 7 vertical screws and a horizontal lag screw. My first thought was "shit I thought I never had to worry about that collarbone again!" Guess not?
  • 6 0
 Tryna be Mike Basich on a bike. GNARLY!
tgr.scdn2.secure.raxcdn.com/images/wysiwyg/_article/self_portrait_heli_drop_620.jpg
  • 2 0
 I immediately thought of Glen Plake doing this on skis, but your snowboarder takes the cake. Wow.
  • 3 0
 @okaybro Exactly what I was thinking when I read the headline. Then saw the pic, good on you for posting it. Doesn’t even compare, Basich went HUGE that day.
And btw, that’s a self portrait of Mike Basich by Mike Basich. Figure that one out.
  • 2 0
 As far as helicopter drops go, gonna be hard to top that one.
  • 7 0
 Just thinking bout the damage the chopper wash could do to racers at EWS......not cool.
  • 7 0
 Next someone will try hucking out of a Cessna
  • 2 0
 Pastrana already sorta did.
  • 25 20
 If PB didnt sell out and build a paywall Carson would’ve landed this. way to f*ckin go guys
  • 31 3
 not gonna lie prolly the dumbest comment I've ever posted, sorry you had to read that
  • 14 0
 @chickennuggetsaregreat: Meh, I laughed. Might be your own personal dumbest comment but it doesn't even hit the iceberg of stupid comments that've been posted over the years.
  • 4 1
 @chickennuggetsaregreat: Yeah, it should read: If PB hadn't sold out....
It's not uncommon to forget to use that past subjunctive tense.
Rest up and come back sharper.
  • 2 0
 @sonuvagun: thanks man, my brains been fried by reading a law textbook all day I need some rest before i post more comments on here
  • 1 0
 @Peally: haha to be fair i think the rest of the internet has the stupid comment department covered pretty well
  • 1 1
 @sonuvagun: I think 'sell out' still works because we describe someone as a 'sell out'.

He sold out.

He is a sell out.
  • 2 0
 @iamamodel: that's a noun usage, the post we are referring to is verb usage.
  • 7 1
 Thanks Fabio for the shit idea
  • 6 0
 Yeah, that happens all the time... So annoying
  • 5 0
 Top tip: When you jump out of a helicopter, take a parachute not a mountain bike.
  • 2 1
 damn! hopefully you are back at it sooner rather than later, best of luck on a quick recovery
...was the heli needed to get to this location or simply for the drop (I assume a combination of both)? If only the latter....there has to be a better way to pull that off (though it is badass)
  • 23 20
 well that was fucking stupid.
  • 42 12
 Couldn't you say any big move on a mountain bike/or in action sports is stupid? This is an idea I've had for quite a while and wanted to attempt to make happen. And I did attempt. Don't disregard someone's progression as stupidity... respect or keep it to yourself.
  • 5 1
 @carson-storch: Git um. Full support!
  • 3 2
 @carson-storch: nicely put Carson. You've been a total credit to the sport. Keep on keeping on! And hope you heal up nice and quickly.
  • 3 2
 Aren't most jumps, tricks, Stunts etc stupid ? Extreme sports have never been about doing smart things, its about athletes challenging themselves.
it's a bit odd to realize this only in 2021 Big Grin
  • 6 9
 @carson-storch: naw, its stupid hes right
  • 9 21
flag mtb-scotland (Jul 17, 2021 at 4:34) (Below Threshold)
 @carson-storch: sorry dude but it is stupid. You can progress without jumping out a helicopter. Jumping out a helicopter is for shock value only. Got to get those IG views. Jumping out a helicopter has been done before so not that impressive or original. You've clearly got a weak clavicle so you should do better risk assessment.
  • 5 0
 I think it can be stupid and also spectacular and entertaining at the same time.
  • 3 1
 @carson-storch: he knows how sick he is

www.pinkbike.com/video/534743
  • 3 1
 @blazetech: heh, what a punk. Lots of talk and well... his walk is a bit lackluster innit?
  • 1 3
 @leviatanouroboro: That ain't me BTW and what does someone's skill level got to do with thinking jumping out of a helicopter with a bike is stupid?
  • 2 1
 You broke your collarbone in Pollokpark, you absolute pedo weirdigan oddball

m.pinkbike.com/video/404982
  • 3 1
 Everybody told me the rotor wash was terrible but I didn’t think it would happen to me. DOH!
  • 2 0
 Almost makes you think that jumping out of a helicopter is a bad idea. Almost.
  • 1 0
 Being aware of rotor wash when jumping out of a helicopter with your bike is good, practical knowledge for all of us to have. Thanks for being educational, pinkbike.
  • 2 0
 Looks a lot like mine lol

m.pinkbike.com/photo/11072295
  • 1 0
 I was hoping for a shot of you heli-dropping.
  • 1 0
 What's crazy to me is that he bent the freaking collarbone plate!! Goodness he must've landed hard!
  • 1 0
 Kind of makes you wonder if the plate helped in any way, or if having screws in there created stress points and made it worse. Like what would have happened to the bone if the plate wasn't there..?
  • 3 0
 Go figure….
  • 3 1
 The helicopter introduced a paywall into the scenario.
  • 2 0
 Gotta pay the troll toll.
  • 1 0
 haha love that show @DylanH93:
  • 2 0
 Wow very intelegent stunt......
  • 1 0
 Wish they would have plated my collar bone. Now I'm left with a mangled bone... fun times. Heal up quick Storch, you're a g!
  • 1 0
 That seems like crappy thing to have to refix when you already have that much hardware holding it together.
  • 1 0
 at least he knows where his missing bike lock key went Smile
  • 1 0
 Get well and crush Rampage brotha!
  • 1 0
 Lol thought he meant helicopter rotors!
  • 1 0
 Athletes getting injured again marks the definitive end of the pandemic.
  • 1 0
 Hopefully his health insurance company isn't reading PB.
  • 1 0
 Seven bloody hells ! Jumping off helicopters is now a new trend ?
  • 1 0
 How do you insert a Top Gun GIF?
  • 1 1
 Clickbait headline preppers
Below threshold threads are hidden







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