Travis Pastrana, an X-Games regular, sustained injuries to his foot and ankle on Thursday during the Men's Moto-X Step Up, Best Whip, & Best Trick event, rendering him unable to compete any further. He did not compete for Step Up and Best Whip, choosing instead to make a single appearance during Best Trick. Like most other years, Best Trick was easily the most highly anticipated event- not only because it's an entire hour devoted to our favorite riders doing their best tricks, but also because it was Pastrana's first appearance during X-Games 17.
Needless to say, being as intense as it is, Best Trick is where most of the highlights of the day happen. Aside from Pastrana's injury, Mark Monea also suffered a hard crash minutes earlier during the same event, as he was attempting to execute a front flip. He was motionless on the ground for about five minutes- long enough for the crowd to begin wondering whether he had lost consciousness. However, after being worked on by medics for some time, Monea got up. No one expected Monea to continue with the event, but he surprised everybody by riding his dirtbike back up the ramp, completing the event with a mild concussion.
One of the reasons Pastrana stands out among the rest is because of his endurance. Fans of Nitro Circus remember his infamous Monster Truck crash, where the truck landed on it's hood and caught fire. Judging by the reactions of his family and friends on screen, it was clear to viewers that there was a reason to be worried. Pastrana, however, emerged from the flaming truck unscathed only minutes later. Fans respect and adore him because of stunts like these. His ability to keep going in the face of danger and the way he seemingly doesn't allow anything phase him is what keeps everyone coming back for more. It's what he's famous for.
But Travis Pastrana proved on Thursday that he is not, in fact, invincible. Fans watched in excitement as Pastrana attempted to land a 720, a trick he has been working on for a while. That excitement faltered a bit when he did not complete the trick and instead proceeded to slide down the dirt ramp, his foot caught under his dirtbike. Although it would have been exciting to see him land it, it wasn't entirely unexpected; fans of Pastrana are no strangers to seeing him crash and burn from time to time. After failing to land the 720, he got up almost immediately and was escorted off the track with a slight limp. Everyone spent the rest of the Best Trick event on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating Pastrana's return. After all, Monea had gone back up the starting ramp right away. However, when Todd Potter went for his second run and Pastrana still hadn't returned, doubt began to creep into everyone's mind. His turn came and went, and fans were extremely disappointed when the official announcement came- he had suffered a broken foot and ankle and would not be returning for a second run.
The crowd was tense during the rest of the event, teeming with phrases such as, "I expected a lot more from him" and "So is everything he does just for show then?" Fans got a small bit of redemption in the form of Cam Sinclair, who purposefully threw his second run in Pastrana's honor, but they still left feeling a bit empty-handed. When it was announced that he would still be participating in the rally car event only a day later, many were left questioning why he wouldn't complete the Best Trick event when he was clearly still capable. A lot of people came only to see Pastrana perform, and for many, the fact that he seemingly just gave up caused his respect and credibility to be taken down a notch.
This turn of events left many people with mixed feelings, most of them negative. Disappointment that Travis Pastrana, of all people, was the only rider to not complete the event. Concern, because he was injured at all. Outrage, because we are forced to acknowledge that he basically just gave up; his injury can't be used as an excuse when he's racing rally cars not even 48 hours later. Confusion, because remarks of, "Get well soon!" can't be sent when that person is already up and racing said rally cars. One thing is for sure: Pastrana lost a few fans. Hardcore fans will continue to support him of course, but it's the hardcore fans that were hit the hardest by this. Feelings of what was once admiration, awe, and respect have been replaced with disappointment and a (hopefully) temporary loss of credibility.
Nevertheless, here's to wishing him the best in today's rally car event, as well as a speedy recovery.
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