Pro Skier Tells The Story Of The Head Injury That Could've Ended His Career
In 2016, while driving home to Utah from West Coast Sessions—a freestyle event previously held at Timberline, Oregon—professional skier Colby Stevenson fell asleep behind the wheel of his car, which promptly wheeled off the road.
The accident left Stevenson with a head injury, 30 skull fractures to be exact, putting his professional skiing career in jeopardy.
The video you just watched is only a tiny slice of Stevenson's recovery story. As we all know by now, the once-injured skier has bounced back and then some. Stevenson's trophy case contains one Olympic silver and three X Games golds—no small feat.
That recovery wasn't easy, though. In an article for Olympics.com, Stevenson told writer Jonah Fontela that he was "depressed" after the injury, which makes perfect sense when you consider Stevenson's pre-accident trajectory. He was set to become one of freeskiing's greatest, and the injury threatened to take that promise away.
While I'm no mind-reader, I imagine the doubts Stevenson faced during that tumultuous period have quieted. As noted, his post-injury competitive performances have been top-notch, proving that his skills remained untempered once he got comfortable being back on snow.
And Stevenson's appearance in Good Company's Crescendo—released this past fall—was one of the best athlete segments of the winter.
What's next for Stevenson? Well, X Games Aspen 2024 is right around the corner, and he's on the roster for the slopestyle event (and knuckle huck!), so keep your eyes peeled. Beyond that, it's tough to say, but with Stevenson's impressive track record, I imagine it'll be worth watching.
Related: Go Behind The Scenes At A World Cup Freestyle Event
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