The 2011 Buffalo Bill Bloodspill & Copter Calamity
Kyle Martin showing young-buck Liam Morgan how the big boys do it. Photo: Bandy.
We could tell ya that the third annual Buffalo Bill Bloodspill race brought out the World’s fastest downhill skateboarders for two days of full-throttle mayhem on the Colorado asphalt of Lookout Mountain Road, we could tell ya about how 140 racers battled it out for the glory of that coveted podium, we could use words like “extreme”, “mind-blowing speed”, “adrenaline junkies”, and we could even throw in a “super-technical” somewhere for good measure; but that shit is whack and has already been posted in triplicate across the interwebs, so we’ll just talk about some other stuff entirely.
Another shot as all inside the chopper abort mission. Photo: Bandy.
We could also talk of the helicopter crash and how gnarly the whop-whopping of the blades sounded as they sliced thought the trees and then into the side of the mountain, I could tell of how, personally, my own life flashed before my eyes as the chopper went down just feet in front of me (That could have been me in that sumabitch!), and we could talk about how angry we are at the pilot for almost killing us, but we don’t really want to dwell on all that shit too much either.
We think it best to let the images do the majority of the storytelling this time around.
When it’s all said and done, we cherish the fact that we’re all still here, eager to learn from any mistakes we may have made along the way, and stoked for the many adventures to come.
Kyle "Chinchilla" guns-it on the elusive, yet very real, Loaded freeride prototype. Photo: Bandy
The Buffalo Bill Zoohaul train. Photo: Bandy
Unloading for another epic run down Lookout Mountain. Photo: Bandy.
Venom's Zak Maytum, railin' it. Photo: Bandy.
Skatie Katie enjoyin' a moto run on Zak Maytum's Ducati. Photo: Bandy.
Kevin Reimer gettin' him some, but I can't stop thinkin' about how many beers that Coors brewery is a brewin' down there in Golden, Co. Photo: Bandy
The Tower of Babble/Striker Show. Pure announcing comedy. Photo: Bandy
The news said that the pilot waited to get out of the crashed helicopter until after the propeller stopped. Wrong. Photo: Bandy.
No tail rotar, gas spilling everywhere, main rotar rippin' into the side of the mountain. WTF! Photo: Bandy.
This is when the gas was flowing out big-time—you could even see a bit of smoke at this point as well! Photo: Bandy.
"When was this whirly bird's last serviced?" Kingsly Zissou, just before he and Steve crash into the ocean (The Life Aquatic). Photo: Bandy.
A far-off view of the downed helicopter. Photo: Bandy.
A big thank you to Justin DuBois and all the sponsors of Buffalo Bill for putting together such an epic event, thanks to the Sector 9 dudes who we traveled to Buffalo Bill with for all their support, we’d like to thank all the homies we took runs with down the mountain (yeah buddies!), big thanks to all the Texans for spreading such good vibes (and especially Courtney for giving Pilloni a mullet), we’d like to thank Zak Maytum for letting us stay at his compound and for the use of his motorcycle, we’d like to thank Coop and his wife for having such an epic after-party, we’d like to thank Providence for allowing all to survive, and we’d like to thank anyone else we may have temporarily misplaced in our memory.
- Buffalo Bill Downhill Bloodspill 2011, May 7 & 8
- Buffalo Bill Downhill 2011 Preview: Colo-radical
- Gnar Helicopter Crash At The Buffalo Bill Race!
- Enter The Rad Zone: DC’s Race, 2011
- Barrett Junction 2011
Category: Event Coverage, Features
