Both the guys we helped yesterday binned it on blue trails. Because they’re smooth, wide and the least technical in the park they’re some of the fastest, less likey to crash, but very high speed if you do.
The guy with an eye’s injury wasn’t really caused by a lack of FF. His head hit a bit of a log, the helmet seemed to do it’s job, at the time anyway, as he pretty aware and walking unaided. Sadly for him there was a small cut off branch on the log that went into his eye and ripped of his eye lid, it looked gory but we were all just ‘happy’ he wasn’t complaining he couldn’t see out of it – but I wouldn’t put money on it not being damaged. Anyway, after we loaded his bike and that of his mate and sent them down in the bus we carried on, it was only later we heard he took a bit of a turn in the bus and was carried into the Ambo.
The guy we helped earlier had what looked like a new (although not anymore) 661 FF, his mate had already got him sat up when we saw him, but he was very dazed and confused and took quite a while to ‘come around’ – but we spoke to him later on in the Café and he seemed okay bar a sore head – they were going to drive to A&E later.
I personally always wear a FF, knee and elbow pads at BPW, I know they don’t offer total protection, but 1) I’ve been badly hurt before so I’ve no intention to spend 3 weeks in Hospital again if I can avoid it 2) I’ve got existing injuries which don’t need to be made worse 3) I already own all that stuff and I’m not the kind of person who worries what others think, nor to I find pads ‘uncomfortable’ when I’m being pounded riding over rocks.