The Crash Reel: The Remarkable Recovery Story of Kevin Pearce

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Kevin Pearce back on his snowboard

In 2009 Kevin Pearce suffered a life altering traumatic brain injury while training in the half pipe for the Olympic Trials in Park City, UT (the same pipe that took Sarah Burke from us in 2012).  The Crash Reel is a documentary chronicling his remarkable comeback, where Pearce, four yeas later, is now back on track to compete in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

The documentary premiered on HBO on July 15th and will be available on DVD early 2014.

Pearce Career Timeline

  • 2007 – Wins The Arctic Challenge
  • 2008 – 2 Silver medals and 1 Bronze medal at Winter X Games
  • 2009 – Silver Medal in Superpipe at X Games
  • December 31, 2009 – Pearce suffers traumatic brain injury
  • 2013 – Pearce has made nearly a full recovery, back on track for Sochi 2014

Pearce’s story is a stark reminder that the sport we love so much also comes with so much risk.  But it is also a reminder that the snow sport community is unlike any other, with unrivaled support from friends and family as well as an unparalleled passion for what we do and a drive to get back to the sport we love so much.

Kevin Pearce’s accident is also a reminder that wearing a helmet should simply be a part of our routine, because you never know when things may go wrong.  Below, Pearce talks about how important a helmet was in saving his life:

To find out more about the story of Kevin Pearce and The Crash Reel, check out the films’ site at thecrashreel.com.


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5 thoughts on “The Crash Reel: The Remarkable Recovery Story of Kevin Pearce

  1. Absolutely love the film. Watched 3 times. Go Kevin! U r strong, beautiful person inside and out! Thank u for inspiration.

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