[Driver] Michael Schumacher hurt in skiing accident.

[Javi]

It´s amazing how, three years ago, he was nearly beheaded by a force india in the last GP of 2010, but he kept driving (like many others) the following year. He was lucky then, hope this time he´s lucky again to recover...
Wish him the best of luck and all the energy for this battle.

[Knowlesy]

Not so long ago he fell off a motorbike as well, fracturing his head and neck...

He likes to push things, that's for sure.

[Paradise City]

Alot of these kind of traumas people have banged their heads, brush themselves off and tolerate the headache and then suddenly after a few hours or even a couple of days their health falls through the floor. By my memory that's what happened to Richardson. If they had made a fuss of her despite her reassurances there's a good chance she would've lived.

With Schumacher, they didn't make that mistake. They made a fuss of him from the start and was attended to immediately. That gives cause for some encouragement. Anyone else that claims that they'll 'cope' after having a nasty bang to their head - don't believe them, steer them to the hospital.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Not so long ago he fell off a motorbike as well, fracturing his head and neck...

He likes to push things, that's for sure.

Well David Coulthard said earlier that he was pretty risk averse and while an accomplished skier, always remained within his limits. Unfortunately it takes surprisingly little in the way of blunt force trauma to the skull to cause life changing damage. My best friend at school died instantly when he went over the handle bars of his bicycle [at little more than walking pace] and cracked his head off the pavement. We were only 16 at the time.

[BSchneiderFan]

It just reminds you what fragile creatures we all are, really. I have everything crossed for Schuey making a full and speedy recovery.

[JamesRamone]

All the best Michael.

Hopefully his all round fitness will put him in good stead.

[andy666]

Come on Schumi you can beat this , my thoughts are with you and your family .

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by JamesRamone

All the best Michael.

Hopefully his all round fitness will put him in good stead.

Indeed. If anybody has the strength of will and determination to succeed and recover, I would say he has.

Fingers tightly crossed.

[chunterer]

As my sister, a repeatedly confessed Schumacher devotee, said when she texted me earlier, Schuey went through that huge F1 career with only a couple of serious shunts which hardly affected him, but then goes and get into trouble on holiday when skiing!

Crazy world we live in.

Fingers crossed for Michael and his loved ones.

[Mekola]

I have not much hopes in it, considering three of my direct relatives suffered brain attacks during the last 15 years. The best case is the one of my uncle, still living and conscious, but unable to move his left arm.

Albeit I'm along all people who are praying for Schumi's health.

[Marcus666]

Hoping for the best.

Isn't his injurys quite the similar to what Karl Wendlinger suffered in Monaco 1994? Wendlinger made it, so I believe Michael can make it too!

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Marcus666

Hoping for the best.

Isn't his injurys quite the similar to what Karl Wendlinger suffered in Monaco 1994? Wendlinger made it, so I believe Michael can make it too!

I had wondered about any similarities too, but cannot remember the details. I'm also wondering if Mika Hakkinen's injuries in Adelaide would give us any possible insight, even though both of these were obviously racing accidents.

[Bononi]

And now this :

http://translate.google.com/translat...as-pistas.html

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by Bononi

And now this :

http://translate.google.com/translat...as-pistas.html

That sounds to me like the resort trying to get in front of the liability issue early. And to be fair to them, i'm sure they make a distinction between 'on' and 'off' piste for good reason.

[Marcus666]

That article didn't explain anything that was new to me. Every average to proffesional skier can run green/blue/red/black. Going off-piste is a major difference, and it seems to me that it was a spontanious move by Michael and Mick to just leave the slopes. This time of year, there's not much snow outside of the slopes and you should always do a run at the side of the off-piste area to see if it is possible to ski there and try to locate a good and safe line that you can run so you don't end up with surprises (like rocks and trees).

[f1toy]

++ vibes

[f1toy]

Originally Posted by Marcus666

That article didn't explain anything that was new to me. Every average to proffesional skier can run green/blue/red/black. Going off-piste is a major difference, and it seems to me that it was a spontanious move by Michael and Mick to just leave the slopes. This time of year, there's not much snow outside of the slopes and you should always do a run at the side of the off-piste area to see if it is possible to ski there and try to locate a good and safe line that you can run so you don't end up with surprises (like rocks and trees).

apparently it was a bluebird powder day, but it's still low-tide in the alps. why resorts don't rope off sketchy terrain is beyond me.

this is a bad day..

[VilleneuveTracy]

Pull through, MS!

[gttouring]

this is not the way for some one like him- he should be old and 92 if he goes
best of luck Schumi and to your family as well

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by justracing

It is amazing that a seemingly innocuous skiing accident could result in an injury that could threaten his life after all his incredible motor racing history. No one would wish him and his family anything but the best under the circumstances.

I think a lot of people don't realize how dangerous skiing is and how fast they get going on some of these mountains. Even at an easy pace you are moving along at 30-50 mph along exposed rocks, trees, ice, other skiers, etc. If you fall it's about the same as a motorcycle fall and smacking your head on the pavement. I've seen a lot of people get killed skiing and even more ending up with long hospital stays. A good friend of mine fell backwards on a downhill run and smacked her head on the ice and went through the same thing, lifeflight, brain surgery, coma, long recovery and so on.

Fortunately he had a helmet on, otherwise....

If there is anyone that can make it through this, it's Schumacher. He is a very determined fit individual and I don't see that changing even being lights out in an artificial coma.

[Neil22]

Get well Michael.

[Peter Mallett]

DC gives his thoughts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mot...about-him.html

[bella]

thanks for the link, peter. that piece raises a good point - it's taken this to happen to appreciate him as a talent and a sportsman.

Originally Posted by f1toy

apparently it was a bluebird powder day, but it's still low-tide in the alps. why resorts don't rope off sketchy terrain is beyond me.

this is a bad day..

they do, that's what marker posts are for. anything outside of there is done strictly at your own risk. at some point the risk passes from the resort to the punter.

going off-topic a bit, it was the first big snow day of the season in the alps. before the heavy christmas snow it was looking very bare away from the cannons. i don't think it helps that they over-exaggerate the genuine snow depth on the snow reports - it's easy to think it's a lot deeper than it is. for example, off piste on my local hill looks to be about a third of the reported depth at the summit.

if nothing else, i hope this has made people think a lot about wearing a helmet if they choose to go off-piste or on a particularly icy day at least. it really can happen to anyone of any experience level in any situation, and they quite clearly give you a fighting chance of survival in an accident.

[PascaLM]

A new press conference is scheduled today at 11h00 loc.

[321Go]

Watch the press conference live HERE.

Second operation (just over two hours) overnight. Condition slightly improved, but still critical.