We recently received an email from a shredder that we just had to pass on…

Dear Slytech,

My name is Sophia Winfrey, I am fourteen ( second year J3 racer). On

Sunday, January 16th, 2011, I crashed and I crashed hard. The back brace

made by your company, saved my back, and probably more than just my back .

So I would like for you to check out my clip. It was a Super G race, on

Tiehack, at Buttermilk ski area in Aspen Colorado. I got launched into the

air from a compression that I wasn’t ready for. Instead of breaking my

back, I tore my ACL, stretched my MCL, and broke my thumb. It could have

been a lot worse, and I feel lucky. I love ski racing. To sum it up, it is

my life. I have skied since I was five for Loveland Race Club in Colorado

and have been a competitive ski racer since I was ten. I have been training

four days a week this year, and hope to increase that to five days next

year. I am always going to love skiing and speed is still my favorite event.

Sophia Winfrey (LRC racer)

These are the REAL STORIES we receive from people who see back protection on par with helmets and that it’s not a matter of IF you will need one, but WHEN. Accidents are a probability and the more we reasonable protect against that probability, the less injury we’ll incur, the more money we’ll save (on forgone medical bills) and the more fun we’ll have.

And by “reasonable” I mean, it’s got to be COMFORTABLE. Who wants gear on that hinders you from full and natural movement? Certainly not racers like Sophia and CERTAINLY NOT big mountain guys like Wolle Nyvelt who need every ounce of personal grit and movement possible to make it down potentially fatal spines, fingers and chutes.

Thank you Sophia for sharing your amazing story!

Here’s a video of Sophia’s crash…