Bulletin E-Edition:
Young champion reaches out
Bend snowboarder donates $500 winnings to paralyzed teammate
By Mark Morical / The Bulletin
Published: April 10. 2007 4:00AM PST
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It was the biggest victory of Ben Watts' young career, and he wanted to share it with a fellow Bend snowboarder who couldn't be there with him.
After winning the overall freestyle title at the USA Snowboard Association Nationals last week at Northstar at Tahoe resort, the 13-year-old Watts was awarded a check for $500.
Watts then walked over to his coach, Hans Hibbard, and asked him to give the money to a fund for Tyler Eklund.
Eklund, 14, was in a Reno hospital, where he remains today, paralyzed from the neck down after falling during a practice run at Northstar last Sunday.
"I don't really need $500," said Watts by telephone Monday from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where he was serving as the subject for a snowboard photo shoot. "I just wanted to do my best, and I thought if I can win I would donate the winnings to Tyler. It just seemed like the right thing to do."
Some 30 snowboarders from the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation took part in last week's national event. They competed with heavy hearts last Monday through Friday, and in the evenings they would raise whatever money they could from other competitors, parents and spectators for a fund to help with the Eklunds' anticipated medical expenses. By soliciting donations, and including Watts' contribution, the snowboarders raised more than $4,000.
The money will go to a U.S. Bank account in Tyler Eklund's name.
"It was pretty hard to compete for everyone from MBSEF," Watts said. "With a tragedy like that, it's pretty tough."
Watts still managed to earn the overall victory in the open class, defeating some of the best snowboarders - of all ages - in the country. He placed first in slopestyle and third in halfpipe, enough to win the overall freestyle title.
In slopestyle, Watts beat out runner-up Ian Thorley of Truckee, Calif., who won the slopestyle event at the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mount Bachelor in February.
"That was probably his biggest win to date," said Hibbard of Watts. "It's all ages, and there are professional competitors in the open class. There were some pretty heavyweight competitors."
"It just felt good to do really well," Watts said.
He added that it also felt good to raise money for Eklund, whom Watts said he has not seen since the April 1 accident.
According to Hibbard, Eklund fell face first on a flat section, apparently after catching the toe edge of his board in the snow. Eklund remains in the intensive care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev.
"He (Ben) hasn't known Tyler for very long, but he has a common bond with him through competitions," said Alan Watts, Ben's father. "It was just a fluke thing that could happen to anybody. You feel real powerless. There's nothing any of us can do to make it better, but you want to do something."
Ben's gesture did not go unnoticed by Eklund's father, Mike Eklund, who was in Reno with his wife, Sue, on Monday.
"That was just awesome. I couldn't believe it," Mike Eklund said. "And the whole team came together and offered every little thing they could offer. It's just amazing. I think it was pretty positive for Tyler."
Mike Eklund said a breathing tube was inserted in his son's throat on Sunday. And while Tyler was not speaking, his father did say the family can now better understand him by way of the boy's vocal sounds and lip movements.
Tyler remains on a ventilator, unable to breathe on his own.
"He could be on a breathing machine for a very long time," Mike Eklund said. "Time will tell."
Mark Morical can be reached at 383-0318 or at mmorical@bendbulletin.com.
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