Eric Pollard on Downtime

Last may, Eric Pollard attempted a 540 off a 60-foot step-down jump in Zig Zag Canyon in the Mt. Hood backcountry. He went bigger than he expected and over rotated, compressing hard on the landing, and fracturing his L1 and L2 vertebrae, cutting his face, and injuring his shoulder.

Injuries are common in Pollard's profession, so common that they rarely make the evening news. This one however, proved to be the exception. CBS affiliate KOIN Channel 6 in Portland got a hold of the story and broadcasted it several times over two days. While KOIN prides itself on being the, "number one source for news and information," and their, "complete clear coverage," they greatly over exaggerated the story of Pollard's fall and rescue.

According to their broadcast, Eric Ross Pollard, fell 80 feet into a crevasse while skiing out-of-bounds near Timberline's Palmer ski lift. By the time he was rescued Pollard had become quite the celebrity. His family and friends were freaked, and fans in the ski community flooded message boards to find out anything they could.

After spending some time recovering in Maui, Pollard is doing well and plans to be skiing by the end of the month, when he returns to Mt. Hood. POWDER caught up with Pollard to discuss his recovery, his first heli skiing experience and the start of a new career on the other side of the lens.

POWDER: There are some crazy birds singing in the background. Where are you right now?
Eric Pollard: I'm on Maui, kind of near the jungle. I think those are bicycle birds. There are crazy centipedes here. They're trying to bite me and sting me.

POWDER: How long will it be before you're back on skis?
EP: I'll be back on my skis when I get back into Oregon in late August. My back is ninety five percent and my shoulder is ninety percent.

POWDER: What was it like trying to recover at Mt. Hood?
EP: The first two months were fun-doing schoolwork, painting, and hanging with friends.

POWDER: Have you picked up any new talents or hobbies?
EP: I found out I'm an excellent synchronized swimmer.

POWDER: It seems that there was a lot of confusion in the media about your accident. What was the deal with reports of you falling into a crevasse?
EP: I guess there was a lot of different things going over the radios and people misinterpreted it. It got my friends scared. There were multiple false reports. One report said I fell off Mississippi Head. People couldn't believe it when I told them I was walking.

POWDER: So what actually happened after you got hurt on the step-down?
EP: I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I had a number to Timberline Lodge in my jacket and, luckily, a cell phone. The guys I was shooting with climbed to the top of the canyon to get reception. They called the lodge and about two hours later some Timberline Lodge employees came up with blankets. It took another seven hours for the rescue team to reach me. They rigged a pulley system to get me out of the canyon. I was so cold I couldn't move my hands or my feet. The rescue team then strapped me to a backboard for five hours.