SnoWesters..
Those of you who have had the pleasure to meet Andra Dantoni (Slash) in person know that he is one of the nicest guys in our sport, someone who is willing to bend over backwards and help out another sledder at a moment's notice. He has been one of our best volunteer Super Moderators here on SnoWest for over a decade now sharing his lifetime of sledding knowledge and insight with any and all that ask. Andra is in a tight spot now and NEEDS OUR HELP in a BIG WAY.. I am coming to you with my hand out on his behalf because he deserves our assistance. Please read the story and then if at all possible DONATE what you can to help him get rebuilt....
Thanks!!
Slash vs. Cow 2.0
August 11, 2019 was probably just another ordinary summer day for most of us. Some of us probably had a BBQ with the family. Maybe you were able to enjoy the weekend at the lake. Maybe it was completely uneventful. But for fellow SnoWest member Slash (also known as Andra when not on SnoWest) it certainly didn't end well, or in a forgettable way.
The day started out with the ambition of having his grandsons join him for a ride in the mountains on the dirt bikes; something that many of us on this forum can easily relate to. We all live for the opportunity to ride. To explore. To spend time doing what we love with family or friends. While the grandsons weren't able to make it, Slash chose to load up anyways and get out to see what the mountain had in store for him.
Slash is an experienced and intelligent rider, but it is unlikely that anything could have prepared him for what Lady Luck had lined up for him that day. Riding in a canyon that he was very familiar with, he decided to stick to an easy trail since he was alone. After about 9 or 10 miles he was crossing through a treed area when a young calf ran by, and disappeared just as quick. That was close! Carry on... for only a moment, before angry cow mom shows up out of nowhere. Instantly, things were about to get a whole lot worse for Slash. The cow, likely feeling protective of her young calf, charged at Slash. Hitting him violently from the side, Slash was thrown with the bike, landing hard on his shoulder with the weight of the bike adding to the impact. Everything happened really fast, but he remembers getting stomped at least once by the 1500 pounds of raging animal before tumbling down the steep grade to the side of the trail.
Fortunate to be wearing full riding armor, Slash wasn't fatally injured. However, he still had a long, painful and difficult journey ahead of him just to get back to the truck. Struggling on the steep terrain with his injuries, which turned out to be broken ribs and a badly busted up shoulder, he was able to get down to where his bike had landed and get it started. After three excruciating hours and lots of moments where he thought he might pass out, he finally came across some fellow riders who helped him the remainder of the way and loaded his bike up for him.
So he had survived. He was back in civilization. That's where everything gets all better right? Nope, that is where the challenges just begin. Already off work for a couple weeks with 3 broken ribs, and a badly broken shoulder, the bills are starting to pile up with no end in sight. Slash then discovered that following his change of jobs last year, he no longer has the insurance coverage that he used to have with his previous employer. More costly medical visits revealed that surgery will be required to repair the broken shoulder. He is now faced with the likelihood of losing his house, along with many other things that he has worked so hard to earn, in order to pay $25,000 up front for the surgery.
Those of you who have had the pleasure to meet Andra Dantoni (Slash) in person know that he is one of the nicest guys in our sport, someone who is willing to bend over backwards and help out another sledder at a moment's notice. He has been one of our best volunteer Super Moderators here on SnoWest for over a decade now sharing his lifetime of sledding knowledge and insight with any and all that ask. Andra is in a tight spot now and NEEDS OUR HELP in a BIG WAY.. I am coming to you with my hand out on his behalf because he deserves our assistance. Please read the story and then if at all possible DONATE what you can to help him get rebuilt....
Thanks!!
Slash vs. Cow 2.0
August 11, 2019 was probably just another ordinary summer day for most of us. Some of us probably had a BBQ with the family. Maybe you were able to enjoy the weekend at the lake. Maybe it was completely uneventful. But for fellow SnoWest member Slash (also known as Andra when not on SnoWest) it certainly didn't end well, or in a forgettable way.
The day started out with the ambition of having his grandsons join him for a ride in the mountains on the dirt bikes; something that many of us on this forum can easily relate to. We all live for the opportunity to ride. To explore. To spend time doing what we love with family or friends. While the grandsons weren't able to make it, Slash chose to load up anyways and get out to see what the mountain had in store for him.
Slash is an experienced and intelligent rider, but it is unlikely that anything could have prepared him for what Lady Luck had lined up for him that day. Riding in a canyon that he was very familiar with, he decided to stick to an easy trail since he was alone. After about 9 or 10 miles he was crossing through a treed area when a young calf ran by, and disappeared just as quick. That was close! Carry on... for only a moment, before angry cow mom shows up out of nowhere. Instantly, things were about to get a whole lot worse for Slash. The cow, likely feeling protective of her young calf, charged at Slash. Hitting him violently from the side, Slash was thrown with the bike, landing hard on his shoulder with the weight of the bike adding to the impact. Everything happened really fast, but he remembers getting stomped at least once by the 1500 pounds of raging animal before tumbling down the steep grade to the side of the trail.
Fortunate to be wearing full riding armor, Slash wasn't fatally injured. However, he still had a long, painful and difficult journey ahead of him just to get back to the truck. Struggling on the steep terrain with his injuries, which turned out to be broken ribs and a badly busted up shoulder, he was able to get down to where his bike had landed and get it started. After three excruciating hours and lots of moments where he thought he might pass out, he finally came across some fellow riders who helped him the remainder of the way and loaded his bike up for him.
So he had survived. He was back in civilization. That's where everything gets all better right? Nope, that is where the challenges just begin. Already off work for a couple weeks with 3 broken ribs, and a badly broken shoulder, the bills are starting to pile up with no end in sight. Slash then discovered that following his change of jobs last year, he no longer has the insurance coverage that he used to have with his previous employer. More costly medical visits revealed that surgery will be required to repair the broken shoulder. He is now faced with the likelihood of losing his house, along with many other things that he has worked so hard to earn, in order to pay $25,000 up front for the surgery.
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