Gruesome injury leaves ‘Evel Live 2’ scrambling for replacement stunt

Stunt rider Axell Hodges was hoping to break Robbie Maddison’s world record motorcycle jump of 378 feet and 9 inches during History’s Evel Live 2 special on Sunday night. But the only thing he ended up breaking was himself, in the week leading up to the live event. Hodges fractured his left ankle and sustained some bumps and bruises after landing awkwardly in practice. He said, “I came in about 105, 106 [mph] off the takeoff ramp and when I hit the takeoff I gave it a little too much of a tug, bringing my body up a little bit.” When Hodges landed his motorcycle was almost perpendicular to ramp. He said, “My toes pretty much crunched up and touched my shins.” During the telecast, new footage was revealed showing the severity of the impact. After the initial injury to his feet, Hodges sustained multiple scrapes and bruises as his body went tumbling at 60 mph for approximately 200 ft. With just days before the event, the show booked a new headlining act. Stunt rider Vicki Golden set a record by driving through 13 walls of fire. Fortunately for Golden, and unfortunately for viewers, she made the stunt look easy. Disappointed fans aired the grievances on Twitter. While the show appears to have left viewers disappointed, the fact of the matter is that Golden achieved a major accomplishment and Hodges was fortunate to avoid a life or career ending injury.