Course of Recovery

Flanked by the highways that lead into the city from the south under a cloudless June sky at last year's dirt finals, he pulled a perfect series of challenging tricks that put him in first place after the opening round. The second run was a little more complicated and a little more daring, but he could afford a mistake thanks to the good first score. He nearly was flawless again, almost landing a double back flip, a trick he used to win X Games gold in 2001 and one that still is rarely attempted by most riders. But he fell off the bike after hitting the ground.

Murray stood and shook off any effects of the slip. "I didn't think anything was going to stop me from banging that out again," he said. Just do that run once more, he thought, and land the double back flip this time. He'd win this thing for sure.

The Newcastle, England, native, who had moved to California 10 years earlier, climbed the scaffolding for his third and final run, then he broke his pre-run routine. "I got into God about four months before," Murray said. "I don't know why I did it, or what made me do it, but I did the [sign of the] cross over my heart. I had never done that before."

He pressed his hands into the grips, squeezed the brake lever for a final time, took a deep breath and rolled down the ramp.

For the first jump, he threw a combination flip trick. Solid enough.

He spun 360 degrees horizontally on the next set.

At that point, he didn't need to be fancy so much as he needed to build up speed to finish with the double back flip correctly.

Up and over the final mound of dirt, Murray pulled his bike and body into the first flip. But his left foot slipped off the pedal about 30 feet in the air, causing his weight to shift violently. He separated from the bike. His limbs flapped as he fell, searching for any bearing, any direction, but finding none.

Murray landed on his head and hyperextended his neck upon impact. He was being strapped to a stretcher when he regained consciousness about 30 seconds after hitting the dirt.

"The first thing anyone did that I really remember was [rider] Luke Parslow saying: 'I love you, Murray. You're going to be all right. You've got to be all right,' " Murray said. "He was grabbing my arm, but I couldn't feel it."

Murray gasped for breath.

Medical crews pushed a tube down his throat to open his airway, and then Rick Bahr, an on-site athletic trainer, turned to him.