My road warrior (and his bicycle) battle the mountain

My son, Jacob, is enamored with the extreme sport of downhill biking. He has a swell bike and all sorts of protective gear and six months of the year, whenever possible, he likes to go to different facilities where he and his fellow enthusiasts ride a gondola to the top of a mountain and then tear down it as quickly as humanly possible. As his mother, I really wish long distance running delivered the same set of thrills- but that is not the case. On occasion, he takes a nasty spill and eats the ground, literally, with his body. (In case you were wondering, along with the padding he wears a helmut so fortunately his head is not involved.) Yesterday, he had a good day of riding until his front tire hit a rock, the bike gave way, and he got himself all banged up. He came home, sporting a huge smile along with numerous cuts and contusions.

His pal took the photo above and after posting his current condition on Facebook,  his friends chimed in with appreciation for his latest 2 wheeled exploit. 

14 years old, a love of speed and a need for excitement- the more things change, the more they stay the same.