THE TROOPER: BRAD MARTIN AFTER HIS FALL AT X GAMES 12 COMES OUT ON TOP AT WORLD CUP

Spy’s 21-year-old Brad Martin took a horrendous slam at X-Games 12 in Aspen during his Super Pipe qualifying run that sent chills throughout the crowd. The Canadian took a nasty 12-foot fall from the sky to the deck that left him with a bloody mouth, a bruised kidney and later that day, urinating blood.

After a nasty fall like that no one would expect Martin to climb back up the pipe and take another run. But, bloody and battered, he attempted his second run. Brad was unable to qualify for the finals, but received huge props from the crowd for his valiant efforts.

Three weeks later at the NOKIA Snowboard FIS World Cup, Brad worked out the kinks from his fall and impressed the judges with a backside air followed by a frontside 10 tail grab, a Cab 7, a frontside 9 tail grab and finished with a frontside 5 mute grab. His 42.9 points beat Jeff Batchelor's 40.8.

Brad was all smiles as he was handed the oversized check for $10,000 and awarded this year’s gold as the World Cup champ. “This was the first contest I ever got to do a victory lap for. That’s a wicked feeling, knowing you have already won, but then you have to figure out if you’re going to do an actual run or a slash...I did a slash," said Martin.

With his first major win under his belt, Brad is looking forward to the US Open where he will be competing alongside fellow Spy teammates Louie Vito and Iouri Podladtchikov from March 19th to 23rd in Stratton, Vermont.

- Surfeyes.com