January 10th, 2011 by Conor

I will never forget the first time I saw Danny because of the impact it made on me my freshman year of college. I remember standing in line to get my key to my dorm room with my best friend from home that was helping me move in. We were talking about how different people were going to be up in NH compared to Boston and how I didn’t think I would meet any one like my friends from home. While we were having this conversation and standing in this line of about 150 kids I saw something that sparked my interest 2 people in front of me. It was Danny’s bleach blonde wild hair with dark roots. loved it. He was bouncing around and you could tell he was telling some kind of wild story he was really into. At that point my friend and I turned to each laughed and I said okay maybe I was wrong. Danny and I met the next day when all the freshman were wondering around trying to get to know each other. Right away I could just tell by his energy how positive and enlightened he was. We became very good friends freshman year very quickly. He was my shoulder to cry on and the only person that could make me laugh when I was have one of the horrible days. I just loved being around him because I felt apart of his aura which made every thing better. I have some many amazing memories with Danny but some that stick out the most are; Going to Omega the trashiest club in Manchester and tearing up the dance floor together, having movie nights but laughing the entire time which caused us to miss the movie, studying together and not getting any where because we could never settle down enough to focus, trying to convince him to let me borrow his hats because he had the best collection (of course Danny being Danny it wasn’t that hard), and lastly our conversations about life, love, and dreams when no one else was around. Danny always had a way of making every one around him feel loved, happy, and safe. I am so glad that he has so many people now who are doing that for him. If there is any one that deserves all of this support it’s DCT. Conor you are also a man to honor. Your love for your brother shows through and through and I’m sure of it that he feels it when you are in that room. He will make it through and be okay because he has to many people counting on him and he would never want to let any one down. The world will hear that unforgettable laugh again and be able to feel that incredible aura he has. Danny and your family are in my thoughts every day.

Tiffany Leger

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

For reasons unknown, I as well as many people was faced with a situation that is beyond severe. What has happened to my friend Danny is tragic, devastating , and there is no way to get away around that. 7 days ago my life and perspective on life was changed. For me this trip was a struggle to begin with, I had an incredibly bad feeling a week before I left. I talked to friends about it and of course I figured it was related to Tahoe and the large amount of snow we have been getting. Being an optimistic person and a person of my word I decided to push away my feelings and continue on with the trip no matter what was inside me. When it came down to it I just wanted to be with my friends.
Fast forward to Jan 3rd 2011, a nice bluebird day, everyone was stoked to ride and just have fun. Most people have not been to Teton Pass but it has a fun homey atmosphere. By this time the feeling I felt the week prior was pushed away and I was just stoked to be with all my friends. When it comes down to it if you don’t have friends you don’t have anything. To me my friends are my family.

The run before everything changed, the lift suddenly stopped and no one thought anything of it. We joked that we might have to sack up and jump off the lift. Of course we were too scared to actually do it! I was on the lift with Danny when it stopped and it was almost nice despite the cold temps. I had not seen or really talked to Danny in almost a month and like we always do, we got right into an in depth conversation. We talked about everything from his trip to Argentina and how I was now using the same computer he took with him, to relationships with girls…more importantly we were talking about life. For reasons unknown the lift stopped and I was able to have 30 minutes to talk about everything with Danny. This was awesome since we had grown to become such good friends. Finally the lift started up, now very stoked because it was so cold! I wouldn’t realize the importance of our conversation till later.
Standing on top of the feature that ultimately wrecked Danny , I was going to be the last to drop. Danny was getting ready to drop before me and was telling me a little bit about the feature. It was a small but fun looking air, the type of thing you would hit when you’re messing around. It was a 10-foot high hill where you jump up on to an adjacent run. The main thing Danny did say to me was “Moss, be real careful when you land that you don’t go into the trees.” Of course I was stoked he told me but really didn’t think anything of it. Anyone that knows Him and his snowboarding abilities knows Danny is hands down one of the most talented riders out there. I’m stoked when Danny drops to see what he is going to pull…A nice mellow backside 180 is what he throws. I’m thinking how can I one up Danny, but before all that happens I see him stray forward on his board and then out of my line of vision. It was obvious he went down when I saw a group of trees shake. Not fearing the worst I yell to Conor that I am going to skip the feature and make sure Danny is ok. What we rolled up on was not what we neither thought nor what anyone wanted to see. All I could see was his board wedged up against the trees, face first, head buried in the snow with Danny lodged in the trees . Holy shit…. what has just happened, was the thought running in my mind. The rest of the details are intense and not fun, bottom line, brutal. To see your friend in that state is devastating but collectively we all stepped up and played very valuable rolls to get our friend out of that situation and make sure he could get to help.

It’s been 7 days since the accident and many surgeries have ensued, emotions have been high. I spent 4 days sitting in the hospital hoping, praying, and trying to figure out what the hell has just happened. Trying to come to the realization that this has actually happened to us. Danny is one of the best people out there and I trust that his stubborn east coast attitude will help him get through all of this. For reasons unknown I as well as our crew were meant to be there when this happened.

Despite his injury I have only wanted to get back on my snowboard and ride harder then ever for Danny. However from now on I will wear a helmet and be an advocate for them. It has taken this accident for me to realize this and its time for people to suck up their pride and image and use this as a lesson. Everyone will get their own lesson out of this. I just hope everyone realizes it’s not worth it to not wear a helmet. Go ahead and be too cool and think this wont happen to you or your friends and it might not, but when it does just know your never too cool for a helmet and it is only there to protect you, your friends, and your family.

Cant wait to be with you again Danny!

Words by: Moss Halladay

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

It has been 7 days now since this happened. I can’t believe it has already been 7 days. Danny come back soon. We all love and miss you.

–Conor

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

A meeting will take place this Wednesday, January 12th 2011 at the Red Jacket in North Conway, NH at 7:00 PM. The meeting is going to be held in Hampshire Hall.

Please take a minute to understand the purpose of this meeting- to develop a fund raising plan and improve ideas that are in the making. My caution in this message is only to deter those that just want to attend a fund raising event. This is not an actual event, but rather a planning session.

There are a lot of people that have reached out that want to help, but we need to see how these resources will come together to make the most successful fund raising campaign that we possibly can.

People attending this meeting should be ready to discuss current ideas and contribute ideas of their own. They should also be starting to think about the ways they can can help whether it’s time, facilities, experience, connections, etc.

If you feel like you can contribute, and want to contribute, come meet with us at Hampshire Hall on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

Obviously this injury has changed Danny’s life– no secret there. It has also significantly changed Michelles, my Moms, Dads and my life as well. Our lives are on hold here in Great Falls, Montana. We are all fully committed to seeing Danny open his eyes again and progress back to normal. I have no idea where my life will go after that. I am willing to help in anyway I can. It’s crazy to think how much one moment will have such a great impact on my life.

I have all my friends from all my life with me right now. Friends from each aspect and all years of my life are reaching out to connect with me about what is going on. On top of that Danny’s friends are reaching out to me too. It’s crazy to imagine having all these friends at one time. I can’t imagine trying to make a dinner plan right now.

Michelle hasn’t showered today and is wearing the same clothes as yesterday. I’m surprised that isn’t waking Danny up.

Epic Hugs… You know, the kind of hug that you give a friend or loved one when you haven’t seen them in a long time. I consider that a Epic Hug. This style of hug can also be reserved for deeply emotional times like we are going through right now. I wonder how many Epic Hugs Danny will be giving/receiving when he gets out of this mess. Probably an Epic amount.

Michelle, Danny and I are like a surgical gang. No, I am not trying to say that our bond is so tight that it is like we have been surgically woven together. To date, the 3 of us have had a total of 15 surgeries. That is too many.

Been very busy adding stickers to the website and getting the shirts ready to go out. My thoughts were distracted tonight but great things are happening.

Love ya Danny!
Conor

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

I wanted to take a minute and address something that has been bothering me. In Iris Lazz’s account of How it Happened she described in great detail the entire incident and how it happened through her eyes.

Not that it really matters, but there is one detail in the whole account that she would have to agree with me is a creation. She stated the following “He landed blind and when he turned his head to see the run out, the trees were right in front of him. He slid out, letting his board take most of the hit then flew forward, head first, into the grouping of trees.”

However, when ski patrol asked and even on the car ride to the hospital, everyone agreed that they had seen only part of the incident. The only reason I bring this up is because the idea that Danny “flew forward, head first, into the grouping of trees” is a little gnarly. Yes, in fact Danny ended up in that grouping of trees with his head downhill but now one saw exactly what caused him to fall and how he ended up the way he did. Everyone saw a different part of it. But still there were pieces left out.

The reason I bring this up is because Danny has no injuries or abrasions at all other than the tiny scrape that you see in the picture below. Ski Patrol even suggested that he had caught his edge and hit his head on the ice and then slid into the woods. It’s hard for me to imagine that Danny flew into the woods and hit a tree head first and didn’t get any scrape or cut what-so-ever.

Not that any of this is really specific but for some reason it has been really bothering me and I just wanted to get out there. I guess mostly because the way that she wrote it just paints such a crazy picture in my head. No one saw the injury in full. Period. All that we can be sure of is that Danny hit his head really hard on something. The rest of what Iris wrote is on point and I’m glad someone wrote it because I sure as heck couldn’t do it.

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

We have 2 different stickers for sale that should start shipping on Tuesday. $10 per sticker which includes shipping. Both styles come in black or white, so there are 4 total options. Choose wisely, or, buy them all!

Thank you VERY much to Leslet Betts and InkMonstr for making these happen. Love you guys!

The first sticker is 7″ wide design. Good for cars, boards, refrigerators, etc.

The second sticker is a 4″ wide design. Good for skis, helmets, water bottles, etc.

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

In Feb, 2010, I was looking for some talent for an upcoming snowboarding video project. I met my camera crew up at the local ski resort to do some test shots and see who or what showed up. We taped all day and got a lot of footage…on a lot of different athletes. They were all pretty amazing snowboarders. At the end of the competition, we moved up in the crowd to interview the winners.

I wanted to see if any of them could actually speak on camera. They were all more verbal than I expected them to be. They were all good looking, too. Danny had really made an impression on me though. When I was interviewing him, I asked how he had gotten the shiner (he had a wicked black eye)…and he said without missing a beat, “Well…apparently I can’t do a double cork” and he flashed a charming smile right into the camera. The crew, who were freezing and tired by that time of the day, completely cracked up.

Hmmm …I thought to myself, that boy has some timing. All of the other competitors left, but Danny stayed and chatted with us until WE were done. I made a mental note of that.

When I reviewed all of the footage later, in the studio in Hollywood, I had time to analyze the clips a bit further. Danny definitely had some sparkle to him when he was on camera.

I showed picture’s of Danny to my best “judges of hotness” (my HS girlfriends) and their responses were:

“Oh …cutie pie”

“Adorable”

“Dang …too bad he’s just a little too old for my daughter”

There were some other responses…but they aren’t printable in a public forum. You know how high school friends can be…

So I thought, OK..he has the appeal. I think I will contact him.

Danny was on board with the project from the very start. The show format is a bit silly, but Danny did not have a problem with that. I thought he had a great attitude and definitely had more going on in his mind than just snowboarding . I rewrote the script with Danny as the star and sent it to him. At some point during our conversations he said, “You should talk to my brother…you can work this all out with him.”

Your brother? You…want me to talk to your BROTHER? What was this about…

I talked with Conor a couple of times and dealt with details and ideas for my shoot through a lot of texts.

Actually, I was happy to have found a kindred spirit in Conor. Not too many people get excited about video, and show concepts, and really good edits. Most people’s eyes sort of glaze over…and then they change the topic. Conor is funny…and his texts cracked me up. We had the opportunity to chat about some other things that he was working on. I started to feel like I was rooting for them to defy the odds of being newcomers in the production world.
It worked out that Conor would shoot some tape for me, while he was taping for Shreddy Times. I truly was not expecting much, but it was worth a shot because there just wasn‘t time left in the season for anything else..
It wasn’t until just recently that I looked at the footage that Conor had sent me from the end of last season. I was completely surprised.

It was all really good. Exactly what I wanted. Perfect in fact.

I offered Conor the position of second camera for the upcoming dialogue scenes. He had really earned that job.
I was feeling confident that it was going to be a good shoot. I was waiting for confirmation of the details from Conor and Danny… when this little bend in the road happened…

I am looking forward to working with Danny and Conor someday soon.
Best wishes for Danny, Conor… and their family and friends who are giving them support,

Maralee Spalla Elliott
Producer- Extreme Indoor Recess

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

I don’t now Danny, but a friend on facebook posted the website for Danny and I have been following ever since that day. It hit home for me because my best friends brother has suffered a head injury like Dannys and I know exactly what you guys are going through. Its a rough road, he knows you guys are there and that’s whats most important. Danny is in my thoughts and prayers and so is the rest of his family and friends. I decided tonight to go on youtube and I looked up his name and watched all these amazing/funny videos of Danny. He is truly and inspiring individual. People always say to live life to its fullest and that is something he is doing and then some!

I was very apprehensive about sending an email, but after reading everything everyone has wrote and just the mear fact I have been following, I thought why the hell not. When Danny wakes up and is able to read all this he will see how many people he has touched and inspired to live life to its fullest and have no regrets doing so. Watching all the videos of him snowboarding and the “how to pick up a chicks” video was awesome and down right hilarious. I definitely got a good laugh out of it! I keep reading about this infectious laugh and I’ve heard it a few times on those videos. I must say, it made me laugh. Nothings better than a good infectious laugh! Anyways, just wanted to share my thoughts to everyone even though I may not know Danny. His story has touched me and hit home for me and I am pulling for you Danny from the West Coast!!

Much Love,
Cerese Sage

January 10th, 2011 by Conor

It’s 11:43 PM and the night has begun. I opened up some lasagna (brought to the 5th floor of the ICU and sent from some amazingly generous friends) and Conor immediately turned around and perked up. He and I share the same love for food except that I would probably not indulge in an all out war between Cheeze-its and my mouth. The night nurse, Cindy, is a gem and things are going smoothly thus far. Danny is freshly shaved and looking more like himself since the last tube has been removed from his mouth as a result of the PEG. It’s hard to imagine that Danny needs more calories that you or I right now, but the body is an incredible machine and Danny is healing with an extra does of calories and protein.

-Michelle