ASPEN, CO - JANUARY 27: Ayumu Hirano of Japan soars above the crowd as he took second place in the Men's Snowboard Superpipe Final at Winter X Games Aspen 2013 at Buttermilk Mountain on January 27, 2013 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - The image of snowmobile rider Caleb Moore launched over his handlebars on a backflip gone wrong - with his 450-pound machine somersaulting behind him - has created serious questions for the Winter X Games.
Run over by his sled, Moore lay on the snow for several minutes before being helped off the course. Now, he remains in critical condition after suffering bleeding around his heart and a complication involving his brain.
While snowboarders Shaun White and Elena Hight reached new heights in the superpipe last weekend at Winter X Games, it was Moore's crash that has some wondering whether dialing up the difficulty each year improves action sports or simply makes them too dangerous.
X Games organizers say further safety measures are constantly being evaluated.
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