Perhaps Chad Pipkens should forego playing any sport that's contested in the Winter Olympics.
The Bassmaster Elite Series angler from Michigan suffered a serious wrist injury in a 2016 snowboarding accident that caused him to fish an early-season tournament left-handed (he's a right-hander). Now, he's set to undergo surgery for a broken clavicle incurred over the weekend in a rec league hockey game.
The operation will consist of the insertion of a plate and six screws to get the bone realigned properly, but he said he'll do his best to compete in the next Elite event, which gets under way April 4 at Lake Hartwell.
"It was a 2-on-zero and I just lost an edge (on his skate) and went sliding into the board. It wasn't even fast, but the doctor said that sometimes with the perfect angle and just the right amount of pressure, the bone can just snap.
"I've played hockey for 25 years and I've had pulled muscles and things like that, but I've never injured a bone before."
Pipkens, who started the season with finishes in the 50s at the St. Johns River and Lake Lanier and currently sits at No. 59 on the points list, said his doctor hasn't ruled out his chances of competing at Hartwell.
"As long as I can make a cast, I'll be there," he said.
