Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

From the Press Box:

Trailmaster needs help after heart attack at Bootleg

One way to find out who your friends are is to see how they respond when you are in trouble.

The good news for Bootleg Canyon Trailmaster Brent Thomson is he has a lot of friends — not just locally in Boulder City and Las Vegas, but across the country and the globe.

Thomson suffered a heart attack nearly two weeks ago, which came as quite a surprise to the mountain biking community, because he is always coming and going.

It occurred while Thomson, 57, was riding in the canyon with his son, when he said he felt chest pain and shortness of breath.

Anyone who has spent some time riding in the canyon is sure to have come across Thomson either working on one of his trails or riding. For Thomson, an artist, Bootleg Canyon was his masterpiece.

Once word got out about his condition, the news spread like wildfire, especially online where mountain bikers from around the world are familiar with Bootleg Canyon and Thomson.

The chat forum on mtbr.com, a mountain biking Web site, had comments from 15 different users wishing him support.

The well wishes were echoed locally.

"We all wish him the best and a quick recovery, because we want to see him back out on the trails. He's done something amazing for the biking community, so this can be our chance to repay him," said Jeff Frampton, owner of All Mountain Cyclery.

Thomson underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals-San Martin Campus on Jan. 14 and is recovering from the surgery. Thomson had a similar surgery 16 years ago and said before the surgery he expected to recover quickly and get back to doing what he loves.

The bad news is Thomson did not have health insurance and his hospital expenses are estimated to be a few hundred thousand dollars. His friends and colleagues are trying to raise donations to help out.

"Brent's hospital expenses are estimated to grow to hundreds of thousands of dollars, so any help that his friends in the bicycle industry can provide will be graciously appreciated," friend Steve Boehmke said.

Anyone wishing to donate to help Thomson can contact his son, Barret Thomson, at [email protected] for more information.

Brent Hinckley is the Boulder City News sports writer and can be reached at 990-7822 or [email protected].

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