EDDIE PELLS

AP National Writer

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. – Winter X Games champion Danny Davis’ latest injury came far from the halfpipe.

The snowboarder from Highland was chopping firewood at his home in California last month when the ax slid off the wood and into his right hand, cutting through tendons.

He traveled to Colorado for surgery and now is in a cast to restrict movement.

The 28-year-old two-time Winter X Games champion says he hopes to be cleared to ride at an event next week at Copper Mountain that’s one of several contests in which he has to compete to become eligible for the 2018 Olympics. He hopes to be back to near 100% for the Winter X Games in Aspen next month.

This week, Davis’ riding is restricted to low-key recreational stuff. He wouldn’t have competed at this week’s Dew Tour anyway. Lack of snow made it impossible to build the newly designed halfpipe organizers were hoping to debut at the event. Still, the event is going on all week with slopestyle and other contests.

“I feel pretty lucky, to be honest,” Davis says. “I’ve got all my fingers and, apparently, if I had to cut myself, I did it in a pretty good area.”

Note: Ann Arbor ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani won the bronze medal at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating over the weekend in Marseille, France. They train in Canton.