Hurt snowboarder returns to 'Letterman' as guest

<br>NEW YORK (AP) _ A champion snowboarder injured doing a stunt for David Letterman's late-night television show returned to the program for an interview, saying she barely remembered the accident.

Tuesday, February 10th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ A champion snowboarder injured doing a stunt for David Letterman's late-night television show returned to the program for an interview, saying she barely remembered the accident.

"I don't really know what happened. It was so quick," said Tara Dakides, 30, in an interview taped for Monday night's show.

Dakides made two jumps outside the Ed Sullivan Theater last Thursday, then fell 25 feet off a ramp after a third landing, hurting her head. She left a hospital Friday after receiving stitches.

She said she would resume snowboarding and was planning an expedition with Bethany Hamilton, the teenage Hawaiian surfer who lost her left arm in a shark attack.

"I'm taking her snowboarding," she told Letterman.

The "Late Show" regularly tapes stunts on streets outside the studio. Because of the accident, the show stopped taping and aired a repeat instead.