Spin Class Assault Trial Gets Rolling

It was about nine months ago that New Yorkers were thrilled by the story of the spin class smackdown; now the case has gone to trial, and reading the testimony is like watching a montage of the all the greatest moments. For those of you just joining us, the incident was sparked at an Upper East Side gym when 44-year-old broker Christopher Carter became enraged at the grunting and bellowing from his spin classmate two bikes down, 48-year-old hedge fund manager Stuart Sugarman.

When Sugarman responded to Carter’s command with “Shut the f--- up!” with, “Don’t be such a baby. Make me,” Carter dismounted his bike and slammed Sugarman and his bike into the wall. Though Sugarman was able to finish the class – which, unbelievably, continued – he subsequently spent ten days at Lenox Hill Hospital, undergoing back surgery to treat contusions to six vertebra with metal plates, screws, and cadaver tissue.

Now Carter faces up to a year in jail for the assault. According to the Post, Sugarman testified yesterday that making noise at a spin class is how spinners get in the zone, telling the jury that shouting phrases like “Good burn!” and “You go girl!” would get him “charged up and really come out automatically.” And the instructor that day also testified that Sugarman is the loudest “spinner” he's ever heard in some 1,700 workouts. Obviously Carter was just jealous that Sugarman was #1.

Asked to reconcile his supposed “excruciating pain” with the fact that he got back up and finished the workout, Sugarman told the jury he was “trying to be macho. A football player plays through pain.” Actually, a football player immediately gets attention from the team doctor; it's just these typical macho spin class tough guys who keep going despite their injuries.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 29, 2008 9:20 AM

Comments [rss]

angry_pickle

It doesn't work. the only sympathy I feel is for this man's family who'll have to answer for this prick for generations to come.

I was hoping he was sterile.

sonyactivision

I bet the lawyer took that photo of his "victim", probably for the sake of a douche-friendly jury. It doesn't work. the only sympathy I feel is for this man's family who'll have to answer for this prick for generations to come.

And that other guy, the "assailant", is an obvious asshole. Hmmm.....prick..asshole."You go girl!"

aveB4life

nice one ericroberts.

what sissy carries flowers out of the hospital. I hope someone yells 'You Go Girl' as he tries to get on the bus in that wheelchair

Spirit of 76

WTF?! Is babyhitler evolving and getting a better sense of humor?

I doubt it. But he sure is picking up Jen's spelling skills.

Hey, Stuey, love your "macho" flowers.

ANGRYGOD11

WTF?! Is babyhitler evolving and getting a better sense of humor?

EricRoberts

@aveB4life - what about the Brady Bunch where the whiplash victim moves his neck during the trial?

zodak

sugarman is evil!

JRod5417

As an avid spinner, I must say Sugarman/do#cheb*g got what he deserved. You go girl!

TJ

Is anyone really rooting for Sugarman?

what a loser. I suspect that the defendant will be acquitted.

SikBug

He did say "Make me" and the guy did make him stfu so...

aveB4life

a) sakebalboa is an awesome name.

b) i think my hatred of my job caused my misspelling. i was probably thinking "i'm on gothamist now, but sh*t i wish i was home"

dandeluca

Definitely douchebag v. douchebag here, though I am on the side of the assaulting douchebag. If we're going to live together in a big crowded city (or any society, really) we have to respect the rights of those around us. And if this guy really said "make me", then he was clearly inciting a physical assault.

shovel

Par Kiernan repeating, "you go girl!" and "good burn!" on In the Papers this morning was the icing on the cake of this story.

babyhitler

These are the stories we need more of on Gothamist. No more of that "Black guy/Hispanic guy robs/rapes/steals/murder crap" cause frankly I'm all bigoted out. It's really hard to come up with creative ways to genarilize and marginalize people because of a simpliefied conception of that person's race or creed. This story is good since they are both white you know they love cottage cheese and can't dance for shit.

Dirk

The two of them should settle it in the fight club in Union Square.

WesTheYeTi

1. I wonder if this case would go to trial if the penalties for losing would be paying everybody's legal fees.

2. There are rapists and molesters wandering the streets and these A-holes have the nerve to take up our courts time and money? Have them fight it out in a burning-ring-death-match.

JMH

Rocknrope got this one right. They're both douchebags.

sakebalboa

#9

lol how do you type shit instead of she, its two more letters and no where near the e, :P

eyekantspel

Sugarman testified yesterday that making noise at a spin class is how spinners get in the zone, telling the jury that shouting phrases like “Good burn!” and “You go girl!” would get him “charged up and really come out automatically.”

yeah, he's just a rude douchebag. making noise at a spin class might be how HE gets in the zone, but it clearly isn't appreciated by everyone. Obviously Carter didn't appreciate it, had the balls to say as much, and instead of this moron just taking the hint, he confronted Carter with a "make me" and got the smackdown he asked for. I wish I was on the jury, I'd acquit in a heartbeat.

eyekantspel

Having done a few spin classes in the past, I have to say, I agree with the guy who wanted to beat the crap out of Sugarman.

To me, nothing is more annoying in a spin class than someone who deliberately makes stupid hooting sounds-- it hurts the ears, breaks concentration -- not sure why they do that, maybe they think it motivates people or they want everyone else to notice them.

It isn't grunting like when people lift weights, or heavy breathing which you might expect in an aerobics class, but deliberate hooting and other sounds, maybe to let everyone else know you're their or to motivate others... To me, it's just rude.

I've seen a few instructors who do it, and it made me feel like doing what Christopher Carter did -- instead I just stopped going to spin class. The hooting sounds ruined it for me.

rtd2101

"you go girl"? WTF?

aveB4life

whoops, i meant to write she instead of sh*t

aveB4life

this reminds me of that 90210 episode where brenda catches the woman shit hit with her car doing aerobics.

S.D.

Um, Someone Told Stuart Sugarman “You go girl!” ??

Hmmm....

In any case, Christopher Carter had no valid reason to assault Sugarman.

Rocknrope

Sounds like a case of Douchebag vs. Douchebag.

thefacts

Sugarman is an idiot and apparently a perjurer as well.

matty

Sorry I meant to say "the law probably doesn't think that though"

matty

I loved this story when it broke and I think that Sugarman got what was coming to him. The probably doesn't think that however.

MFer

Spinning sounds gay, like something Penelope would do waiting for Odysseus to come home.

Fashion note. Neck brace, flower, and a dour look = fay.