There's tough, and then there's Natty Hagood.

Hagood is a 29-year-old ski instructor who made international headlines when he was impaled through the face by a 18-inch tree branch. He called it a "flesh wound".

While skiing with his friends Hagood attempted to make an exit between two trees, but collided face-first with a branch.

He says he was knocked off his feet and didn't immediately know what had happened.

"I didn't know if I had broken my jaw, but I knew my face felt weird."

It must have, because there was a foot and a half long piece of wood pierced through both lips. It extended so far that Hagood said he could see it in his peripheral vision.

"So I reached out and kind of grasped the stick and wiggled it a little bit and realized it was rather soundly affixed in my face," he said.

Once he knew what had happened the tough-as-nails instructor started cracking jokes, even showing his friends his new "piercing".

Hagood was taken to hospital and treated. Ending up with 18 stitches, a nasty scar and one heck of a story.