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Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-04-2017, 2:22 PM Reply   
Pretty sure we are done with cable.
My oldest son has been riding boat since he was 5 and started cable at 8 years old. He is no Parks but the kid has a decent bag of trick at 16 years old and can ride with any crew. He slaloms and barefoots as well/. So that's Cam.
Ian, now 14 has also been riding forever but never had the stoke of Cam and is limited to W2W a 180 and skate but has good fundamentals and enjoys riding (if I drag him out on the boat). He does not enjoy cable and only rides cable once a year at the Free For All when we all go.
Kaitlin is 12, been riding since probably 4 but prefers to wake skate and wont really do anything else. Cable skills are limited to making a successful lap.

This years injury report:
July 2017, Grassy Key Cable- Cam eats it on the slider two days into vacation and breaks his femur. $10,000 later, two vacation trips ruined and this years Colorado ski trip cancelled. Missed junior year football, wrestling and Lacross seasons.

May 2017 Ian misses on a 180 and takes an ugly back digger. 4 day headache, enters the Protocol and misses all of spring ball. Wont go near a board.

June 2017 Kaitlin misses a pop on her skate, strains her groin and is sporting a very unlady like scar up her left shin.
Hasn't rode since.

The wife no longer rides at all sighting lady problems.
I take a foot session now and again and have a low-risk set routine I do on the board but am terrified of smoking a knee.

Been a tough summer. Im not ready to sell the boat but it may soon be time to do just that.
My whole crew went down in one season.

Last edited by baitkiller; 12-04-2017 at 2:25 PM.
Old     (wakeslash)      Join Date: Sep 2017       12-04-2017, 2:35 PM Reply   
Damn that sucks, yeah the pros are always blowing out there knee's behind the boat especially I guess thats why people just switch over to wakesurfing i mean it gets you on the water without as much risk of injury as wakeboarding.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       12-04-2017, 2:36 PM Reply   
Did somebody say... groin injury? Pulled this last year on a wakeskate.

Man, it sounds like you guys went through the ringer this year. Breaking a femur is serious.
Attached Images
 
Old     (razorjaw)      Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Australia       12-04-2017, 2:36 PM Reply   
That's terrible! Hope everyone heals well.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       12-04-2017, 2:40 PM Reply   
So how does Cam feel about riding now? I'm guessing a femur takes a while to heal. But given his history of stoke I'm curious if he's willing to give it up.
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-04-2017, 2:49 PM Reply   
Hi John.. he was in the boat puling his buddies with a cast on from his plums to his toes! No lack of stoke for Cam but I think he developed a healthy fear of rails.
Old     (skiboarder)      Join Date: Oct 2006       12-04-2017, 3:07 PM Reply   
You have to pay the cost to be the boss... Progression and injuries go hand-in-hand. Staying flexible and strong will go a long way to keeping injuries away, but over a long enough time scale wakeboarding will maim and/or kill you--but that is part of the fun for the right kind of person. I'm 37 and I have had my fair share of injuries after wakeboarding 25 years. I don't regret any of it one bit.
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-04-2017, 3:10 PM Reply   
but over a long enough time scale wakeboarding will maim and/or kill you

Ill just drop this here... But yeah, Cam will ride for life. he is that kind of person.
Old     (Bakes)      Join Date: Mar 2010       12-04-2017, 3:28 PM Reply   
Just go short line, drop the speed to 18mph and have a good time. Better than surfing.

Also...consider a sky ski. Lots of old dudes going huge on those and they are super fun.

So that’s my recommendation....30 foot mainline at 18 mph and a sky ski. Don’t sell your boat...ever.

Out of curiosity....wearing a helmet when the concussion occurred?
Old     (skiboarder)      Join Date: Oct 2006       12-04-2017, 3:30 PM Reply   
He is a lifer. There is hope for our youth yet!! The only advice I have is eat sh*t and learn your fundamentals now. You want to get that out of the way as young as possible. Once you get over the hump the injuries are nastier, but way further between.

+1 on shortening the line and dropping the speed to learn new tricks. Also, consider hiring a professional for a few lessons here and there.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       12-04-2017, 3:38 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by baitkiller View Post
Hi John.. he was in the boat puling his buddies with a cast on from his plums to his toes! No lack of stoke for Cam but I think he developed a healthy fear of rails.
LOL, had to read that twice before it hit me what "plums" are. Having a healthy fear of stuff has kept me riding. Nothing wrong with that!
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-04-2017, 3:44 PM Reply   
No on the helmet. I dropped them once the kids skills got to where they knew how to fall. They are very important early and turn to a liability later behind boat. They all wore helmets during the scorpion years though. I have been concussed both with and without a helmet. Backside digger? Not a GD thing you can do about that, your gonna get bell-rung and a helmet wont help. Front side? yep, they help allot.

Cam has been riding boat 10 years. I have had local pros out for sessions and the kid can kill it on a local level but not so much compared to other regions. But yeah, he is a lifer behind boat. Cable at 8. first barefoot run at 12 etc etc. I have had pros on board when he started inverts, probably have to do that again next summer. Not cheap though at 200 an hour. (on my boat!)
Old     (simplej)      Join Date: Sep 2011       12-04-2017, 5:29 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by baitkiller View Post
but over a long enough time scale wakeboarding will maim and/or kill you

Ill just drop this here... But yeah, Cam will ride for life. he is that kind of person.
So will driving a car.

Or eating like ****.

Or working construction.

Or working a desk job.


See what I’m getting at?
Old     (stevo8290)      Join Date: Sep 2008       12-04-2017, 9:22 PM Reply   
Nobody has ever pulled a muscle sitting on the couch eating Cheetos.
Old     (wakeslash)      Join Date: Sep 2017       12-04-2017, 10:29 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by simplej View Post
So will driving a car.

Or eating like ****.

Or working construction.

Or working a desk job.


See what I’m getting at?
I dont see what your getting at thats just called life and crap happens but doing a sport like wakeboarding puts you at a higher risk of blowing a knee out and having to get surgery and rehab it. If you want to progress in wakeboarding you have to push yourself and thats when injuries happen.
Old     (jonblarc7)      Join Date: Jul 2006       12-05-2017, 5:48 AM Reply   
I sit all day at a desk drawing furniture. I've had to go to rehab for a sciatic nerve because of sitting all day. That's what "simplej" talking about, If your going to be in pain it might as well because of something you love.

On another note I know one of the orthopedic doctors personally and as soon as he saw me walk in limping he says "WAKEBOARDING". I laugh and say "not this time" LOL
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       12-05-2017, 8:19 AM Reply   
I hear ya. After 14 years of owning a boat and riding this season I tapped out. Wife and Daughter are not into it. I'm facing hip surgery, surgery on both shoulders, and countless aches and pains from over a decade of riding hard. I seriously hope I can still walk when I hit 60. The first few steps out of bed every morning are scary.

On to other things.
Old     (simplej)      Join Date: Sep 2011       12-05-2017, 8:58 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevo8290 View Post
Nobody has ever pulled a muscle sitting on the couch eating Cheetos.
No, but I’m sure it’s contributed to a few heart attacks, anyeurisms, etc.

Wasting away on the couch actually makes you more injury prone in real life so there’s that too.

Hell I’ve been laid up for a week because I gashed my leg wide open in the gym too wide to stitch.

Somethings gonna get you eventually....
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-05-2017, 10:25 AM Reply   
This is a tough subject that I ponder frequently. I'm no hard-core expert rider (not even close), but I love riding and average an outing 3 out of every 4 weeks. Fantastic exercise and so much fun that you don't even know that you're exercising. A water skier in my youth, I learned to wakeboard in my mid 40's and am 56 now. I'm not aggressive - my learning curve is just slightly steeper than flat. But, I'm still progressing, love being on the water & riding.

So I often think... How does this end? Does it have to? How does one decide to stop? Activities usually end in older age when something traumatic happens and you decide "that's it". Certainly I'm not eager for a "that's it" moment. But even more certainly, I can't imagine giving up riding while I'm still healthy, in great shape, riding consistently & loving it. It's just too fun and too much a part of me. Thus, The Dilemma.

I'm careful and happy to trade progressing slowly in exchange for the ability to keep riding. In some ways, I'm glad I didn't ride when I was younger, more aggressive and more in need of attaining certain levels. This might have saved me from nagging conditions/injuries later.

I've PM'd John Anderson about this subject - how to keep going, keep progressing and yet avoid catastrophic injury. There's no easy answer other than to stay in shape and keep at it. John's 5 years ahead of me and a much better boarder. When he quits, I'll be worried!

I often also think of Banana George. That guy rode barefoot aggressively into his 70's. I'd like to be on that program.
Attached Images
 

Last edited by ottog1979; 12-05-2017 at 10:33 AM.
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-05-2017, 1:38 PM Reply   
I didnt want to or intend to give the impression that I'm quitting. Boating is easy for me, the boat is in a high and dry 1 mile from my house. The small CC is on the trailer and they trade spots when the water drops under 70. Its stupid to have two boats but the second one doesn't cost anything to store so its pretty cheap. The old Nautique is fun to drive and costs me next to nothing and Cam still loves it. Hes sixteen and it sure cant hurt in the girlfriend department to have a ski boat.
Ill still take my old man carving sets and throw a few weak sauce 180s and butter glides in every once in a while. But I think we are done with cable and no one will miss it. I also think the days of 300 hour seasons on the old girl are gone.
The world has moved on it seems. Everyone getting wrecked this year really put a wrench in the spokes and has lead to other interests. Who knows where we would be if Ian had landed that 180 and Cam never ate it on that rail?
Old     (razorjaw)      Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Australia       12-05-2017, 1:48 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ottog1979 View Post
This is a tough subject that I ponder frequently. I'm no hard-core expert rider (not even close), but I love riding and average an outing 3 out of every 4 weeks. Fantastic exercise and so much fun that you don't even know that you're exercising. A water skier in my youth, I learned to wakeboard in my mid 40's and am 56 now. I'm not aggressive - my learning curve is just slightly steeper than flat. But, I'm still progressing, love being on the water & riding.

So I often think... How does this end? Does it have to? How does one decide to stop? Activities usually end in older age when something traumatic happens and you decide "that's it". Certainly I'm not eager for a "that's it" moment. But even more certainly, I can't imagine giving up riding while I'm still healthy, in great shape, riding consistently & loving it. It's just too fun and too much a part of me. Thus, The Dilemma.

I'm careful and happy to trade progressing slowly in exchange for the ability to keep riding. In some ways, I'm glad I didn't ride when I was younger, more aggressive and more in need of attaining certain levels. This might have saved me from nagging conditions/injuries later.

I've PM'd John Anderson about this subject - how to keep going, keep progressing and yet avoid catastrophic injury. There's no easy answer other than to stay in shape and keep at it. John's 5 years ahead of me and a much better boarder. When he quits, I'll be worried!

I often also think of Banana George. That guy rode barefoot aggressively into his 70's. I'd like to be on that program.
As a bloke who turns 40 next year, this post made me feel so much better about it! Thanks for sharing the stoke!
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-05-2017, 2:44 PM Reply   
Most welcome!

I also mountain bike and low & behold, this shows up today. I try to carry this same perspective to wakeboarding.
https://www.singletracks.com/blog/un...e-getting-old/

Bait - I wasn't implying that you're thinking of quitting. I was just relating to the concern and toll of injuries. In the 10-12 years I've been boarding, I've had sprained ankles, a concussion, bruised ribs, and felt pretty banged up at times. Lately, not as much though. I'm still learning but trying to do it in ways which I don't just aggressively huck it.
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-05-2017, 2:50 PM Reply   
Update:
Just took(by text of course) a family poll to keep or sell the Nautique. 100% voter response is to keep the boat.
"So you saying theres a chance?"
We shall see what spring and warm water bring.
They will be 17, 15 and 13.. Its anybodies guess.
Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-05-2017, 2:57 PM Reply   
Andy, Nice grab but try to smile next time man. You look like me when I see those pictures in the gift shop after we get off the roller coaster.

Last edited by baitkiller; 12-05-2017 at 2:58 PM. Reason: wrong guy
Old     (Bakes)      Join Date: Mar 2010       12-05-2017, 2:59 PM Reply   
GREAT SPORT BEGINS WHERE GOOD HEALTH ENDS

Progressive riding will inevitably result in injury. Just the way it is.
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-05-2017, 2:59 PM Reply   
Yeah, I gotta work on my "show" a little more! Nice job on putting it straight to a vote! (You knew how the answer would go!)
Old     (tre)      Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: WI       12-05-2017, 5:07 PM Reply   
I've been through injuries, had crutches, etc. My last serious wakeboarding injury was 15 years ago. My last small one was about 6-7 years ago. How did I stop getting hurt? I felt my choice was to stop wakeboarding completely or stop riding at 10/10ths all the time. Now I ride at 4/10ths. Yes, I stopped progressing but who cares. I was not going pro. I'm in my mid 40's now and I just do big w2w and 180s. I still ride 3x per week (during the summer), I still have a blast, and I don't get hurt. This is a much better alternative than stopping completely. I like to slalom and surf but I still prefer to wakeboard even though I do it very conservatively. My board and bindings now last 6-8 seasons instead of 1. I don't get hurt and I live to see another day of wakeboarding. I have enough self awareness where I know what my capabilities are and I don't go beyond anymore. That is how I continue to ride. No, I'll never be a pro and I will never again attempt an invert but I get to participate in a sport I love.

Last edited by tre; 12-05-2017 at 5:10 PM.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       12-05-2017, 9:38 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ottog1979 View Post
I've PM'd John Anderson about this subject - how to keep going, keep progressing and yet avoid catastrophic injury. There's no easy answer other than to stay in shape and keep at it. John's 5 years ahead of me and a much better boarder. When he quits, I'll be worried!
My main advice would be to ride often and don't sweat throwing anything that you have to force on yourself. A lot of my stuff comes and goes. I hadn't thrown a scarecrow behind the boat in nearly 10 years then got it back better than before. Then lost it again after breaking my foot. I threw my last one at 60. I just turned 62. When I say lost it I don't mean can't land. I mean I can't convince myself to try even though I'll throw them all day long on the XL kicker. But I promise to post a video of me throwing one behind the boat at least by sometime next year.

I've noticed that my energy level goes up and down a lot. When it's down I question if I'm over the hill and on the downside, then it goes back up and I forget about that bad thought. I lost my air tricks on the cable almost all of this year then got them back on labor day weekend. Now I make it a point to throw them all the time. If I didn't ride so much I'm afraid I might lose everything.

I do get injured every now and then, but make it a point to get back on the water as quickly as possible. But when it comes to progression I am the slowest learner on the planet. I really feel like most anyone regardless of age can wakeboard without hurting themselves and the workout is worth it. If you are hurting yourself then you need to accept it's because you want more, not less. So it makes no sense to get hurt and then quit completely.

I've never taken a lesson and the instructors that pull me on the G23 at Odub are really cool about just letting me ride and not trying to force me to try a new trick. But they do offer some good tips watching my riding. Darin Shapiro happened to be watching me throw scarecrows on the kicker and gave me two suggestions that were a big help. I even took those same tips over to the boat and cleaned up some awkwardness on my backrolls, which is my most reliable trick.

A lot of rambling but in summation... "Quantity over quality" is what keeps me riding and even progressing. Which is probably the opposite advice for everything else on the planet. I turned 60 in 2015 and it was my best year in 22 years of wakeboarding to that point, both cable and boat. 2016/17 were small set backs but attitude is that I'm expecting 2018 to be even better.

BTW, I find that the cable is much more gentle on the body. I take some pretty serious body slams on the boat. Case in point from 2 months ago....


from John Anderson on Vimeo.

Old     (baitkiller)      Join Date: Jan 2010       12-06-2017, 4:17 AM Reply   
Ouch
Old     (mark197)      Join Date: Dec 2009       12-06-2017, 6:39 AM Reply   
I've had friends come and go from injuries riding. Our crew has definitely shrunk over the last few years and we are just in our early 30's. I've broken an ankle, bruised ribs and a few concussions. I want to be able to ride aggressively enough that my kids are impressed and want to get out there. As long as I have a crew I'm game. I hear you on the second boat as well I picked up an older 2001 just to use with the smaller crew.
Old     (granddaddy53)      Join Date: Dec 2013       12-14-2017, 8:02 AM Reply   
July 1st on 1st hour of my vacation in gulf shores AL, I Butterfly fractured my femur ( exploding it at or near the knee)as a 54 year old on a Flowrider on my 23 rd hour riding it (22 hours over 2 years previous), that legs knee was trash (31 years removed from trashing mcl/acl in Rugby as a 24 year old, followed by lots of hard court tennis on that surgical knee old style procedure-1985 when new surgery technique just out) didn’t flex completely barely past 90 degrees but usable but I wore a brace reinforcec metal hinge style. Bent knee went under body on fall near edge at bottom of ride and sheared off end of femur with the metal brace sort of contributing to result . 4 days later I leave hospital with a femur nail and 3 pints of blood and that $7-8k after bill later, I go home. Thank you much from the wife for her help and care those first 30’days and her urging me to man up and get back after it cause she didn’t want some scared depressed husband . I went to work on crutches driving my truck Monday after hospital Sunday, trained my boss/client at our healthclub at 9:00 am on crutches. Worked at his shop on Wednesday with leg on a bucket under desk never missing a day on an admitted part time bookkeeping schedule for a CPA

9 month early recovery till March 28 my birthday , Doctor allows me to surf (no plyometrics) with the butterfly portion, that doesn’t get anchored by the nail, still trying to knit to rest of bone. it was the size of a 10 year olds hand maybe a little less wide. On October 31st the X-rays show it had healed. Tried my Board after doing surface 3,7,9 combos of every board presentation tricks all summer on the skate, got some tendinitis going over barge small repetitive wake rollers just riding no tricks and gave up for season , BAD IDEA

I’ve never been good but always loved w2w, lost my toe side guts a little when I finally by a decent wake and wskeboat(1st inboard with tower and ballast ). This year cause if time pressured when we go , part true part me being scared, I finally on my injury anniversary July 1, 2 years later I get across heal side and land but don’t hold on 12-15 times, making my toe side but never all the way across when I owned a w2w180 tieside for years before the real wakeboard wake

Long story short we go to wake the doc in MS late year to surf comp and a 56 year old wins master wakeboard on one wake 180’s that I own snd 1maybe two wake to wakes , no toes across. I regret not trying harder this year now. I’m pledging to work on it next year.,

Have my 2nd snowboard trip this Jsnuary since my release nov 16’. This year took a high speed tumble on Board in some wet powder and popped right up after going head over heals 2+ times. I’m much more scared now of any winter, not spring, terraine parks.

I no longer ride ripstik cause comcrete(that was great surf training and offseason exercise as I did it long course sprints with end course maneuvers) and my favorite saying now is my n**s haven’t dropped. But the idea of progression is done except maybe I go for w2w heals 180.

I’ll never be the same and I can’t afford another major, but I do find that if you stay reasonable in wake you can keep it safe as even slams of a lesser nature like mine ard bad just not as bad as guys trying real tricks and going for progression

Last edited by granddaddy53; 12-14-2017 at 8:09 AM.
Old     (granddaddy53)      Join Date: Dec 2013       12-14-2017, 8:57 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jarrod View Post
I hear ya. After 14 years of owning a boat and riding this season I tapped out. Wife and Daughter are not into it. I'm facing hip surgery, surgery on both shoulders, and countless aches and pains from over a decade of riding hard. I seriously hope I can still walk when I hit 60. The first few steps out of bed every morning are scary.

On to other things.
Surfing is a great tapout and a lot of older smart rich wake and skate pros surf a lot !! Damn good fun, but if you go for progression there you snd the board do meet up coming ftom opposite directions snd that can hurt but not quite like riding by any means and real fun to teach
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       12-15-2017, 7:53 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by granddaddy53 View Post
Surfing is a great tapout and a lot of older smart rich wake and skate pros surf a lot !! Damn good fun, but if you go for progression there you snd the board do meet up coming ftom opposite directions snd that can hurt but not quite like riding by any means and real fun to teach
that ain't happenin'!

I've enjoyed surfing the last few years after a pretty good snowboard injury to shoulder and back 5 years ago.

do I miss wakeboarding? of course. but's hard to beat a day on the water with friends. shoulder is fine now, back is still giving me some issues and don't think I'll ever be able to wakeboard enough to start progressing again. I'm fine with that. I take a wake set or two every now and then just to knock the dust of the board, but nothing exciting.

Got a pretty solid boat crew again and being on the water IMO is 80% of the experience. surf/wake/skate/chill doesn't really matter to me. I'll always be a lake rat. blasting the wake is fun, but not the end of the world if I never strap in again
Old     (ryan_shima1)      Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Layton, Utah       12-15-2017, 9:04 AM Reply   
I broke my femur on a crow back in 1999, and blew out my ACL & Meniscus in 2004. That didn't stop me from riding but after my 2nd surgery, I said that I'd rather not risk learning another trick, stop progressing & just be happy with what tricks I had, than miss another summer behind the boat. I can tell you that my stoke is just as strong today as when I first start 24 years ago.

Younger kids may be more standoffish once they go through a traumatic injury....I get that. But it doesn't mean they have to walk away from it completely. It's definitely an mental issue at first to get back on the board after an injury, but it's also the best mental therapy as well. It was for me at least.

It never crossed my mind to sell the boat after my injuries, but again, I wasn't married with children at the time. However, I could say with confidence right now, that I wouldn't sell my boat if it happened now. Being on the water is the one definite thing that really recharges me, so crossing my fingers a severe injury doesn't happen again.

Best of luck to you & your family. I hope you end up staying on the water!
Old     (skiboarder)      Join Date: Oct 2006       12-15-2017, 9:39 AM Reply   
Progression isn't just up. It is out too. So you don't want to learn a new flip. Can you do a BS 180? Try it switch.

Look, I understand that age is rough and at some point everyone needs to recalibrate their riding--I've done it several times myself. I'm 37 and had major knee injury in 2014. I had 2 surgeries, spent 6 months on crutches, 12 months before I could get on a board at all, 24 months before I could ride normal line, speed, wake; and 36 months to land a 720 (a trick that I have been landing for 15 years). When I meet a 27 year old bitching about bad knees and I ask, "what did you injure?" And they respond with "I've always kinda had bad knees." I laugh, but also cry a little on the inside. I plan on trying to ride better than I ever have for as long as I live, but I am a lifer.

I'm from a different era in the sport so progression will always be a key tenant for me. If I am 70 and progression is just making it out 3 days a week vs 2, that will be my progression.
Old     (Droopington)      Join Date: Jul 2015       12-15-2017, 1:16 PM Reply   
Injuries will happen.

I would say it pays to learn properly maybe get some coaching.

If you go out there just hucking stuff at 21 mph's and commiting without going through the proper building blocks you will get slammed a few times.

I always say learn things in blocks, and at slower speeds.

Injuries of course will still happen. I have had 3 mild knee sprains in the last 1.5 years. Thankful they all turned out to be sprains.

Have had my concusions and a surgery from kiteboarding.

Always respect the sport and just remember to have fun!
Old     (WakesurfMedia)      Join Date: Sep 2017       12-16-2017, 6:37 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by baitkiller View Post
Been a tough summer. Im not ready to sell the boat but it may soon be time to do just that. My whole crew went down in one season.
I would say to not give up one wakeboarding or the boat quite yet. The kiddos had a string of bad luck - when it rains it pours and y'all definitely got soaked. But, if you think about it, how many sets have you and the kids taken without injury? My guess would be a lot. While injury is always a risk with wakeboarding, it's also a risk in football, wrestling, lacrosse, and snowboarding. So are they going to stop all of those sports too, heck no! Give them time to recover over the winter and they might get the itch again.

Stay positive and warm!
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       12-19-2017, 7:35 AM Reply   
Here are a few of my crashes over the last three seasons:

Heel 5


When you trip a scarecrow too late


Learning TS Front rolls


Backside 180
Old     (jarrod)      Join Date: May 2003       12-19-2017, 7:36 AM Reply   
Here's one of the hardest slams I've ever seen:
Old     (simplej)      Join Date: Sep 2011       12-19-2017, 8:48 AM Reply   
Here’s another thing:

SLOW THE BOAT DOWN!

You won’t fly as far but you’ll get the same height going 21.5 at 70 vs 23 at 77.5 with fewer brutal crashes.

Modern wake boats like to go a little slower and still kick out a fat wake. wakeboard tech has caught up to the trend of big wakes which makes boards that are more favorable for slower riding as well, big continuous rockers on BIG boards like a slow boat speed and land soft wake to wake. Flex tech helps this too
Old     (scottb7)      Join Date: Oct 2012       12-19-2017, 5:33 PM Reply   
honestly that what we do, there is a ton of accurate info in the post above. the new boards ride "fast" at modest speeds with plenty of edge hold.

...we are like 21.5 at 65 feet. nice narrow wake! and practice stuff a lot slower.

never had a bad injury - knock wood - wakeboarding.

snowboarding...3rd degree separated shoulder, and broken ribs....the ground is much harder than the water.
Old     (infinitysurf)      Join Date: Apr 2017       12-25-2017, 5:32 PM Reply   
This is why at 38 I got into surfing, put up the wakeboard and dont plan to break it out again. All the respect to those who keep going, I just cannot afford to get injured as its my income that keeps our world turning. Worst injury surfing was a couple months ago....hit the water, surfaced and had about 2 seconds to wonder where my board went. 1 second later it surfaced on the bottom of my chin, rung my bell good, lol. I will take bruises over broken bones anyday tho.
Old     (Kurzinator)      Join Date: Aug 2017       12-27-2017, 9:53 AM Reply   
I can share...

Here are some of my slams from the summer. Nothing major.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6Pu20gTQ8/

As far as injuries go, I have been KO'ed under water a couple times, and have dislocated both shoulders, the left shoulder a pile of times.
I am 44 years old and just bought my first boat (Always mooching rides off friends), so I plan on stepping my riding up a notch now, God willing.
Old     (Kwclark)      Join Date: Oct 2013       12-31-2017, 5:59 PM Reply   
sorry to hear about your crews injuries. Femur is no joke.
Old     (brettw)      Join Date: Jul 2007       01-15-2018, 7:41 AM Reply   
That's rough. Getting injured is bad enough, but watching the kids go through it would just be horrible. Might try foiling as well as wakesurfing. I still board once in awhile but switched to foiling years ago and enjoy it a lot more. I got both my kids wakeboarding but definitely don't push them too hard. I'd rather they not push for big bags of tricks and just have fun with no injuries. Reading this reminds me, and I'll think twice about egging them on to push it. It sucks to see injuries so young that might affect them for life.
Old     (cadunkle)      Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: NJ       01-16-2018, 7:06 AM Reply   
Nobody said you gotta ride hard and push your limits all the time. You can stick to what you know and still have a blast with little risk of injury. Also as others have said, no shame in slowing the boat down. Even small decreases in speed make the water a lot softer. You don't have to give it up, you can just be a more casual rider and still get out regularly.
Old     (feral)      Join Date: Oct 2011       01-17-2018, 11:14 PM Reply   
my kids are both 11 - boy & girl - both looose a lot of confidence after bigs stacks and boucne back at various rates - secret is keeping it fun.

i broke my L ankle and cracked 2 bones in my R foot last november in Round 2 of our local comps (over 40's division) - simple jump with tail grab but buried nose in a wave just after landing (was rough day) and went over the front

rode very tentatively for state titles in march and have ridden only a couple of times since

tore the tendon in my forearm trying to get fit in november (think tennis elbow gone wild - surgery in winter)

decided that arm isn't getting better so competed again last weekend and just had fun ("shred" class - just me and a mate) - was great fun and i am trying to fire up a few other dodgy dads - its Thursday here and i am real keen to get back out there on the weekend

my tip - just get back out there - shorten the rope for softer landings.....

oh and rock tape - lots of rock tape!

Last edited by feral; 01-17-2018 at 11:15 PM. Reason: s
Old     (soonerbilly)      Join Date: Jul 2013       01-18-2018, 12:55 PM Reply   
Like some others have said try a skyski, at 46 my inverts are all but over too on the wakeboard ( still do w2w 180's and grabs ) but the ski is so much fun and way less painful crashing. I've been a lake rat my entire life and cant imagine ever selling and quitting completely but it has definitely slowed down with my kids getting older. I'm just hoping grand kids come soon enough to get them out there, while I still can.
Old     (bill)      Join Date: Feb 2001       02-12-2018, 6:11 AM Reply   
i don't think we are helping the posters case by posting all our injurrys and having them all on video LMAO>.

this is dangerous sport but sometimes its plain bad luck to get injured severly..the bumps tweals, sprains, swells are normal and 3-5 day healers..the big ones just sometime jump up and get you..

Myself im 48 been wakeboarding behind a boat since 1997 and cable since 2009 and can do ahandful of inverts but nothing special, ride pretty regular since im in TX so year round for a larger part of 15 years..

Ive never had a MAJOR injury and in 2016 i did have 3 knee surgery's but really that was just years of abuse that needed maintenance

first was abucket tear in my meniscus, second was cleaning out the bucket tear after the surgery didn't hold,third was minro cleanup on other knee..

notable injuries

1. 2015 i went early on a TS backroll to revert on kicker at the cable and somehow the corner of kicker caught the opening in my vest and hit me hard enough to fracture my scapula and back rib no surgery healed in 4 weeks
2 Blown eardrum in 2014 on a boat caught and edge..

that's it been riding since 1997 and feel relatively lucky to still be riding and doing inverts at 48..

I do tend to ride smart and will not do any bigger tricks if the waters rough, boat wakes off, or if im not feeling it that day. .ill just throw out stock grabs and 180s and have fun out there, i think that's the key to lasting a long time is knowing your limitations..

so maybe your kids are having a string of bad luck and will go years without any significant injury..good luck

Last edited by bill; 02-12-2018 at 6:16 AM.
Old     (gene3x)      Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas , TX       03-27-2018, 10:12 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by bill View Post
i don't think we are helping the posters case by posting all our injurrys and having them all on video LMAO>.

this is dangerous sport but sometimes its plain bad luck to get injured severly..the bumps tweals, sprains, swells are normal and 3-5 day healers..the big ones just sometime jump up and get you..

Myself im 48 been wakeboarding behind a boat since 1997 and cable since 2009 and can do ahandful of inverts but nothing special, ride pretty regular since im in TX so year round for a larger part of 15 years..

Ive never had a MAJOR injury and in 2016 i did have 3 knee surgery's but really that was just years of abuse that needed maintenance

first was abucket tear in my meniscus, second was cleaning out the bucket tear after the surgery didn't hold,third was minro cleanup on other knee..

notable injuries

1. 2015 i went early on a TS backroll to revert on kicker at the cable and somehow the corner of kicker caught the opening in my vest and hit me hard enough to fracture my scapula and back rib no surgery healed in 4 weeks
2 Blown eardrum in 2014 on a boat caught and edge..

that's it been riding since 1997 and feel relatively lucky to still be riding and doing inverts at 48..

I do tend to ride smart and will not do any bigger tricks if the waters rough, boat wakes off, or if im not feeling it that day. .ill just throw out stock grabs and 180s and have fun out there, i think that's the key to lasting a long time is knowing your limitations..

so maybe your kids are having a string of bad luck and will go years without any significant injury..good luck
Bill, maybe your just a wuss....
Old     (TC_Mastercraf_X5)      Join Date: Feb 2013       03-27-2018, 10:30 AM Reply   
Sounds very similar to our crew:

Two guys with destroyed backs, 1 with a bad knee, and one with a bad shoulder.

We are starting to show our age, but havent given up the dream just yet. Ask me after a catching a bad edge and I might have a different answer for ya.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       03-28-2018, 8:43 AM Reply   
I broke every metacarpal in my left hand clean through while snowboarding in Jan, which also prevented me from riding at the cable for a good 6 weeks. Turned out that I had also jammed my shoulder while snowboarding, but it wasn't even a noticeable problem until a couple weeks after I got back and slowly got worse (i.e. limited range of motion and pain when reaching) over time. Turned out that as soon as I hit the cable it started getting better. And every time I ride it gets better. My hand is pretty messed up (kind of deformed) as well, but every time I ride the cable it loosens up and feels better afterwards.

People talk about getting old and not wanting to get hurt. But for me I see clear evidence that it's the opposite. Sure you can get hurt, but nobody is making you push your limits. If you want to stay young keep riding within your limits. I doubt there are many better full body exercises than wakeboarding. And the cable is very predictable and gentle on the body. Boat's a little rougher on you, but just take it easy.
Old     (ottog1979)      Join Date: Apr 2007       03-28-2018, 9:06 AM Reply   
^ TOTALLY agree. Be well (and keep at it) John.

Snowboarding with my boy and doing my best to keep up on my 57th birthday a couple weeks ago:
Attached Images
 
Old     (gene3x)      Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas , TX       03-28-2018, 9:27 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by fly135 View Post
I broke every metacarpal in my left hand clean through while snowboarding in Jan, which also prevented me from riding at the cable for a good 6 weeks. Turned out that I had also jammed my shoulder while snowboarding, but it wasn't even a noticeable problem until a couple weeks after I got back and slowly got worse (i.e. limited range of motion and pain when reaching) over time. Turned out that as soon as I hit the cable it started getting better. And every time I ride it gets better. My hand is pretty messed up (kind of deformed) as well, but every time I ride the cable it loosens up and feels better afterwards.

People talk about getting old and not wanting to get hurt. But for me I see clear evidence that it's the opposite. Sure you can get hurt, but nobody is making you push your limits. If you want to stay young keep riding within your limits. I doubt there are many better full body exercises than wakeboarding. And the cable is very predictable and gentle on the body. Boat's a little rougher on you, but just take it easy.
Ouch John. You were riding cable 6 weeks later? I trashed my shoulder snowboarding and have barely done anything because I want it to heal right and not become a chronic problem.
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       03-28-2018, 10:04 AM Reply   
Yeah, that snowboarding can get brutal. The hand doc wanted me to wait another couple weeks, but as soon I realized that I could hold a handle and pull straight without pain I hit the cable taking it very easy. Good thing for my shoulder i did. It was starting to lock up, and I'm not really big on any other kind of exercise. I can't speak specifically to your shoulder problem, but whenever I injure myself I try to get back riding on the cable (not boat) ASAP. When I broke two bones in my foot behind the boat, I was back on the cable riding a wakeskate (foot couldn't handle the boot) as soon as I could.

Good luck healing up! Can't wait to go snowboarding again next winter.
Old     (scottb7)      Join Date: Oct 2012       03-28-2018, 11:31 AM Reply   
Yep, both my major injuries - 3rd degree shoulder separation, and broken ribs - were snowboarding. the ground - even with snow on the ground, is definitely harder then the water.

Both of those injuries were snowboard JUMP related...for me the terrain park is safer. boxes and rail are actually safer then coming out of the sky...go figure, who would of thunk...
Old     (denverd1)      Join Date: May 2004 Location: Tyler       03-28-2018, 11:56 AM Reply   
John, love your outlook dude.

Scott, I feel ya man. same shoulder injury on a 3 foot kicker trying to spin. love the park tho!
Old     (gene3x)      Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Dallas , TX       03-28-2018, 12:06 PM Reply   
I am not scared to hit a large snowboard jump (even at my seasoned age) , but I don't spin at all. Maybe a 180 if I have done it several times but never put my back towards the downhill side just for safety. When you go once MAYBE twice a year it just doesn't lend itself to risk taking on the snowboard. Can you imagine the snowkiters risk learning?
Old     (joeshmoe)      Join Date: Jan 2003       03-28-2018, 7:56 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by fly135 View Post
When I broke two bones in my foot behind the boat, I was back on the cable riding a wakeskate (foot couldn't handle the boot) as soon as I could.
Good luck healing up! Can't wait to go snowboarding again next winter.
Hey John! I only broke the end of the fibula in my foot last November, so I was using an air cast, which I thought was very much like a snowboard boot, so, 8 weeks later I went snow boarding at Breckenridge, but it hadn't snowed for a week and No snow the week we were there, so conditions were a little icy. Played tennis last week(that's how I broke it) with No problems and went wakeboarding today on lake Butler! I am still on blood thinners for my DVT and PE, so No more wake to wake jumps for me until I quit taking the blood thinners, I also have slowed the boat down to 19.5 mph because One blow to the head could be the end for me, but I could Not imagine life without riding, Live to Ride, ride to live!
Old     (fly135)      Join Date: Jun 2004       03-29-2018, 6:18 AM Reply   
Hey Steve. I'm familiar with the air cast! Deb mentioned on FB that you weren't thrilled with the icy conditions. I hope you can get off the thinners soon. Once my shoulder is healed up I'll have to meet you at Butler for a pull.

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