any suggestions?

[jbcs16]

Hey everyone! This is my first post here, but I have already picked up a lot of useful information. I do have a few questions and would appreciate any help any of you have to offer. I just started wakeboarding this summer and I am already hooked. My problem is that I've been working on jumping the wake and the landing really hurts my knee. I can jump one wake pretty good, but haven't tried the wake to wake yet. I am a 31 year old female and have had 4 knee surgeries including an ACL reconstruction. My question is what can I do to take the lesson the impact? I ride with my right foot in front (which is my worst knee). It is the one that hurts most on the landing. Is it better to ride with the bad knee on front or back? Do I have too much weight on my front foot when I land? Do I just need to bend my knees more? Any suggestions? Am I just too old to be jumping wakes and need to keep my board on the water? I did start riding with my brace and it helps stabilize, but doesn't do much for the impact. How about wakesurfing? Is it better on the knees? Is it fun? I've been thinking of trying it, but wakeboarding looks a lot more fun to me.

[actionmama]

Can't help you with the bad knee thing. My knees are hanging in there it's my rt hip and lower back that I deal with. Pretty much you need to either A-jump the entire wake and land on it's downside or B-just jump halfway. Landing on the face of the downside can suck. While it may seem scarier going for it...landing is much easier on the body in general.

You're never too old. I'm 37 and still trying to dial my form in and progress. Wakesurfing is bomb. It's like when you're wrecked from boarding and taking a bunch of hard falls...time to relax and surf.

My daughter told me to sell her wakeboard-cuz she just wants to 'surf' now. You can't beat 9-11mph and no hard falls.

If you have a wake boat/load it up and surf. Good luck.

[ronkujr]

what it sound like youre doing is casing your landing, where you land on the hard part of the other wake. If you cut harder and can manage a w2w the landing will be like butter on your knee and the impact would virtually disappear. you just have to make sure you clear the wake or you will case it.

hope that helps

[JeffreyCH]

If you are casing the wake like these guys are saying that would explain a lot. What board are you riding, some land softer then others. I thought that was total BS every time I read it, but found out different last summer. I got to ride the Murray 145 and the landings (even casing the wake) were much softer then my premier 141. I'm not sure if it was larger surface area, or the shape of the deck, but either way it was noticeably different.

As for the week knee, I'd keep it in front if that's how you ride. Your back leg does most of the work, and takes most of the weight. Also look at how you are landing, I noticed if I land tail heavy it slaps the front of the board down and is quite a shock to my front leg. By no means am I saying land nose heavy, that's a good way to smash your face into the water lol. Land fairly level with the tail just barely touching first.

I ride goofy(right foot forward) and my left leg is junk(rod from knee to ankle inside my shin) and I don't really have any problems. Oh yeah, and I'll be 41 on Sat. so the age thing is invalid

[jbcs16]

I ride a CWB Faze 140. We bought a board that me and my husband could both ride. We were told that it was a good board to learn on, pretty easy to handle. And it is, I got up on it on the first try and have been riding ever since.

[jbcs16]

Thanks, I appreciate everyone's input. So, sounds like the further I jump, the easier the landing will be. I was just trying to get comfortable jumping one wake before going wake 2 wake. From what I am reading, I guess I should just edge a little harder into the wake and stand straight at the wake. What about the handle? Should it stay by your lead hip?