Fluke or common injury?

yz_387 · Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

As someone relatively new to wakeboarding, I am not sure if my injury last week was a freak accident or is commonplace in the world of wakeboarding. I took a fall while trying to learn wake to wake jumps and although the fall itself wasn't too bad, the wake spun my board around under water and hit me in the side of the head. The final tally was 13 stitches in my face and a minor fracture of the bone. I know that wakeboarding like any physical activity comes with some risk, but I thought it was pretty unlikely that I would get hit in the head by my board. So my question is; is this kind of thing common, or did I just get unlucky? I was hoping this new hobby would land me in the emergency room less often than my motocross days, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case!

buckshot · Outlaw Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 213 City: Charlotte, NC

I'd vote for fluke injury on this one. I've never been hit by my board after a crash on anything but my legs. Even then, it has only happened if I crash and only one foot pulls out of the binding. I'd say the 'one-footer crash' is probably the most dangerous because the board is moving around a lot, but it is still attached to your body.

There's plenty of opportunity for injury while riding. I've suffered my fair share of sprains/strains, bruises, and broken teeth, but nothing that sent me to the emergency room.

jpminter · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 9:49 am Post subject:

I'd say fluke too. I've never been hit in the head by my board. I've hit my hands on the board a couple times before though. I know someone that got a small cut on their chin (did not require stitches). But other than that, it's pretty rare.

Natman · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 873 City: Eddy TOWN

happend to me. i was learning the same w2w as you last year, and somehow the tip gashed my forehead. it was bleeding like crazy, should have required 5-6 stiches, but since it was a nice day i didnt want to drive in from the lake

irish_rider · Soul Rider Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 257 City: Dublin

i know a guy that had a faceplant and the board came up behind him and hit him in the back of the head, splitting his head open. nice.

savage3221 · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 10:46 am Post subject:

I'll go with Fluke too, this has happened to others, but not too common

yz_387 · Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

Cool. It sounds like this isn't an every day type of thing. Good thing; I was about to start wearing my MX helmet. Laughing

bmartin · Addict Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 794

It is closer to fluke but it is not rare.

Since it already happened to you though, you might have a riding style that makes you more prone to this sort of thing. I have no idea what the repeat injury rate is but they make water / wake specific helmets if you want to keep it from happening again.

LFADAM · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 12:59 pm Post subject:

I sliced my head on the board once, 5 years ago and its never happened again if that helps bmartin

Wake2face · Criminal Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 50 City: East Coast

sounds like you need tighter bindings. One foot in and one foot out is a good way to destroy your ankle.

BoarderX · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject:

had something sorta similar happen many years back at the same stage of trying to wake to wake. except i got a gash on the back of my shoulder blade after losing one foot out of a binding. Still can't quite explain how it spun up to my shoulder blade, but it happened. I opted for duct tape instead of stiches.. but havnt ever had anything like that happen since. The knees get all the grief these days...

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

I've torn my rotator cuff, wasted my right knee and literally destroyed my ankle. So injuries aren't a "fluke" just part of not sitting on the dock. Then again we had some girls over this weekend that complained about splinters.

Next time they come, I'll show them where the rattle snakes are.

Dip_Krew · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject:

i ate it on a 360, my one leg popped out of the binding and the board swung around and knocked my tooth out earlier this year

Xtumor · Newbie Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 20 City: Lake Placid

i think it is a fluke. a couple of months ago i was ridin and let go of the rope to come into the dock and tried to be cool and and slide the board(a byerly) in front of me, not a good idea, i caught a front edge went down hard had about a 4 inch cut on top of my head. Had to go to the ER and get 2 shots in the head and 12 staples. I rode with a helmet for a long time after that but now i dont. It's just one of those things you got to deal with in a sport like this.

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

Xtumor,

Dock accidents aren't a fluke either. My wife whipped me into our floating dock while she was bs'ing with a friend. GOT WAY TOO CLOSE at 36 mph. Dug my ski in and it just skipped. I hit the dock with the bottom of the ski. Fortunately I was going so fast I flew up and over the dock--including the ladder and cleats.

It was however a fluke I didn't get hurt. No fluke that I still don't trust my wifes driving.

Craig-R · Guest

?? you guys messing around with docks have to be a little smarter i mean cmon, chances are slim you will die while wakeboarding but once you bring hard wood docks into the picture you're just asking for trouble

nickdakoolkat · Posted: Jul 10, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

It seems like this type of injury would happen more often in wakeskating than in wakeboarding

Natman · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 873 City: Eddy TOWN

theres risks in everything in life, look your more prone to get hurt in a car accident driving to the lake. thats reality. i used to be scared of inujury, i would get out on the water and boom immidiately when i was charging into the wake i would think about injuring myself then pull out. Last year i read a statistic about how your more likely to get injured playing football than skateboarding, that really toyed with my mind. Dont worry about injury, its life, reality, it happens to the best of us. Just go out there and ride.

Xtumor · Newbie Joined: 15 May 2006 Posts: 20 City: Lake Placid

yz_387 · Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 10

Sinkoumn · Posted: Jul 11, 2006 5:14 am Post subject:

More of a fluke, you are more likely to hit your noodle on your knees. But both suck major ass when they happen.

patoloco · Posted: Jul 11, 2006 7:58 am Post subject:

7 stitches back in '97 from a board to the head....but in my case the board came off my feet. Shortly after, I upgraded from sandels to the super high end, top of the line, supportive Hyperlite Moon Boots. Very Happy

Ride DH · Outlaw Joined: 10 Jun 2006 Posts: 186

one time when i wiped the board,(still atached to both my feet) came around sometime and the corner hit me in the eye

wknebraskaweber · Outlaw Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 111

its rare but it Does happen! it did it to mee also while trying a 360 Last summer...when i landed in the water wrong, the board gashed me accross the face

wknebraskaweber · Outlaw Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 111

ohh yeah i forgot to tell you, the pics were taken from my cellphone, one with the flip part open and one with it closed, thats why the image is reversed..so its not trick photography or photoshopped

Wolf · Posted: Jul 11, 2006 4:41 pm Post subject:

Slight Topic Highjacking:

Always make sure that your bindings are snug! Not on your feet (although thats important too...) but snug on the board. My little bro messed with my bindings, and he didn't snug them down hardly at all. I went out and when I got back, I realized that because the screw wasn't in hardly at all, and between edging and jumping, the binding screw had bent. It was the 1st day of a week long trip so I decided to risk it and leave the binding as it was. NOT SMART. My board uses the Hyperlite Claw sytem, so when the weak screw ripped out, the rest of the binding popped right out. Ouch.

wtbamoomba · Addict Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 808 City: raleigh

same thing happened to me a couple years ago, i was trying to poke out an indy like a shifty, came down, popped out of the bindings and the fin hit me in the top of the head (stupid hyperlite metal fins) and a bunch of stitches later...[/img]

DDOUBLEUP · Criminal Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 76

ha like the pictures. sure has happened to me. i didnt realize it. till my brother asked me if i hit my head and i felt it and it was bleeding