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To let go of the handle or not...
As a wakeboarder you condition yourself not to let go of the handle early because nothing sucks more than riding away without the handle because you didn't believe you would land with your board under you. I remember one weekend my boat driver bitching at me for letting go; "loose the rope, loose the comp".
Well, one thing does suck worse. The pain in your shoulder when you didn't let go at the cable park while trying to learn load/release tricks in the flats. I dug in so hard that my board almost got ripped off my feet. I didn't commit to the flick and all the line tension wemt into my shoulder... doh. |
If you absolutely know you're going to fall drop it. The falls are so much better. Otherwise just use your best judgment. The more you ride the better your judgement will get. If you start landing a trick then dropping the handle that's when you know for sure you should of held on.
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Back edges with handle are pretty rugged...
Back edges without are just not as bad... That's usually the one fall I'm likely to dump the handle on |
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If I'm landing on my board, I am holding on til the bitter end. These are usually falls that are more funny than harsh. If I am in danger of heel edging or face planting, I let go accordingly.
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I usually tell people from my own experience to not let go until you are in the water. There have been so many times that I rode away something I didn't think I would land. After that I just held on until the handle ripped out of my hand. If things are going wrong before you get there I would drop it too.
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I'm normally fairly good about letting go on time behind the boat, but for some reason, I tend to latch on for too long at the cable parks. Primarily with my right hand...II'll probably be heading to a doctor Monday as my mobility is still limited without pain. I was able to keep riding for a couple more hours, but on the drive from from Grand Rapids to Elkhart, it started to hurt to drive with my right arm.
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If I'm going to fall and toss the handle, I have no way of changing what's going to happen without the handle, so I hold on as much as I can.
Learnt raleys this year and this has kept me from catching a digger on any falls |
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^ badass
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A buddy of mine didn't let go on a back edge plant, and tore his rotatory cuff. :/
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I stopped letting go of the handle and started trying to "muscle" through sketchy landings. It's been about 40/60 between the glory (riding away) and pain (wishing you would have thrown the handle.) I have had some amazing diggers this year, and rode away from some awesome tricks as well. Toe scorps suck but stomping tricks is worth it.
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Most of the time I hang on, but if I know s*** is going down the drain I rip the handle towards me and then try and dive it out if possible.
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I used to live by that motto, then 2 summers ago on a stupid tumble turn I tried to hold on when I should have let go. Tore my rotator cuff, labrum and capsule, shredded cartilage, and broke my scapula bone. The crappy thing is I knew when the trick went wrong, and knew when I should have let go, and held on out of frustration. I am not quite as anxious to hold on to the bitter end now.
Skiing made me board, Lyle Chrome Dome |
similar story here. Spent 6 hours with my shoulder joint wedged in a place it really shouldn't be. Now have permanent nerve damage, feels like I'm wearing a rubber glove all the time and live with pain every day............ all because I held on.
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