Fear
 

Anyone have any advise besides growing a pair to get over the fear of re-injuring a knee? I used to be able to do backrolls and tantrums and then blew my knee out 5 years ago. I was never very good at spotting my landings, but I could still land them about 30% of the time. I injured my knee doing a backroll and have not thrown one since. Now I just stick to W2W jumps that I can spot my landing.

It would be nice to sack up and start doing inverts again, but I would hate to ruin the rest of the summer being injured. I guess I just need get over it and try it again.

Thanks for any advise.

It's really about getting back on the horse, not just in wakeboarding, but in any activity you really hurt yourself. Hesitation casues pain

maybe a knee brace would give you confidence.i would think if you kept your eyes open the tantrum should be easy. the back roll their is no subsitute for big pop and height. then you can slow your rotation and spot your landing. also trampoline training is good.

slow the boat down and shorten the rope for your first few to gain more confidence

Just get out there and have fun and don't think about it. Just had my shoulder replaced and was told to quit riding. The way I ride, I probably should, but I'll never quit. Play off your strengths, not you weaknesses.

The first (after injury) is always the toughest. Sack up and hit it. Once you land the first one, or you wipe out and realize it's not that bad, you will be back pre-injury. Go for the tantrum first.

Meant your weaknesses, fat fingered that one. Work back into it slowly, it will come. If it doesn't, ride for what you have. It's an awesome sport at any level, just be thankful dude. It's all good.

Fear at any level in any sport is natural. If you love the sport, you look past the consequences. If you dwell on past experiences, you'll hinder progession. But then again, I'm an idiot that doesn't listen to sound advice. :D

personally if youre not willing to take a few falls then you may be in the wrong sport if you ever want to progress. if youre content just jumping the wake thats cool and all but dont ever expect to land any tricks. and i personally find it super frustrating when someone isnt willing to take a fall and try new stuff. not saying you need to run out a try a vulcan tho. but im in the sport to learn tricks so my mindset is different than someone that is content just jumping the wake for fun.

I agree to a point, but there are some that rely on their ability to be mobile in orer to pay the bills, so you have to think, is landing that backroll worth my job/house/car etc if you have to take time off work to heal

Thanks for all the advise. It is not so much a fear of pain thing, but knowing it may wreck the rest of the summer. I think I will try shortening the line and just going for it.

i recently had my 2nd knee surgery - about 5.5 years apart. I wish I'd done it trying something interesting instead of another wake to wake jump again... if it's going to happen, it will happen, but at least you'll have been enjoying yourself fully in the meantime!!
FYI my 2nd injury was much less painful, and much easier to recover from, so I don't know if I just built it up to be worse than it actually was the first time?! or if surgeons are just doing a better job these days :)
either way, if you hurt yourself again, it's not the end of the world, and you will be back.
start enjoying yourself, and push your limits a little.

After all the encouraging words from this post I have started trying the backroll again. I have yet to ride away from one, but I have gotten close. Here is a failed attempt from Sunday where I took a nice digger.

http://vimeo.com/14199181

you need to edge all the way through the wake, and throw everything up and away, not down and out.

great job scott you went huge . keep the handle a little closer to your hips and you should be fine. just need to dial in your speed of rotation just a little bit. you were very close to riding away on that one.GOOD LUCK

YEAH i see what a-dub means you didn't push all the way through the wake and let the board carry you away and around. it looks good though. keep up the good work.

Yeah, everytime I am telling myself to edge all the way through, not start the rotation before popping off the wake and keep both hands on the handle. I need to break my bad habits because I almost always let go with the back hand and start the rotation too early.

What do you mean by throw everything away? Thanks!

The thing that got it for me was to turn my chin into my leading shoulder as soon as I got upside down. This let me spot the water extremely early. Also cured my annoying habit of closing my eyes/vertigo. Keep edging all the way through the wake, dont even let off your edge much to stand tall.