Losing the Enthusiasm

About two weeks ago while doing a raley, I caught an edge and faceplanted. I was knocked out facedown in the water, and two of my friends had to pull me out of the water coughing up water. I was taken to the hospital, and the doctor told me that I had a concussion and what he call a "near drowning". The scary thing is I was wearing a helmet becasue of a concussion from wakeboarding from last summer. I felt sure that would prevent it from happening again.
Ever since then I haven't been very pumped up about wakeboarding. I've gone out several times and will still do all the tricks that I know I can land, but I'm now afraid to try any new tricks and still have yet to do a raley again.
Has this happened to anyone? How'd you get over it, or did you?

try watching your favorite wakeboarding video... it probably won't do a ton, but it always gets me more than psyched to go out and ride!

oh... and bring some ladies, you'll be trying new tricks to impress them

perfect time to start cross training on a Roam or a skate.

The drive will come back man.

Zach,

I have had two concussions where I was unconcious in the water. My doctor told me that in water sports you should not wear a helmet. He said that it increases the surface area of the head and actually makes it slow down quicker when it hits the water, causing your brain to slam into your skull harder. He did say to wear a helmet if there is a possibility of hitting it on an object like a slider for instance.

Mike- That does sound feasable, never thought about that. I know some people wear them to save ear drums though.

yea i busted a drum last night and the doc told me to slap one on

I was like you after I dislocated shoulder last summer, I'd go out and I'd be too scared to try anything new. Then winter came and I couldn't go at all. Now summer is back and after waiting all winter to go again I've been out more and trying harder than I ever did before. Just give it time

Take someone less fortunate than yourself out on the boat with you, maybe someone who has never been on a boat, but would love to see what it is like. If you know a kid a lot younger than yourself who maybe idolizes you and your friends, that would be perfect. Then go out and make their day, show them some cool stuff, be their best friend for that one day. That may put things back in perspective about how lucky you/we really are to be able to go do something that the majority of the country cannot afford to do. Then after that, do that again with someone else less fortunate than you every year. I am telling you, when you have the shot to absolutely make someones day, just by doing something that you normally do, it may bring a lot of joy to you.

Zach-
It's funny how an injury can do that to you. I had acl surgery about 8weeks ago and I have to say that I don't have a whole lot of enthusiasm to start riding again. Right after the surgery I wouldn't even watch wakeboarding if I came across it on TV. I know SO MANY people who have had to have surgery due to wakeboarding it makes wonder if it's worth it. There are a lot of other things in my life that bring me happiness. I used to ride a couple times a week, year round, and would be on wakeworld 2-3x a day. Now I get on WW maybe 1-2 a week.

Sorry to be such a downer! I'm sure I'll start feeling better about wakeboarding the closer I get to recovery.

I was kinda bummed after breaking my foot and having a ruptured disk last year because I could not play basketball or do anything physical at all. Now that I am back on a board I am a little nervous I may hurt myself for a long time once again but I am back out pushing it. I feel Lucky.

just dont let it kill you. go out for a set and dont get to crazy just do some w2w grabs and mess around doing some butter slides. it will calm you down and then go out the next day and just start throwing stuff.

You can be hurt, and killed do anything. You mize well have fun, while your here. One shot at life, use it to the fullest, otherwise, when you slip on your kitchen floor, because your dog was a sloppy drinker, and snap your neck, you will wish you had done more with your life.
Also, it's time for you to get some better gear. Start with anything from those CIE fellas.....

haha..thanks Chris.

I lose the stoke to ride sometimes. Sometimes it happens after an injury, and sometimes I just get burnt out or frustrated.

Try taking a break. Sometimes I'll stay off the water for a week or two or more. I think too much riding sometimes dulls the excitement.

Also, recently, when I'm not feeling it, I'll just go out and have fun. In the last few weeks I've put a couple of new grabs/pokes down, and learned to take a few of my basic tricks much bigger into the flats. Try adding a poke, a stiffy, a shifty, or all of the above to a grab or 180 you already do. There are all kinds of low risk ways to have fun out there.

Also, you might want to consider giving up the raley. I know plenty of guys that just won't do them anymore. Everyone occasionally screws up a trick they can do in their sleep. The raley one of the more dangerous ones.

Wow, it must be really nice when taking time off of wakeboarding means not riding for 1 week!

yep. just be conservative and have fun! i pulled some ab muscles last summer trying to ride out a skate. i never put it down completely and kept reinjuring it. Finally, i decided i had to back off or i was really going tear something.

Go out and 180 off everything, like the startup roller. throw 3's off 1 wake and grab little ollies. just have fun. surface 3's, BS spins in the flats, theres a ton of stuff you do that doesn't require 10ft of air and serious impact. it will come back.

Just get in the water, relax, have fun, cut up the wake and just have a good time. DOnt worry about progressing etc. Enjoy the weather the sights the tight boats out there. The hunger will come back soon enough.

Getting knock-out is honestly a part of advancing your wakeboarding ability, I don't really know many good riders who havent been a "floater" before, some more than others. There are just risks when you wakeboard they are part of the game. I have seen riders get knocked out on tricks they have landed 1000 times, and I have seen people pop ACLs just jumping the wake. Its just a risky sport.
The stoke will come back, dont worry. Try just having fun behind the boat, go wakeskate, and wakesurf until you feel the burn to go hit your head again. Listen to some punk rock! Remember wakeboard cause its fun, if its not fun, dont waste the boat gas!

Rick,

your very inspiring.. You sound like a good dude!

near death twice? Maybe you need to slow it down a little? You can have fun doing surface tricks for a while.

Golf.

Nice words Rick!

Wakeboarding is an X-Sport and does come with risk. Pushing the edge a little is part of the excitement and thrill of this sport.

You may want to lay off the ralleys until you feel the passion to rip big again, but like everyone else said, go out and ride and have fun and push yourself in less risky ways. The passion will come back if you are a wakeboarder. Ohh think about a USCG approved jacket if you not already wearing one.

Dealing with the mental after injuries is one of the hardest things ever. In snowboarding, it took me a couple of years to try bigger jumps again. It makes it so much sweeter when you finally do, and everything is okay. J-Rod, Rick & Chris are right. Get back to basics, style out the tricks you have, stoke someone else on the sport and don't waste the time you've got!