How to Crash Properly

(woohoo) · (woohoo) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-03-2006, 12:52 PM

After reading the Does Fear Hinder Progression thread I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to crash the right way, I fall a lot and I would like to make it hurt less so any tips are appreciated.

(migs)

tuck your chin to your chest - fast!

(lcky275) · (lcky275) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 10-03-2006, 1:05 PM

Hang onto the rope all the way down...

(dakid) · (dakid) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 10-03-2006, 1:14 PM

keep your arms in and tuck and roll.

(jcv) · (jcv) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 10-03-2006, 1:26 PM

try to fall out the front

(allen) · (allen) **Join Date: Apr 2005** 10-03-2006, 1:31 PM

The more you fall the better you get at it. seems like now most of the time I land on my feet or close to it so hard falls are rare. But that said I have had very hard crashes in the past. When I use to ski jump some one once told me that your body remembers and learns, it will start to protect its self (if that makes sense)

(wakesetter101) · (wakesetter101) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 10-03-2006, 1:34 PM

If you have time to think things through before you fall, you should be alright. Its the falls that catch you off gaurd that you have to worry about. And you will never know when they are coming.

(foxrepdc) · (foxrepdc) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 10-03-2006, 1:48 PM

Your brain has automatic reactions to falls....i.e. try falling from your knees face first on the ground, or anything harder than a bed....can't do it without putting your hands out....I mean you can, but it's hard. The brain fires signals to the limbs to protect the vitals....head, face, chest. Adapting those reactions to suit the fall is something you have to work on.

I have a weird thing I do that I've had since I was little.....I NEVER close my eyes during a big crash.....dirt or wake...I see it all go down. Like the view you get when someone drops a camera!

Anyone else have this feature???

(jon4pres) · (jon4pres) **Join Date: May 2004** 10-03-2006, 2:06 PM

Injuries happen and that is just part of the sport and life. I think the best thing you can do is be in shape. If you have good flexibility and keep yourself in shape it should help.

About that eye closing thing. That is crazy, I have only hit the water with my eyes open a few times. I can not imagine having to deal with that feeling every time.

(melanie_g) · (melanie_g) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 10-03-2006, 2:17 PM

I'm with Fox, I watch my crash all the way down. I've also learned how to dive out of crashes or land on my back/butt (to save the nose or tail from diving in first). I fall alot and when learning to progress I learned how to fall. But of course, there are some you can't control.

(asilaydying06) · (asilaydying06) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-03-2006, 2:25 PM

I had one bad eye peeler and whats worse is that I ride mostly in salt water. I can't even imagine keeping my eyes open everytime I fall.

(wakeguru) · (wakeguru) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 10-03-2006, 2:30 PM

If I'm going to bail on a trick I will bend my knees to get more balled up. Arms and legs in, head down, etc. Aslo, like Melanie said if you can land on your backside it helps.

I use to barefoot a lot before wakeboarding....you quickly learn to tuck and roll to protect yourself on a fall. I suggest you all try it and then post the results.

(dakid) · (dakid) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 10-03-2006, 2:48 PM

i know this sounds ridiculous, but when you come off the wake and know you're going to fall, hang on to the handle as long as possible. you'll have a more "controlled" fall that way. if you let go, you'll just be flailing about and won't even know how you'll hit the water.

(woohoo) · (woohoo) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-03-2006, 2:50 PM

Joe I always hang on because I always think I can save it and land.

(antbug) · (antbug) **Join Date: Jul 2004** 10-03-2006, 3:16 PM

Not me I let go and scream like a little girl. No really, just ask Joe

(boarder_x) · (boarder_x) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 10-03-2006, 3:55 PM

Bug, you sound like Atilla. ... Except he lets go when he clears the wake. I think he's afraid of success.

(foxrepdc) · (foxrepdc) **Join Date: Oct 2005** 10-03-2006, 4:05 PM

Joe...I'm with you there! I like to pour myself off the board! I do the back first thing too, which is a cool deal with my "eyes wide open" syndrome! If you haven't backed upside down into the water backwards, head and shoulders first and looked at the sky and sun and your setup out of the hole you just made in the water.....you haven't lived!!!!

(garman) · (garman) **Join Date: Feb 2005** 10-03-2006, 5:50 PM

For some reason, may latest falls occur after losing the landing and catching a back edge. This slings me hard into the water backwards and I nearly knock myself silly. What's worse is that I know it's about to happen and it seems to occur in slow motion. Still hurts though.

(ponyh8r) · (ponyh8r) **Join Date: Dec 2004** 10-03-2006, 6:43 PM

Chad,

I know exactly what you are saying. Lately I have been trying to land some blind tricks and I have ended up catching some nasty back edges. Two concussions later I have decided to give it a rest for awhile. The bad one was when I was floating unconcious in the water...I don't remember how bad it hurt, but I didn't like my friends calling me "drifter".

(wake_upppp) · (wake_upppp) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 10-03-2006, 7:02 PM

One word: Helmet. For the back edge head plants, it really helps.

westcanadian 10-03-2006, 9:35 PM

Fall out the front, all the way - if I detect that I'm going to catch my nose or front edge, I always seem to dive further into the crash so that there is less of a whip of my body onto the water, I'd rather land on my complete side. Or if I'm going to catch my backside edge I bring my knees up to rotate faster so I land on my whole back

(ldr) · (ldr) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 10-04-2006, 7:23 AM

I had a bad habit of turning and tucking my head which has led to a couple blown eardrums.

(clubjoe) · (clubjoe) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 10-04-2006, 7:59 AM

I've always tucked my head toward the water. I also try to aim the the board in, and let my legs go limp, so I'm not fighting the force of the water against the board.

An " oh sh** " also seems to find it's way in there somewhere...........

(denverd1)

i guess i used to tuck my head, until my chin hit my knee. thats is no fun. try it with your nose.

falling out the front is best. there was an article in WBM on falling the right way w/ rusty. like joe said, i find that holding the handle until its ripped out of your hand is best.

yea, back edges suck! not even trying BS stuff yet, but i've taken a few shot back there. it sucks!

(committed) · (committed) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 10-04-2006, 8:18 AM

I like to cover my head to prevent lots of different angles of injury. Falling forward is nice, if you get to spot your trouble, but then again, if you can do that, you should be able to check out of it too. Eyelid peelers aren't very much fun, so staying "awake" during a wipeout isn't needed. That feeling of, "is my eyeball still in my head" is the main reason.

(cjromero77) · (cjromero77) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-04-2006, 9:04 AM

Take a martial arts class and let your instructor throw you all the time!

(wakefish) · (wakefish) **Join Date: Jul 2006** 10-04-2006, 10:08 AM

try wearing a full suit and a thick life jacket.It makes you invincible

(steve_jones) · (steve_jones) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-04-2006, 12:04 PM

This will sound stupid but it depends on the trick. For rolls and flips, you can curl your chin to your chest, pull your knees in a bit, get your arms in, and rotate to your back AS YOU HIT the water. Try to roll with the motion of the fall, whichever direction that takes you.

For Raley based tricks or BIG fronts or similar tricks that you get launched on, collapse as you land to protect your knees/heels/shins and roll the direction of the fall.

I've taken the worst "beatings" (so has Matt) on the Whirly. I would ask someone else on that one.

alanp 10-04-2006, 12:28 PM

i always try to get the handle away from my body(arm got caught in it a couple years ago) and i always try to get my hands up to my face. other than that i dont really think about it

(liquidmx) · (liquidmx) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 10-04-2006, 12:36 PM

F that trick!

(steve_jones) · (steve_jones) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 10-04-2006, 1:24 PM

Man I hear you on that. I'm going to do about 5000 on the trampoline all winter and just go for it (again). I should have tried it on the trampoline first anyway...that was dumb. At least now we know how to exit the trick and fall....UNLESS YOU TAKE IT RIDICULOUSLY LARGE AND BREAK YOUR ANKLE. Man that Whirly was SO BIG...I still have nightmares of you dropping out of the sky. I've seen double-ups that weren't that big.