Ankle Injuries and Wakeboard Bindings

I spent this last week at the Wakeboard Camp in Clermont. Of course....day 2...I jammed my ankle pretty badly when I cased very nose high after a weird take off. That ended my day...and for the next 2 days, I had to limit myself to a lot of board control drills...no jumping. Lots of ice, a scary amount of Advil, and serious tape jobs....it was actually easier to ride than walk, though.

Some of the coaches were talking about how some pro riders had taken their bindings into their MDs/Orthos, and the docs commented on how universally HORRIBLE wakeboard bindings were.

I know for certain that my sprain was exacerbated by too much footbed thickness/padding in my CWBs. The footbed is just too tall and soft. To save ourselves from a little heel bruising, we are risking far more severe injuries to ankles and knees.

For most other boardsports...I use custom orthotics. I have already torn apart my CWBs...and I don't think that making a new insole and incorporating an orthotic would be that tough.

Has anyone else thought along these lines? What about materials sources? I was going to contact STI and see about getting some of their STI Evolution Foam to make a new, firmed insole out of. I could also call Hersey or Deer Ridge...they both make custom running shoes...and probably have some midsole materials that would work. I figured I would design a new insole, and have it CNC routed to fit into the existing binding, and also accomodate my orthotics (Foot Levelers makes a water proof orthotic that I use in my botties for other water sports)...then glue it all back together.

I've hurt my heels worse than my ankles wakeboarding. I'll take my padding. I've injured both my ankles, one from slalom skiing and one skateboarding, and I'm more confident in my wakeboard boots than I am walking on uneven terrain.

I'll take all the padding I can get too.

Find a old pair of Solbound bindings if you like a firm footbed.

Slingshot boots come with a ankle harness that is pretty much an ankle brace... lock that down and it keeps them pretty stiff.... then all the pain and tweaking goes to your kness.... its a horse a piece

My shanes (soft) made my ankles hurt after a set,
my D2's (stiff) my my knees hurt by my ankles are fine

** SS also has a bootie that pops out so you could get a orthotic pad between the shell of the boot and the inner bootie no problem.... it already comes with a "gel" type insole on top of the cush of the outter boot and under the bootie

this shows it better
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epbI0TZ_7yk

I blew out my ankle in September doing the same thing. Came off the wake awkward and landed front heavy. I thought I could just ride it out but boy was I wrong. Blew out all 4 of the ligaments in my ankle. I am 13 weeks out and my ankle is still swollen. It hurts like heck to ride, so I try to take it easy, but I do tape it every time I ride and that gives it alot of needed support as long as you tape it right.

I am always looking for more coosh and never thought about coosh being bad, but personally havn't had problems.

I havn't thought that slingshot had THE MOST softest beds on the market, but everything else about the boot and especially the board made up for that. the boards just land so soft because of the flex

anyway...

I also second slingshot, there is a lot of rider customization that can be done to these boots easily. The ankle harness, the heat moldable footbeds, and even the laces are a bit costomizable. I can confirm that it it is easy to put a footbed under the inner bootie. I did it to mine and put in a cut down, old thin Liquidforce footbed, but for different reasons (#1 to make the boots a half size smaller to fit more snug to my half size foot #2 came as a secondary result of 1 which is additional coosh)

Also, I might be safe to say that slinghot's Poron footbeds are closest to orthopedics than any other binding because of the company (rogers corp.) they did their footbeds through. As i said before, there are not "THE softest footbeds out there." they just might be right up your alley! check this site and decide for yourself and to guide you into finding out more if you desire or to show to your doc.
http://www.rogerscorp.com/hpf/poron/performance/index.aspx

I take the bruised heels thanks. When I am 60...bruised heels will not have put in a wheel chair...but smashed ankles likely will.....

I literally felt my foot compress the padding in my CWBs when I hit...THEN felt my ankle torque. I will look into those D2's....I have to do something different.

I have experienced inversion sprains my entire life...so my ankle is very weak that way (the classic rolling your ankle where your foot ends up inside the axix of your leg). This was an EVERSION sprain...very different. The first time I have EVER had this happen. That tells me there is something seriously wrong with the design of this binding. Basically, it was too soft, and my arch collapsed.

i did the same thing to my ankle in a pair of cwb deuces early in the summer...

just recently i busted up my ankle/heel/foot gettin ripped out of my d2's a couple of weeks ago.

i think my next pair of bindings is gonna be some ultra's.

(Message edited by romes on December 07, 2008)

I broke my ankle in a pair of Ultras. This was quite awhile back.

If you have ankle issues as it is, don't you think that your ankles are somewhat weak in general and perhaps that contributed to your injury? The first time I broke my ankle it was because I was wakeboarding and simply stated, bodies have to put up with a lot in this sport.

"My shanes (soft) made my ankles hurt after a set"

umm. i havnt had that problem at all. i love my shanes. they are so comfortable and keep my ankles locked in. i can ride for half an hour and feel nothing in my ankles

if you fall in a pair of soft boots (shanes, etc etc) when you twist/bend in the water most of the movement will come from your ankles because your boots and akles move easier left/right than your knees will.

The shanes were awesome boots, super soft footbed, great side to side flex for poking stuff, no pressure points at all, great boots...

but that nice side-to-side flex could end up owning you on a fall.... crow-mobes out the front my ankle would get worked.... not so much anymore with stiff boots.

From personal experience, I am most interested in finding a pair of bindings that I can retrofit to use with my custom orthotics. With my custom orthotics...I rarely ever lose ankle stability....resulting in sprains. Without them...my ankle is very unstable.

I am going to proceed with trying to get some custom footbeds for the CWBs...but I may ride the D2s in the meantime until I can customize the CWBs. I will post info on how the customization project goes....

i think it would be the easiest to customize the d2's w/ your orthodics seing that they sort of already use an insert. the only problem i forsee is with the liner and you're foot not sitting directly on the liner.

i think it would be rather tough to customize any of the other bindings out there.

seems like theres more cwb riders in this thread that wrecked their ankle more than others. this true? what types of bindings were u guys riding when this happened?

John, I think there is just the one guy.

I've been riding different CWB boots since the '02 Vibe (which was a good binding but fragile). I've ridden every year since and have not had one ankle issue ever. This is after breaking my ankle. You'd think that if anyone would have ankle issues it would be someone that had already busted theirs, but not in my case. If you size the boots correctly they are very snug, I know my Answers don't allow my foot to budge other than some desired binding flex.

Also, I don't blame the Ultras for breaking my ankle. They were setup improperly and I was lazy. Make sure your boots have the right amount of duck for your stance!!

You guys were right about those D2's...awesome. Just what I needed. I have a set mounted up and ready to try. With the liners, my orthotics will work perfect. I also like the very firm footbeds with minimal foam thickness.

good luck with them, I hope they work!

john,

it wouldnt have mattered what binding i would've been in. i got stacked pretty good so if i woulda had more supportive bindings on i'm sure i would've busted up my knee instead of spraining my ankle.

personally i think the deuces are cdubs best binding. i actually really really liked them. until i shredded my ankle in them. hahaha

I completedly dislocated and broke my ankle about 6 months ago in a pair of Atlas bindings. I was doing a toeside front and the landing did not feel out of the ordinary but my boot bent right in half with my foot in it. It was my first time using the Atlas bindings, I looked in the bindings and saw my bone trying to polk thru my skin. The ER had to cut the boot off my foot. I definitly feel the binding is lacking ankle support. My doctor cannot believe my ankle completely dislocated while in a boot. I have had surgery to repair the break, but I am still dealing with the tissue and ligament damage from the dislocation. Doc said to take a year off or more, at 6 months the thought of getting my foot into a wakeboard boot kills me.

Good to hear they worked out Brant

don't forget to heat mold em (the liners) so they contour to your orthotics and feet ;)

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Man, the more i read about accidents and injuries the more it counters my desire to learn more advanced tricks. But no matter what, in the end the feelings of mediocrity subside when i remember how much fun i have even with my li'l humble bag of tricks... i do STILL need to work on switch riding though anyway...

(Message edited by wakerider111 on December 17, 2008)

I also blow my ankle on a ATLAS boots. 5 weeks out.

I tried the Slingshot D2's first time today. Very nice binding....I really like em. They are not as bad to get in and out of as I thought they might be. I just put the liners tight on my feet...keep the boot loose...and pop right in (and out).

I think this is a very safe binding. Lace the liners up tight, with the ankle brace, to support your ankle...but you can then run the boot loose enought to release in a bad fall. Best of both worlds... Super high build quality from what I can see.

My ankle is still totally jacked up though... almost 4 weeks since I sprained it. Still hurts quite a bit where the tibia overlaps the talus on the inside. It is getting better...but very very slowly.

I did a few W2W jumps...but they really psyched me out. Also had a hard time edging toeside because I can not bend my ankle enough to really bend my knees. So I just did a lot of funamental control drills, etc. At least I got wet....