I am officially DONE wakeboarding

To make a long story short I tore my left ACL 2 years ago, went through the rehab and was riding better than ever. I thought that when my ACL tore it was a freak accident. Well, I just tore my right ACL 5 days ago, scheduled my surgery for October 11th, and vowed never to wakeboard again. Enough with this sport. Pretty sad that I am choosing a low impact style of life at 23 years old. Later, Ty.

Dood you're not done. Fix your knee and ride again. 23 is too young to quit.

Ty, I am 35 have serg on both knees and prob will have it scoped again this winter. I am not quiting till I can't ride. You just need to know you limits and do lots of rehab and keep lifting 23 is way to young to stop. BTY I have a friend thats 40 and he kills it. So get it fixed and shut up and ride.

And until your rehab is complete.....SkySki!

I know I'll get killed for this comment, but once you get done with your rehab, you should seriously consider trick skiing. You still get to ride behind the boat and pull many of the same tricks. With a little practice you could be doing 3's, 5's and maybe even a few flips. Because the boat is going a little slower and you're not getting as much air, trick skiing will be much easier on your body. Take a look at the top trick skiers in the world, they range in age anywhere from 17 to 40. When was the last time you saw a prowakeboarder win a national event at 40? Says a lot about the inherent trauma involved between the two sports. Its a little harder to get started on, but once you get comfortable its an awesome sport you'll be able to enjoy for years to come.

Yep, AJ's definitely going to get killed.

trick-what?...

After rehab, spend week days in the gym building a indestructible body. Most wakeboarders don't supplement with exercise programs to build muscle. This can decrease your chances of getting injured.

Nice personal quote buddy...Wakeboarding Sucks

Did you forget what website you are on? wakeworld.com

Wakeskating is great for rehab if you take it easy. My buddy broke his foot 6 wks ago so he cant get WB bindings on but he can skate. My wife hurt her back badly last year wakeboarding and she only skates now as well.
Knees are nasty, When I tore my ACL for the second time playing hockey when I was 26 I swore I would never play hockey again. I'm 35 and still playing except I don't take so many risks and work out regularly.
It's frustrating to be injured but if you truly love a sport you will return.

Fine, quit, we don't want a pansy anyways. I have friends that were 18 when they double compounded their legs, now one had to get his titanium rod removed(that's not supposed to happen), & has to get his knee scoped next month. You know where he was on Saturday at 7am? In the boat bitching that he couldn't ride. Quiter.

I believe knitting is a fairly accident free sport, and you can sit in front of the TV whilst you do it.
(Live slow & die old)

Did you post so people would motivate you, so you won't quit? well I agree with everyone, the only safe activity to not get injured would be.....doing nothing (even knitting you can jab your finger and get blood).

Isn't wakeskating a good way to hurt yourself again? I won't do wakeskating for rehab.

I would however recommend wakesurfing until you can wakeboard again. Many people in this community will tell you that there is some fun to be had wakesurfing while you rehab.

'Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --

WOW!! What a Ride!'

no one likes quiters

i'm onboard with stephen and dave, fine quit. also would stay away from sewing because of the blood and poking factor, i believe its harder to draw blood with knitting

The funny thing is that your name is "wakeboardaholic"! I believe you need to live up to your name!

Knitting needles can be dangerous.

i have a pretty bad back. and i am still wakeboarding. if u want just quit

thrick thskiing is awethom!!!

Me and my "Life Partner" go every weekend!

Maybe hes joing Wakeaholics Anoymous, maybe there is some help for quitters, tsk tsk tsk, dont you know that wakeahol is highly addictive, you cant really quit

sweeeeeeet!!!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming --

WOW!! What a Ride!"

BS Flower, Where did you get that from? Can i use it?

Seriously TY, you need to think about that. You may feel low now, but medical technology will bring you right back. Keep your head up!

OH ya......The reason you see so many older trick skiers is the same reason you see so many older people that like oldies music. It's old.

Ty, don't let the injury stop you. Just build up lots of muscle and wear a knee brace. Danny Harf messed up his knee like 2 years ago and won the X-games less than one month later. Most pro's have had pretty serious accidents involving their knees (Parks, Murray, Schmidt, Zane, and a TON more) and they kept at it and are still the best in the world. Just keep at it. I would hate to see you give up a sport you love just because you're frustrated.

Then (1978)



And now (2004)



You are never too old! Don't quit, just take it easy if you are getting hurt.

Jeremy, I resemble that remark about being old. Having just turned 61 this year and still riding. Just got back from the hospital today where they shot some viscous looking fluid into both knees to help take the daily pain of old age away.

Ty, if I can still ride, so can you.

Ty, I am starting an extreme knitting club and was going to ask you to join, but I don't think you have the balls for it now.

sweet gary i hope i'm boarding at 61! my dad is turning 50 this year and still boarding.cliff-hahaha. alex i admit i am a wakeaholic and theres no way in hell i'm quitting its just to addicting! james i heard thats going to be in next years X games.

(Message edited by edward on September 28, 2004)

Since nobody else brought it up, Do you have anything good for sale???

Not anything against the sport because it is really my passion and it will be impossible to give up, but doesn't it say something that about 90% of the top pros have had ACL reconstruction on one or both knees? I have been strengthening ever since my last ACL reconstruction and I thought that my body was indestructable. I guess that it wasn't. I was not injured because I was out of shape. How many of you on here can compare with the strength of someone who is 5'9" tall, 171 pounds, 9% bodyfat, and can squat 450 pounds and bench 300? I'm sure I am just pissed right now because I have to go through witht the surgery and rehab again, but I wouldn't be at all disappointed if I don't wakeboard again.

Ty, I would feel the same way. In fact, I have seen way too many blown knees or broken legs in this sport, and I am pretty much done as well. I still ride here and there and enjoy it, mostly because of the social aspect of doing it with good friends, but it is no longer a passion and I am not going to push myself beyond my very limited abilities. My biggest fear is that I will injure myself wakeboarding, and therefore not be able to surf for an extended period of time. That would be devestating for me.

The good news is that there are a ton of other great sports out there that are less likely to cause serious injury. I am fully addicted to surfing and love it way more than I ever did wakeboarding. I hope you are able to find something to replace wakeboarding -- I am sure there is something out there.

Tom,
LOL

"I am not going to push myself beyond my very limited abilities"

I agree Paul. This is the key for avoiding injury. For as long as I've been wakeboarding I should know a lot more tricks than I do. But if I strived to do just that, I'd probably be sitting in the ez-boy talking about the good old days when all my parts worked better.

Gary, I'm glad to see that you are wakeboarding at 61. Twelve more years and I'll be there as well, and I certainly hope to still be riding.

shutupandboard - someone sent me that quote via email and said it was a great life quote for me. I wish I knew where it started. There are several versions out there, mine is the PG version.

Gary - bummer to hear about the knees. I hope the fluid helps. It was great to see you at NWWF. We gotta get together again soon.

dude dont quit. I am not sure how painful a torn acl is, but my doctor told me the most painful break is your femur, and i snaped that wakeboarding about 6 weeks ago. Still havent fully recovered but im itching to get on a skate or board real soon. Metal Rods screws pins ... scars, chicks dig it all .

At 52 I still ride almost every weekend. I may not hit it as hard as some of you young whippersnappers, but Im out there all year long having fun. Fun being the key word. If you get injuried just take it a little easier for a while. Work around your injuries. Its great all of the old farts out there keeping up.

At 21 i just blew out my first knee, sorta of a freak deal that has happend before just not as extreme. But for 8yrs wakeboarding has been my passion, i couldn't imagine just giving it up. Sure the rehab sucks, but i can't wait to get back on the board, in fact im already planing a trip to fl for when i get cleared to ride over the winter. Sometimes you have to make sacrfices to do things you like to do, personally i will keep riding until i just can't anymore. But at the same time, i have heard of people steping off a curb and tearing their acl. Or look at brittney spears (i hate to make of an example of her) she tore her acl dancing. Just b/c you quit riding doesn't eliminate the chance. If it is gona happen agian it is gona happen again. I guess what it comes down to is how much you enjoy riding. If you like it enough then get back on the board. If not i guess just quit. By i know riding is more than just riding to me, it is a whole lifestyle and i couldn't imagine being without it.

man, aj is right trick skiing is the best, i remember those days of throwing the smoothest looking grabs on butta every mornin , on wait, thats wakeboarding

Most all wakeboarders are forced to scale back or quit because of knee trauma.

It happened to me. Now, I just play on the water with friends (when my friends are not on the mend). And, I no longer have aspirations for anything beyond wake-to-wake jumps and grabs.

Paul, San Diego may be in my future!

I had to retire from my career 3 years ago with a knee injury (happened at work). I just ride within my abilities, but continue to do a bit more each trip out, which is about 1-2 times/week, year round. At 46, I have recently torn my abs, but took 6 weeks off to heal. Now I am back at it, and trying to work through a spraigned ankle now. the time away from boarding was really hard - couldn't imagine quitting though!!!. Trying to buy a new boat now so I can have a better wake. Get your a$$ back out there, and just ride!!

my dad still goes and he is 54.

The sad part of both of my ACL injuries is they were both on basic tricks that I have done thousands of times. The first time I was just warming up, a few heelside and toeside jumps and 180's, then I blew it on just a routine tantrum. This last time was even more freak. I had just flown down to Orlando to ride. I was supposed to be there to ride for 13 days. On my first morning of riding I rode for about 30 seconds. Totally warming up. Carving the wake, then a slob heelside wake jump, indy toeside wake jump, stalefish heelside wake jump, toeside 180 and then blew my ACL on a slob heelside 180. How sad is that? I didn't even land funny. Just touched down as I have done THOUSANDS of times before and POP. I couldn't believe it. I went to Orlando for 13 days of riding and I rode for literally 30 seconds and had to catch an early flight home. Tell me that you wouldn't be a little fed up with the sport.

---

quote:

Paul, San Diego may be in my future!

---

Sorry man, you waited too long. San Diego is officially full and no longer taking new resident applications.

Come on down, man! Could always use another friend to paddle out with.

Ty - I feel your frustration. I had ACL surgery on June 17, 2003 and just tore my other ACL. I had the same theory too, okay, the first a freak accident on a W2W. The second I tore two weeks ago was on a BR, I just got twisted a little. I just turned 27, I workout 3-5 times per week, lift weights, etc. and would not think I'd be prone to injury. I played many sports before wakeboarding and was never injured. I'm not making the decision right now if I will go back to the sport. Wait until next summer to decide. I did buy a wakeskate and have been surfing only on it and will do so until surgery and at a minimum will do the same after surgery next year. I feel your pain and I won't call you a pansie if you don't return because I may not either. Eventually you run out of tendons to graft, and it's not like you can pull a new knee out of the closet. Good luck and prayers will be with you!

dude....im 40..if you think wakeboardin is hard...try racing motocross...yeah wake summers ride winters...oh yeah then there is the surfing and snowboardin...life without pain is no life at all...buy a knee brace...get motrin...get some flexerall...get a asian girlfriend...problem solved. Remember they are doing great things in the medical community these days.Your just a pup!

just keep going. my dad is 54 and he is doing all kinds of tricks out there.

You are less likely to get hurt wakeskating by a long shot, just the fact that you are not locked in and the amount of tricks you can do is limited.
I was out this morning to only wakeskate because I had to go to work after(if you can call this work). When I wakeboard I have more painfull wipeouts usually resulting in very sore abs. Landing with one leg on the board is about the only real risk and its remote.
Come the weekend it will be wakeboarding though.
I still think skating is a good way to come back from an injury. Good luck with your rehab Ty.

Ty,
Your story sounds much like my own. My first injury occurred the first time I got up on my wakeboard. I'm 73 years old and weigh 300lbs. I got up, my board went one way and my leg went another. Lost the leg and wasn't sure I wanted to ever do it again. But I decided to give it a try. I also decided my problem was I was way out of shape, so since then I have cut way back to only 12 beers and two buckets of buffalo wings a day. Last month tried the board again. This time I was able to get up, warmed up with a ankle-side wilee coyote with a daytona grab, triple lutz inverted with a fs smackdown, and a whirlygig puffnsnuff with a hiney blast. Then, tried a lefthanded w2w bovine toss and went down hard. Lost the other leg, 2/3rds of my spine from the coxxyx up and my aorta. I'm done with this crazy sport!!

wakeshoe, awsome imagination and verbage!!

Laci - almost any time girl, I will be in Laughlin, NV this weekend, Koppert Lake next weekend and Bakersfield CA the following weekend for INT US Championships but after that we are open. Looks like summer may continue in WA for a few more weeks if it is not interupted by a volcano

"puffnsnuff"? you are old!

Don't sell your board Ty! I saw it in the classifieds!

If it's not your passion anymore than don't do it. For me it's life, I can't breath without it. I fractured my right ankle 2 years ago wakeboarding and I thought that was bad. But then 8 months ago I shattered my left ankle and foot sledding in the snow which almost lead to amputation. The doctors said I may never walk normal again or ever be able to jog or run. Well it's been 8 months and a lot of prayers and I am wakeboarding again (still can't jog or run). Sure it comes with some discomfort and hardly being able to walk the next day but to me it's worth it. I work all week long thinking about nothing but wakeboarding and live to enjoy the weekend out the water with my family and friends who all share the same passion. I did wakeskate for 2 months before wakeboarding and even that was tough on the ankle and still is, but nothin, I mean nothing will keep me off the wakeboard.