Local WB accident

(mitchm) · (mitchm) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 07-13-2006, 4:54 AM

http://www.eagletribune.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_192152349

Local accident. Hope the guy is alright.

(hal2814) · (hal2814) **Join Date: Feb 2006** 07-13-2006, 5:10 AM

New? The reporter acts like wakeboarding has only been going on for a year or so. It was part of the 1996 X Games! That was 10 years ago now.

(ronnyboy27) · (ronnyboy27) **Join Date: Nov 2005** 07-13-2006, 7:08 AM

Hello, gotten popular in the last year?

(woohoo) · (woohoo) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 07-13-2006, 12:15 PM

Hope the guy's alright but is it really a relatively new phenom?

(innov8) · (innov8) **Join Date: May 2005** 07-13-2006, 12:19 PM

Another reason why you should wear a HELMET!! When Wakeboarding.

(andy_nintzel)

many many moons ago, back in the day of strap bindings, I crashed and one foot came out of my bindings and the other did not, anyway, the board hit me in the head and I had to get 11 stitches. It was rad.

Jeff-

I used to wear a helmet, I stopped tho- after knocking myselft out twice with a helmet on. Both times the Doctors told me I got knocked out because of whiplash, not actually hitting my head. I have been helmet free for 2 years and have not knocked myself out yet, and I have takin some serious hits to the dome since. I wear a helmet only when I jib now. I wonder how many other people this has happened too, I know 2 people here in MN that were told the same thing by doctors. What do you guys think?

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 07-13-2006, 1:25 PM

I wear a Gath and absolutely swear by it. I too got a concussion wearing a Pro-tec and feel part of it was the bucketing effect of the helmet. Of all the people I know that wakeboard only a few have gotten concussions and at least half have been hit in the head by the board. I started wearing a helmet because I lost about 1/3 of my hearing in my left ear from repetitively blowing my ear drum. What I found was that the Gath helmet does help when taking a head shot to the water, without any bucketing effect. It may not be the coolest helmet in the world but it does it's job very well.

(mjmurphy53711) · (mjmurphy53711) **Join Date: Mar 2004** 07-13-2006, 1:54 PM

Andy, I had the board to head/stitches thing.

www.midwestwakeboarder.com

(auto) · (auto) **Join Date: Aug 2002** 07-13-2006, 8:19 PM

Had 20 stitches to my reattach the bottom part of my nose, and one mild concussion, helmet free.

(wakeforce139) · (wakeforce139) **Join Date: Jan 2004** 07-13-2006, 10:12 PM

Ouch, hope I never get hurt (knock on wood), but whenver I take a spill I always throw my hands up immediately to keep the board from hitting me, not as foolproof as a helmet but it's stopped the board from banging me on a few occasions.

(wake_boarder49)

For those of you who are worried about blowing eardrums why dont you spend 10 bucks on those special vented earplugs (dont remember who makes them) instead of 100 bucks on a helmet. Unless your hitting sliders.

(garret_s) · (garret_s) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 07-14-2006, 4:04 PM

because helmets cost 100 bucks....gimme a break.