Equipment designed to protect.

I am talking to a physician friend of mine who is an avid skier. He is asking about Austin's injuries and tells me about how the new waterski design where the bindings are attached to a single molding which is attached to the ski. The engineering is similar to snow skis where if you fall and create a certain level of torque the molding (for lack of a better term) will release from the ski. This reduces knee and ankle injuries because the foot is no longer attached to the board. This means the energy of the body rotating the feet and knees doesn't come to abrupt stop when the ski and the feet in the bindings hits the water while the knees continue to rotate.

I know the boot release for snow skis has really reduced the injuries. Is there anything like that for snowboarding? Would a binding release of some type work for wakeboarding?

I don't think there was ever really a need for it because people would simply come out of their bindings on a hard crash. Now with these new high end bindings it's much harder for the riders feet to come out in a hard crash, for this reason i can see there being a need for such a device in the near future.

I think it is a great idea. Not so much for the ejection in one direction but for the sideways torque during an awkward fall.

I've never seen it for a snowboard, but I don't think that those ski injuries are as prevelant on a snowboard due to both feet being strapped to the same plane. There are still lots of injuries to be sure, but with both feet having to go the same direction it's not as much as a threat I believe. That's not to say there isn't a need or market for that type of binding/boot.

I think you would pop out of the binding release system on big raleys and other trick when you land with a lot of torque on the bindings as you hit the water. I think this would do more damage than good.

if u had a quick release binding on a wake board one foot can only release on a fall making the fall even more painful/dangerous

Slalom skiers are already moving away from those (hardshells) due to injuries.

I think wakeskates have the best quick release setup.

Austin's orthopedic surgeon focuses on athletes and works with professional and olympic athletes. He has asked me the same question. It seems knee injuries are more prevalent (number of injuries per athlete) in wakeboarding than other sports. It seems to me that it is crashing during spinning or rotation that the knee injury occurs most often. If it were designed where both bindings are on one plate and the plate would disengage from the board on certain kinds of torques that may work. Have adjustable settings so the harder you go the more torque it takes. I don't know but there are a lot of knee injuries. Look at the pros. Parks has been out for a good while. A lot of the older guys all wear braces. I know Conway and House both messed theirs up as Jr Men and haven't seen much of them since. I am sure their is a long list. Just food for though.

Great idea, but not safe!!! If one binding releases, and the other doesn't...odds of really bad injury are greater. Even if both were to release, who knows where the board is going. It's just the nature of the sport to sustain injuries. just have to do the best you can at conditioning, and if there are injuries, take care of them properly, rehab, and don't be in such a rush to get back at it. A couple extra days of healing never hurt anyone. Most lineman(football) are wearing braces now, as a preventative.

David, I have had two knee significant knee injuries. Both coming from straightening of the leg on landings. Many years ago I used to think that coming out of the bindings were better then staying in. I was wrong. If one pops out and the other stays you can definately do twisting damage. If something can be designed to release at the same time then you've got something. Till then staying in your boots I would thing is the best option.

Definitely want to stay in your boots. The waterski idea was that both boots are attached to one plate and the plate comes off so you can't have only one binding coming off. I don't know about it personally it was just intriguing.

Anthony- Stiff legged landings are a whole other issue. Sounds like you need some pointers from AJ.

By the way Anthony, I don't get high enough to worry about landings.

Knee injuries are more prone to all Action Sports, Wake, Skate, Bmx, Moto, Snow. Its something about landing from two stories up that kills the knees.

this can't apply to every case where an injury occurs... but I am a firm believer in the best equipment used to protect is none other than cross-training... lifting weights. Ive seen a bunch of friends twist their knees, ankles etc... I had a knee injury 2.5 years ago, my left MCL, I have since made sure to not neglect leg workouts, squats do wonders... you figure you're squatting say 275 lbs 8 times... well then squatting out a landing from 8 feet up with my 200lb body, no problem! I stretch lightly before I ride, try to lift a few times a week etc, theres no subsitute for being strong

Ditto that. Physical training is the key to staying healthy.