Is this a common injury?

j8711 07-14-2006, 9:39 PM

I've only been successfully wakeboarding for about a month now and last weekend I was working on jumping the wake and from what I remember the board caught the water and whacked me in the head requiring a trip to the ER and lots of stitches. I can handle the hard falls, concussions, and soreness that comes with all this, but can I expect this type of injury to happen regularly? Obviously a helmet will help me out here unless I get hit in the face next time, but does this happen all the time? (here's a pic of the injury before stitching for your enjoyment)
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1422/5498881/11006969/164982431.jpg

(wakechic06) · (wakechic06) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 07-14-2006, 9:44 PM

holy S**T that had to have hurt! i've heard of stitches being needed quite a bit. I've never gotten hit by my board yet but the handle hit me in the head the other day..it was kinda weird. But yea its definatly not unheard of. I remember someone saying some kid got hit by a byerly and because of the way it's shaped would hurt even more! But goog luck with ur head, hope you heal up soon so you can keep workin on that W2W!

Jamie

(kylielogan) · (kylielogan) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 07-14-2006, 9:45 PM

i wipe out all the time, and i've only had the board come close to hitting me once ... felt it graze my head, but no injury. get well soon!

sking55405 07-14-2006, 10:04 PM

The board hit me in the back of the head once (no cuts just a really really bad headache) but that was only once

hope you get better soon

(just_board) · (just_board) **Join Date: Jul 2005** 07-14-2006, 10:19 PM

never been hit in the head nor personally known anyone that has while wakeboarding, with a slalom ski, that's a different story..

(garret_s) · (garret_s) **Join Date: Apr 2006** 07-14-2006, 10:31 PM

happened to my buddy the day of prom. It was hilarious for us, but his date was pissed.

j8711 07-14-2006, 11:01 PM

Oh, it definitely hurt. Blood everywhere, very nice. The craziest thing is my feet were still completely attached to the bindings after this all happened. I can't even force my head to hit the board while it's attached to my feet normally so I have no idea how the heck this happened. I guess your body can bend in some crazy ways when it is forced to...

(yosquire) · (yosquire) **Join Date: Jun 2005** 07-15-2006, 7:35 AM

9 years of wakeboarding and never impacted a wakeboard or wakeskate with my head. Had the helmet roll forward on a crash once and when I hit the water the edge of the helmet cut my forehead. I was wearing it too loose.

(identiti_rider)

Yea it happened to me once, now whenever I fall I put my arms around my head as I surface just to protect my head.

live2wakeboard 07-15-2006, 12:30 PM

I got hit in the back of the head with my board once. My back hurt worse than my head i didn't kno i could bend like that!!!

(mjmurphy53711)

been there done it.

www.midwestwakeboarder.com

(tarkus70) · (tarkus70) **Join Date: Jan 2006** 07-16-2006, 6:07 PM

Ski Wakeboard been hit by both of them.It sucks

(reinle) · (reinle) **Join Date: Sep 2005** 07-17-2006, 5:57 AM

i had one foot come out of my left binding on a fall, and the board come and hit me in the back of my head. It was at 830 in the morning on my third jump! I had to get eight stitches, but it left me a really cool scar!!!

(otiswunguy) · (otiswunguy) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 07-17-2006, 4:55 PM

I have a scar from the board breaking my nose trying to learn raleys. I was stupid and didn't tighten the bindings as much because I thought it would be better to come out. Wrong. Now I crank those suckers down.

bigrich 07-17-2006, 5:35 PM

When my son first started wakeboarding (about 10-11) he brought some buddies on the boat and was trying to show off. So he goes big and lands hard in the flats and must have had his tongue hanging out. His chin hits the top of his knee and he bites about half way through his tongue. Well after the panic went away (I thought he knocked all his teeth out) I convinced him that putting mustard on it would make it feel better. He did it

(gobigorgohome) · (gobigorgohome) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 07-17-2006, 6:48 PM

Altogether now - H-E-L-M-E-T !

I always duck my head under the water/cover it with my arms if I know the board has come off in a stack. Something about that board floating along at the same height as my teeth.

I hurt my arm on edge of the board on one of the first times I took it out. Man those edges were sharp.

(peter_c) · (peter_c) **Join Date: Sep 2001** 07-17-2006, 6:58 PM

READ THIS: Look at all these posts of people with head injuries from boards. Wearing a helmet would have protected them from at least 80% of the injuries. I would prefer to spend my day on the water not taking friends or myself to the emergency room. Been there, done that, too many times.

I have seen everyone from beginners to the hardcore get knocked in the head by their boards. At least 60% of the people I know that have wakeboarded a long time have taken a shot the head, usually with only a small cut. The potential for a major injury is very real.

To look at another sport were helmets are the norm, look at the sport of bicycling. We never rode helmets as kids and did crazy stuff. Yeah we lived, but my long time riding buddies and I also learned and now wear a helmet when challenging a mountain.

If you have read this far, then go do what you want. Wear a helmet or not, that is your decision. Upload