Long term (10 yr+) health effects from kiteboarding impacts?

[Galeltic]

i started to wonder abou the very heavy landings - they are sort of damped by water boards flex etc but the forces can be huge. I just had an mri on my ankle and bone is all mushed up/bruised at the ankle joint not looking too great - cartilage is a mess/spilt. just taking too long to sort itself out - there is a deadline for amputation/fusion!

then i think u need lose your weight and need good landing , properly way to help avoid more injury but i m not sure and just try mention that !

[RickI]

I hear you, if I going to have a bad landing these days, I just land on my butt particularly with smaller kites if I'm going to hit hard. My ankles are in pretty good shape although they've been dinged lots of times messing them up for a few weeks occasionally on poor jump landings and with larger tt boards in waves. I knew a guy who had some serious leg fractures from hitting bottom years back in too shallow a water. Despite about six surgeries things never quite knit properly. He would never land jumps on his board, too painful and prone to more damage.

I've learned that when things are messed up, particularly from long term abuse, best thing to do is to assess the problem, seek treatment, rehab your way out, change habits reducing the duration and degree of loading as indicated. Good luck!

i started to wonder abou the very heavy landings - they are sort of damped by water boards flex etc but the forces can be huge. I just had an mri on my ankle and bone is all mushed up/bruised at the ankle joint not looking too great - cartilage is a mess/spilt. just taking too long to sort itself out - there is a deadline for amputation/fusion!

[ed257]

I hear you, if I going to have a bad landing these days, I just land on my butt particularly with smaller kites if I'm going to hit hard. My ankles are in pretty good shape although they've been dinged lots of times messing them up for a few weeks occasionally on poor jump landings and with larger tt boards in waves. I knew a guy who had some serious leg fractures from hitting bottom years back in too shallow a water. Despite about six surgeries things never quite knit properly. He would never land jumps on his board, too painful and prone to more damage.

I've learned that when things are messed up, particularly from long term abuse, best thing to do is to assess the problem, seek treatment, rehab your way out, change habits reducing the duration and degree of loading as indicated. Good luck!

i started to wonder abou the very heavy landings - they are sort of damped by water boards flex etc but the forces can be huge. I just had an mri on my ankle and bone is all mushed up/bruised at the ankle joint not looking too great - cartilage is a mess/spilt. just taking too long to sort itself out - there is a deadline for amputation/fusion!

I am 53 (almost 54) and have a bad knee from a basketball injury. My knees used to get sore from jumping, but when learned to I flex them upon landing - problem solved.

Ed

[RickI]

Makes sense Ed. How does the old alpine ski instructor saying go, "... flex your knees, five francs please." Works in a lot of sports.

[RickI]

I put this up four years ago. Today, I can kite without wrist braises much less those awful splints with no negative effects, unless it is a real long session or a particularly hard one holding the bar in tight for many hours. This is light years ahead for me from those days, so change your habits and throw five years in to slowly heal and things can get a lot better.

Any other observations out there from personal experience, recovery, repetitive motion injuries, change in kiting habits to reduce physical impacts to share?

[Westozzy]

Been at it since 2000. I would say most my complaints come from injuries sustained from competitive sport BEFORE kiting ( especially Aussie rules footy, if there is one sport to wreck your body than that's it!).

I have listened to a lot of guys tell me terrible stories re serious injuries from kitesurfing.

But touch wood I have had not one. I was trained by an X SAS soldier who was fastidious with safety almost over the top! I seemed to have taken that on board.

Check and double check gear. Know your limits and as you get older these have reluctantly become more obvious.

I also support a daily routine of core exercises. One thing footy has given me is a dickey back. Hence I strengthen the core and stretch every day and stretch every night. Even if for 10 minutes.

If I don't, which happens from time to time, you can be sure that a small ankle sprain, strained lower back or something will follow ...and it always does.

Prevention is key. Also as I get older I have had to take more and more out of my repertoire including most unhooked stuff.

But that's cool I'm glad to just get out there and enjoy myself and enjoy watching the younger crew smash it up!

Know your limits and kite forever.

[Thor SFBay]

The thing that has worked for me and kept me from getting injured doing "extreme" sports is strength training. I highly recommend doing the basic old school free weight exercises, especially squats and deadlifts (keep in mind that these exercises can be harmful if done incorrectly). Weight lifting keeps your muscles and joints in much better shape and allows you to withstand crashes much better than just stretching. Being flexible from stretching is good, but when you reach the end of your range of motion it is strength that keeps you from breaking.

[Westozzy]

mmm okay might add that in. I am finding even at 40 my muscle mass is starting to drop!

[RickI]

Thanks for your input Westozzy and I think you aren't alone with cross-over injuries. Was Ian Young your kiting instructor? If so, he is a good guy from way back from the start of the sport. I recall him relating losing a finger to a kite line tangle back in the day. You are wise to pick and choose what you do and to what degree and as you say prevention really is key.

Been at it since 2000. I would say most my complaints come from injuries sustained from competitive sport BEFORE kiting ( especially Aussie rules footy, if there is one sport to wreck your body than that's it!).

I have listened to a lot of guys tell me terrible stories re serious injuries from kitesurfing.

But touch wood I have had not one. I was trained by an X SAS soldier who was fastidious with safety almost over the top! I seemed to have taken that on board.

Check and double check gear. Know your limits and as you get older these have reluctantly become more obvious.

I also support a daily routine of core exercises. One thing footy has given me is a dickey back. Hence I strengthen the core and stretch every day and stretch every night. Even if for 10 minutes.

If I don't, which happens from time to time, you can be sure that a small ankle sprain, strained lower back or something will follow ...and it always does.

Prevention is key. Also as I get older I have had to take more and more out of my repertoire including most unhooked stuff.

But that's cool I'm glad to just get out there and enjoy myself and enjoy watching the younger crew smash it up!

Know your limits and kite forever.

[RickI]

Good ideas Thor SFBay about developing and maintaining core strength along with strength training. There will be times when you do exceed your range of motion as you say. Tendonitis seems to dog lots of kiters, I think warming up, down and properly managing strains early are important as well.

The thing that has worked for me and kept me from getting injured doing "extreme" sports is strength training. I highly recommend doing the basic old school free weight exercises, especially squats and deadlifts (keep in mind that these exercises can be harmful if done incorrectly). Weight lifting keeps your muscles and joints in much better shape and allows you to withstand crashes much better than just stretching. Being flexible from stretching is good, but when you reach the end of your range of motion it is strength that keeps you from breaking.