Had my first good hard OTF . . .

[sunvalleylaw]

after starting to ski the course again today. Though I was not going nearly as fast, nor at nearly as short a line, it felt like it happened similarly to that fall that was posted a couple weeks ago. No injuries though. Got tucked enough to go in on and over the top of my head after tumbling a time or two.

 

I was wondering when and if I might experience that. Well, if you aren't falling, you aren't going for it I guess.

[ral]

Try not to experience it often. Latest I had resulted in a broken ligament and disc between C6 and C7, surgery, metal plate and hip graft in my neck...

[crashman]

after I took one of those earlier this year I decided to back the speed back down for a bit. I've never done a front flip before I had the help of a GT-40. I think a fall like that could be my last- I always tell my ski partner I'm one fall away from being a surfer. Fortunately I haven't taken another since but it was enough to make me think for a moment "maybe I'm good just skiing at 30 mph for the rest of my life." I'm learning that speed is my friend but line load is not.

[XR6Hurricane]

I did one at only 30 mph on a long line back in July and was sore for 4 days. Left arm got stretched across the surface of the water as I got ragdolled into a somersault. Only good part was I had the GoPro on my head in the floating case with the one second stillshot delay. In Frame #2 you can tell my head is ahead of my hands. I think #3 is when my face is about an inch off the water. #4 is a few seconds after the crash. Somehow the ski clobbered me on the outside of my left thigh too.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

this was at 32. Yeah, no hit from the ski. Just tumbled straight out of the bindings and left it behind me. I was working on my newer lean vs. pull stuff, and making good headway, but then started focusing on making the pass rather than the form, as I don't get to course ski that much.

 

I could tell I had overturned and gotten out of position. My front leg was too stiff, and I bet I let up on my angle before the wake. I had made it over the wake and to the water and was trying to get back up and balanced on my ski, thought I about had it when . . .

 

The course is a challenge. I took a two free passes before entering the course and felt pretty good, and got pretty good feedback from the boat. When I didn't worry about making each ball and more about shadowing it and maintaining form, things went pretty well. Then I started trying to make the pass on my second set. This was on my 8th pass (with 3 stops. 2 passes before stopping on the upwind side of the course), second set. I was getting tired . . .

 

 

One thing I am learning, getting a bunch of line load right at the end of the turn, especially with my buddy's zero off equipped boat, is not what I should be shooting for. My buddy, who bends all sorts of weird places at times, and really could improve his stack, completed his first legit pass at 15 off, 34 today. The difference? He started with a great gate, and was much more patient than he often is at the conclusion of each turn. He felt smooth behind the boat, whereas often he can overturn over this tip and load up. He is a bit of a beast, so he usually holds on to it, but he does not usually complete the pass. This time, patient. He was so surprised he finished it, as he said it felt so slow. But the ZO and the time confirmed it.

 

[gregy]

Hadn't had any OTF falls this year but I took a bad wake hit last month at 22off 32. Usually an easy pass, not sure what happened, I came out of 3 ball and ended smacking the side of the wake. My left lower ribs hurt for weeks. The next week I was trying 28 off 34 and hit the wake again. Hyperextended my left elbow and it didn't fell too good on my bruised ribs. Since that last fall I decided to work on form at 15 off for a while. Been working on counter rotating.

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, I spoke too soon when I said "no" injuries. I was a little stiff in between my shoulders and could feel my neck right after, but it went away. But yesterday, neck and shoulder stiffness, and ultimately last night, a big muscle spasm back in there showed up. Ugh! I guess it is not atypical for stiffness, etc. to really set in a few days later.

 

I had been icing a bit, and saw my chiropractor (my wife). Feels a bit better now I guess ice, arnica, stretching, and seeing my chiro for a little while is in order.

[Razorskier1]

Took one this year. Going for six ball on a really sloppy 35 early in the year. Load locked, tons of speed and totally out of control. Flipped off the front and the top of my left foot whacked the ski hard. Pretty sure it was broken based on the way it looks now 4 months later and how painful it was for weeks after the injury. Didn't go to a doctor -- that would have ended my ski season. Think I have a broken toe now -- same thing -- no doctor -- that would end my ski season!

[ForrestGump]

Went out the front and landed on my left arm into the wake last year at 35off. Hyperextended my elbow and was off the water for a month. Not fun.

 

I would personally not recommend taking any headers. LOL