What are some of the biggest and worst windsurfing injuries that have occured? Has anyone been put out of the sport for life or anything like that? Are they more comon in speed sailing or in the waves? I would have guessed in the waves.

bubs

late 80s or early 90s put myself on crutches for a week or so, landing a reverse jump badly. Here's a warning to you Bubs, learn to jump both ways if you can, cause if you only learn the one direction, if you get big air in the other direction, all the controls are reversed, instead of doing a nice float down, and feather smooth landing, you go into a power dive, and put your knees up around your ears!

Cracked rib, high side at avy

Almost knocked out with head hit to mast, saved life but destroyed gath.

Concusion, mild whiplash, whole back needed straightening (at Chiro), everything hurt for week, destroyed 2mth old boom, bent all bolts in mast base after hitting a floating weed patch with slalom fin going from 57kmh - zero in a board length and getting slammed into water whilst still hooked in.

and my personal favorite

Partially dislocated both shoulders on a long wave sailing session with to bigger sail

One of the more common injuries is the MCL in your knee. You wipe out with one foot in the straps, the board goes one way and you go another.

When this happened to me I was going about 5 km/h, in a lake with no waves. I heard the POP as the ligament snapped, and figured something was wrong... one month later I was back on the water.

I mean it would be OK if I did it when going for the second forward in mast and a half sets, in 40 knots, but when you're just hopping off your board and a foot sticks in the strap it's a bit embarrassing

Sore feet from landing so many big moves perfectly.

My poor ego...

Blew eardrum out when learning pushies
Too much push to early in rotation and I smack down very hard from very high on side of head. This not hurt much, there was many ringing in my ear and it feel cold for sure but not real sore.
I knew he was burst when i try clear my ears and comrade standing next to me could hear it.
Could also blow smoke out my ear
Also got water in back of throat when doctor spray saline fluid into ear

I also dislocate toe and break bones in foot on big pushie (end over rotation with mast tip)
I put picture of toe (after he put back in place) here
www.seabreeze.com.au/gallery/gallery.asp?imageid=3004

My rig seperated from the mast foot and I landed ars*e first on the mast foot. It hurt, but also sort of felt good, if you know what I mean.. (every cloud has a silver lining)

I got hit on my nut a few years ago by the mast during an attempt at a gybe. Dashed straight out and brought a helmet. I have been nutted a few times since and my good old helmet saves me every time.

Did some specy aerial moves early last week at Lucky Bay in the horrendous gusty conditions. I think one was a triple back roll with twist. All done without my gear naturally. Landed flat on my back twice in quick succession after quick stops and wondered why my neck musculs (I will have to buy a dictionary) were so sore the following day, and the next, etc...

23 Dec 1989. The day my life chaged forever. Compound fracture of Tib and Fib after having the point (front) of another board smash into my shin. Simple accident maxed on a 4.5 in a speed run. Not sure what happened but I think I jibed from Starboard and he turned up wind from Port to come into the shoal we were sailing down a few feet away. Didn't see each other. Took an inch of the front of his board and peeled the deck open. Hair and flesh imbedded in his board. He never sailed again. My bones shattered and punched out the front of my shin to have a look at the world. The hole was that big I had to keep count of the bandages that were put in it for a week while the doc figured out how to fix it. I was off windsurfing for 8 months and didn't play Squash for 2 years. Oh yeah had 12 stitches in my left leg from the same accident. Operations, external fixitures, plaster, muscle flap (my muscle from the back of my leg is at the front know) skin graft, bone graft, more plastics etc etc. Crutches for 6 months. Not the best way to make the local windsurfing mag. Pics on request but not before Dinner.


Others since
Stitches in Eye brow, spiral frature of bone in hand etc etc etc. None seem to matter after a major.
Still charging at 44 but. Even moved to WA from NZ to sail more.

Deano

Doing a body drag, board flipped over and i buried the fin 2 cms into my thigh. Not too bad but feinted when i saw how cose it came to the family jewels!

And this is how they generally happen.



Love the Drop Kick Murphys doing Amazing Grace



Alby

Jaws is not the place to cavitate a fin

Broken ribs - 2x - 2 ribs once - 1 rib. Catapaulting while on speed runs.

Broken big toe/foot - chipped the socket - foot came out of a footstrap mid jump and was jambed back in - flexing the big toe back and chipping the bone from the socket.

Currently have a chronic shoulder injury - 2 large bits of calcium (2 1cm) have grown on the tendons/ligaments in the shoulder - probably due to a windsurfing injury. This could put me out for 8 months if surgery is required to fix!!

Many cut feet (infected from coral)


- J

Been knocked on the head a couple of times by mast coming down with full power in the sail. Lucky not to have been knocked out reckon. Good reason to wear a helmet.

almost cut the big toe off on the reef at wello.

er, rather embarrassing...

years ago I was sailing at Nobbies and it dropped off so I was standing on the beach with the guys chatting. as it picked up, everyone grabbed their gear and headed in. I grabbed the bank strap and yanked upwards to free the fin from the sand. failed to notice I had one toe either side of the back of the fin. felt the crunch. didn't have any pain so peeled the toes apart to have a better look. toes kept peeling further than they should!

clubby washed my toes out and sent me off to the doc, who put in a local and scrubbed out the sand. he was short on staff so I had to hold my own toes apart while he put the six stitches in.

moral: if you're a moron like me, don't take up windsurfing.

matt