Hard landings are hard on knees

Reaper356 · Since 10 Dec 2006 781 Posts Salem / LC Oregon Opinionated

I've recently learned that hard landings have consequences:

I had several hard landings during a session / sessions this winter at the Siletz. My knee hurt on and off for four months, but i could still kite fine. Finally started hurting to walk - so I went to the doctor. Physical joint inspection checked out, so we did an MRI. MRI came back and said that I'd bruised the bone on the backside of my knee!! Takes several months to heal due to reduced blood flow. He's like "You fall recently or something?" ... yeah kinda.

I'm about half way through physical therapy now, doesn't hurt to walk anymore, and kiting's been fine as long as I take it easy on the jumps!

I know sometimes it's impossible, but I'm definately working on smoother re-entry! I do have LF Luxury bindings which help for sure!

consumer · Since 28 Nov 2010 406 Posts banned Obsessed

factors that may help:
1. Try a different board
2. Try a different stance (duck/width)
3. Try boots

These can all alter the load on your joint. It'll take some analysis to identify an ideal for your healing and preferred riding style.

nickdward · Since 11 Aug 2008 130 Posts Seattle Stoked

I don't know if I'd recommend boots for bad knees. I tore my ACL/MCL/meniscus wearing boots landing something that I probably would've bailed on if I was in straps.

While recovering from a knee ailment is the perfect time to try strapless riding though! If you hit some funky chop or feel your knee giving, just fall off the board.

As far as jumping with bad knees, working on softer landings will help, but focusing on your leg strength will get at the root of the problem.

Ask your therapist for some quad and hamstring exercises. Building the muscles around the knee joint will take pressure off the joints and lower the likelyhood of a blowout. Also, if your knee/leg feels fatigued it's time to go in and rest because this is when most blowouts occur.

MarkWorth · Since 02 May 2011 149 Posts Hood River Stoked

You might be aware of this but just in case:
Kite position and power on landing are key to soft landings. Rotating the kite into a dive or a loop just before landing will power up the kite, and change the angle of your descent. This decent angle change allows you to swing your downward momentum into forward motion and drastically reduce the impact.
The standard approach on a port tack (left hand in front) would be climb kite to 11:00 at moderate power. At 11:00 rotate the kite deeper (away from slack line) with a gentle right hand pull, then pull hard with both hands to generate lift force appropriate for your target altitude. As you go up keep the kite deep by sheeting in, or for a fast kite / big air by turning the kite tightly back and forth it repeatedly (looping is an option). Slack line at this point will cause you to drop and hurt your knees. Just before contacting the water your kite must be at 11:00 and rotating into a dive. Option 2 for the more the aggressive kiter is to have the kite at 1:00 and down loop it. Ether option should result with you moving across the water at landing. Altitude = speed so as you descend your choice is what angle descent you want that speed to translate to.

hoodkiter · Since 10 Jul 2010 95 Posts Hood River, OR

switching to boots actually helped for me. Hard landings in straps puts all the energy into your ankles and knees. Get some Wake Boots with thick heel pads, and they will absorb a lot of the impact.

i use these:

http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/men-liquid-force-vantage-wakeboard-boots-2008-reviews#readReviews

Also, get a softer board. it will help too.

grom · Since 07 Aug 2006 173 Posts Bolstad Clan

knee braces help. also glucosamine pills daily

wakeup · Since 11 Sep 2005 328 Posts always Obsessed

first off it starts with knowing your limits
lets face it, not everyone was meant to be out landing the biggest hardest tricks
experience plays a big role in addition to talent
some folks are just good right out of the box, while others have to spend years to refine their craft through perseverance, dedication, and repetition.
with that said
the right gear can definitely help in aiding those of us who have to put in the time to get better.
Boots are one of the biggest ways to increase board control, increase power handling, increase your load on load and pop tricks, and stick big hard landings.
Imagine snowboarding with your heels loose and your foot moving around a lot in your boot....
With boots you can learn how to fall properly and learn how to let your board take the impact of crashes rather than your body by analyzing, visualizing, and fully committing to your tricks rather than just hucking it
Even old guys just out cruising around can benefit from boots. You can throw down some hard slayshes, never lose your board, and if your jumping you'll be bulkin up those abs for the ladies by carryin a little extra weight around on your board.

At some point you are gonna get hurt. It is hard to blame it on the gear. I think that 99 times out of 100 it is the rider pushing their body past the limits rather than the gear being the cause
A lot of folks out there say "oh well just look at wakeboarders, they all where boots and their knees are shot"
It isn't the boots that wears out their knees. it is from repetitive hard, flat landings.

try some boots, play with the angles and width to get it feeling good.

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Ride sum boots, they will be good for you. Better even will be the rocker on the board that is meant for boots. Rocker will soften your landings exponentially. I personally think the flat design of most kiteboards are adding to your knee ailments.

kt · Since 16 Mar 2005 763 Posts Portland, Or Opinionated

Any advice would be great from others with knee problems.

I have developed "runner's knee" from the last 10 years of pounding the pavement at lunchtime. My patella band is worn out. I have ordered my knee brace after last weekends few landings actually caused me to make a painful grunting noise out on the water.

Also, I have a custom Rogue Wave carbon/stiff board that I don't think is doing me any favors either. I am riding strapless on my surfboard but, even then I can feel it.

Going to be looking for a board with more rocker, any suggestions?

kt

FlyDunes · Since 09 Oct 2007 1034 Posts Aloha XTreme Poster

consumer · Since 28 Nov 2010 406 Posts banned Obsessed

How do you know it's your patella? I thought I had knee issues because I was getting sharp pains on landings or walking up/down stairs. Turned out to be a tight IT band (it band syndrome) . Now that I stretch my it band and changed my stance my pain disappeared . Kinda awesome in my case...

Cap · Since 12 Mar 2008 50 Posts Hood River

I'm over 60, WS for over 20 years, kited almost 10, ski 50 days a year. I've had 2 knee surgeries, my brother is on 2 artificial knees. Thankfully my doctor got me to quit running 10 years ago. I always rode Open Ocean WS boardsbecause they're easier on your knees and since I discovered the Underground kiteboards with their extreme flexibility that's all I use for twintip and my knees seldaom hurt. If after a session your knees bother you, ice them. That really helps. Take care of your knees and you might be kiting and skiing when you're all my age. See you out there today.
Cap

blireef · Since 31 Aug 2009 37 Posts

I'm 65 years old and have been kiting on 2 total knee replacements for 5 years.. I won the 50 year + big air contest with a jump of 28 feet at Lord of The Wind in Baja this year.. I use a Ocean Rodeo Mako 150 for softer ride.. One piece of advice I believe is critical is this: if you're coming down too hard, Butt check it by lifting your board up in front of you and landing on your butt.. You DON'T have to STICK the landing, no one is keeping score.. It'll save your knees, try it.. You can sail right back up out of the water and keep going...

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

More rocker has been mentioned as something that will make landing easier on the knees. What about board position? Would tail first be better or??

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

I dont wanna sound like a dick but sending the kite never really results in that hard of a landing and if your knees are having trouble with this you should definitely get them checked out. Either that or you just need to learn how to fly the kite better when landing.

jackZ · Since 13 Apr 2008 355 Posts Devon Alberta ca. Obsessed

mystery curd · Since 14 Jun 2010 98 Posts Floating

Get a surf board, or ride the one you have lots more. 3 hours on a twin tip, my knees are sore for while afterword, 3 hours on a surfboard, no pain. Twin tips are like riding a Jeep door across the water, bashing and slapping every piece of chop in front of it. That super chop we get at the event site coupled with a twin tip = sore knees. Surfboards cut through and ride over the same stuff with ease. ideally, in my experience a strapless surfboard is the best since it's the least jaring.