The Dreaded Face Plant!!!

[zegm]

OK, I am a middle age dude (Time magazine says 50 is now middleaged!!!) and I grew up water skiing. So you know we got some young uns, and the dealer gives a LF Shane wakeboard. So MrsZ (the good skier of the house) goes out and wow jumps high in the air with this thing! This after having neck surgery! So Wow I want to try that too! I get up a couple of times no problem and just get the feel for it. On my third try I get up go about 50ft and WHAM on my face I go! I had to peel my eyelids back down! So here is the question, first why did this happen and second why in the heck would anyone want to do this wakeboarding???
I need several good answers soon or I ain't getting back on that thing again!!!

[jmvotto]

The challenge that we all want to master it. They get easier to see coming, but they still hurt like hell.(faceplants that is)

[04OUTBACK]

I am guessing you had not rotated enough to the side and had too open of a stance..front edge= facepalnt.
Once you get up Let go with your back hand (right if you ride left foot forward) This will help you get the rotation better and stay more lined up..
I took my older bro and his kids 4th weekend and he had the same prob.. he grew up on slalom...there may be a connection there..

BW

[Limishowman3]

Every day you start riding better and better, and the face plants hurt less and less. Ill probably bite my lip for saying this but, I haven't had a nasty fall the last 4 or 5 times I boarded. Once you jumping w2w and get more air each time, you just keep wanting to do it and try new things. You'll get your nasty falls and injuries but you still want to come back for more. Time and patients and thats all you'll need.

Yah you caught your front edge and whack face plant. All it does is clean your eye balls for yah, and give you some good neck pain 24hrs later. Same as the guy before said in correcting it. If you turn you head and put arm up in front of your face as you fall, your arm takes the brunt end of the force and your head should stay good, though its hard to think about that in that split second. You'll learn it subconsciously after the 50th time you face planted haha.

[jmvotto]

I see alot of people riding one handed behind the boat or in the flats, this might help get aligned. I am having the same issues being a skier. also having issues keeping my back right heel down. I have a repaired crushed ankle with srews in it and I tend to ride on the ball of my foot both boarding and skiing. trying to figure ot the stance better to get more comfortable.

I saw a you tube video where a guy setup a wake board like a slalom ski, not vey stable and looked hard I will post if i find it again. Body square but not alot of fun.


JV

[ian ashton]

I see alot of people riding one handed behind the boat or in the flats, this might help get aligned.

I always ride one handed unless I'm aproaching the wake for a jump or pulling really hard where I need both hands; it just feels more natural.

My dad also seems to have the same problem with lining up correctly, he is also a slalom-er and can't seem to ride behind the boat sideways

[JesseC]

The unforseen faceplants become less and less as you progress. I can tell when one is coming and prepare for it which makes the impact more bearable. However when you progress, the speed increases and this is when you need a helmet. We never ride without them no matter what the skill level is. I am recovering from a full blackout concussion from three weeks ago and a compressed back from one week ago. As soon as I feel better, I am landing that whirlybird that started the entire mess!!!! The forseen faceplant is where the helmet comes in. I can not remember the last time I had an eyelid faceplant...those suck by the way. Now when I forsee one coming I turn my head and hug my chest, by turning your head you protect the eyes, but with out the helmet, goodbye ear drums. Ever since switching to a snug neoprene vest and the helmet the crashes have become much more bearable.

[SoTX]

Talk about bye bye ear drums is right. Last weekend landed wrong and I am paying the price with an extremely sore ear.
Look I am 45 years old and I am by no means a good wake boarder. I can get some air but thats about it. Some of my body slams I can only equate to my football days. Some of the real slobber knockers I took in football have definetly eaqualed the slams I have taken on a wake board.
I think I will be trying the helmet deal.

[gcombe74]

Ya know.. I might actually really like that time magazine... only because I am 34 and that means that I am not middle aged yet ... lol

[SEARK]

Yall forgot to add the sinus cleansing you get with the face plant or "rat trap" as we call it. I took one this past weekend and I found out the difference between being 42 and 32. At 32 I would've gotton up and gone again. At 42 I got back in the boat.