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Done Footin !


1footer

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I know Im sorta still new to the site but thought Id share a few thoughts.

Been into waterskiing since the late 80's, Barefooting has been my passion.

I mean I do like other stuff but Footing was it, I cant go by a body of water that is flat that doesnt give me a woody.My buddies are the same way, Im sure we are all the same no matter what discapline of water skiing we are into.

Well not to go too deep on this but Footing tends to have some hard falls, backwards footing falls have been some of the most violent.guess you have to take the good with the bad :)

The way your head hits the water immediatly after your heels catch and then the cart wheels and somersaults.

Have you ever had a burning going down your neck to your tricepts, through your forearms and into your pinky fingers ? After a real harf fall ? See white dots ???

This sound familiar to anyone ?

This year I was going to work on back wakes and one foots so I could get to the point of doing surface turns on my feet. So yes I worked hard this year, had some good days and some bad.

I always try to ski safely, have worn a neck brace for years.

At first everyone gave me s*** about it and slowly they all came around , wether they borrowed or bought there own.

At the end of this season I didnt feel too bad and then one day I did something that pushed that C/7 disk over the edge.After about 4 to five weeks of intense pain in my right arm,numb from the neck to 2 pinky fingers and felt like someone was hitting my elbow with a sledge hammer I found out I had a Herniated C/7 Disk, tried tons of stuff before an MRI.

Like a Chiropractor wich probably made it worse....

Finally consulted a Surgeon and tried a Cortisone shot the day before Thanksgiving.

I must stay this was the most painful thing to date I had ever felt.

I think he knew he was only buying me a few days, get me through the holiday.

Felt good for 2 days and BAM right back where I was.

Surgery was the next option......go it done last Monday.

C/7 Disectomy !

Im feeling much better, today was first day without pain meds and full mobilty of my right arm.

The past few weeks really have made me think about what I have been doing.

Skiing is Fun, its been my life for almost 20 years...... Im done !

Cant imagine going through this pain again, putting my wife and 8 year old daughter through it all over again for a sport.

All I can say for anyone who has felt this pain / burning before get a good neck brace, do yourself a favor.Do your Family the favor.......Short term disability sucks.

Not trying to preach.....although I have seen some "real " preaching here J/K

FWIW take care of yourself, listen to your body and just dont slam down those 800Mg Ibuprofens to get ya through the day....it will catch up to you.

OK Im off my soapbox and going for the Percosets to sleep through the night :)

Later

John

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Sorry to hear it, John. I have a similar problem with L4 / L5--combination of basketball and skiing. Our Flightcraft was traded in a year ago for our LSV family boat. Not nearly as much excitement, but we really enjoy a more casual day on the water with the whole family. Speedy recovery.

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John- sorry to hear about your injury, one of my skiing buddys had to quit skiing because of a problem exactly like yours about 4 years ago, he thru two disks near the neck skiing backwards and had the exact symptoms as you, funny the very same year i took some bad falls learning backwards toe hold and injured my left shoulder, was never the same and this summer i injured it again, i have not been able to ski since june, i also had surgery last monday and you're right, it sucks sitting home typing with one hand!... my injury is not as severe as yours but is the first one for me, never been off work before so i am reconsidering my options for next season on, i'm not ready to quit but at my age and after this injury i can tell you i will not be doing any more flyers off the dock roof!... hope everything works out well for you!... :)

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Sorry to hear about that. It sucks getting old. I've got neck problems but, not that bad. I've backed way off the intensity that I used to put into my skiing so that I won't end up going to a surgeon. What I really like now is watching the younger generation come up helping them as much as I can. I always would have liked to learn to foot but, not anymore. Find some young people in your family, on your lake or somewhere that want to learn and start hanging out with them. If they're into it, you will love teaching them.

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1Footer,

I am so sorry to hear about your misfortune. I read your email with a quezy stomach. It almost makes me sick to hear your story. I too absolutely love to foot and have been working very hard the past two summers, now doing backwards and learning back one foots. I took a bell ringer last summer while doing a reverse back one foot and I totally understand why "they" call it a bell ringer; I literally heard bells in my ears. Since that fall it makes me wonder about doing it again??? And then I hear your story and well.....what the heck am I doing? I just couldn't imagine giving this sport up right now, but man.... .some serious sole searching is needed to continue. Your family sounds familar to mine (ie. 8 year daughter )so you always have to think about them.

Just curious, did you have your neck brace on when you fell? and what kind is it? I have been told different things about wearing a neck brace.

All the best with your recovery.

Kevin

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Thanks for sharing your story. Best to you on the recovery and I respect that you have done some soul-searching and made the right choice for you and your family.

I would also like to hear a bit more about neck braces.

I'm not a real good 'footer and these comments are not directed at the OP, just general. When I walk on the water, we acknowledge the inherent danger, but don't talk about it. Not a forbidden subject, but definitely frowned upon. I'm thinkin' you have to have a bit of an edge when you go out there. Maybe the real experienced footers will disagree, don't know. I just know that when I leave the boat I like to be full of piss and vinegar. . .when done and I haul myself on the platform I like to still be full of vinegar! :)

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Anybody read the story in WSM during the past year about the footer that lost his big toe footing with 2 or 3 up and someone dropped the rope and the handle hit his toe and tore it off. He still barefoots.

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Uh, huh! Been there done all of that. Plus I have 18" herrington rods in my Thurasic spine. Paralized my right hand vocal cord a couple of years ago from a barefoot fall.

But I'm like a Timex, I take a licking and keep on ticking. At least I have so far. I've not givin up barefooting but I've come to the conclusion I need to slow down.

I took a very hard backwards fall last Sept and I honestly thought I broke my fusion or bent my rods. I never felt such pain in my life. Scared the heck out of me. So far the pain has subsided....Billfooter ain't going to out do me!!! Crazy.gif

Edited by Sunset_Bob
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Anybody read the story in WSM during the past year about the footer that lost his big toe footing with 2 or 3 up and someone dropped the rope and the handle hit his toe and tore it off.  He still barefoots. 

 

88- i read the story, he also said he has problems skiing backwards now because since he is missing his toe he does not have an equal balance on that foot, did you also hear the story about an experience barefooter in wi or mi who was paralyzed from the neck down in a tournament doing a simple tumble turn?... his name escapes me now, i'll try to find the story and post it unless maybe one of you guys from up north know his name.

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Hi All

Thanks for all of your responses and care, I am feeling better every day.....very strange !

Im off Pain meds completely so this is a good thing.

OK for the neckbrace, I always wore one.Bad thing is it wasnt doing its job.

I had the one from the Barefoot company, its sort of small not too restricting......duh probably why it didnt really help all that much.

In Sept of this year I skied with Ron Scarpa up here in N.E. in a clinic and he commemted on my neck brace.....he was like Dude....with a neck like yours do you think that thing is doing anything for you ?

He told me to check out the one he sells, much larger and would give you suppport and hopefully keep your head on your shoulders !So if I were to do it again thats where I would start.

That was one fun day...... this is gonnna kill me ! Ron is Fun to be with, had a ball with Name that tune with him controlling the radio.Im getting ready to roll over for a back deep and spitting out songs......very funny day ! He beat me bad !!!

I love to take things to the extreme and footing was my passion, its going to be hard.

If I even get close to putting on my suit my wife will shoot me, not to mention she was my number one driver....so Im cooked !

Definatly going to do some sole searching and hopefully my little girl gets the fever and wants to ski this year. I have her up on skis long line, she wont cross the wake yet but we shall see.

Always wanted to have this for her to grow up with, but she needs to show the interest.

Dont know how I am going to react having the FlightCraft in glass conditions when Im feeling better.....Im weak......my wife would tend to say STUPID .....What ever !

I didnt want to scare anyone out of Footing, or Backwards for that matter.

Just to listen to what your body is tellin ya, I had signs of this coming my way for years !

But I chose not to listen and Im indestructable......felt that way right up to hearing the words from the doctor....Surgery......then everything changed.....sucks to get old :)

John

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.....sucks to get old :)

only slightly better than not getting older.

banana george is my hero and i keep saying that if i croak at the end of a bf line that would be good. just wind the line around my ankles and 'hit it'. when the rope comes back empty just salute and head to the ramp.

then reality smacks me with another faceplant. sure hate to have that last faceplant turn into something where the family has to tend after me.

i suppose i will have to grow up someday. not sure i'm going to like that. pretty sure i'm not going to like that. who makes these rules anyway?

while i hate to see another kid grow up, congratulations on doing so.

hope i'm that smart some day.

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Anybody read the story in WSM during the past year about the footer that lost his big toe footing with 2 or 3 up and someone dropped the rope and the handle hit his toe and tore it off.  He still barefoots. 

 

88- i read the story, he also said he has problems skiing backwards now because since he is missing his toe he does not have an equal balance on that foot, did you also hear the story about an experience barefooter in wi or mi who was paralyzed from the neck down in a tournament doing a simple tumble turn?... his name escapes me now, i'll try to find the story and post it unless maybe one of you guys from up north know his name.

I never heard that. That's awful. Freak accidents happen. I met a guy last year that had flown fighter jets and had done all kinds of dangerous stuff and he was snow skiing and took a stupid, unspectacular fall on a blue trail he had skiied on most of his life and ended up in a wheel chair. Stuff happens.

I love watching bare footers, they make it look so easy, especially Scarpa.

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1 Footer

Like you, four years ago I fractured a vertebrae in my back from a crash doing a front to back. While I cannot say that i have stopped skiing, I certainly have curtailed my efforts on the water and cannot / will not do as much as I used to.

In 1995, I crashed off a ramp while executing a front flip. I broke my wrist in three paces and tore my bicep in two. The doctors said that I would never throw a ball with my kid or even be able to pick her up with that arm. They were wrong, but it sure got me thinking. I agree, its not worth it. I have not been off a ramp since.

Good luck to you.

wilma

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I hurt my shoulder in September. I finally had a MRI Saturday. They called today to tell me I have a tear in my rotator cuff. Might have to have a little knife action. I'll find out Friday. Got to get it fixed before ski season!

As long as ol Sunset Bob keeps his broke down body going I'll be skiing with him. We're gonna foot at least till we are 60.

Bill

Edited by BillFooter
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I hurt my shoulder in September.  I finally had a MRI Saturday.  They called today to tell me I have a tear in my rotator cuff.  Might have to have a little knife action.  I'll find out Friday.  Got to get it fixed before ski season!

bill- i just had that done a week ago, if it is as bad as mine and the orthopedic surgeon said mine is the worse he had seen you wont be skiing for at least 6 months at the earliest!... i wish you the best!

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I tend to have a penchant for what they call "scorpion falls". That is, the shallow entry face plant where the heels basically touch the back of your head. Almost every BF fall I have is this same fall. The back is thrown into a very tight reverse bend. Never any permenant injuries, but I have blown my eardrum 4X. I basically hung it up this season, footing only at a charity event in May. Luckily slalom provides a tremendous amount of challenge and fun for me, and no scorpion falls!

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When barefooting is your passion you're in for some falls! I've been pretty fortunate. A hole burned in the side of my foot at a figure 8 tournament is my worst injury to date. Backwards falls are especially scary.

My best advise for newer footers is to NEVER attempt any trick even remotely beyond your current level of skill. Tricks should be perfected on land and shoe skis before taking it to your feet. Use common sense to experience the fewest amount of falls as possible.

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I hurt my shoulder in September.  I finally had a MRI Saturday.  They called today to tell me I have a tear in my rotator cuff.  Might have to have a little knife action.  I'll find out Friday.  Got to get it fixed before ski season!

bill- i just had that done a week ago, if it is as bad as mine and the orthopedic surgeon said mine is the worse he had seen you wont be skiing for at least 6 months at the earliest!... i wish you the best!

I don't think it is real bad. I skied a couple of weekends after I hurt it. I lift light weights and have been doing rehab exercises for the last three months. It still hurts every day (especially at night) but I am starting to get some strength back. I'll know more about noon Friday.

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I don't think it is real bad.  I skied a couple of weekends after I hurt it.  I lift light weights and have been doing rehab exercises for the last three months.  It still hurts every day (especially at night) but I am starting to get some strength back.  I'll know more about noon Friday.

wish you the best!... keep us posted.

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Well,

I told my doctor a couple of weeks ago that I hurt my shoulder in September, and that it still hurt pretty bad. He had me get a x-ray first, and then a MRI. The x-ray showed no bone damage, but his office said the MRI showed a tear in the rotator cuff and scheduled me to see an orthopedic specialist today. The specialist said it was not the rotator cuff that was torn, but a slight tear in a ligament. The fall(s) I took in September strained the ligaments and muscles causing swelling. The swelling caused a ligament to rub against one of the bones. This rubbing caused slight tear in the ligament. and the continuous rubbing keeps it swelled up and causes the pain. They injected my shoulder with steroids to reduce the swelling and promote healing. They also gave me a prescription for Naproxen to reduce pain and swelling. I start physical therapy Monday. If the swelling is reduced enough to end the ligament rub on bone it should be fine. If it does not improve in three weeks they will consider arthroscopic surgery.

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Getting old sucks. I just had an Epidural Steriod Injection into L4 this last Friday. 3rd one since 99. Pressure on the nerves will create some outerworldly pain. I feel like a million bucks now.

I wouldn't that type of pain on anyone.

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