New year, new injuries
Greetings and happy 2024, may it be an excellent one to all of us!
There’s been great talk of an El Niño this season, which (sometimes) translates to a lot of rain, snow, and surf. Meaning, when there’s an El Niño I always get über excited!!
The early season started with a bang on the surf side, there were so many good days of waves, I felt like I was on a surf trip but sleeping on my own bed!
Those who know me know I’m a surf fanatic, and it’s excellent cross training for my snowboarding career.
The end of year and early 2024 delivered us spectacular waves, I did go out on the biggest & cleanest day I’ve ever seen at Rincon, the “Queen of the Coast”. Took many beatings and waves hold downs and had marathon sessions, I was extremely fit after a non stop week of waves.
Ands then… came a “string of bad luck”. It usually happens on smaller surf days, or when you’re tired and make mistakes.
First I fell awkwardly when taking off, and hit the board’s nose on the inside of my arm, got a bad bruise and weeks of discomfort, but it was fine.
Second, a few days later, I scored an excellent wave and went all out on it, did 2 awesome maneuvers off the top, then risked a third critical maneuver and again, fell awkwardly and hit my board’s nose on my top rib! So much pain I couldn’t breathe for a minute, at first I thought I had broken my rib, but then it subsided and I knew I was OK. Still, pain for weeks when breathing. But it was fine.
Third, a day later —I shouldn’t have surfed after that rib injury. But you just never know when the waves are gonna be that good again, I had to try! Turns out the forecast was wrong and surf was below average. It hurt so much to lay on my board and paddle, each paddle movement was a moan from my rib pain. I quickly realized I better go back in and rest this injury. Then it happened… just a rookie mistake, I fell on a pretty mediocre wave that was gonna be my last, to take me back to dry land; upon surfacing after falling, rule # 1 says “always have your hand above your head,” I stupidly hadn’t done that and hit my head on my board’s fin when I came up. End result 6 staples on my head and time out of the water.
It’s just the things I do, sometimes there’s risks, sometimes you gotta pay to play. But it’s all good and I’m (almost) back to 100%
