I have a question about board flex.
I tore both of my knee's ACLs in 2001, started surfing in 2002, and started taekwondo in 2004. I spent the next couple years spraining my remaining knee ligaments & damaging their cartilage at least 3-4 times before I finally saw a doctor in 2006 and got the MRIs. Now that I understand the problem, I've spent the last couple years healing my remaining ligaments & strengthening my quads. I have significant damage to my left knee (torn cartilage & meniscus wear) that prevents me from fully straightening that leg, but I'm finally back to a decent level of strength with no swelling. I'll have all my meniscii scraped and both ACLs rebuilt in late 2010 (after our kid's in college) but for now I spend my workouts chugging ibuprofen while doing squats & lunges until my left knee swells with its complaints.
I've realized that I have structural (not mental or muscular!) limits. My knees are much stronger but I can't do single-leg squats like I could before I tore my ACLs. I can't really support my entire body weight on my left leg if it's bent more than 90 degrees. I can't jump-rope on my left leg because I'm missing something that's necessary for muscle leverage or shock absorption. I'm finally skilled enough at taekwondo to realize that there are some maneuvers that I cannot do without an ACL, even when I'm wearing orthopedic knee braces.
I can bottom-turn and steer a board just fine, especially if it's between 7'9"-10'6", but lately I'm beginning to suspect that my knees can't take the g-forces necessary to do a good hard twisting 180-off-the-lip cutback. Lord knows I've tried, but I can't squat down hard & fast enough in the turn. Maybe I could do it if I could get both hands down on the deck, but that kinda screws up the torso-twisting motion to whip the nose around. And I've learned real quickly in taekwondo not to rapidly twist my torso with both feet on the floor.
So I'm intrigued with Jim Richardson's Surflight boards. I can appreciate the hydrodynamic benefits of flex, and it might be a lot easier on my knees.
Have any of you tried a more flexible board, and does this seem legit? Or does it just sound like surfing technobabble? Is there a better technique for carving a sharp turn, or is this why geezer surfers are so smooth and flowing instead of always doing cutbacks?
I tore both of my knee's ACLs in 2001, started surfing in 2002, and started taekwondo in 2004. I spent the next couple years spraining my remaining knee ligaments & damaging their cartilage at least 3-4 times before I finally saw a doctor in 2006 and got the MRIs. Now that I understand the problem, I've spent the last couple years healing my remaining ligaments & strengthening my quads. I have significant damage to my left knee (torn cartilage & meniscus wear) that prevents me from fully straightening that leg, but I'm finally back to a decent level of strength with no swelling. I'll have all my meniscii scraped and both ACLs rebuilt in late 2010 (after our kid's in college) but for now I spend my workouts chugging ibuprofen while doing squats & lunges until my left knee swells with its complaints.
I've realized that I have structural (not mental or muscular!) limits. My knees are much stronger but I can't do single-leg squats like I could before I tore my ACLs. I can't really support my entire body weight on my left leg if it's bent more than 90 degrees. I can't jump-rope on my left leg because I'm missing something that's necessary for muscle leverage or shock absorption. I'm finally skilled enough at taekwondo to realize that there are some maneuvers that I cannot do without an ACL, even when I'm wearing orthopedic knee braces.
I can bottom-turn and steer a board just fine, especially if it's between 7'9"-10'6", but lately I'm beginning to suspect that my knees can't take the g-forces necessary to do a good hard twisting 180-off-the-lip cutback. Lord knows I've tried, but I can't squat down hard & fast enough in the turn. Maybe I could do it if I could get both hands down on the deck, but that kinda screws up the torso-twisting motion to whip the nose around. And I've learned real quickly in taekwondo not to rapidly twist my torso with both feet on the floor.
So I'm intrigued with Jim Richardson's Surflight boards. I can appreciate the hydrodynamic benefits of flex, and it might be a lot easier on my knees.
Have any of you tried a more flexible board, and does this seem legit? Or does it just sound like surfing technobabble? Is there a better technique for carving a sharp turn, or is this why geezer surfers are so smooth and flowing instead of always doing cutbacks?
