Quiz: Why cripple yourself for an air?

Is the risk of injury worth the joy of soaring through the air? Our man says yes!

Thanks to a recent injury, I spent my day filming my friends from a channel-bound boogie board. Three hours of dodging kooks and diving under sets was more fun than I’d imagined it would be, but nowhere near the fun of riding waves for myself.

I must admit that, in a moment of weakness, I forgot about my crippled limb and pulled into one running double-up that slipped beneath the crowd. As surfers, there are some things we’ll never be able to pass up and a one-foot belly barrel is surprisingly high on my list.

Another, it would seem, is a perky ramp.

Ever since I was a kid, airs have been a source of excitement in my life. I’ve never been good at them, but in recent years I’ve made significant strides in technique and consistency. It’s still probably the weakest part of my game, but beyond threading barrels, airs are my favorite thing to do on (off?) a wave.

They’re also very dangerous.

Anytime your board loses traction with the water, the risk level increases exponentially. In a frictionless medium, there’s nothing to stop your stick from flipping over and exposing flesh-hungry fins. There’s also the nose, rails, and tail to worry about with even the slightest glitch in flight.

And even if you accomplish a flawless jump, terrible injury can occur when re-engaging with the wave.

Busted ankles and knees plague the world’s best surfers and it’s no coincidence. Considering the heights they regularly fall from and the uneven platforms they tend to land on, it’s a miracle they’re not injured 300 days of the year.

In the past five years, I’ve suffered three major surf-related injuries. A high-ankle sprain (air), a fractured vertebrae (attempted barrel, but technically just a failed drop), and now some sort of ACL tear (air).

I imagine the statistics of most aerially-inclined surfers would be similar. They probably have a higher injury rate than “big-wave” or “barrel  guys”.

Which raises the question: are airs worth it? That is, worth the risk of bodily harm, time out of the water, and the psychological trauma caused by serious injury?

I just can’t imagine soiling a perfect ramp with a layback or something lame like that.* Much like with barrels, some waves are truly made for flight. Avoiding an invitation to soar is only marginally better than dodging a tube.

My dad has a strong opinion on the matter. “You gotta stop with the airs,” he told me, after my most recent incident. “Just stick to riding the wave. Airs can’t be that fun.”

But aren’t they? I think they are.

At least I think I think they are.

I just can’t imagine soiling a perfect ramp with a layback or something lame like that.* Much like with barrels, some waves are truly made for flight. Avoiding an invitation to soar is only marginally better than dodging a tube.

So, readers, please help a young man in need. The day I can surf again, whenever that may be, should I earnestly avoid flight?

Do I banish airs once and for all in order to extend my body’s shelf life?

Or should I continue to bet against the house, if only for the sake of feeling God’s breath beneath my fins?

*Not all laybacks are lame, but mine definitely are.