No Man's Land: Injuries- The Truth Hurts

Janna Meyen is currently in the midst of an unparalleled winning streak. She dominated the slopestyle field in ten straight events, including three X Games titles and shows no sign of slowing down. What makes this feat more incredible is the struggle she’s endured beyond the contest circuit. Janna’s real battle is a personal one with her knee. After four orthopedic surgeries, Janna’s joints still lack the range of motion they once had and the doctors are running out of solutions. Despite this, Meyen adjusts her style to compensate for the scar tissue, which has built up under her kneecap, and rides through the agony—these days without the aid of painkillers or other inebriants.

“After awhile, one’s pain tolerance goes up and we’re all pretty skewed,” states Alexis Waite, star of the upcoming Misschief Films’ release As If. “We’re a strange breed of people!”

Concussions, fractures, sprains, strains, twists, cuts and bruises are among the wide array of injuries that can occur when falling on a snowboard. For the most part, these wounds aren’t gender specific, but one injury stands alone as a constant threat to a pro female snowboarder’s career. “Women have several anatomic and physiologic factors which predispose them to a higher risk of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) rupture,” states Dr. Michael J. Skyhar, M.D., F.A.C.S. Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon. “Unfortunately, these factors cannot be controlled because of genetics and ‘that’s just the way women are made.’”

Gretchen Bleiler, Janna Meyen, Tara Dakides, Kelly Clark, Annie Boulanger, Nicola Thost, Anne Molin Kongsgaard, Leanne Pelosi, Natasza Zurek, Elena Hight, Kimmy Fasani, Silvia Mittermüller, Amanda Mourant and Anne-Flore Marxer are just a few of the pros who have suffered knee inflictions. The American Journal of Sports Medicine reports that ACL injuries are two to eight times higher in women than in men within the same sport. Though still a highly debated issue, many studies do indicate that women encounter a greater incidence of ACL injuries during their menstrual cycle.

Despite this predisposition to ACL injuries, there are preventative measures one can take to lessen the dangers. “Women have historically trained differently for sports than men,” Dr. Skyhar states. “Training programs that have been proposed to decrease ACL injuries in female athletes focus on developing neuromuscular control of the lower extremity. These programs include specific stretching and strengthening activities but also concentrate on sport-specific agility drills and plyometrics (working on correct takeoff and landings). Most women have historically not lifted weights as diligently or intensely as men, therefore incomplete muscular strengthening places women at a relatively higher risk for injury. Most importantly, any training program done correctly requires a commitment of time and effort over a prolonged period (usually continuously) to yield positive results. Any training program done inadequately will just not work.”

Perhaps the old adage “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is the best route to take. According to Silvia Mittermüller, “I think most injuries can be avoided if you know the obstacle you’re hitting a bit better. Many injuries happen on jumps because people have the wrong speed and overshoot the landing or deck it. I think it’s definitely worth it to spend some runs doing speed checks, straight airs or 3s.”

Current US Open jib jam champion Leanne Pelosi agrees with Mittermüller: “I know my ability and I try to stay within my limits when I snowboard. I used to think I could learn backside rodeos before I knew backside 180s, but things just don’t work that way. If you take shortcuts, it definitely increases the risk and with that comes more injuries.”

When it comes time to snowboard again post-surgery, it’s important to take it easy. The risk of re-injuring a knee ligament is substantial. And while rehabilitation can change a person’s physique, it can’t change an individual’s physiological makeup. “I started slow and small and worked my way back up gradually,” says Natasza Zurek, who has come back from two ACL reconstructions. “Also, it doesn’t help to constantly be thinking about the injury or injuries [in general]. You have to get that stuff completely out of your head.”

Slopestyle veteran Tara Dakides, whose televised falls have at times caused mainstream hysteria, offers up her advice: “If you want to get over your fears, you will. Sometimes, it just takes a little time. It depends how quickly you want to get back on the horse, so to speak.”

2005 X Games, US Open and Abominable Snow Jam halfpipe winner Gretchen Bleiler agrees: “Just being smart about things and doing what you know is in your ability level helps. Sometimes, you get hurt anyway—but that’s what snowboarding is all about.”