Below is Chris Bobryk's recent splash, smash n' crash edit. Chris dropped us in a blog about how best to come through these knocks unscathed…
If your kite's not wet you're not trying hard enough… 🙂
Crashing is a crucial part of progression, so it is important to know how to do it properly. I talked to friend and fellow Best team mate Bret Sullivan who is a scholar of FAU’s exercise science program to help me break down what goes on in a proper crash.
Bret: “One of the key factors is to exhale before impact, which serves two purposes – by exhaling you increase abdominal pressure, which forces organs up into the rib cage area for added protection during impact. Exhaling also causes a relaxation of the diaphragm, reducing pressure in the lungs. Rapid exhalation causes a contraction of the abdominal muscles which help protect the diaphragm from spasming, aka “getting the wind knocked out of you.” Practicing this technique will allow for safer sessions with a reduced risk of injury.
“Furthermore, relaxation before impact helps protect from straining and torqueing injuries. That is not to say going limp before a huge slam will completely prevent injuries, however it does help. This may sound counter-intuitive as the natural reaction before a fall is to tense up. However, if you can learn to relax you will save energy and prevent further associated injuries in the process.”
Bret has been helping me train outside of kiting to prevent injury, and to get swole!
Chris Bobryk
Bret Sullivan on a very good hair day
