Sport Today

i only just recently (august '89) learned
to windsurf.  sadly, the weather quickly
got too cold for me to do much in the way
of cementing my learnings solidly.

now it is getting warmer, and this past
weekend i attempted to get back out and
practice a bit in anticipation of a great
time later this summer.

are wetsuits designed to be so skin tight
as to neccesitate twenty minutes of struggle
to get into one?  after likening the experience
to being eaten alive by a large snake, one
windsurfer laughed and stated that he ALWAYS
got the largest wetsuit available simply to
save trouble and fit.  he wore an xl.  i found,
after trying on all other suits, that the xl was
the only one that i would comfortably haul up
around my thighs (no stupid comments here,
i simply have a very solid structure).

what is the optimum wind speed for a beginner
who wishes to remember how to heft the sail and
tack/jibe?  the wind at the lake was about
8 to 10 knots, and even with the smallest sail
i could find, i was having enormous difficulties
maintaing control of the sail.  indeed, after
reaching the opposite side of the lake, the wind
was stiff enough to cause untold difficulties
in lifting the sail to make the return trip.

what have people found to be good care for
injured body parts?  during my wrestle with
the sail, i was knocked overboard by the boom
and landed knee first on a rock in ankle-deep
water.  though the knee has not bruised, it
is sore and complains if torqued slightly, so
at the moment i am not running and am doing my
best to ensure it does not torque while it is
healing.  

unfortunately, this injury means i will have
to stay off sailboards for the rest of the month
(for healing and scheduling purposes), but at
least it should ensure proper healing.  is ice
or heat better for it?

                                stormwind

                                hell's amazon

        R est
        I ce
        C ompression
        E levation

Avoid heat and aspirin for the first day or two; they would increase the
swelling.  I usually find that the damage caused by swelling is much
worse than the damage caused by the injury.  

There are some very effective anti-inflammatory ***.  Before I went
to the Gorge last year, my doctor gave me a prescription for Naprosin (sp?).
I don't remember why I was taking it--maybe for a minor injury to my
hand or foot.  This medication allowed me to thoroughly abuse my
body and feel no after effects.  One day I sprained my ankle very
badly; it did not hurt much or swell becuase of the medication; but it
took over a month to heal completely.

A few days after an injury, I have found either heat or ice effective.

Big waves at the Gorge this year?  Maybe I'll stay an extra week.  The
last few year have been disappointing with respect to the waves.

        Jim Tear  --  Hewlett-Packard  --  Ft. Collins, CO

If you have a knee injury that does not get better after a week or so,
you should be sure to see a doctor, preferably an orthopaedic surgeon,
as they can be quite serious (and many times the knee is incapable of
healing itself).  Sometimes, rest is the best medicine.