Windsurfen – sportmedizinische Aspekte

SummaryWindsurfing – a kind of sport constantly developing further and spreading since 1970 – is a typical fun sport. Competitive windsurfing is practised in Olympic class competition as well as fun board-competition. Depending on the kind of competition the physical requirements and the injury-mechanisms differ. Majority of the injuries were located at the lower extremity, followed by head injuries. The majority of injuries can be classified as minor. Contusions are the most frequent injuries followed by ligament injuries and by fractures/luxations. The majority of injuries occurred doing jumps in wave conditions. The physical strain depends on wind conditions, wave and water conditions and selection of material (sail size). The heart frequency normally ranges around 110/min, but can rise in competitive stress situations up to 180/min.