Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Watanabe back on U.S. Team

Comeback kid to race in Chile

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By MICHAEL AMES
Express Staff Writer

After suffering what his physical therapist John Koth called "the worst of the injuries," a motorcycle-crash-bad injury, Graham Watanabe is back on top of his game.

Watanabe, 22, who has suffered two serious injuries in the last three years, recently regained his spot on the U.S. Snowboard team and positioned himself to race in the World Cup boardercross circuit.

"He showed he’s got the stuff," says Koth, who oversaw Watanabe’s recent recovery from a four-part pelvic fracture suffered during a race in Mammoth, Ca, Jan. 9, 2004.

The "high-impact, high-trauma," injury occurred after Watanabe overshot a landing and fell "30-35 feet onto the flats." The crash left him with not only the pelvic fractures, but a hyper-extended right elbow and sprained thumb. "The thumb really hurt," said Watanabe with a laugh.

On crutches for two months, Watanabe attacked the gym and, exactly four months after the crash, was cleared to return to normal sporting activity.

"On that day he could distance jump 125 percent of his body length on one leg," said Koth. "It was a very quick recovery, but that’s the kind of kid he is," Koth said.

In the spring of 2002 Watanabe ruptured his ACL, his patella tendon and tore his meniscus in several places. Surgery had brought him back from that injury before his more recent crash sidelined him again.

"He suffered two very severe injuries and a rare combination of injuries and to come back from both of those things is incredible," said Koth.

"The fact that somebody can injure themselves severely and…with the technology of doctors and surgeons and the support of friends and family…get back to competition, is pretty cool," says Watanabe.

Watanabe’s comeback was made real at a Mt. Hood training camp in mid-June. He decided to switch disciplines, away from the shortened GS courses and towards the varied skills of boardercross.

After winning a day’s time trials and finishing third in a final heat race, he ended the camp placed third overall and qualified for a Continental Cup in Chillan, Chile Aug. 3.

The Chillan event will be followed by another Continental Cup in Valle Nevado, Chile and the eventual season opening World Cup in September, also at Valle Nevado.

For now, Watanabe is staying in shape and enjoying the Idaho summer with white water kayaking, coed soccer and Sunday evening poker nights, where his performance has recently been exceptional.

Watanabe is also a former soccer player for Wood River High and played on two state championship teams in 1998 and 1999.

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