Cameron Zink video: Comeback number 5

Mar 14, 2009
by Luc 'Acadian' Albert  
If you've ever been unfortunate enough to be sidelined by an injury – you know firsthand how difficult it is to deal with the fact that you cannot ride your bike. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been through a season of riding without getting bruised, banged up or broken. My worst injury was back in 2002 when I shattered my right heel and was on crutches for almost a year.Unfortunately injuries are part of the game and when riding is your life it takes a certain amount of mental and physical toughness to deal with it. Taylor Sage made this sweet video of Cameron Zink who is recovering from his FIFTH knee surgery – check it out and find out what drives him.

Good luck with the recovery Cam!

Blackbox Labs- Cameron Zink Comeback #5

by tsage
Views: 18,861    Faves: 78    Comments: 15


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73 Comments
  • 27 0
 I know exactly what he means about not appreciating being able to ride until you can't, and its true...the small things always do the most damage. Good luck with the recovery!
  • 9 1
 AgreedFrown
  • 11 0
 I crashed and mashed my ankle back in august, still can't ride, still need crutches. I miss it so much, but, my bikes are in really good condition!
  • 34 0
 About 8 years ago I went off the biggest drop I ever hit. Landing was not steep enough and the impact was harsh. I stomped it which felt so good, but during that landing I felt something really weird in my knee. No pain, just a weird sensation. A few months later I started getting pain in my left knee walking down stairs. It got worse and not better with training. After getting an MRI and then surgery the doctor told me that I had crushed a patch or cartilage in the knee, which cause blood flow it to cease, so over time the cartilage died off, and flaked off. They cleaned it up best they could, but now I have no cartilage in the knee which means that when my knee is bent ( in the riding position under load ) it's bone on bone and cause mass amounts of pain. The only thing that allows me to ride it to get jacked up on Motrin or other pain killers. That makes riding bearable but after a hard day of riding, I pay for it with a couple of days of excruciating arthritic pain. There is no cure for this as cartilege does not grow back.
The moral of the story is, be as fit as you can when riding, so if you do push the limits of your body, you are less likely to have a serious, unreversible injury.
Great video, and good luck with a full recovery Cam.
  • 6 0
 i had to get surgery on my knee last year, ACL. it sucked i cant imagine getting it 5 times....
  • 2 0
 cam is so rad but he gets hurt alot,his knees are so messed its gota be such a bummer sometimes for him.i couldnt imagen 5 surgeries on me knees,but he gets back and shreds even harder. drink tons of milk man.
  • 1 0
 evertything he said just keeps running over n your head when ur injured nd its so depressing. Cam having to deal with that much and still shredding at pro level just shows me that hes a trooper. mad props to cam and konad milk is essential
  • 0 0
 i have had surgery twice on my right knee (i can now disocate my knee cap on cue lol) it sucks big time took ages to recover propaly but five times thats crazy
  • 1 0
 I haven't had any bad biking related injuries yet, however, I've had a few in hockey. It sucks having to sit in the stands and watch your team play. But hockey isn't my main sport, biking is, and I've had a few injuries that wont go away. That's why I'm not going to play another game this year, nor next. I can't imagine having to sit and look at my bike because I hurt myself doing something else.

Actually, yesterday I was out riding and manage to roll my ankle pretty bad in a bail. Today was the nicest day we've had this year, sunny and +15 C, yet I had to sit inside and look at my bike. After waiting all winter for the snow to melt so that I could ride, I couldn't on such a beautiful day.

Hope you get better soon Cam, I can;t even begin to imagine what 6 months would feel like.
  • 2 0
 Wow 5 times, coming back from that takes a lot of guts. I did my ACL and had it reconstructed, luckily (so far) just the once. What he doesn't say in the vid is how miserable and painful the rehabilitation is.

I can't imagine having to do it 5 times. In fact, I don't think I could. Lots of respect to you mate.
  • 0 1
 nice
  • 1 0
 cam zink is boss
  • 1 0
 i just found out a week ago that i got a thing called tempromandibular joing disfunctment where my jaw popps in and out of place all the time. i had to get x-rays done and they say i haveta go have sergerie on my jaw bone where they vut the bone and put it back togeather with a plate and there gona do that just when riding season starts again. so now when it gets healed im wearing a full face all the time no matter what and i thing that nobody should say that fullfaces suck and awkward and will never use one fore bigger stuff like freeride. if i were wearing one i wouldent miss a whole season and go through all the pain. Dont under estimate the power of the full face
  • 0 0
 who does he ride for and dang that would suck
  • 4 0
 That was a depressing ass video. I mean, I haven't been able to ride anywhere CLOSE to as much as I want to just because im poor as fuck and in debt and shit. But to have the money and the bikes and the buddies and the riding spots and the fans all in your reach but u have to wait MONTHS to let injuries heal... that's just horrible. I really hope he gets better REAL soon and takes advantage of every second he has on a bike. Most people out there don't understand what it means for a dedicated rider to be off his or her bike for ANY extent of time.
  • 0 0
 I know what you mean
  • 4 0
 it must be so depressing knowing that you ain't gonna ride for the next six month..i've been lucky so far ..never broke a bone
  • 5 1
 touchwood you mean lol
  • 2 0
 He nailed it.....My last few seasons have been riddled with injuries. Concussion, fractured wrist, shattered foot and broken ribs. It kills you to have to sit around for 3 months and just hope that once you start to walk and ride again you can do it as good as you did before you got injured....and untill you do its a mystery. When you spend all your time working hard, training, preparing and then it all ends so abrubtly it feels like you have no soul....when I broke my foot I was depressed and down to the point that I was a recluse. Over time you realize that you got to look ahead and suck it up. Knowing that you will get to ride again is motivation to get better.
  • 3 1
 I don't want to be the guy who sees the bad things but this really seemed like a "everyone pity me becaue I'm awesome and hurt" video. I know what it's like to be out from injury. I wrecked my knee playing rugby (torn ACL and lateral miniscul bucket tear) I'm on the waiting list for surgery right now. I couldn't wrestle, bike, play rugby or even walk for 2 months. I know how you feel...but theres no need to make a video of how depressed you are.
  • 4 0
 dude, im not trying to put you down but, you're not pro. they're source of income, sanity and physical condition come from their bicycle. I agree to some point what you are saying, but most people have other things to do (well not some of us Wink ) so, sure I pity him. I don't think you're the guy looks at things badly tho.
  • 2 0
 yea but this is zinc hes one of the best riders, he has had 5 knee surgeries and so many other injury and after months of not riding he comes back and goes into crnakworx and 3's the biggest drops possible.i have major respect for him and i think he was saying to ride as hard as you can and have fun because so easily your hurt and cant ride for soo long.
  • 1 6
flag tott (Mar 15, 2009 at 8:49) (Below Threshold)
 who the hell is cam zinc? who cares?
  • 1 0
 well, tott, have you ever watched a nwd movie? or crankworx? thats who he is. respect to konad. props man.
  • 0 0
 what tott said is just funny because zinc spends so much time off to the side that you hardly ever hear is name... im lucky that my youthful bounce has saved me from injury multiple times this year... yes its only march but still....
  • 0 0
 he really tells it how it is, i recently had a pretty bad crash involving my elbow and a few ribs and it just sucks how frustrating it is. out for 4 weeks Frown and id just learnt nfc's. then watching ur riding buddies go out for the weekend. i feel for him being out for 6 months.
  • 0 0
 Yeah, i feel your pain. 2 years ago i was learning new tricks each month and had just learned hop barspins but broke my foot on my 4th attempt at a drop after pulling 2 of them. I still don't have all the movement on my foot, and sucks knowing i can't street. It's depressing seeing the evolution of the movement, and wanting to be in it, and try brakeless ãnd other things, but knowing you just can't be a part of it anymore.
  • 0 0
 after a long cold winter i'm stuck out to sea for 6+ months without being able to ride. it sucks and showing back up in the middle of the season sucks too because now everyone's been riding for 4 months and i'm just starting out again.
  • 0 0
 I know what hes talking about I screwed my shoulder up in wrestling with 2 more tournaments till state and it broke me down to nothing after I found out I couldnt wrestle or bike for 1 and a half months but i went out after 3 weeks and rode. hope you recover soon.
  • 0 0
 I cant wait to get back on my DH bike, been out 8 months now, landed on a tree stump at Fort William and split my pancreas and got pancreatitis, just had my 2nd lot of open surgery a few weeks ago and i can finally think about getting on the bike again, will definatly be making the most of riding when im back on the bike!
  • 0 0
 thats a bummer man. i was out for a little over a year when i lacerated my liver.. internal injuries are horrible. get well soon!
  • 0 0
 I share your lost Cam. Last year i broke my scaphoid (right wrist) I was in a cast for 2ix month and another two in a splinter. So i was unable to ride from may on. I still have pain in my wrist and yea it suck staring at two bikes and not being able to ride. Hope you get well soon.
Good Luck!
Jean-Marc
  • 0 0
 Man that's true, I don't care about getting hurt, only if it means I can't ride for a while. Luckily I never broke a bone, but I already got some really bad bruises that kept me out of the bike for some days, and it was HELL! I can't imagine staying 6 months without riding, I think I would kill myself lol
  • 0 0
 almost exactly 1 year ago i landed a bit too heavy on a jump and tore the ligament in my knee. The hospital said i would be fine so i was on crutches a bit but made a was fine until christmas when it got bad again. Turns out i tore my cruciate ligament in my knee and the wanking hospital didnt fuking notice. I had to have surgery 4 weeks ago and now i can't ride for 6-9 months.
6-9 MONTHS!!!!
that is a whole summer of riding and a planned trip to Winterburg and what i hoped would be my first few race. GONE!
cant ride untill f*cking november. ready for another pissy winter of sitting around waiting for sunshine. :'(
  • 0 0
 Frown
  • 0 0
 injury suck like no other thing, 7 months ago, iwas riding it was a nice riding day and ?&%*$%/: i could see the under side of my shoe an can't move or feel it and on the other side a bone was out of my ankle..i was not knowing that i will pass the 7 next months doing nothing..so soon ill get my second surgery and i hope i will be able to run jump and riding my bike again
  • 0 0
 Yeah its funny I played football in HS and college, and paid the price. I got into mtn biking four years ago for a lifetime fitness activity, never thinking I would have just as severe injuries from biking. Mellow xc riding is even hard on you after awhile. Some people never get hurt some people are injury prone, but you have to pay the price to do what you love sometimes. My advice is cross train with other things, weight train to build a protective layer of muscle tissue, and deal with the pain.
  • 0 0
 I have been out since december with a broken collar bone which i broke in 3 places and this is the worst injury i have ever had! i still havent ridden a bike for about 3 months and it kills me. the break was so bad that i have a bone sticking out of my shoulder and the shoulder i broke is a lot shorter then my right one i have a lot of working out to do and physical therapy. i hope to be back on the bike soon but man does it suck not being able to do something that you love to do for such a long time!
  • 0 0
 Yeah I hate being injured and having to watch everyone else riding I had surgery on my shoulder and I couldent ride for over 6 months and then I've broken my collar bone twice and a few ribs and a bung I other stuff but anyway hope u recover well
  • 0 0
 Ment to say bunch of other stuff
  • 0 0
 I was out of riding and any form of sports for 2 years (from February 2006 -> February 200Cool , it was horrible. The worst thing is that part of the knee injuries which put me out come from a genetic problem so unless I take real good care of them and go to the gym all the time, do physio, etc they'll be back again. Right now I'm back at 90% and I'm happy at that, I doubt they'll get much better but as long as they stay like this I'm happy.
  • 1 1
 I broke my foot and dislocated the lis-frank joint (requiring surgery) in July with a stupid fall at the whistler dj's, and I am still having problems today, like my ankle keeps popping out of place and I have constant pain in my mid foot
I noticed alot of people have had problems with false diagnosis from hospitals and from my experience of breaking my foot, it seems to me like when you break something, they fix the bone, but not everything around it, like the ligaments and the alignment of everything together. If anyone has any long term pain after a break is fully healed, I strongly suggest you go see a good chiropractor. It solved all my pain until my ankle popped out again a couple weeks ago, which he put back in. Many people are skeptical of chiropractors and I can understand why, many of them are useless and there is only one that I have gone to that works, so try many of them.
  • 0 0
 mid season of 06 i had a pretty bad crash which messed up my left knee pretty badly. i never went to the hospital but looking back i think it would have been beyond a good idea. I also opened up a vein in my left arm in that same crash, as well as putting several short but deep lacerations in my knee. i probably shoulda gotten stitches on all of them but, as with the knee itself, i just let time heal it. i appreciate not being able to ride because of an injury, man does it ever suck. heres to a speedy recovery Cam, cant wait to get stoked on your footy again!
  • 0 0
 I still remember, like 4 years ago, when I broke my left hand forefinger. That day I was actually heading back for work and fell over as I was bonnyhoping over some obstacles which were on the road. Full recovery took like 1 year more or less and I've never gained full recovery from it since (I just cannot spring it all the way back to my palm). The fracture has not afected my skills in any way whatsoever, but it was just so painful not being able to bonnyhop for 1 year even though I could actually ride my bike.
  • 0 0
 Man when i broke my wrist snowboarding at the end of last winter i was so pissed because it was almost riding season here and me and my buddies had already been out sessioning trails on the first nice day but i ended up having to wait 6 weeks before i could ride again. i was so sad but on the 4th or 5th week my wrist was feeling strong again and i was out hitting 14ft drops with the cast still on
  • 1 2
 What a whiner! As if we all haven't dealt with an injury that sidelined us from doing whatever it is we want to do. But to hear him go off about it like he was the first one in modern history to have an injury, just pissed me off. I had never heard him speak before.... he should have kept his riding speak for itself and keep his mouth shut. I agree whole-heartedly with "dbdan" and what he said about learning to do something else during rehab that maintains or boosts meaning in your life. Be constructive about it rather than whining. You want something real to watch....TARA LLANES! Now that's an injury! Do you hear her whining about it? No, she's just got positivity coming out the wazoo and you know what... I'D BET SHE'LL RIDE A BIKE AGAIN BECAUSE OF IT! That's my rant.
  • 0 0
 my girl friend had the same situation as cameron zink except her knee got infected in one of the surgeries and she had SIX surgeries in 6 months. and shes only 18!...anyways feel your pain get better bro
  • 0 0
 that really sucks for him, hope everything works out ok, i know with my knees i have to to exersizes with them because they are bad and it sucks not beening able to ride you bike.
  • 0 0
 i tor my leg 6 years ago just getting of the chairlift the guy that was with me trip me i fell back got up skii down the hill when i got down i could barely moved now everytime i skii , move little worst pain ever
  • 0 0
 Yeah man every one takes the knocks!! its all part of the game!! my friend twisted his knee pretty bad this weekend !! he might be out for th ewhole summer !! one jump gone wrong!! cam zinc is a legend! come back king!!
  • 0 0
 i crashed and had to get a knee opp then when i was still on crutches i had to get a second im just bak after having a year out it sucks !!!
  • 0 0
 I feel your pain, I just blew my ACL a month ago. KNEES SUCK! Why doesn't Cam Zink have full replacements done? We will all be riding XC soon..........................
  • 0 0
 ^^^^ mega props for being so confident dude
Im pretty bummed i'm out for yet another 6 months now with my shoulder up because it keeps dislocating
  • 1 0
 gooood luck bro hope the nee get better soon best wishes bro you kill it dont for get that
  • 2 0
 best wishes from germany !
  • 1 0
 this dude is amazing
i met him in Åre and this guy so f*cking social Wink
  • 0 0
 i broke my wrist snowboarding today but at least ill be better by the time the snow melts
  • 1 0
 nice flat pedals on the road bike cam get well soon
  • 0 0
 know how u feel i had a sviour head injury then the day i recovered i went and did a jump bailed and snapped my knee
  • 0 1
 not the day you recovered it was like a month later
  • 0 1
 i swear it waqs the day
  • 0 1
 no cause remember you were all better when we started to make the jump
  • 1 0
 still 1 of tha best riders
  • 0 0
 sick video i know how you feel i did something like that back 2 years ago and it sucks balls
  • 0 0
 Learn to do something other than biking, so when your physical ability fails you can still have a meaningful life.
  • 1 0
 i know how to do alot of other things other than riding, even ur mom! Smile riding means alot to some people, sure you may enjoy doing other things in your life but when ridings a ying and yang relationship, its hard to not stay depressed. once again, you DONT know unless youve been there...
  • 0 0
 left knee acl reconstruction total time out 8 months and 5 left to go, keep strong guys
  • 0 0
 Best wishes Smile Felt bikes represent!
  • 0 0
 i hope he gets bette soon cos he is one sick rider!
  • 0 0
 being*
  • 0 0
 hold fast Cam!







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