Skateboarding Safety

Skateboarding has become one of the most popular sports for young and old alike. Many cities even have skate parks constructed to give skaters a place to go. As I'm sure most people area aware, skateboarding is also a potentially dangerous sport. Each year more than 15,000 injuries require a hospital visit. Most injuries include damage to the wrist and fractures. Many of these injuries are from beginners who've only been skating for a week or less. When starting out, children can get hurt very easily by simply falling off the board. Therefore, the right safety clothing and accessories are critical to enjoying this activity. Choosing the right board and learning how to fall correctly are just as important. If lessons are available, they should be considered, if not, try to find someone who's been skating for a while so they can teach the novice all the important things they need to know.

Choosing the actual board itself can be an exciting part of sport, but each board has special characteristics. Some are designed for the type of skateboarding, such as freestyle, speed skating or slalom, so determine the type of skating first before choosing your board. Other boards are dependent upon the weight of the rider. Before each ride, always check the board carefully for safety. A loose wheel or cracked board can lead to disastrous results. One additional good rule of thumb is to never skate on an uneven surface, choose some place smooth and even.

When it comes to safety equipment, it's essential to pick out a good quality helmet specific to the rider. Never borrow someone else's helmet because it may not fit correctly, and be sure your helmet has a secure chin strap to keep in on your head. Elbow, knee and wrist pads are also very important equipment to always wear.

Even before you take that first tentative ride, you should learn the basics of falling. Just like skiing for surfing, the fall can have tragic results, but not if you practice how to do it relatively safely. If you feel like you're starting to lose your balance, crouch low down on the board so you won't be falling from such a great height. If you know the fall is inevitable, make sure you fall on the fleshy parts of your body, and try not to attempt breaking your fall with your hands or you might become one of the emergency room casualties with a broken wrist. Fall on your bottom, or on your side if you can. The impact won't do too much damage and other than a bruise or two, you should be able to continue skating. It's also much better to try to relax your muscles when falling, although it's pretty hard to fall in a calm, relaxed posture, but stiff muscles can make the fall much worse.

Skateboarding clothes have become popular accessories, and most aren't necessary for safety, so fashion can govern which clothes you choose. Shoes, however, are for safety and choosing a good skateboarding shoe is quite important. A shoe with a slip-resistant sole is the best to give the rider a good grip on their board and gum soles are reported to be the best. The laces, believe it or not, are also important since falls can scrape away at the laces and cheap shoelaces might not hold up too long. Spend the money to buy special skateboarding laces. Skating shoes are made of various fabrics, so what you choose is up to you. You can find canvas, leather or suede shoes.

Now armed with some basic safety rules and accessories, you can feel more safe and secure when you go out on your board, or send your child out to the skate park for some fun. So, relax and have fun!