Skateboard Safety

Skateboarding has become an increasingly popular recreational activity especially among many but primarily adolescents and teens. It is a fun and healthy sport that can give you a great low-impact aerobic workout, improves coordination and balance, and can give you a great sense of accomplishment and boosts self esteem. Because of this it is most important to make sure that you or your kids practice skateboarding safely and use protective equipment.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons encourages physical activity as part of an overall health and fitness plan. Staying fit and having fun while doing so is important to a high quality lifestyle, but always be safe!

Incidence of Injury
To improve skateboarding safety, a growing number of communities are providing skaters with designated areas and even skateboard parks. These typically have smooth surfaces, durable obstacles and rails, and professionally designed bowls and ramps or other designated skateboarding areas that are contained and located away from vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Skateboarding is an activity in which you move quickly and generally over hard surfaces. This can lead to injuries that range from minor cuts and bruises to catastrophic brain damage. Each year in the United States, skateboarding injuries cause thousands of visits to emergency room and many children, adolescents, and adults to be hospitalized.

Most hospitalizations involve head injury. Even injuries that heal quickly can cause pain, anxiety, cost time, and money and in the worst cases lead to disabilities. This can include loss of vision, hearing and speech; loss of personal mobility, and thinking and behavior changes.

Serious skateboarding injuries happen when you lose control and fall or run into a motor vehicle, road hazard, pedestrian, another skateboarder or bicyclist.

You are at risk for injuries:

• If you don't use protective equipment.


• If you don't keep your skateboard in good condition.


• If you skateboard on irregular surfaces.


• If you attempt "tricks" beyond your skill level.

Sixty percent of skateboard injuries involve children under age 15; most of those injured are boys.

At highest risks are:

Inexperienced skateboarders: Those who have been skating for less than one week suffer one-third of injuries, usually caused by falls.

Skateboarders who do not wear protective equipment: Every skateboarder should wear standard safety gear. This includes a helmet, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads and appropriate shoes. Skateboarders who perform tricks should use heavy duty gear.

Skateboarders who go near traffic or use homemade skateboard ramps: Both activities are particularly dangerous.
Experienced skateboarders who encounter unexpected surfaces or try risky stunts: Irregular riding surfaces, rocks or other debris can cause you to fall. You can stumble over twigs or fall down slopes. Wet pavements and rough or uneven surfaces can cause a wipeout. Avoid risky behavior. Don't skateboard too fast or in dangerous or crowded locations.

Types of Injury
Skateboarding injuries often involve the wrist, ankle or face. Many injuries happen when you lose your balance, fall off the skateboard and land on an outstretched arm.

Injuries to the arms, legs, neck and trunk range from bruises and abrasions to sprains and strains, fractures and dislocations. Wrist fractures are quite common. Wearing wrist guards can reduce their frequency and severity.

Facial injuries include breaking your nose and jawbone

Severe injuries include concussion, closed head injury and blunt head trauma.

You can suffer permanent impairment or even death if you fall off the skateboard and strike your head without a helmet. Most brain injuries happen when your head hits pavement. You are most at risk if you skateboard near traffic and collide with motor vehicles, bikes, pedestrians or other obstacles.


Prevention
You can prevent most skateboarding injuries if you follow all of these recommendations:

Use a quality skateboard:
Skateboards have three parts, the skateboard deck (the board itself), the skateboard trucks (the mechanism to which wheels are attached), skateboard bearings (sits in the wheels and allow them to spin fast and smoothly), and the skateboard wheels. Shorter decks are best for beginners because they are easier to balance and handle. Skateboards have various characteristics for all types of riding including slalom or hill bombing, street and park or pools.

Keep your skateboard in proper working order:
You should inspect it before every ride. Look for problems that need repair. These can include loose, broken or cracked parts; sharp edges on metal boards; a slippery top surface; wheels with nicks and cracks, etc. Get professional help to repair serious defects.

Learn the basic skills of skateboarding: Especially how to stop properly.
Also learn slowing and turning techniques, and how to fall safely: If you are losing your balance, crouch down on the skateboard so you won't have as far to fall. Try to land on the fleshy parts of your body rather than your arms. Relax and roll.

Wear proper protective equipment:
Before getting on your skateboard, empty your pockets of all hard and sharp objects and put on your protective gear.

Essential protective equipment includes:

• A properly fitting helmet


• Wrist guards


• Knee and elbow pads


• Shoes


• Helmet

To protect your head from injury, always wear a properly fitting helmet. This is true no matter what your age, level of experience or location where you are skateboarding. Get a quality bicycle or multi-sport helmet. It should meet or exceed safety standards of the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or Snell Memorial Foundation. You may need to try on several sizes and models to find a helmet that fits your head correctly and securely.

A properly fitting helmet:

Is worn flat on your head with the bottom edge parallel to the ground
Sits low on your forehead
Has side straps that form a "V" shape around each ear
Has a buckle that fastens tightly (there should be room to put only two fingers between the strap and your chin)
Has pads inside that you install or remove so the helmet fits snuggly
Does not move in any direction when you shake your head
Does not interfere with your movement, vision or hearing

Replace your helmet when it is damaged, outgrown or at least every five years. You may need to replace it sooner if the manufacturer recommends it.

Please Note: California has expanded its bicycle helmet law to require that children under age 18 wear helmets each time they use a skateboard, inline skates, roller skates or scooter, making the state's child helmet law the strictest in the nation. Violators face fines, most of which benefits local health departments promoting helmet safety education and subsidizing helmet purchases for low-income families.

Wrist guards, knee and elbow pads and other gear: Wrist guards help support the wrist and reduce the chances of breaking a bone if you fall. Knee and elbow pads reduce the severity of cuts and scrapes, and prevent gravel burns. You should also wear closed, slip-resistant shoes, and consider goggles to keep debris out of your eyes.

Skateboard only on smooth pavement away from traffic, preferably in a supervised skate park.
Never hold onto the side or rear of a moving vehicle while riding a skateboard ("skitching"). You could fall or be thrown into oncoming traffic if the vehicle suddenly slows, stops or turns.
Never use your skateboard in wet weather.
Avoid skateboarding in crowded walkways or in darkness.
Always screen the area before you skateboard, inspecting surfaces for rocks and other debris.
Be careful with tricks and jumps.

Skateboarding skill is not acquired quickly or easily.

Don't take chances by skateboarding faster than your experience allows, or faster than is safe for conditions or the speed of other skateboarders. If you try tricks and jumps, practice them only in a controlled environment, such as a skate park that has adult supervision and appropriate access to emergency medical care.

Stay in shape. Prevent skateboarding injuries by keeping in top physical condition. It’s always a good idea to stretch and do conditioning exercises before and after any physically demanding activity. This is especially true for skateboarding and more experienced skaters who like to push the limits of their abilities.

Do not use headphones while skateboarding. If you can’t hear the cars passing by or the sound of your own skateboard wheels on the pavement you may find yourself in a collision you can’t walk away from.

Never put more than one person on a skateboard. This is true even for long boarders; come on this is just common sense!

Be considerate of fellow skateboarders, especially those who are younger and or less skilled.

Know what to do in an emergency. Skateboarding accidents happen, so you should always know what to do in emergency situations. Don't panic. Call 911 for medical assistance or an ambulance.

Adrenaline Junkies and the Skateboarding Appeal

The popularity of skateboarding has soared and plummeted since the sport's inception more than a half century ago, much like skateboarders themselves. But now it is more popular than ever.

Skateboarding originated with California surfers in the 1950s who were trying to surf on land. Today, this relatively low-tech sport has become a subculture in almost every American city and town. But it has always been more of a pastime for the fearless young, as skaters, like Anthony Manning, Marissa O'Guinn and Sean Gates, experience the highs and lows of defying gravity.

"It makes me feel good like when I land a cool trick that I've been practicing for a while. When I go down something and do a trick, and it look cool. It's really exciting," says skateboarder Anthony Manning.

Marissa O'guinn, also a skateboarder, adds, "It's really exhilarating, skateboarding. I think that's what attracts most people to it. I guess just knowing there's a possible risk within it, it's just what makes it exciting."

"It's just a really, really cool feeling because, I mean, you are just flying through the air, and you are just all weightless and stuff. Also, in the pool they have tiles so when you hit them they have a certain sound. And, it's just a really, really cool, " says Sean Gates, a fellow skateboarder.

Boogie is a 59-year-old skateboarder

But skateboarding is not just for the young. Some skaters hang on to this adrenaline-fueled hobby into middle age. As a skateboard veteran, Boogie enjoys the excitement of a good ride without taking safety lightly. "Now, I want you to know that wrist guards cure insecurity because they protect you falling forward. They protect your hands, and then you wear this [helmet] to protect your head from falling backwards. That, and a pad right here, along with the pads here. And this is the only reason that you get to skate when you are 59 years old."

With advances in technology, today's skateboards are lighter and faster than boards from the past. This means that skaters can now do some wild tricks - things that the first skateboarders never dreamed of.

Skateboarding involves speed, balance and coordination, and can sometimes result in serious injuries. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 26,000 people need hospital emergency room treatment each year in the U.S. for injuries related to skateboarding.

Manning says, "I broke my finger. I cracked my ribs." O’Guinns recalls, "I fell and rolled down a street."

The skateboarding technique of holding on the edge

The sense of danger has a lot to do with the popularity of skateboarding. For others, skateboarding means freedom and self-expression. For Anthony, it is a chance to develop a unique, personal style. "It's really like no pain, no game. If you can't take the pain, then you might as well not skateboard." Once thought to be another passing fad, skateboarding is an extreme sport that appears to be here to stay.

Original Source: VOA.com, By Sarah Zaman

X Games champ ramps up safety message

When skateboarder Bob Burnquist won the gold medal at the X Games he was on top of the world. But this Christmas morning, thousands of happy youngsters will be riding their new skateboards and scooters and falling off. That's why Burnquist is taking time during the holiday shopping season to help educate parents about skateboard, scooter and in-line skate safety and to remind them to add protective gear to every wheeled purchase.

"Wearing a helmet is a 24/7 thing. Your head is the main box so you'd better take care of it," says Burnquist. "No matter how good you are you can hit your head very hard when riding and that can be very bad."

"My advice is that parents should think of safety gear and the skateboard as a single purchase. Don't just buy the board."

In fact, professional riders like Burnquist and skateboard instructor Steve Badillo stress that safety gear allows younger, more inexperienced skaters to become better skilled, safer riders.

"When you're protected you can skate more and worry less about getting hurt," says Badillo, a former pro skater who co-authored Skateboarder's Start-Up: A Beginner's Guide to Skateboarding. "The biggest mistake is kids think it's cool not to wear safety gear because they see that a lot of pros don't wear it. But the fact is, these kids are not at the skill level of the pros and they get slammed."

But many pros do wear protective gear.

Skateboard legend Tony Hawk religiously wears his gear. And Burnquist says he won't skate without hip pads because he's gotten so many 'hippers.'

"I tuck and roll out of a lot of my falls or slide on my hip, but I found it really difficult to find good hip pads," says Burnquist, who was born in Brazil and relocated to Leucadia, Calif. "I'm actually trying to develop a line of hip pads with my sponsor Hurley."

"Skateboarding can be dangerous. I've broken 19 bones," adds Burnquist. "I've got a pin in my right wrist and I've been knocked out totally once. I had short-term memory loss and kept repeating questions."

Taking the fall

Badillo actually teaches kids how to fall in his classes. "We go over how to run out of a fall or how to slide onto your knees if you're working a ramp," says Badillo. "It's really important to know how to fall properly because if you're a skater, you're going to fall every day."

For knee-slides, riders have to wear knee pads. And riders should wear proper shoes at all times when skateboarding or scootering. For kids, long pants that provide some added protection are also recommended.

"If you're really serious about skateboarding, you might as well get used to wearing safety gear because you have to wear it in competition and at all the skate parks," advises Badillo.

"We require all skaters to wear safety gear — period," says Todd Huber, owner of Skatelab, an indoor skateboard facility in Simi Valley, Calif. "There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to young kids and safety gear."

Studies have shown that safety gear reduces injury and often prevents it. Protective padding, clothing, and helmets disperse the impact of falls.

"There is bio-mechanical and clinical evidence that wrist guards do work," says Dr. Flaura Koplin Winston, director of the TraumaLink Pediatric Injury Research Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Parents have to hold the line and make wearing safety gear non-negotiable. It's easier to reinforce when you do it from day one."

And that's important because wheeled toys such as in-line skates, scooters, and skateboards cause more injuries to children than any other category of toy — over 65,000 in 2000. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), scooter injuries alone jumped from 3,281 in 1999 to over 42,500 in 2000.

When it comes to skateboards, approximately 26,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms every year. Sprains and fractures are the most common injuries. And parents shopping for skateboards should understand that 60% of skateboarding injuries are to children under 15 years of age. And fully one-third of all injuries are suffered by kids who have been skateboarding less than a week.

An important consideration for parents shopping for Christmas skateboards is the age of the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against children under five skateboarding, for several reasons:

Their center of gravity is higher, making falls more likely. Their neuromuscular system is not well developed. Their judgment is poor. They are less able to protect themselves when falling. Skate parks

One of the best arguments for taking your kids to indoor skate parks is the fact that irregular riding surfaces cause over half of all skateboard falls.

"Skate parks are great because the ramps are engineered for doing tricks, the riding surface is smooth, and the kids are supervised," says Huber. "We even offer skateboard camps and lessons so kids can learn proper techniques."

Huber says his facility caters to approximately 1000 skaters a week yet he sees on average "maybe one serious injury a month — usually a broken wrist or ankle."

"You can't eliminate all the dangers," notes Huber. "Just being a kid is a danger."

Another excellent reason to go to a skate park is the vast majority of skateboard fatalities occurred in traffic when the rider was struck by a motor vehicle. The CPSC advises that skateboarders NEVER ride in traffic.

But skateboarding also provides many positive experiences. Along with helping kids develop balance and coordination, skateboarding is excellent aerobic exercise.

"With so many kids overweight, it's important to find activities that kids like," says Winston. "Skateboarding fits that bill — they can do it whenever they want, it's fun and it's great exercise. But we shouldn't risk any child's safety."

"Unless they're playing Tony Hawk Pro-skater 3, skateboarding gets kids off the couch and outside," jokes Huber.

"Just remember, you get to enjoy skateboarding a lot more and a lot longer if you don't get hurt," advises Burnquist. "And with safety gear, moms and dads won't have to worry nearly as much when their kids start getting air."

Original Source: USAToday, By John Morgan, Spotlight HealthWith medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.

Medical Center Urges Kids To Stay Safe While Skateboarding

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 26,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments annually with skateboard-related injuries. With the growing popularity of the sport and the opening of skateboard parks in the region, Community Medical Center urges kids to stay safe while enjoying these facilities.

Community Medical Center's Emergency Department, which earlier this year introduced a pediatric emergency service to provide care via a dedicated team of physician's board certified in pediatrics or emergency medicine and nurses, is dedicated to the safety of the children of its community. Laurence DesRochers, M.D., FACEP, chairman of emergency medicine at Community, says skateboarding is a great activity for kids, as it promotes good cardiovascular exercise, but he warns it is imperative that kids use proper safety equipment and make sure their skateboards are in good working order to help prevent injury.

"Skateboarding is a good form of exercise, as it helps children develop good balance and body control," he says. "However, young or inexperienced skaters may not have developed the necessary body strength and balance to help protect themselves from falls."

Dr. DesRochers says it is not uncommon for kids to experience sprains, strains, fractures, cuts and abrasions as the result of skateboarding. He adds that skateboarding at a skateboard complex or skate park is safer than skating in the streets or parking lots because skate parks have more even surfaces, no gravel, holes, curbs, moving vehicles or other elements that could cause additional injury during a fall.

"The majority of children who are injured in skateboarding accidents are under the age of 15," says Dr. DesRochers, who oversees an emergency department that includes eight dedicated pediatric beds and a number of special amenities for children. "Injuries, in most part, are due to falls and occur to both first-time and experienced skaters."

He offers the following skateboarding safety tips:

Inspect skateboards prior to use for things such as cracked boards, sharp edges, loose wheels or other defects; Skaters should always wear protective gear including a helmet, knee and elbow pads and slip resistant shoes. Padded clothing such as jackets, shirts and shorts are also available and recommended; Never ride in the street or hitch a ride on a moving vehicle; Don't skate in crowded areas and only one rider per skateboard.

Dr. DesRochers says learning to fall properly can also help lessen the chance or severity of injury. "Practice falling on a soft or grassy surface," he says. "If you are about to fall, crouch down low so you don't have as far to fall and try to land on fleshy parts of the body or try to roll instead of absorbing the fall with arms or hands."

In the event an injury should occur while skateboarding, parents are urged to contact their pediatrician or health care provider immediately, and in urgent situations go directly to an emergency room or call 911.

Original Source: Toms River Times

Skateboarding accident leaves football player comatose

A Saguaro High School football player is in a coma this morning after a skateboarding accident. Jake Dunn, a senior, hit his head while longboarding with his friends Sunday. The Sabercat linebacker fell while trying to avoid a car that had pulled out in front of him. Dunn was not wearing a helmet at the time. According to one neurosurgeon, these types of accidents can cause major injuries.

"The most tragic accidents we see are, of course, the low-velocity accidents which are bicycle and skateboard accidents with people who are not wearing helmets," said Dr. Nicholas Theodore.

Dunn's family is hoping for the best, saying their son is the strength in the family. They say it's that strength that has kept them going.

Original Source: azfamily.com

Protec Drop-Ins Skateboard Knee Pads.

Right now we have the newer style pro tec Drop-In knee pads. They are pretty nice pads, I'm happy with them. We also have the Pro-tec Park pads and although they are great pads, there is no comparison between the two. The Drop-In line has much better padding and is also more molded to the knee than the Protec Park line skateboard pads. There's a huge difference when hitting the concrete with the Drop-ins vs. the Park knee pads. These pads feature gusseted stitching, friction/rip resistant nylon, strategically located natural suede leather, compression molded EVA foam, memory foam internal padding, and a low profile replaceable hard cap with a built-in wear indicator. Available in sizes SM/M and Lg/Xlg

The Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets.

• The Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets are almost perfect in every way. Comfortable, advanced SXP technology gives the helmet lasting durability, and the pro style and signature aspects make the Pro-Tec Ace skateboarding helmets a great choice. Plus, Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets come in four styles matched up to the pro who wears that helmet, plus come with stickers to match.

• SXP Multi Impact Technology - padding inside the helmet rebounds to original shape after impact
• CPSC Certified - Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Pro Signature helmets, including sticker sheets for Pro Sponsors
• Steve Caballero Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - red with black straps
• Bucky Lasek Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - white with black straps
• Bob Burnquist Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - Black with black straps
• Brian Patch Pro-Tec skate helmet - Dark blue with yellow straps
• Available in sizes Jr., SM, MED, LG, and XL

Pro-Tec makes protective gear for skateboarding, wakeboarding, and snowboarding. They've been at it a long time. The Pro-Tec Classic line "The original helmet from the 70's redone", is a great place to start. The Pro-Tec Ace is the standard helmet, with Pro-Tec Aces for wakeboarding, snowboarding, kayaking - everything you can think of, water, snow, and dirt.The Skateboarding Pro Signature versions of the Pro-Tec Ace are just as good, with four types to chose from. Steve Caballero, Brian Patch, Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist each have a helmet. Each Pro-Tec Ace helmet is colored according to the style of its pro, and each comes with a sheet of that pro's sponsor stickers.

But in my mind, even better than being able to wear a helmet like Bucky Lasek, is Pro-Tec's SXP technology. SXP Multiple Impact Technology allows the padding inside the helmet to reform back to place after an impact. With regular helmets, the wearer is supposed to replace the helmet after each impact. That gets expensive, so most skaters don't bother, meaning that the helmet is getting less and less effective. But with Pro-Tec's SXP technology, that's not a problem. You end up saving money in the long run, and also saving your head!

The bottom line is this, they look good, are comfortable, and you don't need to buy a new helmet after every crash. Best of all the price is fairly low! Try one, and see what you think.

Original Source: Steve Cave, About.com

The Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet is comfortable, safe and stylish.

• 
  The Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmet is a fusion of styles and technology. The Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmet has the shape of the Classic Pro-Tec helmet, but packed with all of Pro-Tec's latest design and technology improvements. Just like the Pro-Tec Ace helmet, the Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet comes in four styles, each keyed to a pro and including a sticker sheet of that pro's sponsors.

• CPSC Certified - Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Available in four pro sponsored styles
• Bucky Lasek - gloss black with orange straps
• Lincoln Ueda - Matte gray with black straps
• Omar Hassan - Army Green with gray straps
• Willy Santos - Desert sand with black straps
• Available in sizes SM, M, LG, XLG
  
  The comfort of the Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet comes from the changeable padded liner and intuitive shape of the helmet. The Pro-Tec B2 holds onto the head well. The B2 helmet also comes in four sizes - Small, Medium, Large and ExLarge. It's nice to see a helmet company make a helmet dedicated to sizes, and with a true "ExLarge" size.
  
  The Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet is also safe - CPSC certified, and improved with Pro-Tec's SXP technology. SXP multiple impact technology means that when the helmet suffers from an impact, the foam inside will spring back to its original shape. With regular helmets, the padding inside the helmet absorbs impact and then stays compressed, making the helmet dangerous for future impacts. SXP technology makes Pro-Tec skateboarding helmets safer, and they last longer because they don't need to be replaced as often.
  
  Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmets also look cool. The old school rounded style looks great, and the colors available are pretty sick. You should be able to find one that you like, especially with the Pro-Tec B2 helmets being keyed to pros. If you have to wear a helmet, you might as well look cool - try the Pro-Tec B2.
  
  Original Source: Steve Cave, About.com