Skateboarding
Basic safety gear for skateboarders
Skateboarding safely amounts to longer durability of the body and more time on the board.
Red Bull skate generation Helge Tscharn
© Helge-Tscharn
Skateboarding involves pushing a wooden plank with wheels to high speeds and performing tricks on street and park elements. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced rider or a novice learning the basics; sooner or later, you’re going to fall. Safety gear comes with a purpose of protecting those vital points of common injury.
Helmets
To protect your head from slamming against the coping or concrete, wear a properly fitting helmet as it prevents common concussions and more serious head injuries which could lead to severe damage. Helmets are used commonly by bowl and vert ramp riders and are also used for filming skateboarding by mounting a small sized camera on top of the helmet. Helmets should be replaced every five years or whenever the manufacturer mentions as it can be risky to ride with a helmet that is worn out.
Knee pads
Knee pads
© Helge-Tscharn
Knee pads can be worn by anyone. It is highly useful to prevent severe cuts and scrapes. By having knee pads on, skaters can just bail and slide on them avoiding friction burns and more serious twists and injuries to other parts of the body.
Elbow pads
They are worn to protect the elbows from injuries. While skating vert ramps, it is useful in aiding the knee pads to bail and slide down on them to prevent friction burns of skin and clothes.
Wrist guards
Wrist guards
© Helge-Tscharn
They are worn to protect the wrists and keep them from twisting up during a bail or fall. It also prevents any bruises on the palm. They are useful for skaters who noticeably fall more on their hands, instead of knees and beginners who have not learnt how to fall yet.
Shoes
Foot gear perfection
© Helge-Tscharn
Wearing skateboarding specific shoes can make all the difference when you ride. These shoes are designed with flat souls with many grooves on them for grip and are mostly thick and cushioned well to allow durability from the rough grip tape that it keeps touching.
While choosing safety equipment it is important to choose from brands that are trustworthy.
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