Does Your Child Skateboard? Keep These Safety Tips in Mind.
Ever since skateboarding became an official Olympic sport it has become widely popular. Around since the 1950’s, people were already familiar with it, but with its media coverage more kids than ever are asking their parents for skateboards.
The sport is great exercise and can be done solo or with friends making it an excellent hobby. However, without the proper training and equipment injuries will quickly happen, like most sports. A little over 98,000 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2017 and over 47,000 of those injuries were from young adults 15-24 years old, according to Injury Facts.
To keep safe in skateboarding we are sharing some easy tips parents can make sure their kids follow to help avoid serious injury and minimize the risks involved.
Choose the Right Skateboarding Gear
Like football, dance, or almost any sport you need to have the right gear. Of course choosing a skateboard that fits your style and the type of skateboarding you intend to do is important, but you will also want to purchase:
● A well-fitting helmet. Ideally a multi-sport or skateboarding specific helmet. You should wear your helmet no matter what type of skateboarding you intend to do and make sure it meets Consumer Product Safety Commission standards
● Wrist guards because they get the brunt of damage with sprains and fractures. Wrist guards support the wrist during inevitable falls.
● Knee and elbow pads
● Closed toe shoes with soles that offer traction
● Goggles or shatterproof glasses, especially for tricks
Choose a Safe Place to Ride
Having a safe place to ride, especially when you are learning the basics is important. The more skilled you get you might want to start utilizing obstacles or even go off-road on uneven terrain, but beginners should stick to flat surfaces without cracks, debris, or traffic.
Other safety rules to consider when choosing a place to ride include:
Don’t skateboard in wet weather
Not only does skateboarding in wet weather pose a safety risk, it can also ruin your board and destroy your griptape. Keep out of the rain and puddles to prevent slips, falls, and destroying your board.
Smooth surfaces are a beginners friend
When you are just learning to skateboard, choose a smooth and flat driveway or area that is away from traffic of cars and other activities. Check out the beginner section of the skate park or visit an empty parking lot if you don’t have a flat, smooth driveway.
Pay attention
This goes for several areas of skateboarding. Pay attention to skate park rules, keep headphones off while skateboarding, and don’t skateboard in a crowded area. All of these things can increase your risk of injuring yourself or someone else.
Learning the Basics
Start by learning the foundations of skateboarding before attempting any tricks you have seen on YouTube. That means be confident on your stop, start, turn, and fall skills before moving into tricks. Falling properly in skateboarding is one of the most important things, any experienced skateboarder will echo this. If done currently thought, falling doesn’t have to result in a serious injury.
The three methods of falling you should master are:
ࣳ Falling off- this is losing your board and stumbling to avoid hitting the ground
ࣳ Bailing- before you take a fall, bail on the trick
ࣳ Slamming- worst case, but this is just as it sounds. Slamming is when you lose control on the board and you slam to the ground.
ࣳ
Luckily, knowing a few simple tips to falling can truly help prevent injuries. First, learn to not catch yourself with your hands. Although instinct this can break your wrists. By learning to overlook your instinct to press your hands down and practice a safer fall you can prevent worst case injuries. Roling to land on your shoulders or back is a much better option. Practicing this method by going someplace softer and standing on the skateboard is a great idea. Keeping your limbs as loose as possible will lessen the likelihood of breaking any bones.
Check Your Equipment
Before you head out, always inspect your skateboard and equipment to make sure everything is in working order. Ensuring your board has high quality griptape that is in working order is extremely important. Griptape helps your shoes from slipping on the board, even with high traction shoes, your feet can still slip on the board. Having griptape on the deck helps prevent that slipping and is instrumental for all skateboarders- from beginner to experienced.
You will also want to make sure your skateboard is free of broken or cracked parts, sharp edges, and wheels with nicks or cracks.
Shop Skateboard Griptape
Skateboard griptape is one of the most important ways you can ensure your board is safe. Griptape provides extra traction to keep feet in place while moving and performing tricks. Look for a silicon carbide griptape that won’t ruin shoes too quickly, but still provides that high level of traction. Shop Jessup Manufacturing’s entire selection of griptape at www.jessupmfg.com.
