What’s the first thing a parent thinks of when their children tells them they’d like to get into skateboards? Exactly. It’s a fast series of flashing kaleidoscopic visions of all possible ways their kid can get injured. And it’s stronger than the will of any father or mother to stay positive.
There has to be some base to the terror parents experience at the very thought of skating. After all, skating injuries are common. And keeping track of the incidence of injuries is not the thing that worries them the most. It’s the fact they themselves were kids and they are familiar with the careless boldness present in young souls.
You might come to some sort of ‘resolution’ with your kid. To be active within the confines of a safe and purpose built venue like all those ramps, half-pipes and bowls. While this serves to decrease the likelihood of traffic incidents, it will never totally eliminate the threat of skate related injuries. Skateboarding, in-line skating, riding a scooter – they all involve moving over hard surface while being fully exposed. One can get cuts and bruises along their extremities or their core and, god forbid, their head.
Knee Pads
So, you’ll have to find ways to protect the body when falls occur. Yes, it’s a ‘when’ and not an ‘if.’ The most basic protective skate gear are knee pads. They are there to provide a buffer for the knees and elbows and a lot of thought goes into their design. High end safety knee pads are made with form-fitting cradles encapsulated by foam system which absorbs shock upon impact. The standards are constantly improving so you are able to find skating pads with seamless finish online and they offer unrestricted movement of joints, too. You can access their quality by the industrial stitching and streamlined shape which are incorporated to offer long service life.
Make sure you get appropriate protective knee pads. This will play into the manner in which they will perform. Invest ample time in measuring the leg circumference at the knee joint. You can use a tape or a string, but most important, ensure the muscles of your junior skater are relaxed. To get a precise measurement one side of the tape measure has to pass exactly through the middle of the knee cap. Repeat the drill several times and when you eventually buy safety knee pads look for the right size.
Knee pads and elbow pads that will comprehensively protect your kid from any fall are yet to be designed. Because of this, either yourself or someone else who is savvy in sports medicine should instruct them on the art of the fall. Every sport centered around maintaining balance employs a version of it – surfing, skiing, skating. Learning how to fall is one of the first lessons they need to tackle. And practice (yes, practicing a fall) can significantly reduce the severity of any injury down the line.
Helmets
When kids and adults fall the best scenario is to use the knee pads and elbow pads along with any other gear (like padded shorts) as a contact point. If there is enough space available one can do their best to starve the kinetic energy with a series of impacts. But what if this is simply not possible? Well, then different parts of the body, like the core and the head end up hitting the pavement or other solid surface. It does happen. But how common are head injuries in skateboarding? You’d be surprised, but they are on par with those in contact sports like rugby.
Therefore, wearing a helmet is very important to ensure safe skating. Some establishments don’t even allow skaters below 18 years of age without a protective helmet on their floor. And with good reasons. Head injuries can be very severe, so every bit of safety gear helps.
Best way to do it is to get a high quality and multipurpose helmet. They have impact absorbing foams (EPS) as well as other types of foam designed to offer protection upon impact. These days helmets even take profuse sweating into account and include the so called ‘sweatsaver’ fabric. There are many ins and outs in terms of the type of helmet you can get. In essence, you need to measure the size with a tape (above the eyebrows, slightly above the ears and keep it at that level until you reach the back). Your best bet would be to go for a helmet that complies with skate safety standards like AS/NZS 2063.
Skating Protective Gear
The safety knee pads and a good helmet are the cornerstone of skaters protection. One can certainly go beyond that. Equipment like padded shorts offer hip and tailbone protection. Some prefer to wear gloves, wrist guards, and flat bottomed shoes.
Weighing Risks
We’ve all been kids. If your daughter or son wants to try skateboarding they will find a way to do it even without you knowing it. So better to be their partner and offer them good gear than letting them try with their friends boards behind your back. You can't save someone from themselves regardless of age. The fear of seeing your kid get hurt is rational, however one must embrace the fact that life itself is a risk. Every time we leave the home we face risks on the street, but this is how things are. Playing safe and living without risk equals no life at all. One can’t raise children without keeping a little faith in what lies ahead. Manage your fears and let your kids have their go. You won’t like to rob them of the experience of getting up after a fall, would you?