In terms of recreation, skateboarding is one of the most common types of sports injuries in B.C., along with cycling, skiing/snowboarding, all-terrain vehicle use, playground use and hockey.
How can you protect yourself? Check out our safety tips below!
- The most important piece of safety equipment to wear is a helmet, and skateboarding helmets are different than bike helmets. A proper skateboarding helmet can cut the risk of traumatic brain injury by 45 per cent. Read more about helmets here. Wrist guards are can also protect from injury. Elbow and knee pads may also protect from injury but there’s less research proving their effectiveness in this instance.
- Skate parks can provide a safer environment because they keep the skater away from traffic and tend to have fewer instances of uneven surfaces.
- Be sure that in-line skates fit properly when they’re purchased and that they are appropriate for the skater’s size and ability.
- When choosing a skateboard as a beginner, look for shorter decks and wider, laminated boards covered with a non-skid surface for better traction. Also, choose wider trucks and larger wheels with rounded edges. Be sure your bearings are singly or doubly sealed to keep debris out.
- Practise complicated tricks in a specially designed area, and only when in good physical condition. Do not attempt tricks if you are inexperienced or out of practise.
- Never get towed by bikes or any kind of motorized vehicle (“skitching”) and don’t skate faster than your experience allows or than conditions permit.
- Practise in dead-end streets, cul-de-sacs or anywhere vehicle or bike traffic is limited and there is lots of space.
Have fun and stay safe! Read more safety tips at
parachute.ca.
October 17 is Trauma Survivors Day in B.C., a day to acknowledge survivors of traumatic injury and their families.
