Jason Mitchell, Seismic Nationals 2007, Hybrid Slalom.  Photo by Greg Fadell Northern California Downhill Skateboarding Association
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Skateboard Riding Safety

 
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Riding Safety (377 Posts)
Topic Riding Safety
On 5/13/1998 Brendan Nakahara wrote in from ()

All you kids out their who are too cool to wear a helmet should wise up. I was a good friend of Ryan Costello(see above article), and was skating with him when he fell. If your reason for wearing a helmet is style, than you should get some self respect and protect your head. word

 
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On 4/26/1998 Nate Dailey wrote in from ()

Who cares what you look like? If you love skating enough
you'd rather be alive and doing it, than hurt and
watching it. Trust me I know. Skate,love, and live
everyday to the fullest extent...lates...

 
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On 4/10/1998 Darren wrote in from ()

Protect you dome

 
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On 4/10/1998 Scott wrote in from ()

were a helmet to protect you head even if you haven't got any thing inside

 
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On 3/4/1998 LuCkY wrote in from ()

definately wrist gaurds

 
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On 2/22/1998 killa bee wrote in from ()

try not to slide your back wheels when you are walking your
dog. i was carving behind my dog and my board slid sideways
and bang i landed on my hands hip and chin lucky for me i
didnt get too hurt.

 
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On 2/20/1998 Scheckey wrote in from ()

we were havin a blast at Perry's spine ramp when me and Todd started to see who could get the biggest backside air. i got about 2'6" and Todd got about the same but he came down bad and hit the corner of the portch floor (flag stone) right in his noggen.ive never seen so much blood.a few months and 10 stitches later hes ok and skateing again.
moral: make sure your friends wear thier helmets.

 
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On 2/15/1998 CloeyChik wrote in from ()

Since I dont wanna wear a helmet because of vanity reasons, what should I do in case I fall that will minimize the pain?


skatersrule69@hotmail.com

 
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On 2/15/1998 CloeyChik wrote in from ()

Since I dont wanna wear a helmet because of vanity reasons, what should I do in case I fall that will minimize the pain?

 
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On 2/10/1998 Scott Solmonson wrote in from ()

Learn how to fall.
If you know how to hit dirt at 30 and roll instead of skid, you'll feel a lot better.
Also- I got some of those huge cushy vert knee pads.
It's actually fun to jump off your board and land sliding on your knees.

 
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On 2/1/1998 Spanky Malone wrote in from ()

You may not want to wear a helmet because it looks very un-cool. But laying there dead looks un-cool too. Be really cool, protect your mellon.

 
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On 1/20/1998 TIM wrote in from ()

DON'T PANIC WHEN GOING FAST,

 
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On 1/15/1998 anthony dileone wrote in from ()

hey I tottaly agree with all these state ments and when you think about it one thing comes to mind............................................. "WEAR A HELMET OR DIE PAINFIULLY"~~~~~~remember to skate hard and live life for all there is~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!:)

 
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On 1/11/1998 Chris wrote in from ()

I just wanted to say that I agree with Terry below. I
recently decided to start wear my helmet all the time, even
when I'm just dicking around in the parking lot. My reason
is that I have a son and I want him to wear his. Actually,
he's only three and riding on one knee, so he doesn't even
need one, but when he's fourteen and trying to ollie down
stair rails, he will. At that point, I'm going to want him
to wear a helmet, even when I'm not around. So the least I
can do is wear one when he's not around. About five people
have died in San Diego county in the last year and a half,
and none of them were wearing helmets. The most recent was
a 23-year-old surfer downhilling on his longboard.

Kind of makes you think.

 
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On 1/9/1998 Terry Dalle-Tezze wrote in from ()

A helmet is key. You don't see alot of the pros on tv and in
the mags wearing them but then again, most of us aren't pros.
All it takes is one bad fall and that could be it. So wear
a helmet. I charge some hills in Baltimore and some little
kids were imitating me on their shortboards. i got kinda
pissed and scared cuz i didn't want the responsibility if
they got hurt so i told them i don't want to see them charge
any hills without a helmet. they gave me a dirty look but
I havent seen them since.

 
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On 1/6/1998 Mike wrote in from ()

When surfing the pavements [or as we call them footpaths]
of Ireland, beware the pedestrian. They are your greatest
enemy. They do not understand the sound coming up behind them.
By the time you reach them and make to go round they turn
in fright and jump, generally in front of where you were going.

Does this mean Irish pedestrians are rabbits?

Car traffic is better. They don't know what to do so they come to
a crawl and give you a wide berth as they stare while passing you
wondering what you're at. They're the ones who may crash!

Irish drivers are voyeurs!

Bring your longbords to Ireland and be a peep show
while running down rabbits!

 
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On 12/14/1997 Gailyn wrote in from ()

I don't understand why people think helmets are so uncool.
Wearing a helmet is way cooler than being dead.

 
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On 12/10/1997 Adam wrote in from ()

Stupid Reasons to Fall, Part 1

High-Speed Wobbles: If you're into serious speed, then use a truck that's up to the job. Randal Trucks and Seismic Trucks are not susceptible to high-speed wobbles.

Wheel Bite: Wheel bite can easily be avoided by 1) adding riser pads, 2) decreasing wheel diameter, 3) adding cut-outs or wheel wells to your deck, or 4) tightening your trucks.

Loose Nuts: When nylon locking nuts get old they stop doing their job. Make sure yours can not be loosened with your fingers, and always have at least one full spiral of threads above the nylon in the nut. This applies to kingpins and wheel nuts. For trucks that hide the kingpin nut in the baseplate, press out the nut and replace it with the kingpin, reversing the two so your lock nut is now where you can see it.

 
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On 9/15/1997 Nole wrote in from ()

I just got a brand new sector 9 cloud 9 longboard. $100 right out of a sk8 factory. So the next day i was riding it and the trucks just happened to be TOO lose and the front wheel hit the deck and i went flying off and landed on my arm. Now I have a fractured elbow and have to carry around this damn cast. so, what my technique is - be careful and tighten ur trucks!!! The world would be a much better place without trips to the hospital.

~stay positive and love your life~
Nole

 
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On 9/5/1997 DAMON wrote in from ()

PLEASE DON'T FALL, IT REALLY HURTS

SKATE HARD!
PEACE OUT!!

 
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On 8/31/1997 Tom wrote in from ()

wear a helmet or you will get killed!!

 
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On 7/3/1997 Adam wrote in from ()

July 1, 1997 - Piedmonter

Tragic accident claims Ryan Costello
An accident on a skateboard early Saturday evening claimed the life of Ryan Costello, 15, and sent the community of Piedmont in mourning.
The popular student, who just completed his freshman year at Piedmont High School, was rushed to Children's Hospital from the Magnolia Avenue accident site. He did not recover from a brain injury and died at 10 a.m. on Monday.
Details of a memorial service to be held this week at the Piedmont Community Church are pending. Call the church at 547-5700 for the date and time.

Editor's note: Magnolia Ave is a long, twisting hill not far from my house. The weekend before this accident I was driving down Magnolia and noticed a teenager bombing the hill on a skateboard. I pulled to the side to watch his descent. I don't know Ryan Costello, or even if that kid was Ryan, but it sure added to the chill I got when I read this article. Please, wear a helmet when you skate.

 
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On 5/8/1997 Adam wrote in from ()

WEAR A HELMET
Your helmet is your most important piece of safety gear (See above). Protec makes a good helmet. Use the strap and keep it snug.

Use Quality Pads
Cheap knee pads and elbow pads, the kind that have only two straps that wrap around your limbs, are good for first impact only. After that they get pushed out of position leaving the skater wondering how he got that nice road rash directly under his pad. Get a quality pad that has a full sleeve and a snug fit. The sung fit is crucial. I cinch my pads down now before each run and loosen them up for the walk/ride back up the hill. Rector makes some good elbow and knee pads, but even those can slip off if not properly fitted and secured. Wrists are very vulnerable and deserve just as much protection as knees and elbows. The best wrist guard I’ve seen is the new Rollerblades City Gear Wrist Guard, though I wouldn’t recommend their elbow or knee pads. They also sell a beefier wrist guard called the Advanced Wrist Guard but I have not seen it yet.

Skate In Control
Develop a braking maneuver! It is possible to stop on a longboard, even when moving 30-40 mph, if you develop the proper technique. I’m aware of several methods including the Coleman Slide, the Power Slide, and the Foot Drag. Some of these methods are described in the Riding Techniques section of this site. Learning one or more of these can save your life. Note: These moves get progressively harder to do as your speed increases so it’s important to practice; first at slower speeds, but eventually at the fastest speed you expect to skate.

Know The Terrain
Pro speedboarders walk the entire course before ever riding down. Since I’m not intent on breaking any speed records, I usually just drive the course before my first run. Whether walking or driving your goal is to learn the course’s traffic patterns, surface irregularities (including deep cracks, rocks and debris, reflector bumps, and wet areas), and to identify run-out areas where you can bail if need be. I’ve started runs on seemingly empty streets with easy run-offs only to have several cars appear out of nowhere simultaneously narrowing my route and blocking my run-offs!

 
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On 5/7/1997 mick b. wrote in from ()

Hey, newbees,if you need to bail, don't forget to "run" when you bail to compensate for your current rate of travel. I've seen people forget to do this & wind up w/pizza knees.

 
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On 4/16/1997 Mikkel wrote in from ()

All I have to say is wear your helmet. You gotta protect your dome or you're dead..

 
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