Is wearing protection an asset or a disadvantage in skateboarding?

 

During the practice of extreme sports some protective gear like helmets are worn often by practitioners in training, freeride or contest. Protections are quite common in winter sports (snowboard, ski) or with extreme sports like climbing and rafting.

 

Despite the generalised utilisation of protective gear in the world of sport, there are still some sports where only a minority of practitioners use them and that is precisely the case for skateboard, that we are going to focus on.

 But first, let’s define what a skateboard is.

It is simply a wood deck linked by screws to trucks, which allow the bearing and wheels to be linked.

 Let’s see how the practice of skateboard is considered by the French legislation:

According to the article R412-34 of the traffic laws the skateboard is an equipment for personal movement and its user is considered as a pedestrian. It involved the skater to circulate on the side walk. Concerning protections, there is no obligation to wear anything, not even the helmet.

This is a list of the most used skater protection:

•       helmet

•       elbow pads

•       knee pads                  

•       crash pads

•       wrist guards

 

Now to understand how protections are perceived in the world of skate, we have to understand that this sport is principally developed in two categories : the bowl and the street. Each has a different relation to the wearing of protection gear.

In street skate and in bowl skate during contest like Olympic Games:

 During competitions, generally in France and in all over the world the wearing of the helmet is obligatory for competitors who are less than 18 years old. For people who are more than 18 years old the choice belongs to the practitioner.

But except for the helmet, which is worn by some skater, not much people use other protections (for example, a wrist guard to protect the wrist if it has had several shocks, but it still remains a personal choice of the skater).

 Without specific like wrist guard on one wrist to protect him if he have been several times shock but it is still a personal choice from the skater.

During the freeride:

In street and for users who are more than 12 years old, it’s very rare to see people wearing protection. Frequently we can see users who came back from an injury wearing a specific protection where the user was hurt. To take the previous example, a person who was injured on their wrist will be wearing a wrist guard. However, it still remains very rare to see people wearing a complete set of protection.

It should also be noted that in general all practitioners under the age of 12, apart being accompanied by an adult, wear at least the following protections : Helmets, elbow pads and wrist guards.

 In bowl and for the practitioners which are more than 15, it must be said that few users wear protection but still more than in street skate. But they are still a minority even in the case of users who has been hurt. In practice, for users less 15 years, the wearing of protections depends on their level and if they are accompanied.

 

To conclude, we can say that in the skateboard’s world, practitioners generally don’t wear protection even young user who have a quite high level   

In street and in bowl, generally children who are not monitored by an adult or not with a parent don’t use protection even if they have them in a bag with us.

 

After interviews with skaters during theirs freeride at the Cosa Skatepark in Chelles, I could understand different reasons why they don’t wear protection. I asked them if they see protections as an asset or an inconvenience. I am going to list some answers I got from both people who do and do not wear protections.

•        They are but I don't wear them, it bothers you too much when you have to bend down and then even when you wear it sometimes you hurt yourself, It is easier to get hurt wearing protections, because you feel sefer and you dare more. (54 years old)

•       Me I don’t like them at all, it is always moving. I have to keep replacing them, plus, even when I do fall, I don’t get hurt a lot. (8 years old).

•       This is very funny because I have been skating since 27 28 years old and I use protection for just 6 month, I am no longer 20 and protections amortized a little (42 years old)

•       To me it’s obligatory, I never go skating without my protection gear! I am not willing to hurt myself! You never know what can happen to you! Better play it safe! (27 years old).

 

After reading these testimonials, we can understand that in skateboard using protection still remains a personal choice and greatly depends on the level and personal sensations.

Sources :

Le skate, sa composition ! - sk8attitude (skyrock.com)

Circulation en trottinette électrique, rollers ou skateboard | service-public.fr

Skateboard - Fédération Française de Roller & Skateboard - Fédération Française de Roller & Skateboard (ffroller.fr)

Micro sidewalk in Chelles

Inteerview with M.Thomer the French Olympic skateboard coach