Is skateboarding safe?

Publish date: 2022-10-23

Many studies have disproved the danger of skateboarding compared to other sports, citing that many injuries are minor and easily treatable. There is certainly risk in skateboarding but you can be safer by avoiding large ramps, downhills, and wearing proper safety gear–especially young and inexperienced skateboarders.

What are the dangers of skateboarding?

Common Skateboarding Injuries

How many deaths are caused by skateboarding?

In the U.S. an average of 40 people die in skateboarding accidents per year. The most common reason for fatalities is the collision with a motor vehicle. The second most common cause of death while skateboarding is hill bombs.

What age is appropriate for skateboarding?

The best age to start skateboarding is 5 years old and up. Kids under 5 have underdeveloped fine motor skills and a harder time balancing on a skateboard. However, with adult supervision and protective gear, kids under 5 can safely ride a skateboard.

What is the most common injury in skateboarding?

Common Skateboarding Injuries

15 related questions found

Can you get paralyzed from skateboarding?

One of the most serious injuries that a skateboarder may experience is traumatic brain injury. This condition can cause severe effects to a person's cognitive and motor abilities. Spinal cord injuries can also occur, making the individual paralyzed or placed in extreme pain.

How likely are you to get hurt while skateboarding?

This includes longboarding. The majority of skater fatalities were on public streets and involved a collision with a car. The second cause for death: hillbombs. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission says that the number of skateboarding injuries is typically 8.9 per 1,000 participants, which is low.

Is 15 too old to start skateboarding?

Remember you're never too old to start skateboarding, it's all in your head. Just make sure you're safe and avoid risk. It will take months before you get the hang of it and it might even take years before you do your first ollie. It's about fun, skateboarding is a great sport both physically and mentally.

Should I let my son skateboard?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that: Kids younger than 5 years should not skateboard. Kids age 6–10 years old can skateboard, but only with an adult watching.

Is skateboarding safer than football?

Shown in the charts well above, we can see that skateboarding has an estimated lower rate of injury than many of the most popular sports in the United States: football, baseball/softball, basketball, and soccer. It even has a lower rate of injury than playground equipment.

Is it worth learning to skateboard?

Build up confidence. Skateboarding helps you to become more confident in general. You need to force yourself and commit when attempting something that seems scary at first. Once you pushed yourself and land the trick you'll feel much more confident when going after your next trick.

How do you skate without getting hurt?

Wrist pads, gloves, knee pads, and helmets are a good place to start if you want to purchase protective gear. They won't stop you from skids and falls, but they will protect exposed parts and prevent more serious injuries. Helmets should have a buckle strap and fit around your head snugly.

Is skateboarding illegal?

Skateboarding is not a crime. You are free to buy, own, share and ride a skateboard. There are places that you are permitted to skate, and places that you aren't. To avoid getting in trouble with law enforcement, security and property owners, it is important to not skate where forbidden.

Does skateboarding give you abs?

Skateboarding also helps develop key muscles like hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower back, and yes, even abs. “Your abs have to work with your back to keep your spine aligned,” Olson says, which is key to maintaining balance on a skateboard.

How do you fall on a skateboard?

Go out to your yard or someplace soft and stand on your skateboard. Then fall forward and roll to land on your shoulder. The roll takes the energy out of the fall. If you can, roll with the fall — land on your shoulder and let the force of the fall play itself out with the roll.

Can you break a bone skateboarding?

The radius was the most commonly injured bone in both groups. Forty-two percent of skateboard fractures required reduction and another 16% required operative intervention. Epiphyseal fractures occurred in 42% of the skateboard riders who were skeletally immature.

Is 11 a good age to start skateboarding?

At Board Blazers, we recommend 5 - 10 years old is the best time to start skateboarding. Below 5 years old, most kids probably won't have the best balance to completely learn how to skateboard. As a result, they'll get frustrated quickly and end up not liking skateboarding at all.

What are the benefits of skateboarding?

Health Benefits

Skateboarding offers an array of advantages including coordination, pain tolerance, stress relief, precision, reflexes and patience. Coordination – Skateboarding improves hand, eye, leg and feet coordination. When skateboarding, you need to alter your movements so you skate smoothly and accurately.

Why kids should have skateboards?

Skateboarding is great for helping develop coordination and core strength. It takes a long time to get good at skateboarding and doing tricks, so it's a great activity for teaching kids about practice and perseverance.

Can you start skateboarding at 13?

At what age can kids skateboard? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than five should not skateboard, and those under the age of 10 be closely supervised when skateboarding.

Is 18 too old to skateboard?

18 isn't to late at all! Don't expect to be amazing or anything, but if you have even decent coordination, you should be able to ollie and do some basic tricks.

Should you skateboard at night?

You don't have enough time to skate during the day, you can only do it at night. Night skating can also be very calm and relaxing. Skateboarding at night is mellower and allows you to escape car traffic, crowded sidewalks, rushed cyclists etc.

Is skateboarding safer than biking?

Falling off a skateboard is typically much more frequent and painful – broken wrists and elbows, concussions, bruises and road rash are all a daily part of skateboarding. Bikes are also safer to ride than skateboards and longboards on wet pavement and when there's a bit of snow on the ground.

Is skateboarding an extreme sport?

Considered one of the so-called extreme sports, skateboarding as a professional sport boasts a range of competitions, including vertical and street-style events. Vertical skating (also called “vert”) features aerial acrobatics performed in half-pipes that were originally built to emulate empty swimming pools.

How do you stay safe while skating?

Always buckle up your skates. Knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. These help prevent scrapes and also cushion the bones in case of a fall. Light gloves.

ncG1vNJzZmiZnKG8tsDFqKatmpGhuW%2BvzmespGeWlr5wtdJmqqSZpJqvsK3RnaCnn12orqex