Have you ever wondered how dangerous riding a complete skateboard really is? Can a child or an adult really get hurt badly, or even killed, doing skateboard tricks on skateboards? Does a skater have a future in riding a skateboard after getting serious skate injuries? These are some of the questions that will be answered in this article about the true dangers of riding skateboards and if skateboarding really is as dangerous has many parents and media make it out to be?

Is riding a complete skateboard that dangerous? Complete skateboards are skateboard decks with wheels and any thing that a person must be on or in with wheels is bound to be dangerous. Of course riding one can be dangerous but so can any sport out there. It seems many parents do not like the thought of there child riding a skateboard because they think that they will get seriously hurt. Maybe they saw another news story about a child getting serious skate injuries doing tricks on their skateboard. Back in 2006 there was about 26000 children, 15 years and younger, that had been admitted into an emergency room due to injuries from skateboards. When you think about it, that is a high number. Studies show that out of 100 hospitals, they reported the top four sports when it came to injuries and emergency room visits. Which sport do you think was number one in the study? I bet a lot of you parents reading this article are thinking skateboards are number one on the list for sure.

Check out these numbers from the study.

o Bicycles is number one at 239,795 admissions into the hospitals

o Football is number two at 220,877 admissions

o Baseball is number three at 84,878 admissions

o Skateboards is number four at 65,130 admissions

Shocking information if you ask me. It is important to realize that parents and the media are always focusing on the negative of skateboards. When someone gets hurt, riding their skateboard they make it seem like the sport is so bad. On the other hand, they do not tell you about all of the many skaters who do not get any skate injuries at all.

Does a skater ever get on a skateboard again after getting seriously hurt? Indeed some skateboarders never get to skate again due to permanent injuries. How about a skater named Eric who was riding his complete skateboard and crashed. He had gotten a concussion, fractures to his skull, bruises to his brain, and was in a comma for 2 weeks. He did survive with no brain damage, but he never got on a skateboard again. Maybe Eric would be skateboarding today if he had known how to tuck and roll. It is also important to realize that many skaters who were injured permanently were most likely not wearing all of the protective gear that they should have been wearing. Wearing a skateboard helmet, wrist, elbow, and knee pads really do help reduce the chance of getting major skate injuries riding or performing skateboard tricks on a complete skateboard. The sport of riding skateboards is the same as any sport out there. It can be dangerous. In fact the idea of a sport being dangerous all boils down to how hard a player pushes himself to his max potential.

We have learned that there are studies out there that prove that riding complete skateboards are not as dangerous as people think they are. Sure, there are kids or adults who get serious skate injuries and never ride a skateboard again. However, I believe if they were wearing all of the proper protective gear they would still be riding today. We have proved that parents and the media over exaggerate how dangerous riding a complete skateboard really is.

Parents must realize that if you want your kid to be safe then when you buy them their first complete skateboard, or parts to fix their old one, you should take it upon yourself to make sure they have the proper skateboard helmet, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads. Sit down with your child and explain the importance of safety riding skateboards. Go on the internet and find out how to do the tuck and roll properly and show them how to do it. If parents got involved with their child and the sport of skateboarding as much as they do in the sport of football, or baseball this sport would be a lot bigger than it already is and probably a lot safer to.

Study information collected from http://www.concretewavemagazine.com/