How to improve the health situation in pro skateboarding?

[SatanicPanic]

There’s two things that we need to have separate conversations on.

1. Regular injuries- knees, shoulders, ankles, etc. companies offering healthcare would definitely help this. (Waiting for the United States of America to handle this isn’t realistic). People should wear pads for transition skating and I don’t understand why people skate park contests without them. Pads aren’t great for street skating and I don’t think they will be until someone invents street pads.

2. Head injuries. Helmets probably don’t help much at all for CTE. The only solution is not hitting your head, or doing it very infrequently. Like five times in your career. I don’t know how we would just wall off a huge portion of skating but if people are serious about not having people die of CTE I don’t see another option.if the NFL can’t do it we aren’t.

I personally think we need to consider a much lower impact future, especially in street skating. Because the near future is going to get really grim. James will not be the only person in his generation that dies this way.

[Hevonen]

It's a pretty difficult issue and I don't think there's much more that can be done except to raise awareness on CTE which is still not talked about very much in skating.

Don't think a union would work or at least it would be pretty difficult to set up, and I don't think it would have much change on the health insurance situation. AFAIK most big money brands offer a health insurance. If you can't get a proper shoe deal, energy drink sponsor or an Olympic team spot, you're not really all that pro and probably shouldn't sacrifice your body for skateboarding. But pro skating is a very wide scale that ranges from getting free t shirts to being tony hawk. I guess the way to do it would be to have a law that says something like you can't use dangerous activities in your marketing unless the person doing the activity has proper health insurance during the time of filming or something like that.

As for helmets I think they are good for reducing the risk of a deadly injury or a cracked skull, but don't do much for CTE type of stuff. Padding might reduce brain rattling a bit, but at the same time it's more difficult to avoid hitting your head as it's an inch closer to ground and people tend to take bigger risks while wearing one.

And also skating is just a dangerous activity and that's a big part of what draws people to do it and watch it. So most you can really do is to make sure people fully understand the risks and consequences of it

[JohnDi]

There’s two things that we need to have separate conversations on.

1. Regular injuries- knees, shoulders, ankles, etc. companies offering healthcare would definitely help this. (Waiting for the United States of America to handle this isn’t realistic). People should wear pads for transition skating and I don’t understand why people skate park contests without them. Pads aren’t great for street skating and I don’t think they will be until someone invents street pads.

2. Head injuries. Helmets probably don’t help much at all for CTE. The only solution is not hitting your head, or doing it very infrequently. Like five times in your career. I don’t know how we would just wall off a huge portion of skating but if people are serious about not having people die of CTE I don’t see another option.if the NFL can’t do it we aren’t.

I personally think we need to consider a much lower impact future, especially in street skating. Because the near future is going to get really grim. James will not be the only person in his generation that dies this way.

Just speaking towards regular injuries because it’s the most realistic thing we can look to and somewhat help prevent that could potentially be long lasting like I stated the idea that skaters need to workout has to become more of a norm which is hard to get everyone around “exercise” just in general so it’s very just person to person but the idea that we need this and it’s easy to do needs to be more commonplace

[Knox Harrington]

Devil’s advocate pov, CTE isn’t likely to be anywhere near as high in skateboarding as it is hockey, football, and boxing/mma. There’s also low risk of repeated concussions in close proximity to each other bc head injuries are usually infrequent. And helmets are only of limited benefit as has been mentioned.

1. The most obvious thing that should be phased out is downhill skating especially in urban areas. It’s dumb as hell and skaters have died and will die from it.
2. No alcohol and skateboarding, ever.
3. Skateboarders who aren’t broke in the US should get high deductible or catastrophic health insurance with an HSA plan, and the broke ones should be signed up for Medicaid. Head injuries are largely untreatable though assuming no blood clots, comas, etc.

[billycrawker]

At 7 minutes it says CTE could be caused just from the shockwaves of landing from big heights without hitting the head, I don't know how true that is though

[lurker_and_poster]

First of all Rest In Peace to James Hardy, following and hearing him suffering through his seizures
was hard - but much appreciated.
Also having the dialog about improving the heath situation is appreciated.
We need to talk about the problems in our sport and society.

But to be honest - this is not a Skateboarding problem. Or only a pro Skateboarding problem.

There is a very simple solution. Public Healthcare.

I have receive the last years  so many go found me - because American friends are struggling because of basic medical treatments.

I am aware about American culture and its different to Europe - but having not a basic health care system
for everyone is extremely anti social and even more expansive then providing the public.

Some people wrote before team managers and filmers need to be better prepared in case of emergency.
But in america  calling the ambulance - getting yourself a check  is related with cost. Many people try to avoid.
painkillers are not prescription only - but getting a check at the hospital require a credit card.

I love US and have visited multiple times.  Got injured in US as in Canada. Treatment as an foreigner
and related cost is so much different.

I have friends and family over in US. But that one of the richest counties,
and still the largest economy in the world cant supply a basic heaths care to the people is a disgrace.

If you work for the right company - in a good position - you get a proper deal and pay less for your health care then
the average Joe in Europe.  But here everyone have the same security.
I received with 12 years in school my first first aid course. with 15 my second.
with 19 I had to do my community service with the 3rd course. All free of charge.
All my friends had a basic know how of first aid. And if someone had a injury - we know how to handle the situation.
Gaving first aid ourself, going to a doctor, going ourselves to the hospital, or calling the emergency doctor.
We dont had the fear of cost in the back of our head. Or to be sued.
Providing first aid is mandatory
No matter the social status of our parents - we all got the same treatment in the hospital. without credit card or passport.

[whaaaaat]

Devil’s advocate pov, CTE isn’t likely to be anywhere near as high in skateboarding as it is hockey, football, and boxing/mma. There’s also low risk of repeated concussions in close proximity to each other bc head injuries are usually infrequent. And helmets are only of limited benefit as has been mentioned.

1. The most obvious thing that should be phased out is downhill skating especially in urban areas. It’s dumb as hell and skaters have died and will die from it.
2. No alcohol and skateboarding, ever.
3. Skateboarders who aren’t broke in the US should get high deductible or catastrophic health insurance with an HSA plan, and the broke ones should be signed up for Medicaid. Head injuries are largely untreatable though assuming no blood clots, comas, etc.

Thanks mom!

[smellymoron69]

it's supposed to be dangerous

[left-nut]

Y’all are tripping if you think that helmets wouldn’t reduce potential CTE skating. Sure, they don’t help playing football, since they turn your head into a weapon, but skating is a different story.

[SatanicPanic]

Expand Quote

There’s two things that we need to have separate conversations on.

1. Regular injuries- knees, shoulders, ankles, etc. companies offering healthcare would definitely help this. (Waiting for the United States of America to handle this isn’t realistic). People should wear pads for transition skating and I don’t understand why people skate park contests without them. Pads aren’t great for street skating and I don’t think they will be until someone invents street pads.

2. Head injuries. Helmets probably don’t help much at all for CTE. The only solution is not hitting your head, or doing it very infrequently. Like five times in your career. I don’t know how we would just wall off a huge portion of skating but if people are serious about not having people die of CTE I don’t see another option.if the NFL can’t do it we aren’t.

I personally think we need to consider a much lower impact future, especially in street skating. Because the near future is going to get really grim. James will not be the only person in his generation that dies this way.

[close]

Just speaking towards regular injuries because it’s the most realistic thing we can look to and somewhat help prevent that could potentially be long lasting like I stated the idea that skaters need to workout has to become more of a norm which is hard to get everyone around “exercise” just in general so it’s very just person to person but the idea that we need this and it’s easy to do needs to be more commonplace

Absolutely. More training and stretching. We don’t need to be gym rats but some basic stuff is good. Also don’t skate through the pain, that isn’t a good idea.

Edit- to Euro guy upthread- we know it’s a problem and we know how to fix it. It’s also not happening anytime soon so let it go. We don’t need reminding.

[IUTSM]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

There’s two things that we need to have separate conversations on.

1. Regular injuries- knees, shoulders, ankles, etc. companies offering healthcare would definitely help this. (Waiting for the United States of America to handle this isn’t realistic). People should wear pads for transition skating and I don’t understand why people skate park contests without them. Pads aren’t great for street skating and I don’t think they will be until someone invents street pads.

2. Head injuries. Helmets probably don’t help much at all for CTE. The only solution is not hitting your head, or doing it very infrequently. Like five times in your career. I don’t know how we would just wall off a huge portion of skating but if people are serious about not having people die of CTE I don’t see another option.if the NFL can’t do it we aren’t.

I personally think we need to consider a much lower impact future, especially in street skating. Because the near future is going to get really grim. James will not be the only person in his generation that dies this way.

[close]

Just speaking towards regular injuries because it’s the most realistic thing we can look to and somewhat help prevent that could potentially be long lasting like I stated the idea that skaters need to workout has to become more of a norm which is hard to get everyone around “exercise” just in general so it’s very just person to person but the idea that we need this and it’s easy to do needs to be more commonplace

[close]

Absolutely. More training and stretching. We don’t need to be gym rats but some basic stuff is good. Also don’t skate through the pain, that isn’t a good idea.

Edit- to Euro guy upthread- we know it’s a problem and we know how to fix it. It’s also not happening anytime soon so let it go. We don’t need reminding.

Whats got your knickers in a bunch? Homeboy made one of the better posts in this conversation.

Please explain the WE you keep mentioning. Are you speaking as a consumer of branded products whose interest and money may or may not influence people jumping on things and maybe cracking their heads? Are WE laying down rules for people on skateboards, keeping em out of the streets?

[SatanicPanic]

I’m talking about our lack of national healthcare. We know.

[fineslime]

I’m talking about our lack of national healthcare. We know.

If these skateboarding brands treated their riders like real employees instead of independent contractors, it wouldn't matter if there was national health care because these companies would have to do right by their employees and provide benefits. Professional and amateur skateboarders signed by contracts are marketing employees and they should be treated as such. You want to see skaters get health care and a change in policy in the skateboarding industry? It starts by acknowledging that the skaters who make it happen deserve a salary that is taxed as an employee and not as an independent contractor.

[IUTSM]

I’m talking about our lack of national healthcare. We know.

Nah, G. Im asking what the we is when you’re writing about how…

We need to wear pads…. We need to consider a low impact future.

[Uncle Flea]

If any Pal from Massachusetts ever needs help getting insurance or emergency scratch let me know.

I have no prob helping a pal with paperwork. I'm also proficient in section 8 applications.

Having an active SSI application is the key to all emergency funds.