Opinions on wearing protective gear

[jmzzz]

Hey everyone, I'm a student conducting a research project on skaters wearing protective gear, I wanted to ask if there is a reason that generally speaking, people don’t use as much gear or are limited?

I would greatly value the opinions of those aged 18 and over on my survey.

Link to survey: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/lboro/skateboarding-protective-gear-survey

[gringo_viejo]

Hey everyone, I'm a student conducting a research project on skaters wearing protective gear, I wanted to ask if there is a reason that generally speaking, people don’t use as much gear or are limited?

I would greatly value the opinions of those aged 18 and over on my survey.

Link to survey: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/lboro/skateboarding-protective-gear-survey

I wear pads. Helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads almost always.
Why? I'm old, I don't bounce, and I like to skate transition. Many times pads have been the difference between "get up and keep skating" and "two weeks of rehab."
But they're not cool. They're not convenient. And they're not comfortable. Hot summer day plus full pads, you're going to sweat through your pants.
I think also that an added danger factor on a trick makes it more impressive, right? Pro skaters are basically stunt people. It has to look casual, like you were just pushing down the street and on a whim decided to backside flip that seven stair. Protective gear detracts from that badass factor. And since we all want to be like pro skaters...

Edit: forgot about cost too. You can spend a couple hundred bucks on good pads easy. And the cheap ones don't protect, so what's the point of that?

[j....soy.....]

I'm old as well and I don't because I don't want to.  I stay clear of coping bowls or other situations where I think I need to wear them.  I suspect you'll find that most people who don't wear pads won't have much of an opinion as to why they do/don't and people who wear them will have a strong opinion and ideas on the subject.....

[in love w/ fs shuvs]

Health insurance >>>>

[FUBAR]

I pad up depending on what I am doing. Rolling around for a warm up? No pads. Learning frontside slappys with a real chance of getting pitched? Wrist and an elbow pad over my lead elbow, because thats where I will land.
My opinion, and I think a lot of people’s opinion in my area on pads: wear them if you want, who cares? I stopped in the middle of a crowded session to put on a helmet (I was the oldest guy around) and nobody batted an eye. I got my 4” fs board slide I was trying and all was well.

[bartlaser]

I always wear a condom when I shred.  Does that count?  I'm not taking any chances.

[Frank and Fred]

Helmet in big bowls. Knee pads if the surface allows for knee slides and it's a big transition.

Over the last few years all the worst injuries I've had, pads would not have prevented them. Helmets are a very good idea for big shit though.

[Sedition]

I broke my leg in 2019, and did significant ligament damage to my ankle. Bones heal-up quick, but the soft tissue stuff is what will kill you. I had two surgeries and hardware installed from that injury. When I was finally cleared to skate again, I was padding up because my ankle would sometimes just give out on me, and I’d just collapse (that no longer happens, thank god).

During that time, I really learned how to effectively use pads to fall. In 2024, I pad-up whenever skating transition 4’ high (or taller). I’ve actually grown to really like pads, esp. because they are the ultimate “fuck you” to cool guy fashion.

A friend shattered his elbow on a curb a few weeks ago. He probably would have gotten up and kept skating if he had an elbow pad on. Now he’s out of work, and his arm may never fully bend again. Bad situation.

[Crust]

I always wear a wrist guard for when my I fracture either one of my wrists. Usually my right hand as I'm goofy and slam forward more often.

I never wear anything else as I don't skate ramps too much, however, I am starting to get more into it and may start to wear them more as I age.

Very cool to see so many people rocking protective gear here. I don't get the cool-guy ridiculing for people who wear helmets etc., regardless if it just tall ramps or flatground .

[Sedition]

Very cool to see so many people rocking protective gear here. I don't get the cool-guy ridiculing for people who wear helmets etc., regardless if it just tall ramps or flatground .

One of the best SLAP comments (see attached).

[Dwyck]

Knee pads are very cool. Tons of incredible tricks done in knees. I want to learn kneeslides this summer

[Crust]

Expand Quote

Very cool to see so many people rocking protective gear here. I don't get the cool-guy ridiculing for people who wear helmets etc., regardless if it just tall ramps or flatground .

[close]

One of the best SLAP comments (see attached).

Nail on the head with that attachment @Sedition , would gnar. If only bangers like that were more plentiful around here

[Rosstradahmus]

I've been installing carpet for twenty years. Kneepads are life and keep me skating and working every day. I've also broken my right wrist and all I'm going to say is wiping your ass lefty is tricky. I really don't go for cool points at 35 either because there's no such thing as a cool late thirties skater who will never be pro.

[bob george]

I don't wear protective gear because I learnt to skate without it and find it restrictive/uncomfortable and kind of makes me fall/not land more than I would if I weren't wearing it - I am generally a street/small-medium transition skater. I'm not embarrassed by or opposed to wearing knee pads on big transition as it's out of my comfort zone and knee-sliding is better than running out of shit all the time.

[signtime]

I'm mainly a freerider, so I get my kick from powerful natural turns and the progression of going faster and faster, bigger and bigger. Open road or bowls, all the same to me.

Since I slam so often and so hard, if I didn't wear pads, I would've died several times over and wouldn't be able to continue playing on my skateboard. It would just be too impractical.

Half shell helmet and full pads at a minimum. Sometimes a spine protector, crash shorts, mouthguard, full face helmet, goggles, or a leather suit. Fuck, even sunscreen.

I've only really met a few skaters with similar interests and personalities. Everyone suits up. Probably wouldn't let someone ride with us if they showed up to a session without a helmet.

And for those days I just wanna slap a parking block around or putter the street section, hell yeah I'm still in a helmet, because now that's how my momentum is trained.

But as to your question for why people aren't wearing pads - it's not primarily driven by them thinking it's uncool. It's that safety gear is expensive, so they prioritize buying other stuff first. If someone else buys them a helmet, they'll likely start wearing it. Or they think they just aren't going that hard, so they don't think they need it. Or they are just kind of apathetic towards pads for any other reason.

[Cbdcigarettesaftersex]

Wear hockey pads under your big boys

[Frank and Fred]

I'm mainly a freerider, so I get my kick from powerful natural turns and the progression of going faster and faster, bigger and bigger. Open road or bowls, all the same to me.

Since I slam so often and so hard, if I didn't wear pads, I would've died several times over and wouldn't be able to continue playing on my skateboard. It would just be too impractical.

Half shell helmet and full pads at a minimum. Sometimes a spine protector, crash shorts, mouthguard, full face helmet, goggles, or a leather suit. Fuck, even sunscreen.

I've only really met a few skaters with similar interests and personalities. Everyone suits up. Probably wouldn't let someone ride with us if they showed up to a session without a helmet.

And for those days I just wanna slap a parking block around or putter the street section, hell yeah I'm still in a helmet, because now that's how my momentum is trained.

But as to your question for why people aren't wearing pads - it's not primarily driven by them thinking it's uncool. It's that safety gear is expensive, so they prioritize buying other stuff first. If someone else buys them a helmet, they'll likely start wearing it. Or they think they just aren't going that hard, so they don't think they need it. Or they are just kind of apathetic towards pads for any other reason.

we are going to need photo/ video evidence of your approach.