Safety First Kids

Skateboarding is one of America’s most dangerous sports, but that doesn’t mean we can’t protect ourselves from injury (“Most dangerous,” 2011). Commonsense, protective gear, and skating within ones means are keys for avoiding a ride in the ambulance.  

Many skaters are oblivious to the risks they take, and consider themselves untouchable. The numbers disagree. A report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states that about 26,000 people a year receive emergency treatment for skateboarding related injuries (“Community Medical,” 2010). Injuries like blunt force head trauma are the most serious and can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.

Annually, more than 16,000 American’s sustain traumatic head injuries (“Traumatic Brain,” n.d.).  The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), advocates wearing a helmet to prevent concussion, blunt head trauma, and closed head injury that can occur when your head strikes the pavement or other hard surfaces (“Skateboarding Safety,” 2007).

Even when skaters acknowledge the possibility for injury, many refuse to wear a helmet because of the perception that helmets are “uncool”.  You can avoid the stigma by rocking helmets from Bern® that combine superior impact protection without sacrificing style (“Bern Watts,” n.d.).

Less serious skateboarding injuries include broken and sprained ankles. Ankle sprains occur “when the foot twists, rolls, or turns beyond its normal motions. This causes the ligaments to stretch beyond their normal range in an abnormal position” (“Sprained Ankle,” n.d.). Depending on the severity of the sprain, it can take anywhere from 4-12 weeks to fully heal (“Recovery Time,” n.d.).

To prevent an ankle injury, avoid an awkward landing by learning how to bail properly. Wearing the right shoes also play a role in preventing sprains. Proper skateboarding shoes should provide cushioning and ankle support, and be made with polyurethane or STI foam that dampens impact from landings (“Guide to Skate,” n.d.).

“Most Dangerous Sports.” Advanced Physical Medicine. N.p., 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2001. <http://www.advancedphysicalmedicine.org/blog/2011/09/22/most-dangerous-sports/>.

"Community Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Services Urges Kids to Stay Safe While Skateboarding." Barnabas Health - New Jersey. N.p., 29 June 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. 

<http://www.barnabashealth.org/hospitals/community_medical/press/2010/skateboarding.html>.

"Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics ." Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury | Resources for TBI & SCI . N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.< http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/brain-injury/statistics.html>.

"Skateboarding Safety - Your Orthopaedic Connection - AAOS." AAOS - Your Orthopaedic Connection. N.p., Oct. 2007. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00273>.

"Bern Watts (Brock foam) Hard Hat Skate Helmet." Extreme Sports Equipment and Accessories | AllSportProtection.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.allsportprotection.com/Bern_Watts_Brock_foam_Hard_Hat_Skate_Helmet_p/bern0002.htm>.

"Sprained Ankle - Your Orthopaedic Connection - AAOS." AAOS - Your Orthopaedic Connection. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150#How%20It%20Happens>.

"Recovery Time for A Sprained Ankle | Ankle Sprain Recovery." Sprained Ankle Rehab | Discover the Fastest Road to Ankle Recovery. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.sprainedankle.me/recovery-time-sprained-ankle>.

"Guide To Skate Apparel." Tactics Board Shop - Snowboard Shop, Skate Shop, Surf Shop, Clothing Store. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.tactics.com/info/guide-to-skate-apparel>.

Cody&apos;s Story

In 2009, teenager Cody David Rocamontes was hit and killed by a vehicle on the way to his favorite skate spot. The tragedy led to the formation of a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness about skateboard safety.  The mission of Cody Rocamontes Inc. is to build a skate park in Arlington, TX, that will provide a safe and legal outlet for area skateboarders.

Permission from ©Cody Rocamontes Inc.

I recently spoke with Cody’s mother Kim, who recounts her son’s love for the sport, and the need to create awareness and raise funds through the website. Show your support by visiting the Arlington Skate website, add them on Facebook, and follow on Twitter.

Tell us about Cody, and why skateboarding was so important to him.

Cody lived to skate, hence our logo on the first T-shirts we created to raise money in Sept 2009 – “ Live to Skate and Skate to Live”.  Our recurring theme is the kid’s safety although Cody was actually carrying his skateboard when he was killed, not on it.  But he was rarely without it, a means of transportation, his sport/hobby - he lived it, breathed it and propped it against the wall of whoever’s house he was visiting.  He was ALWAYS trying to perfect the next trick, it gave him his self-confidence, always trying to do better than the day before but he liked the “sport” that was for individuals. He loved hanging out with other skaters but also loved the fact that he could skate alone. In groups, he never failed to learn something new but skating individually alleviated frustration and stress for him as well as just being FUN.

What's arlingtonskate.com? What are the organization's goals?

At this point, we have yet to break ground on a safe and legal place for people in Arlington to skate. Our non-profit status is written such (at this time) that we are solely dedicated to raising funds for the City of Arlington to build public skate park(s). We have been “given” Randol Mill Park but are now in the process of the design phase, all of which Arlington controls; design, build and construction.  We simply are here to raise awareness AND funds to accomplish this.  Long term we have some ideas with youth scholarships, helping other cities nearby to accomplish what we have, etc. but the primary goal to date has been fund-raising for Arlington – we need to have one skate spot / park finished before we regroup and determine the primary needs in the future.

Who are you working with to accomplish those goals?

We chose at the very beginning to work with the city of Arlington but never dreamed it would take us two and a half years.  None of the members that initially formed CRI wanted the politics, nor did we want the liability of creating something on our own. We stood firm with the need for a place to skate to be public and FREE, maintaining that getting the kids off the street should be important in the public’s eyes as well.  Arlington Parks and Recreation Dept has worked with us hand in hand since the very beginning, several folks within the Dept are very pro-skate and have seen the need. They have had public forums, neighborhood meetings, assisted us with our Tony Hawk Grant – truly partners in doing what they could within the realm of their political arena.

I will admit Arlington has a vision and actually prepared a 30-year master plan for skate spots / parks through their numerous city parks – they wanted to do it in a planned, organized way which will make Arlington a destination “skate” location in years to come. However the city council failed to pass the Master Plan so we are now working off of a “Skate Park Strategy” – as funding becomes available each selected location will have to be voted by the city council on before proceeding.

Describe the community's response to your initiative. What kind of support, if any, have you gotten from city officials?

I think we can actively show the support that we've received from Arlington Parks and Rec board based on the award we just won from Texas Recreation and Parks Society's Regional meeting, see our Facebook pages for more details. Matt Young of APRD submitted us for our region 2, quite an hoor for them as well as CRI. Within the community - always a mixed bag. One of our strongest supporters that has also spoken at City Council meetings manages a large shopping mall in north Arlington - she wants the kid to have a place to go and not deface and vandalize the business properties that she manages. CRI has done many things to change public opinion which can be very negative (we all know skateboarders are often viewed as outcasts, trouble-makers, youth up to no good, etc). We have participated in many community events to change the public perceptions; Lake Arlington Clean Up, EcoFest, participated in the July 4th parade twice, worked at Sonic for tips - in addition to our yearly fund-raiser, RocaSkatFest which we make family oriented with music, raffles, games, etc.

What obstacles is the organization facing?

POLITICS, POLITICS, POLITICS!!!  Now that we have City Council approval for our first park ( they also approved the city-wide skate park so we hope to be building two almost simultaneously), our largest obstacle is raising more money to continue.

What's the status of the park?

Approved, bids out for design and hopefully to break ground this spring.

How can people get involved and help the cause?

Cody’s birthday was March 12^th – in his honor we’ve held RocaSkateFest fundraisers around that date and seek large company donations, vendors and companies with similar interests to support us. We typically need 50+ volunteers to work the event as well as help in the background for the organization of the event. Anyone that has a skill set for organization and fund-raising is welcome. Word of mouth goes a long way to supporting these kids as well.

What's the first step other skaters should take to get a park built in their city?

From our viewpoint, becoming a 501C3 is extremely important, non-profit status assists in donations as well as large grants, such as the $10,000 Tony Hawk grant we were awarded last spring. We have forms created for tax write-offs, whether business or personal donation.  Although the paperwork is daunting, a solid group of volunteers willing to put some time and effort into it is almost mandatory if you’re going to work with city officials.

What's the most important message you wish to convey to readers?

Skating is an individualized sport and skaters should have a right to practice their sport as other individuals get to without risking their safety from riding in the streets or shopping strips. Skating needs to be recognized for what it is – 62% growth in the last 10 years compared to traditional sports such as baseball and football yet many kids have nowhere to practice their sport of choice

Politically Correct

Skateboarding gained its popularity with the surfing crowd back in the 1960’s and has grown exponentially since then. With the creation of sponsored teams that travel the world competing to local neighborhood skate parks, this pastime and what some would consider sport has recently started to take a negative turn. 

While skating on ramps and man-made inclines is fun some choose to test their skills at a different level by skating in and on areas of the city and man-made structures. Street skating, is it is called, has unfortunately has been hindered by the laws and rules determining when and where people can skate.

The police and skaters have now created a negative stereotype towards each other whereas terms like pigs, coppers, stick flippers, and plywood pushers are regularly used.

I asked a friend of the families who happens to be a city police officer to comment this subject. Officer Kerr stated that, “railings, benches, curbs and any ledges are constantly having to be repainted, fixed or repaired from the damage… We want to keep our public places people friendly and looking nice.” I also asked Officer to comment on ways to prevent this from happening and what type of violations are in place. Officer Kerr informed me that, “large signs are posted in places where skating is strictly restricted but unfortunately I [Officer Kerr]sometimes think these signs only encourage them to keep doing it.  Every city monitors these infractions similarly. Our city [Missouri City] will issue verbal and written warnings before a monetary fine is assessed. One problem we also get is that people then to argue that skateboarding is not a crime and proceed to run away from the officers, this however is a crime.”

Officer Kerr later goes on to state that in places where this a major problem simple supporting or helping to fund a public skate park that has elements of the street areas will and has caused these damages and crimes to go down.

All in all it’s important that officers and skateboarders alike not take things out of context and simply follow the rules. More than likely you will get a verbal warning or possibly written but be careful because too many of these and you might find yourself slapped with a fine.

- Justin Hajek

How to Bail in Style

Falling down is an unavoidable hazard for any skateboarder. Learning to fall properly can save you a trip to the emergency room and an embarrassing YouTube cameo. In this post, I will teach you how to bail safely; and in style.

The cause of most wipeouts falls into one of two categories: losing your balance while the board is rolling on the ground, and losing your balance and composure while you are in the air.

At minimal speeds, a technique called pacing-out is an effective way to bail. Pacing-out is instinctive; jump off the board and land on your feet. When you feel yourself losing control and begin to jump away from the board, it's important to land running at the same pace you were rolling at.

Pacing-out isn't effective when you can't move your feet at the same rate of speed you're riding at. As your speed and trick difficulty increases, you can tuck-and-roll to avoid injury. The tuck-and-roll maneuver involves the rider falling on their shoulder or upper back, tucking their elbows and covering their head, and rolling forward with the force of the fall. With practice, your somersault will look graceful and effortless.

You can practice the tuck-and-roll by standing on your board, and executing the maneuver onto grass or carpet.When executing a tuck-and-roll, it's important to keep your elbows in close to your body. It's instinctive to stick out your arms to break your fall. Fight your instincts, or you may be wearing a cast for six weeks. 

More advanced-level skaters will need to learn how to perform a kick-out bail. A kick-out is when a skater loses control of the board in the air, and has to kick the board out of their landing path. Once you kick-out the board from under your feet, transition into a pace-out or tuck-and-roll maneuver.

Falling down never feels good or looks pretty. Minimize injury to your body, and your ego, by learning to how to properly bail.  

Wheels: Choosing The Right Stuff

When I first started skateboarding, the graphics on a set of wheels was the most influential factor in my purchasing decision. I didn’t understand how different materials, sizes, intended use, and hardness affected my wheel’s performance. This guide outlines how to choose the best wheel for your board.

Diameter

Diameter is used to measure the height of a skateboard wheel. Most wheels have a diameter between 50 and 60+ millimeters (mm). A basic rule-of-thumb: the bigger the wheels, the faster you will travel (Duncan, 2011).

 Small wheels (50-54mm) are preferred by street skaters because they are lightweight and have a low center of gravity, enabling the board to flip faster (Cave, n.d.).  

Medium sized wheels (54-60mm) are great for beginners and those riding on a bit more rugged terrain.

Large wheels (60+mm) are generally used by specialty skaters and speedsters. Skaters riding vert ramps prefer large wheels because they offer greater stability. The largest wheels (64-75mm) are used on longboards.

Durometer

Skateboard wheels are made of a plastic called Polyurethane that varies in hardness (“Choosing Skateboard Wheels,” n.d.). Measuring a wheel’s hardness, or durometer, is done using the Shore® Test. The Shore® Test will “measure the resistance of plastics towards indentation and provide an empirical hardness value” (“Shore Durometer Hardness,” n.d.).  

Most skateboard wheels are rated between 1 and 100 on the “A-scale.” The higher value a wheel scores on the A-scale, the harder the wheel is. Some manufacturers measure durometer with the “B-scale”. The B-scale measures hardness 20 points lower than the A-scale so wheels harder than 100A can be classified (Duncan, 2011). A wheel rated 100a is equal to 80b.

Like size, a wheel’s durometer affects how the board rides. Soft wheels are slower, and will grip the ground better and provide a more comfortable ride (Fry, n.d.).  Hard wheels are faster, and last longer than softer wheels (Cave, n.d.).

Soft wheels (75a-85a), found on longboards and cruisers, perform well on rough surfaces because they absorb road vibrations (“Choosing Skateboard Wheels,” n.d).

Harder wheels (85a-95a) are the perfect all around wheel that performs best on smooth surfaces. These median hardness wheels are great for beginners, and for street, ramp, and pool skaters (Duncan, 2011).

The hardest wheels (95a-100a+) are the fastest and most slippery; great for power slides. These wheels are used by skateboarders with a high skill level and usually skating street.

Duncan, M. (2011, November 23). Warehouse Skateboards Blog.Skateboards - Warehouse Skateboards offers Complete Skateboards, Skateboard Decks, Trucks, Wheels & Much More!. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.warehouseskateboards.com/blog

Cave, S. (n.d.). Choosing Your Skateboard - Part 3: Wheels.Skateboarding | Skateboard trick tips, pro skaters, skateboard reviews, skateboard help and more about skateboarding!. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardmaintenance/ss/ChoosingSkBoard_3.htm

Choosing Skateboard Wheels. (n.d.).Tactics Board Shop - Snowboard Shop, Skate Shop, Surf Shop, Clothing Store. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from                      http://www.tactics.com/info/choosing-skateboard-wheels

Shore Durometer Hardness Testing of Rubber and Plastics. Online Materials Information Resource – MatWeb. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. <http://www.matweb.com/reference/shore-hardness.aspx>.

Fry, K. (n.d.). Skate Wheel Durometer - aka Skate Wheel Hardness. Skating Articles and News - Inline Skating - Quad Roller Skating. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://www.skatelog.com/wheels/durometer.htm

Cave, S. (n.d.). A (wheel hardness / durometer) - Skateboarding Dictionary. Skateboarding | Skateboard trick tips, pro skaters, skateboard reviews, skateboard help and more about skateboarding!. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://skateboard.about.com/od/skateboardingdictionary/g/GlossA.htm

Spot of the Week: Verizon Gap

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In our first "spot of the week," we explore the infamous  "Verizon gap". Located in Coppell, TX, the large office complex is home to an array of spots like a concrete fun-box, stairs with perfect ride-ups, and a large grass gap that's been seen in pro videos.

After 5pm during the week, or on the weekends, is the best time to visit the area. Rest assured, if you come to skate during business hours, security will promptly kick you out; or worse.  Testing your luck may result in an expensive write-up from Coppell's finest.

This spot is for skaters with an intermediate to advanced skill set. While skating this spot, Skate Dallas not responsible for any injuries sustained, or violations issued. SKATE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Four stair

Located on the eastern edge, this stair set is perfect for warming up. The stairs are wide, and you have plenty of room for riding-up and riding away. The kinked railing, and the stacked paving bricks are hazards for perspective rail sliders. But scuff marks on the railing shows that grinding is possible.

Seven stair

The seven stair is on the same line as the four, with about 200ft of flat ground between, providing the perfect setup for your run. Ride-up and landing are clean, and a grassy hill makes grinding more inviting.

Fun box

In the parking lot, you will find a concrete fun-box similar to those in skateparks. It's small, but you have plenty of room to practice your manuals and stalls.

"Verizon Gap"

This is it! The main attraction. This grassy monster is not for the faint of heart. It's only about 7ft long, but it's not very tall; clearing it is a formidable task. Luckily, you have plenty of room to generate speed, and the landing is level and smooth.

Skateboarding is not a crime…or is it?

If you’ve hopped on your skateboard and ventured outside the confines of the skate park or your private property, you know that skateboarding isn’t smiled upon by the rest of the community. “No skateboarding” signs and skatestoppers are familiar sites in most parks and on other city property. Skaters are often ostracized, hassled, and likened to thugs and hooligans.  

It’s true that some obnoxious skaters can terrorize a community; but most of us are respectful individuals just looking to have fun. It’s understandable that law enforcement, city officials, and business owners lump us into the same group of troublemakers.

According to Dallas city code 1941, Art. 140-11, you may not skate in any city street, except when crossing at an authorized crossing. And if you’re riding on the sidewalk, you must yield the right of way to pedestrians.

For their own safety, most skaters know to stay out of streets and off sidewalks. But skaters can find themselves in hot water when they visit Dallas’ skate spots. The list below, courtesy of the City of Dallas, outlines a variety of offenses and their respective fines which skaters can be given.  

Up to $200 fine

·         failure to yield to pedestrians

Up $500 fine

·         trespassing on school grounds

·         criminal trespassing

·         obstruction of street or passageway

·         disorderly conduct

·         endangering park patrons

·         loitering

·         criminal mischief (damage to property)

Up to $2,000 fine

• breaking a park’s curfew

Before visiting the “Spot of the Week: Verizon Gap” in Coppell, TX, be aware of the city’s skateboarding laws. Coppell’s city ordinance number 2008-1200 states that skateboards shall not be ridden “upon any sidewalk, pathway, monument, amphitheater, stairway, handrail, wall, fountain, roadway, and other structures” including anywhere in the Town Center Complex, MacArthur Park, Andrew Brown East, Andrew Brown Central, Wagon Wheel Park, designated playgrounds, or any parking lot owned by the city.

Similar to Coppell, Lewisville has laws restricting skateboarding within city-owned property. In regards to skating on private property, the City of Lewisville website states “no person shall operate a skateboard…on private property without first obtaining permission from the owner, agent of the owner, or other person authorized to give permission.”

We don't advocate breaking the law. Always get permission from the owners of private property, and know, and follow the rules of the cities you skate in. If you happen have a police encouter, stay cool, be respectful, and they are usually pretty understanding. Unless you get officer Dick; then you're SOL.

"Welcome to the City of Dallas, Texas - City Codes." Welcome to the City of Dallas, Texas - City Web Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://dallascityhall.com/html/codes.html>.

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"Welcome to the City of Dallas, Texas - Courts and Detention Services." Welcome to the City of Dallas, Texas - City Web Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.dallascityhall.com/courts/fines_list.html>.

"Template: City Secretary ." Laserfiche . N.p., 24 June 2008. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <weblink.ci.coppell.tx.us/weblink7/DocView.aspx?id=27713&dbid=0>.

brainsXforXshit. " Baltimore cops V.S. skateboarder - YouTube ." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. . N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GgWrV8TcUc>.

"File:Skateboarding-is-not-a-crime its not.jpg - Burnopedia, The Burnout Wiki - Burnout cars, challenges, events, and more." Burnopedia, The Burnout Wiki - Burnout cars, challenges, events, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. <http://burnout.wikia.com/wiki/File:Skateboarding-is-not-a-crime_its_not.jpg>.