Safety Gear vs. No Safety Gear: Debate here, so you don't clutter other threads.

[d-dub]

helmet's cheap.
health's expensive.
English is hard.


/thread

you have no idea how true this is

[Pyrofly]

Even though I'm a huge helmet advocate, I'll admit that I usually don't wear one if I'm just cruising or dicking around on flat ground like by the beach and whatnot. Skateparks and bombing hills, or learning new tricks, etc. I'll always put one on. Even unsupervised skateparks where I'm the only one wearing gear.

[Buddywolfe]

I always wore one when i was little and now It just seems weird not to wear one.

[AlG]

I ride better wearing gear. There's less worry on safety so all my attention goes to my riding allowing me to go faster and try more stuff. I won't ride a snowboard or a bicycle without a helmet. I really love riding and want to continue doing so for as long as my body will allow me.

[Petary791]

This thread makes me lol. Have you guys ever heard of Darwinism? It's a beautiful thing. And I understand that people raising skateboarding injury statistics is not a good thing, but I'm not them.

[Cob]

I wear one if I feel I need it.

Cruising/dancing I don't use one. I have a great set of hair and I like to let that badboy fly if I'm around people (girls love guys with good hair).

[joefresh]

I ride better wearing gear. There's less worry on safety so all my attention goes to my riding allowing me to go faster and try more stuff. I won't ride a snowboard or a bicycle without a helmet. I really love riding and want to continue doing so for as long as my body will allow me.

same here lol i wont do half the stuff i regularly do with a helmet w/o one
and especially bombing hills or ANYTHING to do with traffic and if you looked at my helmet
you would know its a good thing lol



and yes i have been hit by cars while i was riding on the sidewalk omw to the gym
so even when commuting

[RMatt]

I used to put my helmet in my backpack and would only take it out when i felt it was necessary or even close to it. I then realized that without my helmet, etc. i lost a huge i amount of confidence. I wasn't as eager to tackle the bigger hills or try new things.

[TexasBomber]

helmet good, brain damage bad

[gavmck]

The more I wear pads/helmet, the more I don't like not wearing them. Sure, pushing down the boardwalk I won't have one on, but I like to ride fast down unclosed roads, so helmets it is.

One of the advantages is a much more lenient view from the coppers. When they roll up and say "stop that you maniac" you've got a MUCH stronger arguement towards being allowed to skate if you have helmet/pads/reflective gear.

I haven't hit my head badly YET it nearly 10 years of skateboarding, but that's the point, you only need one good hit and your ####ed. Better to stick the helmet on and shred twice as hard to make up for it.

Another thing is that, as older skaters skating in public areas (and SHREDDING), we get a lot of attention from the wee kids. they're all "wow, that's cool I wanna go!". I don't want some lil kid seeing me bombing a hill or sliding it up without a helmet, then thinking he can do that too and smashing his head. We've got a responsibility to set a good example to the youngins because most likely, it's not ME that will get hurt, it's THEM as beginners getting out of their depth.

If you think you don't look cool wearing a helmet and pads, then you probably don't skate very well. Absolutely killing a hill completely negates any kind of 'uncool' you may get from passers by. Tricks get applause, style gets RESPECT.

[Daniel M.]

i wear a helmet because i need to feel something on my head when i skate. if im just cruising i sometimes wear a hat or something but without something my confidense is just off so i trip over myself a lot and never get enough curage to ollie or anything.



Im weird

Dude I know what you mean!! My hair gets in my eyes sometimes so it's always nice to have something on. When it's getting longer I can't ollie for #### without it, the motion so perfectly slaps it in my eyes.

I never wear a helmet or pads when I'm transporting to school, but half finger slide gloves alot of the time. I don't wear a helmet mainly because I'm lazy, don't wanna carry it into class, etc.

Whenever I go out to shred I'm usually wearing a helmet and kneepads especially if it's a sliding mission. Slide gloves are a given if I'm ripping it. Sometimes I forget or am lazy/think I'm not gonna be skating enough to warrant bringing it though.

I've been skating 9 years and the 1 time I have hit my head, I was wearing a helmet.

[robo]

[GabMG]

if you like road rash or brain damage don't wear safety gear

Exactly! Whats the debate about? We all agree which is safer. So are we arguing about which looks cooler?

[leefypk]

When I'm just cruising/commuting, I don't wear my helmet. However, when I'm doing DH, I always wear my helmet and usually wear my knee pads. Most of the hills and garages are by my usual cruising area, so I bring my protective gear with me in a shoulder bag on a regular basis.

[Uhde]

Pads and a helmet do exactly the opposite of making you look stupid. I feel bad ass when i wear pads and a helmet. makes you look like you know what you're doing rather than looking ignorant.

[Mile_High_Mark]

Diapers and drool cups are way cooler than helmets.

[Wells]

I only skate safe once in a while; but I always ride with a helmet.

[Bryant@BCLongboards]

When I'm just cruising/commuting, I don't wear my helmet. However, when I'm doing DH, I always wear my helmet and usually wear my knee pads. Most of the hills and garages are by my usual cruising area, so I bring my protective gear with me in a shoulder bag on a regular basis.

NO BUENO......sometimes just cruising/commuting can be the most dangerous. When commuting by/on a road you have to deal with cars that arent looking for you and dont care about you. That is when you will need your helmet most. My buddy was just doing circles in the road in front of the house, fell on his shoulder, was out 6 weeks. ALWAYS wear a helmet.

[SeanML]

NO BUENO......sometimes just cruising/commuting can be the most dangerous. When commuting by/on a road you have to deal with cars that arent looking for you and dont care about you. That is when you will need your helmet most. My buddy was just doing circles in the road in front of the house, fell on his shoulder, was out 6 weeks. ALWAYS wear a helmet.

using a shoulder-injury example to advocate helmet wearing (I agree with you, but bad choice of example )

[Mike Altenhofen]

Diapers and drool cups are way cooler than helmets.

That is prolly one of the coolest things ive heard on the fish