From a young age I was stressed on the importance of helmet safety. I was accident prone as a child (and still am), but once I became confident enough riding my bike and zooming around on roller blades I abandoned the helmet I always wore. It looked clunky, it was very uncomfortable, and it wasn’t like I would try complicated tricks on either.
Unfortunately, far too many skip the safety gear. In most states it is state law. In New Jersey, children under 17 are required to wear an approved helmet when biking, roller blading, inline skating, or skateboarding. The law says nothing about wrist guards, elbow pads, or knee pads. Safety.com, the official safety site of the Internet, gives a good outline of skateboard safety (aside from helmets). There are two kinds of helmets: Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and all other helmets. Basically, CPSC are certified (and would fit the NJ State Law requirements) while the other helmets are more for style and comfort.
Helmets are easy to acquire. If you cannot afford to purchase a helmet you can obtain one for free with the Ian Tillman Foundation (with a $7 shipping and handling fee and the promise that you will wear it when skateboarding). The downside is that it takes approximately 8-12 weeks to ship out, so if you need a helmet sooner, you’ll have to stick to the sports equipment stores. Yesterday I went to the local Modell’s in search of a CPSC helmet.
New-Boarding 