Safety first

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.

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Spring cleaning

I love that spring has arrived. It’s so tempting to walk around outside, bike, or longboard. Alas, my homework has crept up on me.

• Longboard Update
  I received an email from Stoked Skateboards on Monday. The email told me that they had some “spring cleaning” of their own to do on their website, and that they no longer had the deck design I ordered. They are mailing me a different deck, but unfortunately I do not know when I can join the rest of the longboarders on-campus – hopefully before Easter. [Update 3/27/10: My board is now en route from Carson, CA!]
• Looking Ahead
  I recently interviewed James Giberson, owner and operator of The Green Banana Skateboard Company, and it went extremely well. Look for that to go live some time this weekend.
• Tastyskates Update
  Team Tastyskates has rescheduled their 1.8 mile push race for Sat., April 10. Meet up at the Campbell Library at 12 pm, and the race starts at 1 pm. Helmets are required. Winner will receive a free Green Banana Skateboard Company deck. I will be around all day so be sure to stop by and say hello.
• Rutgers University
  The Rutgers Longboarding Crew is also hosting their own 2.7 push race on Sat., April 10 at Buccleuch Park. Meet up at 11:30 am and the race starts at 12 pm. Helmets are required. The event is sponsored by Phat Deanz, Daddies Board Shop, Original Skateboards, Central Jersey Skateshop, Knockaround, The 365 Life, Gravity Skateboards, East Coast Core, Loaded Boards, Orangatang, Seismic, and Bustin Boards, and the top three racers will receive prizes. Find updated information about the race on the Fish, and anyone who is interested in submitting pictures from the Rutgers push race should leave a comment on this post.
• Tragedy
  Unfortunately, not all skateboard and longboarding-related injuries end well. Skateboarding Magazine reports that 19-year-old Austin Langhaim has died after sustaining a fatal head injury from skateboarding. My condolences go to the family, and it is a familiar and unfortunate message to skateboarders just what can happen if you do not wear a helmet.

On a lighter note, here is a preview of Green Banana’s prototype deck in action:

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