We often encounter people who believe skateboarding is an extremely dangerous sport, and their heart rates shoot up at the very sight of these scary 4-wheeled contraptions of death.

But really, Skateboarding isn’t much different from sports such as Bicycling or Rollerblading. Sure it may feel scary when you first try it, but once your body adapts to the motions and learns balance, you will feel in control and secure; and be opened to a whole new experience of freedom on a skateboard. 

Learning to skateboard may actually be safer than bicycling or rollerblading. In the face of impending doom, just step off the skateboard and onto your feet! On a bicycle you would either crash spectacularly in a tangled heap or worse fly over the handle bars and land on your face. As for rollerblading, well good luck, those things are strapped to your feet!

Truth is, all sports carry the risk of injury, but it is a small price to pay for the many benefits of excercise and good old fashioned FUN. I could talk all day but you may not believe me so lets just get down to the statistical facts:

1) Skateboarding has a lower rate of injury per participant than popular sports such as Football, Soccer, Baseball, Basketball and Bicycling.

2) More serious injuries resulting in hospitalization typically involve a crash with a motor vehicle.

3) Well designed skateboard facilities keep skateboarders off the streets and provides them with the safest places to skate.

Sources:
Comprehensive Study of Sports Injuries in the U.S (AMERICAN SPORTS DATA, INC., 2003)
Skateboard-Associated Injuries: Participation-Based Estimates and Injury Characteristics. (The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, 53:686-690, 2002)
Consumer Safety Review Spring 2003 (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

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