Rolling your ankles
"You'll crack your head open!"
"That's a good way to break your leg!"
"What are you trying to do, kill yourself?"
These are familiar quotes to most of you, I'm sure. In one way or another, we've heard them all before. Usually they get hollered from across the street, by angry pedestrians that think you're out to get them. And to a degree, they're right. Skaters get hurt, just like everyone else. Some might say that we even invite it upon ourselves. They're right, too. The things that we do seem to beg our bodies to twist and turn in directions that they aren't meant to go. And the one part of a skater's body that seems to constantly take that abuse is the ankle.
Rolling your ankle is one of the most common injuries for skateboarders. This particular injury has taken me out of the game for months at a time. It can happen anytime, ramp or street. Anywhere you can step off of your board wrong, or if you are too far forward when you land. What usually happens, though, is your forward ankle just folds under you, and the weight of your body coupled with the impact damages the tendons. They stretch out and tear, causing extreme pain and swelling. Sometimes there is discoloration as well. The most common way to sprain your ankle is to roll it inward, which is actually called supination, or inversion. Chances are you will be able to tell immediately that it went too far, and you need to take it seriously. How common is this? Well, 25,000 people sprain their ankles every day. When you roll your ankle inward, it puts too much strain on the ligaments that hold the outside bone. If the sprain is severe enough, the ligament on the inside of your ankle can get torn as well. These "high ankle sprains", are the most severe types. How bad can it get? Well, generally there are three types of sprains. First, the ligament gets stretched out. Second, the ligament gets torn; and third, the tendon gets ripped completely. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do yourself, in order to rehabilitate your ankle. Remember, following these instructions can speed up the healing process, and get you back on board faster.
You can wear a brace when you are healing, but if you wear the brace too much, and start skating too early, then your tendons will heal, but remain weak. Air casts can help you get around, especially if you are not a big fan of crutches. Like ankle braces, though, they should be used sparingly. Your ankle will come to rely on having the added protection of the brace or cast, and when you finally decide to take it off, your ankle is still weak, and more prone to spraining again. What you need to do is use a brace sparingly, and when it's feeling better, walk around and exercise without the brace. Don't overdo it, though. Just give it some therapy. To rehabilitate your sprained ankle you should gently stretch and strengthen the muscles around the injured ligaments. You will need these guys to support your weight for walking, etc…This will strengthen your ankle up, so that it's as good as new by the time you're skating again.
What's even more important is that you continue to stay off of it until you are fully recovered. If you don't you could be setting yourself up for some recurring problems that never really go away. It breaks down like this: You hurt your ankle, now it's weak. If you skate before it's 100% healed, it gets even weaker, and takes even longer to heal. Repeat this a few times, and your ankles will roll at the slightest impact. The worst part is trying to keep yourself from skating when you feel a bit better, but in the long run, it's better to spend an extra few days or week off your board, than months down the line.
The R.I.C.E. method is frequently recommended by doctors for taking care of a sprain. Follow this method for at least 48 hours, and you'll be on the road to recovery.
R-Rest. Stay off your feet whenever possible. I'm sure you won't feel much like walking anyway, but the more weight that gets placed on it will only injure it more.
I-Ice. Icing your ankle will numb it, somewhat relieving the pain. It also helps to control the swelling
C-Compression. This means you should wrap your ankle with some sort of dressing or bandage. Air casts are really good, as well. don't apply the bandage too tightly, though. Wrapping your ankle will squeeze some of the fluid out of your ankle, which will also relieve some of the pain.
E-Elevate. When sitting or lying down, try to keep your ankle above your heart level. This will reduce the amount of fluid that rushes to your ankle after a sprain.
I can't stress how important it is for you to stay off your board when healing. After about a week, maybe two, you will start to feel a hell of a lot better, and of course, you're going to want to skate again. Even if you just promise yourself "I'll just roll around a bit", you could be doing more damage than you realize. Besides, Murphy's Law will rear its ugly head, and you'll slip out on the simplest, dorkiest trick you know. You screw around, you lay around. A good rule of thumb, depending on how bad the injury is, is to take twice as long as you think you need. So, if after one week, you're feeling like jumping on handrails, wait one more. It may seem like it's taking forever, but it won't kill you, I promise.
Skateboarding is a release, and when that outlet gets closed all of a sudden, you will probably feel the need to do something else. Some people can quench that thirst to skate by reading skate magazines, watching videos, or even playing one of the several skating video games they have nowadays. For others, though, that stuff makes them too antsy, so they have to find something completely different to immerse themselves in. Reading, writing, and painting are some popular ways to kill time while healing. Just give yourself another creative outlet, and before you know it, it will be time to skate!
Skateboarding might seem like a very dangerous activity, especially with all the videos showing the worst falls you have ever seen, but the truth is it's not that bad.Especially when compared to sports like baseball, and football. If you learn how to fall properly, you greatly decrease your chances of getting seriously hurt. In skating, falling down is just as much a part of the learning process as landing. Just keep your eyes open, rocks and cracks are everywhere!
So, when you're out with an injury, don't be afraid to baby yourself for a while. Take it easy for a while, follow these guidelines, and you'll be back on board in no time!
www.skateboard.com
Is Skateboarding Illigal?
Municipal law 10-610 bans skateboarding "on public property unless use of a skateboard is authorized by regulation, ordinance or statue..." and specifically prohibits skateboarding at LOVE Park and City Hall
City Of Philadelphia
Bill NO. 000147
(As Amended, 6/13/00)
Introduced March 16, 2000
Councilmembers Nutter, Reynolds-Brown, Goode, Cohen, Ortic, Kenney, DiCicco, Krajewski, Miller, Council President Verna, Councilmembers Marino, Clarke, Longstreth, Ricco and Tasco
Referred to the Committee on Public Property and Public Works
AN ORDINANCE
Amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code relating to "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," by amending Section 10-610 entitled "Skateboarding on Public Property," by prohibiting skateboarding on all public property unless otherwise authorized, and by creating additional penalties, all under certain terms and conditions.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEARBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1: Section 10-610 of Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
§10-610. Skateboarding On Public Property.
1. No Person shall use a skateboard in any of the following areas:
(a) the area bounded by Arch Street, Fifteenth street, Broad street, and John F. Kennedy boulevard (the Municipal Services Building plaza and sidewalks)[.];
(b) on public property unless use of a skateboard is authorized by regulation, ordinance or statue, or is otherwise authorized by the governmental agency, department or commission responsible for such property, "Public Property" does not include public roads, highways, bicycle and/or skateboard paths, or sidewalks abutting private property. "Public Property" also shall not include Recreation Department facilities, which facilities shall be subject to the rules and regulations of the Recreation Department; and
(c) on portions of private property, including but not limited to outdoor plazas, that are dedicated to use by the general public, where the owner of such private property has posted a notice indicating that skateboarding is prohibited on the property.
2. The parent of any child under the age of eighteen (18) years who violates subsection 10-610(1) shall also be in violation of this Section.
3. Penalties.
(a) The penalty for a violation of this Section shall be civil penalty of three hundred dollars (), provided that the total amount of civil penalties assessed against a child and his or her parents shall not exceed a total of three hundred dollars () based upon each violation by the child.
(b) An [alternative] additional penalty for a violation of §10-610(1) shall be forfeiture of any skateboard used in violation of this Section, unless it is proven to the Court by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant does not own the skateboard and the owner did not or could not have reasonably known that the skateboard would be used violation of this Section. Further the total amount of any penalty assessed for each violation, taking into accounted the value of both the fine and forfeiture, shall not exceed three hundred dollar (#300).
4. Enforcement.
(a) Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe a skateboard was used or is being used in violation of §9-601(1), the officer may seize the skateboard.
(b) Any person authorized to enforce ordinances may issue a ticket to any person in violation of this Section pursuant to the procedures set forth in §10-1606. Contested charges shall be resolved, fines shall be imposed, and payments shall be collected and processed by the Director of Finance and the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication, all pursuant to the procedures set forth in §§10-1604 through 10-1609. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any person to whom a ticked is issued may, within eight (8) days of receipt, pay twenty-five dollars () in lieu of contesting the violation and in lieu of any other fines or penalties. The ticket shall contain an appropriate notice to the procedures for payment, as prescribed by the Director of Finance. Upon timely payment under this subsection, the Police Department shall make any skateboard seized under this Section available for return to the offender, pursuant to the procedures established by the Police Department.
City of Philadelphia
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted.
Love Park Closes
04.30.02
by: Sean Mulligan
EXPN.com
April 25th…if you skate you will probably remember this date for a while, or at least you should. The 25th is the day that the City of Philadelphia closed down Love Park for renovations, changes that plan on making it unskateable once it is done.
The Park, which is officially known as JFK Plaza, is the home of the famous LOVE sculpture, done by Robert Indiana, thus the name. The park has always been a haven for local skaters and in recent years, for skaters worldwide. Both during the day and late into the night, pros and everyday skaters could be found tearing up the friendly terrain. In any given month you can open one of several skate magazines and almost be assured to see one or more photos taken at Love Park.
While skating at Love has always been illegal, it has been tolerated to a certain extent. There was always the occasional need to crack down and hand out some tickets just to keep the city happy though. Since the park is a gathering place for people living downtown, not to mention a tourist attraction of sorts, the city of Philadelphia was never willing to let the skaters get too much control. Public opinion was not in their favor either, with many of the city's residents feeling that the park was slowly being destroyed.Over the past few months the City had cultivated a plan to renovate the park to the tune of about ,000. Changes include the replacement of the marble ledges and benches with wooden ones. Those great marble slates that make up the floor of the park and are great for propping up and launching off of? Gone, replaced by large areas of grass. And what about the fountain? The fountain where Andrew Reynolds, Brian Wenning and several other kids were in a gnar showdown a few months back? The future of that is uncertain, but there probably won't be many more people hitting that gap any longer.
So where do you go from here? Well, as of April 25th there will be large fences gating off the whole park until the project is done, which is supposedly around July 5th. The city has promised to work with local skaters and the Franklin's Paine advocacy group to find a new location for a park to be built. The options so far are less than desirable.
The long-term affect this will have on the Philly skate scene is unknown. One of the things about Love though was that it wasn't just a great skate spot for photo or video footage but that it provided a great sense of community for skaters from all over.
Want to help out? Here's what you can do for now. There will be a few additional meetings to come to a concrete solution on Love Park, one of which is on May 8th. You can also check out Franklin's Paine to support the cause.
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The Reality of Skateboarding Safety
Skateboarding is a fun, active, physically demanding and mentally challenging sport. But it can be as dangerous as any other physical activity if you do not take the time to learn proper skills, techniques and safety measures. While skateboarding may look chaotic and reckless, it is essentially a low impact and relatively safe sport compared to most other popular sports. Of course, riders should ride within their own capabilities. It is important to develop your skills. Begin with basics and learn how to feel comfortable while riding, turning and stopping on your skateboard. Remember, everyone has his or her own individual learning curve. With the right gear and a strong will to learn, skateboarding can be a great activity that builds character, integrity, determination and creativity. Have fun and skate safe.
Choose A Quality Skateboard
It is important to be selective when choosing the right equipment for skateboarding. Skateboards are made up of several different components. These components have technical differences for various types of terrain and styles of riding. Essentially, skateboards contain the following components (You can also check out Skateboard.com's Skateboard Anatomy for more information):
The skateboard deck, usually made of laminated wood plys molded with concave and raised tail and nose for functionality. They range in different sizes and lengths.
Grip tape is applied to the top for traction and grip while riding.
The trucks (qty 2) are metal casted components that mount to the underside of the skateboards with hardware (nuts and bolts) and which the wheels are attached to. The trucks are used for turning and are adjustable to turn at different speeds and degrees.
Wheels (qty 4) are compromised of urethane compounds and made with resiliency, durability and traction at the focal point of attention. Different wheels are made for different terrain and surfaces. They are critical to the quality, functionality and safety of riding a skateboard.
Two precision bearings are inserted into each wheel with a spacer between, and they are attached to the axle of the trucks with nuts. The precision bearings are machine made products for highest quality, speed and durability. However, they are also available in different quality levels.
While you can buy cheaper skateboards and components for your board, you are also taking a dangerous risk in the reliability of your skateboard. Faulty low grade products are not made to premium quality standards and are not safe. Do not sacrifice you or your child's health to dangerous products. Always buy quality merchandise from reputable brands. A .00 skateboard is much cheaper than a .00 broken arm.
Protective Gear Safety gear is another important aspect of skating safely. Beginners and young riders should always wear a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. Make sure to get a CPSC approved helmet. Knee and elbow pads can help protect against bumps and abrasions, and gloves/wrist guards with padded palms can help protect against hand and wrist injuries. Certain terrain may dictate the use of certain protective gear. Professionals that ride vertical terrain (ramps and bowls that reach heights up to 12' high) wear full gear due to the speed and height they attain. Street technical professional riders prefer less gear due to the possibility of getting caught in their pads and causing a lack of control, which can lead to injury. Street technical skateboarding is low speed and low impact, but helmets are still recommended. Again, riders must be aware of their limitations and skill level to avoid injuries. All in all, it's recommend that you wear safety gear whenever you ride your skateboard.
Where To Skate
Skateboarding can be done anywhere there is smooth, traffic free pavement. Most cities, however, have laws that confine skateboarding to certain areas -- or that ban it altogether. Now, most cities are adopting public skateparks that are designed specifically for skateboarding. Check Skateboard.com's Worldwide Skatepark Directory to search for the skateparks in you town or state.
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Street or Vert
Here's an issue that's just itching to be tackled. There are many good and bad points about each of these. Neither one is necessarily any better or any worse than another; it's mostly a matter of preference, and a matter of what's available to you. I will say, however, that the one thing you shouldn't do is limit yourself. Try everything out; there are so many different types of things to skate. After all, limiting yourself seems to go against the very nature of skateboarding, doesn't it?
Let's start with the freedom issue. Street skating for many feels like the ultimate freedom. You can go out anytime, anywhere and just skate. You are on your own, to do your own thing. But that's not entirely true. How free do you really feel, when you're getting a ticket for skating a ledge? So, street skating is freedom taken with potential risk. What is park skating, then? Park skating is skating within a controlled environment, during designated hours, usually for a designated fee. And then, you have to follow rules, and wear pads. Doesn't seem too free, does it? However, provided you can comply with all the 'rules', you are guaranteed a hassle-free time. Sounds like a catch-22 to me. It's a give and take issue; you can either have partial freedom, or total freedom at the risk of having that freedom taken away from you.
Another difference is in what you want to skate. Some people are rather park-specific, and some people are strictly street skaters. Obviously, you aren't going to find a vert ramp, a mini ramp, or any sort of perfect transition, out on the street (even if you did, it technically wouldn't be 'street' skating). So, transitions are strictly park obstacles. What about concrete ledges? You can ask any street skater and they will tell you, at great length, that angle iron and concrete are not the same. Granted, some parks do have concrete ledges, but after a month they are all chunky and terrible. I have yet to see a park that maintains their ledges. When you are street skating, though, you can skate one ledge until it's all chunked up, then go and find another one (theoretically). The same goes for handrails. And no, park handrails do not count. I am referring to rails that are more than six inches above the ground, rails that require ability and confidence. You know the type, the kind that you either land or slam, no bailing involved. Parks don't have natural street obstacles, although some parks try (and kudos to them). Personally, I've never been able to understand how contests can be considered "street" contests, when it's just a bunch of quarter pipes spread out. Maybe they should just call them 'park' contests?
There are many other differences between street and park skating. When you are street skating, you can just flow from spot to spot. You are only confined by your own means of transportation, whereas when you are skating a park, walls and chain link fences confine you, yet you can flow from obstacle to obstacle. It's easier to do lines in a park, whereas street lines involve finding a certain spot, or a bit of creativity. Park skating usually costs money. The average Joe can't get around that. But then again, when street skating, you constantly run the risk of getting a ticket, so again, it's a give and take situation. And, of course, there is the inevitable topic of having to wear pads. I know, I know, they suck. They are uncomfortable, bulky, and hinder arm and leg movement. There is no way to knee slide out of a 50-50 down a handrail, but if you're skating a vert ramp, and you bail a kickflip indy, you'll be glad you have them on.
Provided you live within a reasonable distance to a skate park, it's a convenience. I'm lucky enough to have a skate park right down the street from my house, so if I have an hour or so, and I don't want to drive from spot to spot (that's southern California in a nutshell), it's an easy, hassle-free time. Park skating is, essentially, guaranteed skating time. Street skating, especially nowadays, is not. I have spent many a Saturday, driving from spot to spot, getting out of the car, only to be kicked out. This gets frustrating, as you can well imagine. Sometimes it's just easier to go to a skate park.
Both street skating and park skating are unique. There are definite differences between the two, and whether or not you have a preference, depends solely on who you are. There is no better, no worse. In my opinion, though, it seems silly to label yourself as one or the other. Labeling yourself only limits the things you can skate, and that, to me, just seems silly. Try everything out, and decide what's best for you. Skate everything!
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