|
|
|
| Riding Safety (377 Posts)
|
| Topic |
Riding Safety |
|
|
|
On 10/17/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
To this day,its gotta be 22 years or so I still remember the sudden unexpected painful crash that I had when as a young inexperienced skater I gave a "friend" a ride on my board and he decided to bail (jump off) no head trauma but totally unexpect unblocked bodyslam.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/17/1999
Jerry Norbury
wrote in from
(212.48.nnn.nnn)
I recently did a posting (decks) about riding with my two kids on my longboard with me. Cliff Coleman responded to me privately by email, but I think that his comments would be of value to all...
Hello, Cliff Coleman here. I had a friend who rode tandem with his girlfriend and she was on the front. He hit an obstacle and crashed. His girlfriend went off the front onto her face, which is what will happen to your child if you were to fall. Not only did this girl land on her face but her boyfriend also landed on top of her, driving her into the surface of the road. The result was two broken front teeth. It's just not worth risking your kids health. It might be a good idea to wait until they can make a rational choice of their own. Also, if you fall off he back, and this could easily happen to your other child, the target impact area is the back of the head. I have been retained before as an expert witness for an incident of this kind and the usual result with a hard impact is swelling on the brain. It required surgery to fix. Another time the person died from the trauma. It's not worth it! Skate as rad as you want, but please by yourself.
Sincerely,
Cliff Coleman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/15/1999
namon
wrote in from
(209.232.nnn.nnn)
eggman,
I agree with you completly. Helmets are something that not enough people are wearing. I too am wearing a helmet this winter for my snow session.
See you around
naMon
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/10/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Where can I get one of those shark head helmets that George Orton has?Dr. Gofast?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/8/1999 eggman
wrote in from
(156.39.nnn.nnn)
Helmets expensive?
Maybe so, but I just have one that I use for many sports. I have a regular bike helmet that I wear (sometimes) when I skate. I also wear the same one mountain biking. I used to wear it when I rode my moped too, but then I crashed the moped and cut my chin. (started wearing full face on the moped. Talk about dorky looking!) Who knows, I might even wear it this season snowboarding. I agree with lono too, it makes you skate harder when you know that you are protected. Just ask him the difference in my agressiveness at hilltop when I had my helmet and pads compared to when I did not....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/8/1999
freak
wrote in from
(212.151.nnn.nnn)
my opinion about helmets.
the helmet thing ain´t got nothing to do whit hairline,
i´m 18 and i were a full face helmet, all the time not just bombing. cause i know it hurts like hell to fall on your face, I have done it, several times.
it just got to to whit if you wanna look like something out of a bad horormovie for the rest of your life, i don´t want to, my friend does hi fell at about 50 kilometers/h (i don´t know what it is in miles)
he has had 7 plastic surgury(?) just to look a litle normal again!
and the helmets do brake instead of your skull you know.
skate fast but do it safe!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/8/1999 Lono
wrote in from
(170.1.nnn.nnn)
I'd like to see more magazines, (Longboarder International, and the insert in Longboarder), feature more photos of riders wearing safety gear. Especially helmets and wrist guards. All those photos of these stylish looking guys (with no protection) make it seem "not cool" to use it. Personally, I have more fun when I wear pro. I feel free to take more chances and push the envelope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/7/1999
Bob
wrote in from
(192.73.nnn.nnn)
In regards to helmets:
Like I posted yesterday in the riding locations section (in response to the post about the kid that died), I've started wearing a helmet for all my skating. I don't really think there is any great "helmet pushing" syndicate. I just decided that I would like to avoid brain injury if I spank my head on the ground. So yes, I guess that IS self serving.
Seriously -- spending a few bucks on a helmet is no big deal -- they may crack easily, but not as easy as a skull. I'm sure a good downhill helmet is more expensive than the protec I wear while ditch skating, but then again it needs to be. I wore a helmet for the first time in years yesterday at a local spot here in Austin. It felt kind of strange at first, but I quickly forgot I even had it on. No one gave me shit about it. I think its too bad the skateboard industry doesn't actually promote safety gear more. I guess they are more interested in promoted a macho bullshit image than in promoting the sport responsibly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/6/1999
D T
wrote in from
(209.223.nnn.nnn)
well put Adam, i love going fast, but will not without a helmet. Since i dont own one, i only go fast when my friends lend me theirs. but you should ALWAYS wear a helmet no matter what your skill level, age, speed, etc .
Life is TOO short!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/6/1999 Adam
wrote in from
(63.192.nnn.nnn)
C'mon Herb, who are you kidding? Forget all that commercial crap-- until the government starts giving away free helmets we will all be stuck with the capitalist system which rewards those who profit by creating value. As far as the cost of a helmet, I think they are very reasonably priced considering what you are protecting. As for only wearing your helmet on the "nastier hills", you sound like these clowns that only wear their seatbelts on the highway. These are the same folks often seen protruding from shattered holes in their windshields after being involved in the far more common surface street collision. You don't have to be skating fast to land on your head the wrong way. In the few years I've been running this site I've already heard of three deaths: one in competition caused by helmet strap failure, and two recreational skaters, both teens unfortunately, who were helmetless and probably going what you would consider "slow".
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 10/6/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
There's a strange pheomina that exists in this P.C. world of ours. The more hair you've lost and the stranger your hairline looks the more persistant you are in saving the world by making every man,woman and child wear a helmet, from the moment they wake up until the moment they close their eyes ,maybe its just the wisdom that comes with age but I doubt that anybody's motives for doing anything are just for the common good, its always a little self serving.The helmet industry is huge,and getting bigger,The helmets they want most people to wear are cheap to produce (I've heard under two dollars)and a much of their opperating cost is insurance, companies run by lawyers running from other lawyers.These helmets have solid mark-ups at every level of distribution,and have a short lifespan they crack really easy and "should really be replaced if they have been structurally stressed" thirty five dollar egg crates,no one scoffs at the price of a helmet. Helmets save lives, even in cars for instance ,if a senator made up a law that forced everybody to wear a helmet while driving their car,his wife and mistress would be so pissed at having their hairdos messed up he'd never get laid again.I own a helmet, its a full face, I only wear it when I think I need to,and when I'm forced to, there is a mountain bike area that I like and they insist on helmets even if you're not downhilling, but I figure if I'm gonna wear a helmet I'm not gonna wear one that will let me crash on my face.I think its probabely a good idea ,I get pretty crazy there sometimes and I am considering wearing my helmet on some of the nastier hills that I'm skating more and more agressively lately,maybe its my hairline speaking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 9/16/1999
MANU
wrote in from
(164.138.nnn.nnn)
Hey Herbn,
don't you forget something... wheels, ok, gloves, ok but the most important
is the HELMET !!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 9/15/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
You have to think alot,while downhilling, but you need to figure out very quickly what is the most important thing. Most people give up on carving above a certain speed,I used to do this, but I've found out that if you carve as hard as you can and learn to feel somewhat comfortable with a toe-side/backside drift you can control very mean hills. Naturally your board needs to be set up for hard riding,Randle r2's are the logical choice they can be adjusted to the hill and the style of downhill you're doing,grippy soft wheels of course, help. but depending on the steepness and exactly how fast your can go without panicking,you may want a wheel that slides. Gloves,gloves,gloves intense downhill requires gloves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 9/10/1999 Juha Sila
wrote in from
(195.197.nnn.nnn)
avoid a speedwobbles carve as tight as possible and move forwarded stance!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 9/9/1999 joe
wrote in from
(205.188.nnn.nnn)
if it's one thing i've learned it's that if you think about it to much you'll wreck. oh yeah make sure when u go down hill that there isn't anything in the way!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 9/2/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Last night when I took my Stroker board out for its maiden downhill cruise ,it hauls butt ,up high on the hill I was carving up a storm ,they really are not to twitchy as long as you keep them turning but you can tell that they are just too quick. So I get down near the bottom ,to the last section of the hill, with no actual wobbles. I decide to bomb down the last part, and I'm pretty sure I didn't get over 25 when there they are; my long lost foe speed wobbles, havn't had'em in at least 6 years when I bombed to 45mph (car paced) on rediculously loose thunder trucks/shortboard. My strategy then and now ,slide it out, only this time I'm on Cherry Bombs and they grip hard as hell both during the wobbles and while tring to slide, anyway my footing is not secure enough to stay on the board , but you know what, it did'nt really make a difference I slid down on my slider gloves, on my heels,and scuffed the back of my T-shirt a little, no big deal.This was under 30mph but it feels like it would work at any speed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 8/28/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
Exactly, fear kills logic logic can save you .If you have the mind set to throw a hard controlled frontside carve that drifts while turning you'll be going so much slower when you run across somebodies lawn you'll probabely be fine,but can't just bomb hills and expect to do sliding turns naturally you have to practice and you need slider gloves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 8/27/1999 Miles D
wrote in from
(152.163.nnn.nnn)
Heres the one most important rule for stand up downhill...never...ever...for any reason that doesnt threaten your life....jump off ur board. NOBODY can run 45 to 65 MPH...NOBODY. speed wobbles are always curalbe...u just have to know you cant freak out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 8/8/1999 Herbn
wrote in from
(207.198.nnn.nnn)
I got to put my "slide to safety" theory to the test. I was on my fourth ride, thinking that I was gonna make that 90 degree lefty at the bottom of the first rollercoaster scary 40 plus section of my favorite local hill, well just as I decide that the corner will have to wait ,a 300zx pulls quickly past the stop sign before actually stoping for half a second then starts rolling ,i take a second to think and go back to plan a ,the slide was fifty six feet long and ended in a slow exit out of the corner in by the inside corner, the driver saw me, but you just can't take the chance that they will , at least I got to pace the skid instead of some cop doing it for his report.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 7/26/1999
André Mendonça
wrote in from
(200.248.nnn.nnn)
I don´t wear a helmet, or pads.
But then again, I don´t throw myself down huge steep hills. I like riding in style, not speed. Long mellow hills are the way to go. Lots of style, not so much speed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 6/14/1999
Keith Fellmy
wrote in from
(134.68.nnn.nnn)
Try the Subterfuge Luge Store on the internet. Sorry I can remember the URL. I think it might be www.landluge.org or something like that. The helmet we use is the Sno-Rider Wedge helmet. It's perfect and fromt he luge store is only 135 bucks plus shipping. Come in all sizes and colors.
Type Subterfuge Luge Store into your search engine and you should find it. Or go to www.lllv.com go to the links section and the store is listed.
Stay safe, stay fast
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 6/11/1999
j.a.g (again)
wrote in from
(195.204.nnn.nnn)
I agreed with you, wear a helmet when hillbombing!! I admit that I don`t wear a helmet personal. The reason is this
Sorry about my english!
that they only sells stupid bike helmets and children protection here. The new-school ramp helmets are to fucking like a bowling ball and they look crappy! If I saw a real speed-helmet, like I see those professional street lugers GOT, I would get IT right away!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 6/11/1999
j.a.g
wrote in from
(195.204.nnn.nnn)
Keith!
I agreed with you, wear a helmet when hillbombing!! I admit that I don`t wear a helmet personal. The reason is this that they only sells stupid bike helmets and children protection here. The new-school ramp helmets are to fucking like a bowling ball and they look crappy! If I saw a real speed-helmet, like I see those professional street lugers has, I would get those right away!
Keep bombin`, carvin`, cruisin` and tease those new-schoolers!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 6/2/1999
Keith Fellmy
wrote in from
(134.68.nnn.nnn)
No helmet? Shame Shame Shame. What that does is show luging in a dangerous light. Then luge will cease to exist in that area when the cops and lawmakers find out about that incident. I've seen it happen many times. An incident makes the local newspaper (whether you're luging the jogging trail and take a jogger out at the ankles, hitting a parked or moving car and get mashed, or even just slide off the board in front of a cop) the town calls a meeting (usually only the fat cat rich guys show up) they see luge in a dangerous way. Nobody ever reports the good stuff like how we talk to the neighbors and kids where we luge at. Then the laws get passed no luging. No skateboards over 10 mph, etc. Sometimes the people in the area don't like it even when we don't wreck. Just by being there we get nailed. Anyway, PLEASE get leathers and a helmet. They've saved my hide a time or two. Only a few bumps and bruises and now just getting over a broken arm. But that's it, notnearly as bad as your buddy.
have fun, hope your buddy is doing better.
Remember what the Good Book says (that would be Darren Lott's Street Luge Survival guide, not the bible):
Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Able To Ride Tomorrow!!!!!!
Later
Keith
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On 5/28/1999 joe blow
wrote in from
(24.112.nnn.nnn)
be crazy! BE ABSOLUTELY FUCKING MAD! get as much speed as you possibly can! try to have as little control as possible, don't wear any retarded protective gear because hurting yourself is super cool! I always hurt myself now! I WANT TO DIE!!!!! you should too and if you see a car coming up behind you try to stay directly in front of him and slam on your brakes so you get squished real good. Oncoming traffic is better if you ask me cause it gets really messy. Always be drunk when luging. ALWAYS BE DRUNK!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
