No one wants to ever be brought to the ER in an excruciating amount of pain. But, as skateboarding goes, it happens far too often. The problem is this; many new skateboarders, after watching their heroes on the television or on skate videos, wind up trying things that are far above their abilities.

And while it takes a certain amount of guts to master skateboarding, you will never do it if you are constantly breaking bones and going in and out of the ER. So if you want to ensure that your skateboarding experience is the best it can be, and about as injury free as one could hope, then the first thing that you need to do is learn a few important things.

Skateboarding is Dangerous

Skateboarding is most assuredly dangerous. And while that might be one of its many draws to some, it is something that you should not roll your eyes it. Knowing the danger ahead will help you to better prepare your skateboarding days to ensure that you get the most possible out of them that you can.

So for one, know your limits. It is far less dangerous for a person taking something slow and building a foundation to pick up skateboarding than it is for someone who will rush in head first, because rushing in and trying something huge right off the bat is the best assured way to wind up in the hospital with, at the very least, a broken arm or ankle. Injuries, while making great stories, should be kept to a minimum. So always keep in mind that it is not something just said by unhip people; skateboarding is truly dangerous.

You Are Not a Car

Sure, you know that as a pedestrian, you have the right of way. But, being on a skateboard, you are no longer a plain old pedestrian; you are a person moving very fast, faster than any person can run on two legs.

Thus, understand that you are not a car. And if it should come to it, a battle between you and a car will result in a landslide loss, with the car triumphing immediately, without a hitch.

Build Up Your Bases

Every skateboarding pro you have ever seen started off somewhere. They once had some trouble balancing on manuals, and they couldn’t do a kick flip. You are not alone. So do not think that just because you bought a skateboard, you should suddenly be Paul Rodriguez, or Chris Cole.

You are you, plain and simple, and as you, you have the skills of a person just starting out on the skateboard, as you should. Take it slow. You want to have firm foundations upon which to build your skills. Remember, you cannot kick flip until you can ollie. You cannot 360 flip until you can do a varial flip. And you cannot clear a big gap until you have cleared smaller gaps, and with ease.

So take your time. Rushing can definitely lead to broken bones, or stress fractures, or even torn ligaments. None of these are fun, nor are they conducive to your learning how to skateboard. They will take away time from you being able to practice, and have fun with your friends. So yes, foundations, and bases, are just as important as learning how to do hard flips or fakie 360 shove its, and will in fact makes these tricks easier to learn down the road.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://morguefile.com/archive/display/39280

Eric Shaw writes for box13.com.au who offer great looking penny cruisers with transparent green wheels.

Related Blogs:
Too Old to Skateboard?
A Brief Guide to the World’s Most Dangerous Sports!