Skateboarding a Balancing Act : The Trick Is to Maximize Fun While Minimizing Danger

The death of a skateboarder in Mission Viejo last weekend was a rarity. Though bruises, scrapes and even broken bones are not too surprising when it comes to riding a board strapped to wheels, there have, fortunately, been few fatalities.

But the death of Phillip Panetta should be a dramatic warning to others that the sport can be dangerous, especially with the advent of longer boards, and that wearing protective gear should be routine. A friend of 19-year-old Panetta said that both young men were traveling about 25 mph as they skated down a steep hill. Panetta apparently hit a raised lane marker in the middle of the street, lost his balance and fell. He was not wearing a helmet.

Experts say there can be dramatic reductions in head injuries when skateboarders wear helmets, and some municipalities actually have considered requiring them. While skateboarders have successfully lobbied for “decriminalizing” their riding in public places in cities like Laguna Beach, municipalities are right to be concerned with liability and the safety of their citizens.

Skateboarding has zoomed in popularity, as can be seen on streets, on sidewalks and at parks across Southern California. Only a few cities have built skateboard parks. One, Huntington Beach, has two such facilities and reports remarkably few injuries. Officials say they see more twisted knees on the city’s softball diamonds and basketball courts. Other cities in the county are considering skateboard parks.

Huntington Beach supposedly requires skateboarders to wear helmets and knee pads, but the rule isn’t enforced. Officials say attorneys have told them the warning should spare the city liability in the event of an accident. But in the four years since the first park was established, there has yet to be a claim.

Bill Fowler, who designed the facilities for the city, said the key to preventing injuries is a design that stops skateboarders from getting too high into the air or gaining too much speed. Unfortunately, that speed is an attraction of the downhill skateboarding favored by users of the longer boards.

Skateboarders should realize the potential dangers of their sport and take precautions, especially when they try out steeper hills and faster equipment.