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Skating on Thin Pavement Rollerblades are all the craze. No other sport can even approach the growth in popularity over the past couple of years of in-line skating (as this evolution of roller skating is called). Little wonder: It offers the exhilarating speed of bicycling with greater freedom of movement, and it's an excellent form of aerobic exercise. Like most sports, though, in-line skating can be dangerous—especially if you fail to wear appropriate protective gear. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 73,000 people were injured skating in 1994, about twice as many as in 1993. And studies have shown that upwards of ninety percent of adults (and nearly all children) who are injured fail to wear a complete set of protective equipment: wrist guards, elbow and knee pads, and a helmet. Your hands, wrists, arms, and elbows take the greatest beating from a typical skating tumble. Altogether, about two-thirds of injuries are to some part of the arm, and half of those are to the wrist. Clearly, wrist guards—those splint-like devices that strap to your hands and arms—are there for a very good reason. Elbows present another likely spot for touch-down, making elbow pads sensible landing gear. Most of the remaining third of injuries are split just about evenly between the lower leg—especially the knees—or the face or head. Knee pads are a sensible way to save skin and prevent more-serious tendon or ligament problems. Your head, however, deserves the very best. Skating without a helmet is the equivalent of living in a house without a roof—in a climate known for thunderstorms. Modern helmets designed for skating or bicycling are very lightweight and provide excellent ventilation. You'll hardly notice that it's there, and after a couple of outings, you'll feel naked without it. Once you're prepared for an accident, devote some energy to avoiding one. You're at greatest risk while you're learning: About half of all people injured run afoul in their first month on skates. If you're just getting into skating, pick a spot that has a level, smooth surface without obstacles for you to run into. I suspect that most guys—and especially young ones—take to skates unprotected because they worry about how they look. A real man doesn't need a Superman suit, does he? Actually, a real man doesn't burden the ones who love him by taking foolish chances. He uses his head to outsmart danger rather than as a battering ram to beat it into submission.
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