What’s a Slam? Our Bizarre Obsession with Getting Damage

As of late, I can’t afford to get injured like I used to. Gettign damage is not enjoyable; My physique doesn’t bounce again prefer it did at 16, ? So I’m rocking much more pads today. Security first, as they are saying.

In case you’ve ever stepped on a board, that skateboarding and falling go hand in hand. However right here’s the factor – in our world, we don’t simply name them falls. We name them slams, they usually’re as a lot part of skating as wheels and decks. So, let’s dive into the world of slams, from the ouch 🤕 to the daaammm! 💀.

In case you’re a visible learner, here’s a video titled “The Finest Of The Worst Skateboarding Slams | Battle Scars” to provide you a real-life take a look at a number of the most intense slams in skateboarding.

What precisely is a slam?

Within the skateboarding world, a slam is greater than only a fall. It’s a laborious, uncontrolled tumble that usually leaves you out of breath and with a narrative to inform. It’s skateboarding’s approach of retaining us humble. It’s all a part of the sport.

So, when do slams sometimes happen? Properly they’ll occur at any time, however listed here are just a few basic situations:

1. If you bail a trick, particularly when trygiun to clear a niche or staies
2. If you lose your steadiness out of nowhere
3. If you misjudge an impediment (hi there, surprising curb)
4. When the road throws you a curveball (tiny pebbles)

Now, don’t get me incorrect – not all falls are slams. We’ve obtained an entire vocabulary for these items. A bail is whenever you purposely hop off your board resulting from lack of dedication or to keep away from somethgin. It’s like a managed crash touchdown. A slam, alternatively, is when gravity decides it’s your flip to eat dust.

Forms of slams: A painful primer

Alright, there are just a few varieties of slams that each skater is aware of and fears:

• The Scorpion: That is when your legs determine to defy physics and go over your again upon affect. It’s as painful because it sounds, belief me.
• The Sack: Gettign a nut faucet by the rail. Sufficient mentioned.
• The Credit score Card: When your board turns traitor and wedges itself vertically between your legs, so embarrassing too.
• The Faceplant: Fairly self-explanatory. Your face, meet floor. Floor, meet face.
• The Primo: A primo is whenever you land on the sting of your board and taking an surprising journey to the bottom.

I’ve had my fair proportion of every of those over time. That Credit score Card in Columbus Circle again in ’08? Nonetheless really feel it when it rains.

However right here’s the million-dollar query: Why will we preserve getting again up?

The tradition of the slam

In skateboarding, slams are extra than simply accidents – they’re a badge of honor. They present that you just’re pushing your limits and usually are not afraid to take dangers. It’s a ceremony of passage. You’re probably not a skater till you’ve taken just a few laborious tumbles and gotten again up.

Once I was simply beginning out each slam felt like the tip of the world. However then I’d go searching and see the older skaters, guys with scars and tales, nonetheless charging laborious. And all the professionals obtained nice tales about their slams too (try the video on this web page).

Slams present:

1. You’re dedicated to getting higher
2. You’re prepared to push your private boundaries
3. You’ve obtained the guts to get again up and check out once more

However let’s be actual for a second – are slams one thing we must be glorifying? Can we simply be… safer?

Security first (however model a detailed second)

Look, I get it. Once I was 15, the thought of pads appeared lame. However now that I’m older (and hopefully wiser), I’ve realized that there’s no disgrace in taking part in it protected. Listed below are just a few tricks to preserve your slams from turning into hospital visits:

• Put on protecting gear (helmets are cool, concussions aren’t)
• Know your talent stage and don’t exceed it
• Construct as much as the laborious stuff steadily
• At all times scope out your skating spot first (search for cracks pebbles, and so on)

Bear in mind, the objective is to skate for so long as attainable. You’ll be able to’t try this in the event you’re sidelined with an harm.

Talking of which, I feel it’s loopy that anybody would skate vert with no correct helmet and kneepads a minimum of. It’s simply not well worth the threat, ?

And let me inform you, I’ve taken some critical bails. A few of the extra gnarly ones? They have been all the time prevented by utilizing correct padding. I can’t even depend the occasions I used to be 1000% positive I’d damaged my kneecap if it wasn’t for my kneepads.

Oh, and right here’s a cool little tip I picked up: I began skating with gloves one time for no purpose, and I seen that each time I fell, my fingers didn’t get all scratched up. I may preserve skating for longer with much less ache. Is anybody else not doing this? Everytime you bail, you virtually all the time fall in your fingers, proper? So now, I put on gloves each time. Sport changer, belief me.

The intense facet of slams

Now, I don’t wish to be a downer, however we gotta discuss concerning the critical stuff too. Slams could be gnarly, and I imply actually gnarly. I used to be on the skate park with this one dude who needed to get airlifted as a result of he utterly tore one thing in his leg – like his femur or one thing. That was a nasty one for positive.

You’re extra more likely to take some critical slams whenever you’re attempting to clear stairs and stuff like that. Yeah, for positive, in the event you’re attempting to clear like a ten set, or God forbid, try to clear Jaws? Anybody who tries that may be a mad lad that’s sure to get some critical slams. It’s not for the faint of coronary heart.

And, slams can result in dying so, lets not downplay that. individuals have really died from skateboarding accidents. It’s uncommon, nevertheless it occurs.

Again in 2013, 13-year-old Andrew Hughes tragically misplaced his life from a head harm whereas skateboarding. He was not sporting a helmet. Now, I’m not attempting to scare anybody off their board. Skateboarding has given me far more pleasure than ache over time. However slams are not any joke, so know your limits.

Closing ideas

In a approach, slams are the nice equalizer in skateboarding. It doesn’t matter in the event you’re a professional or a newbie – all of us eat concrete typically. It’s how we deal with it that counts. So, don’t be afraid to slam. It’s all a part of the attractive, chaotic, exhilarating trip that’s skateboarding.

Have you ever had a memorable slam that taught you a priceless lesson? Please share your story within the feedback beneath. I’d love to listen to your battle tales!