What is a Slam? Our Weird Obsession with Getting Hurt

These days, I can’t afford to get injured like I used to. Gettign hurt is no longer fun; My body doesn’t bounce back like it did at 16, you know? So I’m rocking a lot more pads these days. Safety first, as they say.

If you’ve ever stepped on a board, you know that skateboarding and falling go hand in hand. But here’s the thing – in our world, we don’t just call them falls. We call them slams, and they’re as much a part of skating as wheels and decks. So, let’s dive into the world of slams, from the ouch 🤕 to the daaammm! 💀.

If you’re a visual learner, here is a video titled “The Best Of The Worst Skateboarding Slams | Battle Scars” to give you a real-life look at some of the most intense slams in skateboarding.

What exactly is a slam?

In the skateboarding world, a slam is more than just a fall. It’s a hard, uncontrolled tumble that often leaves you out of breath and with a story to tell. It’s skateboarding’s way of keeping us humble. It’s all part of the game.

So, when do slams typically occur? Well they can happen at any time, but here are a few classic scenarios:

1. When you bail a trick, especially when trygiun to clear a gap or staies
2. When you lose your balance out of nowhere
3. When you misjudge an obstacle (hello, unexpected curb)
4. When the street throws you a curveball (tiny pebbles)

Now, don’t get me wrong – not all falls are slams. We’ve got a whole vocabulary for this stuff. A bail is when you purposely hop off your board due to lack of commitment or to avoid somethgin. It’s like a controlled crash landing. A slam, on the other hand, is when gravity decides it’s your turn to eat dirt.

Types of slams: A painful primer

Alright, there are a few types of slams that every skater knows and fears:

• The Scorpion: This is when your legs decide to defy physics and go over your back upon impact. It’s as painful as it sounds, trust me.
• The Sack: Gettign a nut tap by the rail. Enough said.
• The Credit Card: When your board turns traitor and wedges itself vertically between your legs, so embarrassing too.
• The Faceplant: Pretty self-explanatory. Your face, meet ground. Ground, meet face.
• The Primo: A primo is when you land on the edge of your board and taking an unexpected trip to the ground.

Pro tip: Protect Your Hands with Gloves

Wear gloves while skateboarding to protect your hands during falls. While this won’t prevent major slams, it will safeguard your hands every time you screw up, even in minor spills. This simple trick can prevent scrapes and cuts, allowing you to skate longer and recover faster from slams. Look for gloves with reinforced palms for extra protection. You’ll be surprised how helpful this can be

I’ve had my fair share of each of these over the years. That Credit Card in Columbus Circle back in ’08? Still feel it when it rains.

But here’s the million-dollar question: Why do we keep getting back up?

The culture of the slam

In skateboarding, slams are more than just accidents – they’re a badge of honor. They show that you’re pushing your limits and are not afraid to take risks. It’s a rite of passage. You’re not really a skater until you’ve taken a few hard tumbles and gotten back up.

When I was just starting out every slam felt like the end of the world. But then I’d look around and see the older skaters, guys with scars and stories, still charging hard. And all the pros got great stories about their slams too (check out the video on this page).

Slams show:

1. You’re committed to getting better
2. You’re willing to push your personal boundaries
3. You’ve got the guts to get back up and try again

But let’s be real for a second – are slams something we should be glorifying? Can we just be… safer?

Safety first (but style a close second)

Look, I get it. When I was 15, the idea of pads seemed lame. But now that I’m older (and hopefully wiser), I’ve learned that there’s no shame in playing it safe. Here are a few tips to keep your slams from turning into hospital visits:

• Wear protective gear (helmets are cool, concussions aren’t)
• Know your skill level and don’t exceed it
• Build up to the hard stuff gradually
• Always scope out your skating spot first (look for cracks pebbles, etc)

Remember, the goal is to skate for as long as possible. You can’t do that if you’re sidelined with an injury.

Speaking of which, I think it’s crazy that anyone would skate vert without a proper helmet and kneepads at least. It’s just not worth the risk, you know?

And let me tell you, I’ve taken some serious bails. Some of the more gnarly ones? They were always avoided by using proper padding. I can’t even count the times I was 1000% sure I’d broken my kneecap if it wasn’t for my kneepads.

Oh, and here’s a cool little tip I picked up: I started skating with gloves one time for no reason, and I noticed that every time I fell, my hands didn’t get all scratched up. I could keep skating for longer with less pain. Is anyone else not doing this? Whenever you bail, you almost always fall on your hands, right? So now, I wear gloves every time. Game changer, trust me.

The serious side of slams

Now, I don’t want to be a downer, but we gotta talk about the serious stuff too. Slams can be gnarly, and I mean really gnarly. I was at the skate park with this one dude who had to get airlifted because he completely tore something in his leg – like his femur or something. That was a bad one for sure.

You’re more likely to take some serious slams when you’re trying to clear stairs and stuff like that. Yeah, for sure, if you’re trying to clear like a 10 set, or God forbid, attempt to clear Jaws? Anyone who tries that is a mad lad that’s certain to get some serious slams. It’s not for the faint of heart.

And, slams can lead to death so, lets not downplay that. people have actually died from skateboarding accidents. It’s rare, but it happens.

Back in 2013, 13-year-old Andrew Hughes tragically lost his life from a head injury while skateboarding. He was not wearing a helmet. Now, I’m not trying to scare anyone off their board. Skateboarding has given me way more joy than pain over the years. But slams are no joke, so know your limits.

Final thoughts

In a way, slams are the great equalizer in skateboarding. It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro or a beginner – we all eat concrete sometimes. It’s how we handle it that counts. So, don’t be afraid to slam. It’s all part of the beautiful, chaotic, exhilarating ride that is skateboarding.

Have you had a memorable slam that taught you a valuable lesson? Please share your story in the comments below. I’d love to hear your war stories!