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POPULARITY

  • Skateboarding is currently the 6th largest sport in the United States.
  • There are currently over 10 million skateboarders in the United States (9.3 million skateboarders are under the age of 18).
  • One in ten United States teenagers owns a skateboard.
  • Skateboarding is ranked 3rd among those ages 6-18 which makes it more popular that baseball.
  • Skateparks are the #1 choice of teenagers when polled by the Parks & Recreation Departments.
  • Participation in skateboarding increased by 48.7% between 1999 and 2000.
  • The Skateboarding industry reported sales of $720 million in 2000.
  • Over 100,000 skateboard decks and 500,000 wheels are manufactured every month.
  • There are over 1000 Skateparks in the USA today with an average of 300 new public Skateparks being built throughout the United States annually.

Sources: BMX Online, Action Sports Foundation, The SkatePark Association of the United States (SPAUSA), International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) , Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, Superstudy of Sports Participation, Sports Participation in America , 2001 Report.

 

INJURY AND SAFETY

  • Almost all skateboarding accidents happen on the streets, not in parks, with a high percentage involving motor vehicles.
  • The United States Consumer Safety Commission ranked sports & recreation equipment on a mean severity index which ranged from 10 to 2516 (10 being the least severe). Swimming pools were given 335, bicycles 70, and skateboarding 34.
  • Irregular riding surfaces account for over 50% of all injuries to skateboarders.
  • Skateparks with smooth surfaces and protective gear requirements have a very low injury rate.
  • One third of all injured skateboarders have been skating less than one week.

Sources: The SkatePark Association of the United States (SPAUSA), Unites States Consumer Safety Commission.

 

DRUGS

  • Youth ages 12-17 who are frequently bored are 50% more likely than those not often bored to smoke, drink, get drunk, and use illegal drugs.
  • Drug dealers will target and market to youth with more money and less to do.
  • Kids with $25 or more a week in spending money are nearly twice as likely as those with less money to smoke, drink, and use illegal drugs, and more than twice as likely to get drunk.

Sources: American Sports Data, RAND Youth Poll, The SkatePark Association of the United States (SPAUSA), Columbia University National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse.