Stealth Safety Methods

[mnrjpf99]

I watched a video of how Ashley Wagner had suffered a concussion at one point, due to falling while doing a jump during training or something along that line. I got to thinking about it and thought, it would be nice to wear padding and head protection but in more of a stealth way. I have to admit, that I would feel really silly wearing a helmet, knee and elbow pads. :0/

Plus I was thinking, that if one is better protected, then maybe the fear of falling would be somewhat reduced, hence making a skater feel more likely to try an element, that they fear falling from.  I was thinking of maybe wearing a somewhat thick head band under a hat, to give a bit of padding around the head. It may not prevent it from hurting if you hit your head, but maybe reduce or avoid an injury.

Does anyone on here do this type of thing and do you have any suggestions for better head, knee and elbow protection, that is somewhat subtle?

[skategeek]

There are several products out there like that.  Check out Ice Halo, RibCap, and Crasche, for starters.  (I've tried all three and prefer the Ice Halo HD, personally.)  And there are some fairly thin and unobtrusive elbow/knee pads out there.  I've got Bunheads knee pads. 

[rd350]

I wear the Lenny RibCap and the Se_Ku ProTech pants, which have very low profile padding.  Both are very comfortable.  You can still get the ProTech pants at MagicSkate - http://magicskateus.com/  I also wear Se_ku knee pads (not sure you can still get them) and sometimes wear wrist guards when I'm feeling off or trying something I think I particularly fall on but the wrist guards are HOT.

[Live2Sk8]

I wear the Ice Halo - I have the fake rabbit fur one.  It's cute, and fits the stealth profile.  Everyone thinks it is a furry headband.  I also wear the gel Skating Safe kneepads.  They are pretty stealthy as well underneath tights, although it gives you a bulky knee effect.

Yes, they do help reduce the fear of falling and give me more courage to try new or difficult elements.  I do not find them giving me false courage, though.  I'm not suddenly trying things I wouldn't have tried before. 

[dlbritton]

I wear a Crasche head band, Ace volleyball knee pads, McDavid hex celled elbow pads (thin but very flexible) and Roller Blade wrist guards.   At times I feel like one of the hockey guys but protection is more important to me than appearance.

I of course have a fear/dislike of falling but the padding helps minimize "pain". I have taken a few "pitch forwards" onto my knees and wrists that freak out my coach but the knee pads and wrist guards have kept me from feeling any pain or getting injured in those episodes.

Once I start testing and competing I do have some concern about what the judges think of all of the padding, although the Crasche is really the only obvious piece of protective equipment. I wear my knee pads and elbow pads under clothing and my wrist guards blend in with my black gloves. The Crasche pretty much looks like a headband, which most men don't wear, but I have become so accustomed to wearing it I feel naked without it, sort of like driving a car without fastening the seat belt.

[riley876]

OTOH, I wear a full and totally non-stealth Roller Derby kit.

I'm starting a new fashion.  It's going to take off any day now 

[rd350]

@dlbritton for my test I took my knee pads off (specifically because they made it look like my knees were bent when they weren't and that can affect judging ) but I wore my RibCap (the Lenny just looks like a slouchy hat) and it was not an issue.

[Bill_S]

Because of repeated hard knocks to knees and elbows, I wear pads under my clothing in those places.

I'd like to research elbow pads a bit more because mine are a bit bulky, and can telegraph their existence even through my largish sweatshirt. The knee pads are cobbled together from Ace elastic foam knee sleeves and some thin (~3/16") PE foam pads stuffed in the front. Being more svelt, they don't reveal themselves.

I've not had trouble hitting my head, so I don't wear protection there.

Keep in mind that I'm older and don't take as many chances as I did a few years back.

[FigureSpins]

Sometimes, I wear snow pants and I always wear gloves, but that's about it for protection unless it's cold and I need a hat/headband.  Old habits die hard - I never put the knee pads on until AFTER I fell and hurt my knee.  I might invest in a pair now that I have new skates.

[mnrjpf99]

I started playing around a bit with an old yoga mat, which I bought to make ankle pads. I placed a piece of it on a table and hit the table with my knuckle and then hit the padding. The yoga mat does absorb some shock. I was thinking about putting pieces of the mat under the rim of my hat and find a way to cover the back of the head as well. As far as elbow and knee pads go, I am working on it. :0)
I saw a woman at the rink wearing a big furry hat thing and now I know what it was. It was the Halo thingy. Haha I had just always thought she was Russian or something. Lol
I had thought about ski pants as well but I was thinking they would be kind of bulky.

[ChristyRN]

I wear a Crasche head band,

The Crasche pretty much looks like a headband, which most men don't wear, but I have become so accustomed to wearing it I feel naked without it, sort of like driving a car without fastening the seat belt.

I've had my Crasche for two years now and I also admit to feeling naked on the ice without it. The only times have been when I competed at Peach. Reminded me of how naked I felt the first time I skated in a dress instead of pants.

[Query]

I saw a girl with a bright pink Ice Halo, that matched her boots and clothing. I thought it looked quite stylish - though I honestly don't know anything about fashion.

I suppose a pairs skater could worry about it being brushed off, leading to a penalty.

You could wear gloves whose color and texture matched the clothing on your arms without anyone noticing much. E.g., thin stretch gloves matching a thin tight leotard of the same color.

(I wear gloves to protect my hands, but not stealthily.)

Can some wigs provide padding? They can be fun and showy too...

But, regardless, if you need for padding to feel safe, I don't think you should let other people's opinions get in the way.

How about a skating program that makes fun of hockey, to justify hockey protective gear? Fun and safe.

Or a Ghostbusters program, dressed as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

If a lady wants to be more showy - A Dance of the Seven Veils program. Multiple layers of veil provide layers of padding. With a little work, you can devise a tie or elastic system which prevents them from being brushed out of the way in a fall. A lot of work to create and choreograph (think of how the veils interact with spins and other motions), but lots of fun. Not exactly stealthy, as it would attract a lot of attention in the rink, but they wouldn't think it was for safety.

[Ethereal Ice]

I have a Crashe cap that I cover with a regular winter knit hat kind of folded at the base of my skull because the caps, as opposed to the headbands do not cover that area real well. I also have knee pads, wrist gaurds, and a pad that covers my tailbone. I always wear my wrist gaurds and tail pad. I cover the gaurds with gloves, but if you look carefully you can see there is something under there. My tail pad I just slide between my tights and underwear, it makes my booty a little bigger I guess, but I don't care. My tail pad is a waxel,  inexpensive and cushy, but it used to fall apart, tearing up at the edges until I made a little cover for it, now it lasts for ages. My Crashe cap and knee pads I wear depending on what I am doing. Right now in my skating career I tend to always fall with my hands out, so the wrist gaurds are a safe bet and I also have back issues that I do need to minimize any concussion to my spine, hence the tail pad.