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Show Inline skates are hot Everywhere one goes today they are sure to see people of all ages . careening around on the latest craze inline skates, commonly referred to as rollerblades. Inline skates are a cross between traditional roller skates and skis. The skates usually have from three to five wheels, depending on the style and size of the skate, in a " straight line attached to a hard plastic boot Inline skates have been around for over ten years, originally used by serious downhill and crosscountry cross-country skiers for summer conditioning. condi-tioning. In the last two years their popularity with children and adults has increased tremendously. The skates serve many purposes. They are a great way to spend an afternoon, a great form of exercise and just a great deal of fun. However, with any physical activity there are inherent risks and dangers. Recently, when five adults were "blading" on the University of Utah campus, one of them unexpectedly unex-pectedly fell and severely broke her arm an inch above the wrist. She was skating down a slight incline, lost control and fell. Now for the next six to eight weeks she will be wearing a cast. Typical of most people, these five adults believed they were immune im-mune to accidents and subsequently did not wear all of the available safety gear. Injury statistics are unavailable for inline skating, but is i one in five too high? Robert Parenti, director of the Utah Safety Council, suggests that . when buying or renting inline skating equipment for yourself or your children to always include the appropriate safety gear knee pads, elbow pads, helmet and, lastly, wrist guards. Inline skating. ..a sport for all to enjoy safely. Do not wait until you experience an accident to decide that wearing safety equipment is a good idea. If you have any questions, ques-tions, do not hesitate to contact the Utah Safety Council at 533-5851 or outside Salt Lake metro at 800-933-5943. |