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Many people will be surprised to learn that professional hockey goalies played without any face protection until nearly 1960.  Pucks can be hit at speeds up to 160 mph, and goalies used to get bruises and gashes on their face regularly during a hockey game.

The first goalie to wear a mask was Jacques Plante, a highly respected player with the Montreal Canadiens, and one of the legends of hockey.  He was an odd fellow, prone to asthma attacks, and to getting more injuries than many other hockey players.  He preferred reading books and painting over going to parties with his teammates.  During his career, he had gotten more than two hundred facial stitches.  In that era, a few hundred stitches were not highly unusual for a hockey player, but generally they were not just on the face.  He also had had two broken cheekbones, four broken noses, and a fractured skull.  Before Plante, several goalies had tried to use masks, but they were wire (similar to ones used by baseball catchers) and impaired vision to some extent.

As the 1958 hockey season was coming to an end, Plante was injured when a puck hit his forehead.  A member of the audience that worked in fiberglass wrote Plante a letter, and explained how he could make a mask molded to fit Plante’s face, and strong enough to protect it.  Plante agreed to sit as a model for the mask, and to wear it during the next hockey season.  He brought it out during the preseason games, and was laughed at and criticized by the hockey community.  His coach in Montreal was sure that the mask reduced his vision and asked him not to wear it.   About two months later, Plante was in a game when someone hit a backhanded from the side of the net.  There were too many players around the goal for Plante to see the puck, and the puck sliced into the side of his nose, which bled profusely.  It took seven stitches to close the wound.

Plante would not go into the next game unless he was allowed to wear his mask.  Since the Canadiens were traveling, the rules at the time required the host team to provide a backup if the goalie became unable to play.  Teams in the 1950s did not travel with backup goalies, and the goalie that the home team found was overweight, nearly forty years old, and had not played recently.  The coach of the Canadiens decided to let Plante play, for he would be a much better choice for goalie even wearing his mask.  The Canadiens won that game, three to one.

Further, Plante contributed to the Canadiens winning the next eleven games in a row, all while wearing his mask.  To make sure that the mask did not impair vision, his coach still required that Plante have an eye exam while wearing his specially designed mask.  Two other goalies joined Plante that year, and slowly the practice spread.  The last bare faced goalies were seen on the professional hockey circuit appeared in the early 1970s.

One of the most popular of the extreme sports has to be skateboarding.  Out of all the more extreme sports it has to be the one that has lasted the longest over the years that have passed so far.

One of the coolest things about skateboarding is that is requires so little to get started.  With other sports, you have to gear up with all kinds of equipment but with skating all you need is a skateboard.  Of course, you should also have safety gear like a helmet and pads.  This sport can be extremely dangerous so good safety equipment is a must as well.

One last important thing to have when you decide to get into this sport has to be the shoes.  You will definitely want to pick some with good foot protection and ankle support.  You will also want to make sure they fit properly as well because a shoe that does not fit right can cause its own set of problems.  Shoes that do not fit properly can cause issues like blisters and foot sores that will make skating very uncomfortable and painful.

When you are trying on a new pair of skate shoes they should be comfortable because you will want to be wearing them for long periods of time.  They should also be able to take a lot of abuse during a skater’s use.  One more thing is that they need to have good treads that grip well to the board.

Another part of the skate shoe that you should look at is the show laces.  It’s important to have heavy duty type show laces due to the amount of abuse they can take during the various skating tricks.  Regular shoe laces do not stand a chance to the amount of use that they get and it would be a horrible thing to be in the middle of a good skate session and you have to quit for the day because of a pair of broken shoe laces.

The tread is something that is needed to keep the feet on the board.  You don’t want to be slipping around while trying to perform the raddest trick ever.

It is true that sometimes these types of skate shoes can become quite expensive and cost a lot of money, but they can be just important as the board itself.  Get yourself a good pair and they will last you through the entire season this year.

In sports, sometimes you need the right outfit and the right gear and accessories to get you in the game. With that reason aside, there is also another purpose for gearing you up with the right outfits and equipment.

There is a science behind every outfit you see matched for every sport. Don’t you wonder why players of basketball, football, or hockey wear a different type of jersey? Sure it helps to tell them apart but the outfits are actually designed based on studies as to which type of clothing will affect the players’ performance. In extreme games such as skateboarding and skating, much is the same. Though you always see the characteristic casual clothing being worn by these extreme players, there is a reason that lies behind their choice of clothing.

The basic outfit of skaters and skateboarders alike are loose clothing. The sport itself can be rigorous and is usually done under the hot sun. Wearing comfortable loose clothing will help you in you performance. Remember, even a hint of being uncomfortable can affect the way you perform in a game. You wouldn’t want that to happen, even if you are just casually playing in a park or some place similar.

To focus more on basic sporting outfits, you can also be picky with the materials used for the type of clothing you wear. Under hot climates, it is better to wear clothing of micro-fiber material rather than cotton blend clothing. This is because the micro-fiber doesn’t absorb wet which can make you feel heavy and weighed down. Micro-fiber clothing helps wick sweat and moisture away keeping you feel lighter and better refreshed. Some prefer clothing that is made from spandex or lycra material. These types of material offer quite a good amount of protection from road rash but don’t protect you much from falls. Another reason why some skaters like spandex or lycra because this can be worn concealed under your loose shorts or pants and thus give you added protection.

However, with sports, it doesn’t end with the discussion of the right outfit. After you have decided on an outfit, you best fit yourself in protective gear. When you look at accessories for skating and skateboarders, you should always look towards the protective gear first. What protective gear should first be considered? Why don’t you start with a good helmet? You don’t see extreme sports gamers doing their stuff without their helmets on, don’t you? Of course not because this is practically the only accessory that protects one of the most vital parts of your body, your head. But you may ask what exactly to look for in a good helmet. What exactly makes a helmet exceptionally good?

When you are looking to buy a helmet, make sure you choose one that was made from a manufacturer reputed for quality products. It is also best that you look for helmets that are certified ASTM F-1492. Take note however, that this is not mandatory by law, ASTM is only voluntary but it helps with added safety and protection. But don’t stop from there because if you find helmets that are also certified by the CPSC bicycle standards, then this is a better choice. When you ultimately decide on a helmet, make sure it has the proper fit and the chin straps are adjusted correctly to your facial and head structure.

Since you are browsing for protective gear, you should also take into consideration the other areas of your body that are prone to contact the hard surfaces of the ground and such areas that are vulnerable for breaking. Wearing elbow, wrist, knee, shin, and ankle guards or pads will basically cover these risky areas. More often than not, being a skater or skateboarder you fall when you are playing or even when you are just practicing a new trick. Your body is not invincible to the surfaces you come in contact with, especially when you’re doing more daring moves. Though these protective guards don’t prevent you from having an accident, they lessen the damage you might incur and prevent you from garnering major injuries.

Sports clothing manufacturers have now incorporated the importance of protection rather than comfort and performance in their design. An example of this creation would be the padded shorts which you can wear as a simple short when you’re out skating. But rather than just feeling comfortable playing your sport, you are given the extra protection at the same time. This is a great solution for most skaters as they won’t have to constantly pad their clothing to feel safe in a game.

Of course, when you want to talk about accessories, there’s one item you shouldn’t miss and that is the belt or accessory bag. Skating and skateboarding require your hands to be free in order for you to fully enjoy the sport. Having a belt or accessory bag on hand keeps you close to your necessities such as mp3 players, mobile phones, and even a bottle of water. But there is an alternative to the belt bag and that is achieved by wearing loose cargo pants. You can wear these pants when you are out skating or skateboarding and the extra pockets it has gives you the necessary space to keep your things in. Just make sure you are not carrying anything too heavy. As skating and skateboarding requires the balance of your body and the dexterity of your legs, it is best you don’t weigh these areas down.

The next time you want to go out to the park or with friends to skate or skateboard, think about what you are wearing. There’s more to sporting outfits than just looking good. It has to protect you from injuries and enhance your performance as well.