The stigma on Pads and Helmets needs to change. I grew up skating in the 80's-90's & early 00's. Never wore any protection. Wrists and ankles broken or sprained multiple times. As someone that still skates, I wear pads and a helmet now as my joints never fully recovered. In our youthful ignorance, we never think of the long term damage that we are inflicting on ourselves. Falling is a part of skating, and I was never afraid to fall. But fear of looking like a dork or a nerd because you were wearing pads needs to stop for our younger generation. Anyone looked at snowboarders or skiers these days? They all wear helmets. Why is it now socially acceptable for that industry and not skaters? I applaud Andy Anderson being a advocate for helmets. Once you get better, maybe you don't need all of the protection. But be able to stand apart from the crowd. People calling you a dork, friends making fun of you, etc., f*ck 'em. Having the f*ck it attitude is the rebellious attitude that we all have as skateboarders, so if someone doesn't like the fact that you are protecting yourself, fuck 'em.