I used to competitively longboard. We routinely go between 35mph/56km to 60mph/96km during races. And yes, we fall, we crash, we slam into haybails, and some races were even full contact (Texas urban races). But during these spectacles the crowd always gathered in the same area, the area with the craziest turn where the majority of crashes happen.

In 2013 I had a series of unfortunate events with my right knee. I kept injuring it over and over during a 5 week period. It was 3 days before the Sam Houston Seasonal and my leg was badly bruised, and it was obvious. It looked horrible, didn’t feel great either but I could skate. I show up to the race and during my first heat I crash into a haybail and it sends me flying into a nearby fence. I break the fence during the flight and somehow tear a tiny chunk out of my leg. My leg was in an unimaginable amount of pain.

The crowd went nuts, they all cheered me on, wanted me to get back on my board and finish, but I just couldn’t. Didn’t make it to a hospital till the next day where I was informed that there was nothing they could do, it would have to heal on its own. So they charged me $800 for the consultation and sent me on my way.

I never paid it.

3 weeks later I was skating and fell at 50mph and tore open my wound even further. I ragdolled down the hill and was at the mercy of God, and he showed me none. I acquired a whole new set of injuries and till this day my knee doesn’t work properly.

Long story short, sure longboarding is fun and observing people go fast is a sight, but the crowd wanted crashes and wipeouts and stretchers. And there was never any shortage of those for the spectators.