Although not mandatory or required by law, wearing a helmet while skateboarding is highly recommended for everyone, regardless of age or experience level.

A helmet is designed to protect a person’s head in the event of a fall. Wearing one can save lives.

So if you turned on the TV and saw that some Olympic skateboarders in Paris were not wearing helmets, they broke an unofficial rule, but not a legitimate one.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the rules surrounding helmets, clothing and headphones during the Olympic skateboarding competitions.

Let’s start at the beginning: it’s important to understand the skateboarding disciplines that will be presented during Paris 2024.

What skateboarding disciplines are there at Paris 2024?

Olympic skateboarding consists of two main disciplines: street and park.

The two events take place on different courses and require different skills.

The street course is designed to mimic a real urban landscape, requiring skaters to navigate stairs, railings, benches and ledges, in addition to traditional skate park elements like quarter pipes.

The park event course is a hollowed-out concrete bowl with striking design features such as recessed walls, elevation changes and variable grinding surfaces, allowing competitors to reach impressive speeds and heights to perform aerial tricks.

Watch every moment, every medal from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games live and free on Channel 9 and 9NowAdditionally, every event will be streamed ad-free, live and on-demand in 4K on Stan Sport.

What are the helmet rules in Olympic skateboarding?

Skateboarding is one of the few sports at the Olympic Games in which many minors participate.

During the Olympic Games, athletes participating in the street discipline are not required to wear protective headgear, including helmets, unless they are under 18 years of age.

For these athletes a helmet is mandatory in case of a fall or collision. If a helmet is refused, the athlete will be disqualified.

For those wondering, there is no universal minimum age to participate in the Olympic Games, but international sports governing bodies do have their own age limits.

Currently there is no minimum age to participate in skateboarding at the Olympic Games.

For the park discipline, it is mandatory for all participants to wear a helmet.

Although wearing a helmet significantly reduces the risk of serious head injury or death in a fall, some professionals find the weight of a helmet on their head uncomfortable or, after years of experience, find the helmet unnecessary.

Why don’t some Olympic skateboarders wear protection?

Knee and elbow pads, as well as wrist guards, are worn by the athlete at his own discretion.

Protective gear is not always up to the demands of the street, but the dangerous conditions in the park mean that athletes wear it more often during competitions.

Should Olympic skateboarders be allowed to wear AirPods?

Skateboarding may be the only sport in the world where it is allowed to wear headphones and earphones, including Apple AirPods, during competitions.

Some athletes have been known to wear wireless Bluetooth earbuds to promote their music of choice or to reduce ambient noise.

Headphones and earphones are prohibited during training to avoid collisions between athletes.

– Additional reporting by Tara Blancato