SKATE brace
The most common injuries in skateboarding are fractures to the wrist and ankle. Although wrist guards exist, there is not adequate ankle protection available for skaters.
Regular ankle braces are not used because they do not allow for the inversion of the ankle necessary in order to perform nearly all skateboarding tricks. The SKATE BRACE was designed to remedy this.
A skaters ankle
Ankle injuries make up nearly 40% of all skateboard injuries
The average ankle can move up 25 degrees
The average ankle can move down 45 degrees
generating solutions
After examining the way the foot bends while skateboarding, I explored multiple mechanisms that would allow for the necessary rotation while still offering sufficient protection. Elastic bands seemed like they would offer the most flexibility while allowing the ability to adjust tension for support.
creating and testing
After exploring a number of shapes and materials, I created prototypes that were tested by skateboarders. I found that the para-cord band gave the most trustworthy protection while still allowing the skaters to perform their tricks without interference.
going skating



