Originally Posted by
njkayaker
BMX races are sprint (short) events and skateboarding appears to be a low-effort activity. A helmet with poor air flow isn't as much as a problem.
Downhill skateboarding takes little effort, most other skating endeavors take a moderate to great amount of effort. Many serious downhill skateboarders wear full face MC helmets and full leathers.
For BMX racing they can indeed run beefier helmets because of race duration as after a 2 minute race they can remove their helmet for the half hour wait 'til their next heat.
For BMX freestyle, park riding and DJ a beefier helmet is a good idea because your chances of crashing are much better than those from JRA. Similar for skateboard stunt riding. For summer pusher racing (approx 5-15 mile crosstown races over flat or undulating terrain) you do see some skaters opting for bicycle style helmets for better cooling.