Do skaters need lots of gear?

Does my skateboarder child really need all of this equipment? - Does my kid really need all of this stuff (skate shoes, helmet, expensive skateboard and pads) in order to skate? I get questions like this from parents who are concerned that they really don't need to be spending all of this money. Making sure that you aren't wasting money is smart - here's some things to help you think about this.

Source: http://skateboard.about.com/od/gear/f/Parents_Skaters.htm

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