Rollerblading.

[rookie]

I have always been considered a natural athlete. Sports come easy to me and I enjoy them. But the balance type activities..skating, skiing, skateboarding....are nightmares for me. But I WANT to Rollerblade. I find it very difficult. I can go slow and gingerly in my driveway but just am not getting it good enough to go further. Any ideas? Any tricks?

[chris_f]

have a canadian teach you. That's how I learned! Seriously, practice practice practice... It's way easier to teach in person, so can you have someone who is good at it teach you? So much fun - we (the lady & I) love it!

[Erika]

I lived in my skates as a kid and just naturally do the roller blading so I don't know what to tell you. I think you'll get the hang of it, my dad started at 50 - I know you have a jump start on him since you are much younger.

[Sign]

What is it that you are having a problem with specifically? The balancing? The stopping? Also, have you ever been on ice skates before?

[K-Court]

Take some lessons, Rook. I did and it helped a lot. And as Chris said, practice, practice, practice ....

[ohammersmith]

Originally Posted by K-Court

Take some lessons, Rook. I did and it helped a lot. And as Chris said, practice, practice, practice ....

Where would you go to find folks to teach you? Always wanted to learn myself.

[rookie]

My problem is starting and stopping? Mostly.

[Cynic]

You might start on low pile carpeting. That will prevent spontaneous rolling and let you maintain control and develop your balance.

I also have a pair of inlines and never learned how. Fortunately, I have indoor/outdoor carpeting in my basement, so that might help me.

[Sign]

Well starting and stopping can kind of worked on from the same base position. Stand with your feet in a T-shape with your front foot facing forward and your back leg perpendicular to it. Then push off with your back foot to start you rolling, the rest is just balance. As for stopping you may find that the T-Shape drag helps you stop easier then the heel brake (if you even have a heel brake and you don't mind a little extra wear on your wheels). Basically while you are going drag your back foot perpendicular to your direction of travel. This will wear down your wheels a little faster but it is probably the easiest method to stop as you gain your balance and confidence. Eventually you can work your way up to the heel brake and then possibly to the side-stop (ice skate style).

Stopping will probably be your toughest problem. It is very easy to get going fast on rollerblades but it can be tricky to stop at times (unless you hit a stone, mud, or some other unfriendly piece of terrain). Just take it easy, wear some padding, and you will be gliding along like a pro in no time.

[rookie]

Like a pro? ha. Thanks for the advice. I will give some things a try.

[Pman]

I would suggest wearing wrist guards at least until you get the hang of it. Falling is not much fun especially when you break your fall with your hands.

[Erika]

Sign and Pman are right. Even when I got really good, I wear the wrist guards. The T stop is much easier for a beginner. I don't think the low pile carpet will help you learn (sorry cynic!). You can always start at a roller rink. You may want to enlist a pre-teen to teach you.

[Sign]

I forgot to mention last night but road condition is also a big factor in the overall experience. I am not sure what it is like down there but up here we have a lot of asphalt roads, and the ones that aren't asphalt aren't cleaned that well so there is a lot of gravel and dirt on the sides of the roads. The sidewalks aren't much better either. With rough conditions you can get a lot of vibration through the skates and it can cause aching and discomfort in your feet/ankles. Also, the smallest of pebbles can jolt you if it catches in your wheels the wrong way, I have taken many tumbles because of a stone or something else that jams a wheel. If you are just learning I suggest finding a smooth, level, clean area to practice on is advised.

*Edit* Just had a thought. If you are having troubles or are getting frustrated trying to get the hang of it you can learn the same way we teach kids to ice skate. Normally, you take the kids out on the ice and give them a chair or pylon to hold onto for balance while they learn to steady themselves and use their skates. Well you could simply use the same principle but put the chair/pylon on a dolly like this



so that it rolls with you.

[Sign]

Just thought of this though I don't think it will be as much of an issue for you as it would be for a child but don't let your ankles break inwards. A lot of people when they first get on skates (ice or inline) tend to let their ankles bend in and it just develops bad form and habits.

[Frank.S]

Originally Posted by shark

have a canadian teach you. That's how I learned! Seriously, practice practice practice... It's way easier to teach in person, so can you have someone who is good at it teach you? So much fun - we (the lady & I) love it!

That works. First time I put on roller blades was for a roller hockey team that i tried out for, and i made the team

they suck to stop in no matter what, when i used them i stopped just like you would an ice skate and skidded along the ground sideways, takes some practice. That or make the stupid T shape with your feet.. if they have a brake on the back of the skate, take them off, that thing is a waste of time.

you dont need wrist guards, you have to know how to tuck and roll. Any serious fall if you put your hand out, you will break your wrist in half - this sucks, alot.

[Erika]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

you dont need wrist guards, you have to know how to tuck and roll. Any serious fall if you put your hand out, you will break your wrist in half - this sucks, alot.

Baloney - you need the wrist guards.

[rookie]

Wrist gaurds have already been beneficial quite a bit.

[Frank.S]

Originally Posted by Erika

Baloney - you need the wrist guards.

Ive broken my wrist by putting my hand out to break a fall, it sucks, badly. Its just not how you should fall. Its putting a band-aid on an axe wound, instead of throwing away the axe.

plus, fruitbooting is bad enough, let alone wrist gaurds.

[chris_f]

Gotta agree with Frank on this. You should learn to break the habit of using your wrists when you fall.

[Erika]

There is no way I will risk have road rash on my shoulders and arms instead of a possible broken wrist. When I am out for leisure skating, on a flat surface, I may forego the pads but when I am racing down hills and finding parking garages to have fun in, I will wear knee and wrist pads.

[chris_f]

Erika, you think road rash is worse than a broken bone?!?!

[Erika]

Definately. Road rash hurts worse. And, realistically, with road rash, I won't look as injured to my boss, kids and loved ones so I won't get out of doing the mom thing or work as easily as if I had a cast. A wrist injury doesn't leave big areas of scars like road rash has on my knee either.

[diamondpete]

Hey Rook.

Just so you know I have a CSCS in rollerblading. that is right Completely Cool Canadian Skater.

FOr beginner ADULTS

1 I am not a big fan of writs guards- learning to fall is important.

BUT above all else

WEAR a helmet!!!

Beginner tend to fall backwards alot and that is the most danergous head hit. Wear a helmet. I would recommend knee pads ((and elbow pads, if you like) BUT wear a helmet!!!!!

I do not recommend writs guards, because I recommend ski poles (and of course as you get better a hockey stick!!!) Start off with poles the will help you over the "teeters" or the "weebles wooble but they don't fall down" stage. Stay away from your loved one because when you fall, you will flail your arms about and stick someone in the eye!! LOL

Turning is the the first trick (on inline skates, stopping is a fast hard turn). The "key" in easy turning is warm wheels (that means you need to go fast- not a good combo.) if you can practice on an inline surface (hard rubber like or a hard rubber coated surface, if not, the concrete is the next best or a a NEW asphalt road.)

The biggest obsatcle in turning is getting over the fear of "committing" to a hard cut because if you screw it up you will fall on your ass and it hurts.

You probabl;y need to develop a smoother "stroke" so some drills you can do (these will also help confidence and bal;ance)

Start with your feet together toes slightly pointed out and bend your knees and PUSh out ward, then pull inward to your feet go out and in which propells you forward. Bend and keep your center of gravity low!!!!

One leg "pshes. use one leg to push your self with the other fooot "straight and pump your leg in long "powerful smooth strokes. (good for balance)

Another good drills is to coast and then slalom ( swerve left and right- think skiing) but with swerves.


Try these out for a bit, and let me know how it goes.

cheers

Peter

PS in case I did not mention it , wear a helmet!!!!

[Cynic]

Thanks Pete, I want to learn how to rollerblade this summer. I have the skates (had them for years) but gave up because trying to stay standing and get in motion was near impossible.

At present, I don't know where I can practice that is fairly unbroken ground except my basement. My driveway is severely cracked w/ some unheaval and I'm too self-conscious to go to a public place until I develop some stability.

I'll look into ski poles. Thx again.

[LisaS]

rumor has it you should have a helmet too

[diamondpete]

Originally Posted by Cynic

Thanks Pete, I want to learn how to rollerblade this summer. I have the skates (had them for years) but gave up because trying to stay standing and get in motion was near impossible.

At present, I don't know where I can practice that is fairly unbroken ground except my basement. My driveway is severely cracked w/ some unheaval and I'm too self-conscious to go to a public place until I develop some stability.

I'll look into ski poles. Thx again.

Hi Cynic,

If you are having problems standing and you are embarrassed, a hockey stick is a good way to go as well because it doesn't look as goofy and more importantly it helps you lean forward which comes in hand when you fall. (better to fall forward than backwards).

Try simple drills like standing and then lifting your left foot very your right, and then moving your right foot back and out to the right of your left (a cross-over grill) and JUST walk sideways, then,, reverse and and walk sideways the other way. (good for balance and preparation for cross over turning)

Try walking: put your left foot directly in front of right and vice vera (like you are walking the line for a drunk test)

Put your feet in a "T". That is at 90 degree angles. for eample your leg foot is diectly in the center of your right foot (at a right angle) then bend your knees and PUSH with your right (this is good for balance and learning to "drive" your skate into the ice/road). just a full push and complete extend your leg (imagine a figure skater- OK, now put clothes on the skater - OK, now do that!) Drive with your leg extend and hold and go straight with your right leg extended 2-3 inches off the ice and the left foot pointed and kept straight. When you come to a stop put your right leg down and do it again. (do not be tempted to give little pushes as you balance improves - actually that would be skating - because it defeats the purpose of this drill which is in part the "follow thru on the push. It will also do wonders for your balance.) ANyway do that the length of the road, change feet and come back. You will be surprised how easy this drill becomes and how quickly it will "turn into the ability to skate.

BTW, seriously WEAR a helmet!!!

[Cynic]

No problem on the helmet. I have one in the style:



Though, I'm a bit amazed it actually protects the head. Still, I have no problem wearing it while learning.

[Frank.S]

Originally Posted by Erika

Definately. Road rash hurts worse. And, realistically, with road rash, I won't look as injured to my boss, kids and loved ones so I won't get out of doing the mom thing or work as easily as if I had a cast. A wrist injury doesn't leave big areas of scars like road rash has on my knee either.

Ive crashed my bike bad enough to require a skin graph, nothing compared to breaking my wrist. wrist surgery really sucks, i still have pain 5 years later and they cant do much about it. I do not have full mobility (or ever will).

[diamondpete]

Originally Posted by Cynic

Though, I'm a bit amazed it actually protects the head.

Read the disclaimer......

which is actually quite true. These helmets do not "protect the head" in the way we like to imagine. Basically they absorb some of the impact and "slow your head" down.

Originally Posted by Cynic

Still, I have no problem wearing it while learning.

I have been ice skating since 3. I had one concussion, when I was in grade 4, because I was a good enough skater that I did not need a helmet (in spite of my father's clear directive to wear a helmet). The good thing about the concussion was that it was serious enough that my father was too worried to give the the proper amount of shit for my stupidity.
I wear a helmet still and I am a good ice skater ( an good recreational in line skater- which means when I throw on the skates, I do not look like a loser, can do pylons, stairs,etc.) Recently, my someone I who played varsity hockey, still plays senior hockey (is a great skater and athlete) was standing on the talking with some one and glided backwards to let a little kid by (there was some debris on the ice which caused him to fall back on his head. It took six months to recover, at the early points there were worried he might not be able to talk normally again.

I think helmets are wise regardless of your "skill level".

Good luck

Peter

[Sign]

I agree, you can forego other forms of protection as you get better if you want but you should always have a helmet.