Life on Eight Wheels — Is Roller Skating for You?
Suitable publication: Experience Life
Roller skating is often associated with good times and memorable moments. From friday nights spent with friends on a wooden rink followed up with pizza and soda, to that one person in your hometown who gets around on eight wheels. Some think of their childhood and showing off to their parents that they can move on their own — it takes a lot of practice to be confident enough to not fall on your butt.
Roller skates have been gliding around for a long time. The first patented roller skate was invented in the 1760s and it has been a popular pastime and mode of transportation ever since since. The most recent boom in roller-skating popularity was the golden age of disco, but this tapered off toward the end of the 20th Century. Until now. With the rise of Covid-19 many have resorted to dusting off their wheels and buying new ones in the bid to enjoy the outdoors in safe and controlled ways. When it comes to this quirky sport, many are interested but few maintain that interest for long. Some are put off by pricy sets of wheels and the costs of additional protection, some are discouraged when they can’t stay upright for longer than five minutes, so it is worth spending a lot of time contemplating whether or not this sport is right for you.
What is Required to Skate?
The first thing you have to consider is whether or not you should skate. You might like the idea of zooming nimbly through suburbia or dancing up a fever in a roller disco, but you can’t just jump on a pair of skates and go. It can take some people up to 40 hours to learn how to roller skate as a beginner (HRG, 2020). If you can only dedicate an hour or two a week to skating, then it could take almost half a year before you’re proficient in using your wheels. Ask yourself if you are happy to wait that long or put in extra work.
Then, consider your diligence. Are you willing to persevere with learning even if you fall often? Can you handle going out to skate even when it is cold? Are you willing to find alternatives to your usual skating grounds if they become non-viable? Roller skating is a sport of persistence. This may sound like a downer, but it’s not easy to roller skate. You should know that before you buy your stuff rather than quit a month in and be unable to get a refund.
If you can, rent skates out and try them out at a skate rink. This isn’t currently possible in most areas with the pandemic going on, but some areas are still offering lessons for small groups, including rentals. Examine your circumstances and see what you can do.
Choose Your Set-Up
The next thing that you must decide upon if you want to be a roller skater is which skates you will don. This is beyond just picking which colours you like or the style of shoe. First, you need to decide if you want to use quad or inline skates.
Quad skates are what most people consider as being the ‘traditional’ form of roller skate. These are four weels to a foot, in two rows of two. They typically also come with a chunky toe stop at the front for breaking. They offer a wider base to stand on and are better for dancing with. Many people start learning to skate using quad skates.
Inline skates were invented in the 19th Century and were popularised by the company Rollerblade who released their inline skates in 1987. These skates typically have 4 wheels per foot, but the number of wheels can range from 2–5 on a skate. If you want to slow down these skates typically have a break at the back of the set of wheels, but most inline skaters use these for going fast, so slowing down isn’t often a top priority. Inlines are also more often used for skating outside and for longer distances. A lot of people who learn to skate on both quad and inline skates have found inline skates to be easier to learn, and there is also the added benefit that inline skates are similar to ice skates so this is a skill that can be more easily applied to other sports.
Once you have picked your wheels you will need to pick the boot you will wear. You can wear a high-top — which is better for ankle support— or a low-top — which is better for dancing and agility. Boots can also be either hard or soft. A hard boot is good for fitness and endurance skating while a soft boot is more versatile and better for dancing as well. Some skates come with a heel; these are usually better suited to artistic skating over speed. Therefore, those without heels are usually chosen for speed skating.
Once you have researched what you feel is best you can finally settle on a skate to buy. As a beginner you may feel that buying any skates above £150 is too much, especially if you haven’t tried skating before. A good price range for your first pair of skates is £80–150 first hand. If that is a bit too much for you then consider buying secondhand skates; a lot of good pairs of skates end up selling at a reduced rate on sites like Depop and eBay.
Protective Gear
Many people when doing sports don’t feel they need to invest in all the protective gear that is available. When roller skating it is highly advised that you wear a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads. These things shouldn’t be optional, they can save your life — or at the very least they can reduce injuries received. If you refuse to use protective gear then roller skating isn’t the sport for you, even experts use the gear suggested.
Time and Place
Now you have questioned yourself and got your wheels you can get onto the fun part; getting out and trying the skates on. You have to choose where you will skate. Do you have any indoor rinks nearby? If yes, how much do they cost? If not, have no fear. So long as you can find a large, flat area you can likely skate there. A lot of skaters like to skate on tennis courts, and if you have one near you that is great, but take into account whether or not you’re allowed to skate there at all — many are private property or have signage asking for no skaters of any kind.
Work out a time that works for you and stick to it as much as possible. It doesn’t matter if you go out every morning or only on the weekends; the best way to obtain skills is to make building them a regular and frequent part of your week. If you only go out every now and again you’re less likely to make progress and then get discouraged quickly.
Is Roller Skating Worth it?
Roller skating is a great sport because you can do it solo or you can do it with others — it is both social and solitary. In times like these when we aren’t allowed within six feet of one another roller skating is actually a fantastic way to see one another without getting too close (unless you like falling over). When the not in a pandemic state it is also a great way to meet new people both socially and competitively. Many compete in speed skating competitions and others attend roller skating clubs in many different locations.
Roller skating is often associated with childhood and youth — once roller skaters become adults they often put their skates away; whether it is because they feel it is undignified or because they don’t think they have the time for it. These ones miss out on a whole host of benefits that don’t end at the physical health side of things. The path to skating proficiency may feel daunting, but it is a journey worth taking for most. Now that you have the knowledge on what is needed to skate, will you take up the challenge?
