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Learning to Rollerblade |
Once I was on a business trip & found I had a free weekend in San Diego. While exploring Mission Beach, I came across a rollerblade rental stand and figured that I would give it a go...after all, I roller skated and ice skated a lot when I was younger. The man running the rental stand suggested strongly that I rent the wrist pads; this seemed like an unnecessary nuisance until I tried standing up. Did you know that there is a BIG difference between the skates I grew up on and rollerblades. So, I rented the wrist pads, too. And, I am glad that I did; because, I did bite the dust, once. I had so much fun, that I was instantly hooked. When I got home I bought a good pair of rollerblades and began skating regularly. While blading, I met a lot of people who became very good friends & eventually met the beautiful woman who is the garden genius on this website...yes, that would be Petals. Many of my friends, primarily from North Point Church, wanted to learn how to skate. On this page, I will share with you what we learned. |
This is what your rollerblades might look like after a few thousand miles. The boot is original; but, the wheels, axles, bushings, spacers, breaks, and laces have been replaced many times. |
Of course, Petal's skates look good...and they are fast, too. |
1. Get a good pair of skates - make sure they are comfortable & can be easily adjusted. Make sure one of the skates has a brake attached. |
2. Don't forget the protective gear - helmet & pads (knee, elbow, wrist). I strongly recommend a way to carry water - either with a belt like shown below or a camel back. Staying hydrated is critical. |
The helmet should be made specifically for rollerblading as these types of helmets are built to take impacts to the skull at various angles. Bicycle helmets don't provide adequate protection to the back of your head. All this equipment is bulky and hot; but, it is well worth it. A friend of mine, who is a good skater, fell and broke his wrist. You may not be able to tell from this photo, but my pads are all scuffed up (especially the knee and wrist pads). Consider this - have you ever tripped or stumbled or bumped into someone? Now imagine this going 5-15 miles per hour with wheels on your feet. You will fall, eventually. You gotta protect your head and joints. |
3. Learn to stand and move on your skates before you go out in the real world with them on. |
Too many times I have seen people zoom past me screaming I can't stop. Most folks get out and try blading without getting ready...this leads to a lot of injuries. I recommend practicing in a carpeted room with your helmet and pads on. Learn to stand unaided...you might have to have a friend helping to steady you or use a mop handle with the mop head removed. After you have learned to stand unaided, learn how to crouch down and then stand up. Practice standing with one foot in front of the other. Practice putting pressure on the break. A few of my friends told me about Yoga Conditioning for Athletes; I figured that it must be good because none of these people knew each other and the contexts were different...one person was into triathalons, the other a tennis budy, and the 3rd involved with rollerblades. So, I came up with the concept of Rollerblade Yoga...so, I encouraged my friends to do rollerblade type poses with their skates on. |
4. Consider taking Yoga or buying a Yoga DVD. |
5. Find a flat place with no cars to practice. |
Many cities have greenways that are great for rollerblading. Here is the Alpharetta Greenway; it has many flat stretches and even the bridges are not that much of an incline. Other great places to learn to skate are tennis courts and outdoor basketball courts. Stay away from parking lots and streets - you will always loose a disagreement with a car. The only exception might be quiet neighborhoods; but, I still see people driving too fast there. Try to find a time of day that is not real crowded; children and pets can be very challenging to even an accomplished skater. And, definitely watch out for people training on bicycles - the greenways and roads belong to them. |
You might want to consider is using a couple of mop handles (with the mop heads removed) to use like walking sticks...kind of like the ski poles used by cross country skiers. A friend of mine used a couple of mop handles for a couple months until he was steady skating without them. Another friend put pads in her shorts because she was always landing on her butt; it looked funny & we all laughed...but, it worked. |
6. Other ideas: |
Have fun, make friends, and drink lots of water. |
Questions? Comments? mortar@mortarandpetals.com |
7. Learn to maintain your rollerblades. |
You can purchase items on line by clicking on the images below... |