Beginner Q&A

Just like everything else, you get good at something by practicing. 

• Watching specific beginner tutorials and taking things piece by piece is good for learning; it's the way we learn things at school.  E.g., learning the alphabet, then how to read, how to right, how to compose etc.  Each step is not intuitive untill they are drilled to become intuitive.  Skating is the same way.  Simply seeing isn't enough to know how to do it well; we're pretty much learning a new ruleset for walking/running after all!  Consistent practice -> rest -> practice -> rest is the best way to get good fast.   

• For example, it took me a month to learn to do a one-foot toe spin.  One month doesn't sound crazy until I break it down;  I practiced about 3 days a week in a gym-like setting for about 3h per practice session only drilling balance and parts of rotations.  On the weekends, I went to the rink to practice on the unpolished maple floors to get used to the maximum amount of slipping that I could experience. A ton of repetition got me where I am.

Having an "image" in mind also helps tremendously.

• I love to dance [off skates too]!  Trying to get my dance to work on skates helped set a goal of what kind of movements I wanted to accomplish. I believe that vision separates casual skaters from creative skaters.

• On my YouTube channel, I have curated lots of videos that showcase great skating; the kind of stuff that is far beyond and different from what I do.  Strive for that stuff.  Looking at the big picture (skate styles, rollerdance, roller derby, competitive skating) will put your small practice in context in your mind.  

For distance skating (AKA Trail skating), larger softer wheels will provide the most comfortable experience.   I recommend Radar Energy 65mm (has a more forgiving lip) or Rollerbones Miami (Has square profile).  Roll Line Helium have a thinner profile which I gives back the most (thinner wheel, less contact friction). 

Dance skating necessitates freedom of movement.  Even though you are on asphalt and concrete a harder wheel, urethane 90a+ will perform the best. It sounds like it will be challenging and bumpy but since you won't be going long distances with each push, it will be easier to have more freedom of motion. Softer wheels will be chewed up when dancing on those uneven surfaces. (It goes without saying but No sliding outdoors!) I skate Bones Teams "101a" but Rivas (96a) or Minis (96a) work just fine.

Indoor surfaces are typically finished and verry smooth (e.g., maple wood, finished concrete, coated concrete).  Long-time skaters will often say that softer wheels "feel like mud" on hard surfaces as the weight of the skater deforms the wheel against the smooth surface.  We've heard many beginners say that they are feel like their soft wheels offer an excellent experience and that they are afraid of slipping on harder surfaces.  We respectfully suggest them experience harder wheels.  The exception is if the surface is a sport court (a hard plastic [tile]), we suggest the wheels on the softer (lower a rating) end of our recommendation.

For wood/coated surfaces: Fame (95a) for better grip, Rivas (96a) for an inexpensive option, and Bones Teams 98a as a standard wheel.

For sport court surfaces:  Fame (95a), and Bones Teams 98a when you feel more experienced. Sonar 85a wheels will work on sport court.

For non-heeled boots, Atom Snap (91a)

• Smoother surfaces are ideal; a rink's wood, coated, or epoxy floor will be my first recommendation.  

• If rinks are not accessible, I would start by looking for community centers with gymnasiums; they may be made of the good stuff (hardwood maple).  You may have to speak with management and ensure that your skates have jam plugs or toe stops to protect the floor from your skate's plates. 

• Skateparks can have incredible surfaces (fine-grit concrete). Read the space, find an area to stick to and practice. 

• Outdoor sport courts are the next option (unoccupied basketball, tennis, hockey, pickleball); these venues are very open so your experience may vary.

• Parking lot (asphalt) &| sidewalk concrete [with strain-relief groves] - are fair alternatives (I started on them. Groves and large loose pieces can interrupt since beginners will likely be moving at low speeds. (stability comes at higher speed)

Just about any bearings will work very well for roller skating.  You may see immediate improvements in wheel experience by changing from stock bearings as they likely have not been produced all that recently.  Bearings are parts that are designed to work very well at high speeds.  Placing bearings on the floor and in dirty situation (e.g., roller skating) is what accelerates their performance degradation.  

Some people will swear by ceramic bearings.  Most skaters will chock it up to changing the bearings, more than the ceramic balls being particularly amazing.  Comparing new bearings in a blind test to differentiate between ceramic and metal tend to result in 50:50 splits.

*note: New skaters tend to obsess about cleaning bearings; it's not that big a deal, I tend to go 1 or 1.5y between cleaning/swapping bearings.

Let's get it out of the way, falling is a pretty annoying event but it's inevitable; we have wheels on the feet after all.  

Ideally falls should be controlled.  From a standing position, take a knee slowly (one knee gently comes down to touch the floor).  I want all of my students to engrave this motion into their skating brains.  When you think you're falling, I want this controlled decent to be natural.  Falling from high up is dangerous (especially as we get older and weigh more).

Kneepads should engage in a sliding motion, NEVER STRAIGHT DOWN them.

After you're down, run a quick check on yourself, 

1. Brain good? (Vision hearing touch) 

2. Fingers good? 

3. Arms good? 

4. Ankles good? Knees good? 

Alright; Get up!  

The odors our skates, wrist guards, and other gear get come from bacteria that thrive in dark, damp environments.  Socks help a bunch with the accumulation of smell so if you're a no-sock person, maybe consider extra thin socks as a compromise.

• Let your gear air out; don't store gear in closed bags

• Use desiccant packets after you skate

• Use clean socks before skating

• Wash your feet  

You can clean wrist guards with vinegar or cleaning alcohol (the goal is to kill bacteria with a harsh environment)

You can clean fabrics with baking soda solutions.  Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry them.

I don't use shoe de-odorizors (sprays) because the stuff will build up over time.  You can remove the insole in your skate boot and clean that in a baking soda solution every so often.  

Wheels should not move side-to-side. That kind of wobble is dangerous since it makes your skating unnecessarily less precise.

A little free spin is fine. I check spin to make sure there isn't debris stuck around the axles that will suddenly stop the wheels. You can hear sand or grinding sounds inside bearings as well (an indicator of ... sand... or rust). Sometimes I shift the axle rod and the wheel can rub against the trucks; the free spin roll can indicate if I pulled the rod through too far by accident.

However, free spin is not the end-all-be-all indicator of good roll. Even if they only roll a little, bearings under the pressure of a skater can roll.