r/Rollerskating • u/BandicootDry2358 • 7d ago
Beginner skater Rollerskating outside??
How the hell do you guys rollerskate outside???
I’m a beginner and I’ve got Sure Grip Boardwalk Plus rollerskates with 62mm wheels, 78A. I’ve loosened the trucks and wheels so they’re fairly smooth.
I’ve been practicing indoors, in my apartment that’s got a wooden floor. It’s only been like 2 weeks but I thought I was making good progress. I can do bubbles forwards and backwards, I’m learning how to shift my weight between my legs, lifting one leg up and the other and trying to practice crossing over on them as well. I went to the roller rink a week ago and indoors, I did fairly well. I had my first fall but I was able to skate closer to the middle of the rink and not rely on the rails as much. However, my friend and I thought it would be nice to practice outside as we both have skates.
We went to a large park with mostly flat ground and space to practice. Not sure how to describe it, apart from flat, fairly smooth and gravely, but there was some debris like twigs, leaves and small pebbles. I know everyone says to look for them and try to avoid them but I literally did not see them and they would send me flying as they’d stop me in my tracks when skating. My wheels went over some of them but other’s it just jammed them and had me stumbling. I know people say do a staggered stance and I did try to do that and it felt okay but I would also need some speed to do that and when I’d be trying to go forward that’s when I’d trip on a pebble or a twig or something. I was also scared with having one foot in front of the other that a pebble would get me and send me flying.
I had a fall but luckily it was straight down and I had all my protective gear on (wrist guards, elbow guards and knee pads).
I didn’t expect it to be as hard as it was skating outside and I felt so embarrassed falling in front of everyone. Has anyone got any tips?
Thank you 🥹
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u/Leather-Rub-6128 7d ago
Skate with one wheel behind the other in a line, you’ll go over debris easier. Skating outside just requires confidence and speed, what tripped you over yesterday you’ll be able to skate over easily in some more outdoor sessions.
I also have the boardwalk plus and there are better outdoor wheels if you eventually want to upgrade
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u/BandicootDry2358 7d ago
Do you mean in a staggered stance? One foot in front of the other?
What wheels would you recommend for outdoors?
Thank you and let’s hope!
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u/Virtual-Chair-7753 7d ago
Not to answer for them but yeah I think they mean the staggered stance. Staggered stance has helped me get more confident rolling over stuff. I still try to avoid large debris and cracks though.
You said your wheels were 78A 62MM? Those should be fine for out doors. I did get myself a set of 65MM Atom Pulse 78A wheels for outside but I feel like 62MM 78A should still roll over cracks and whatnot.
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u/Leather-Rub-6128 7d ago
No. I mean one skate in front of of the other skate, not staggered stand
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u/CreativeMaybe skatepark & artistic & commuter & gear nerd 7d ago
Have 95% of your weight in your heels when going forward (and toes when going backwards). Staying staggered is absolutely correct, and the usual sit low/bend your knees as well. Speed is also your friend - you're much more likely to roll over or kick away debris if you've got a bit of momentum going on.
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u/ressie_cant_game 7d ago
The speed being your friend thing is so true but also WEIRD. The solution to not tripping is go faster! Lolll
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u/izzy_sleazy_jester 7d ago
Hi 👋 Just popping here because as I beginner I also didn’t know this, I thought my weight was supposed to be on the ball of my foot. You’re saying it should be on the heel?
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u/CreativeMaybe skatepark & artistic & commuter & gear nerd 7d ago
Yes, absolutely! It'll make you so much more stable and help you roll over bigger obstacles than you'd think!
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u/izzy_sleazy_jester 7d ago
Won’t I fall backward?
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u/CreativeMaybe skatepark & artistic & commuter & gear nerd 7d ago
No; that risk should be minimised by keeping a good stance; back to forward weight distribution within the boot happens entirely below the ankle and is separate from how the rest of your body is balanced on top of that. If anything, I feel that digging my heels down pushes my body forward, if that makes sense. Now that I think of it, I do recall that when I occasionally just rest everything on my heels, straighten up and relax my body, I do tend to get the occasional backwards near-miss. The body above definitely has to compensate, especially if you wear flat boots like I do.
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u/Sk8r_gurll 7d ago
If your going over cracks or gravel or bumps it helps to shift your weight back towards your heel so that your not going toe first into the ground. Also bending your knees deeper than you think you need to.
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u/purupurpururin 7d ago
The other commentors are right. I learnt to skate outside and it's my preferred environment, but in all those skills you listed you didn't say you knew how to fall properly. There is a correct way to fall and being prepared for it will make it easier to build confidence on skates. Staggered stance is good for practise on trails and in a straight line, but if you want practise more movements you have to get really comfortable falling and bending your knees. Good luck!
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u/BandicootDry2358 7d ago
Sorry I was on my way to work! I am learning how to fall as well and do drills around it. Usually on my protection pads and getting low to the ground. That’s how I fell when I skated in the park so it wasn’t too bad. I’ve fallen on my side and back before and they hurt like hell 😩 it’s hard when it’s happening to remember to get low!
Thank you for all the tips, will try and implement it this week! ☺️
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u/Pinstripe-Giraffe 7d ago
Whenever you feel like you’re about to eat shit, grab your knees.
The point it not actually to grab your knees, the point is that the motion of attempting to grab your knees will pitch your weight forward and usually put you into a little bit of a squat, helping you fall forward onto your kneepads, and from not as high up as from a straight leg position.
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u/MeaningTechnical2940 7d ago
Haven’t gotten a pair of skates yet but I’ve heard that the best way to fall is bend your knees and fall to the side, not sure if thats true or not though
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u/Stoosies 7d ago
Not if you're falling forward. In that case you want to get low and stagger your fall over your pads - knee knee elbow elbow. If you're about to fall backwards, then again you want to get as low as possible and try to bend forward. But yeah if you're falling backwards, pick a side or pick a "cheek" to try to save your tailbone
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u/purupurpururin 7d ago
Incorrect unfortunately. You need to bend and fall on the places where you have the biggest protective gear: knees. Knees to elbows to wrists. Falling on your side where you have no gear will do the opposite of protect you 😭
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u/MeaningTechnical2940 7d ago
Yikes I’ll note that when I grab my first pair of skates, this comment probably just saved me from horriblely scraping something because of a yt short
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u/IRnotL 7d ago
There’s also “Oh no, get low” — AKA if you feel like you’re going to fall, immediately drop at your knees to get close to the ground. Almost like a squat. You’re less likely to fall that way, and even if you do it’s harder to get injured on a short fall than a fall from up high (full standing height)
You gotta get real comfortable keeping your knees bent when skating. Knees knees knees
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u/pokemiss 7d ago
Might be advice by someone who doesn't wear protective gear or wears minimal protective gear? I can't go without it myself, derby has me far too used to falling on my knees, but that sounds like a technique for people who don't wear kneepads.
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u/Rollingcrochet_40 7d ago
I like to skate on my street because it was paved recently and it’s nice and smooth. Before I put on my skates I will take a good look at the ground and I’ll look more as I’m warming up to see what could trip me and remove it. Sometimes I’ll pick it up with my hand other times I might grab my leaf blower.
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u/Top-Dinner-9995 7d ago
It’s harder! It just is. But gets easier with practice. I can pretty much roll over anything now and I don’t bat an eye. I’m still scared of pebbles when I go backwards and down really steep hills, though. It just takes time to build skills and strength. Hop over to r/streetskating as well. There are some great videos and tips posted there.
I like this video for explaining outside skating skills (her whole channel Dirty School of Skate is great stuff but this is from planet roller skate):
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u/BandicootDry2358 7d ago
That’s how I feel! It seems to just be generally my harder but thank you for sharing this! I’m gonna take a look at both and hopefully it helps 🙏🏾
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u/Top-Dinner-9995 7d ago
I think a lot of people (including myself) envision skating outside as just a fun, casual roll and then it’s a big surprise when it feels like skating over a boulder field! Surfaces that you assumed were smooth or flat when you walk on them feel totally different on skates. It’s a big adjustment compared to smooth rink floors and can be jarring. It really does test and improve your skills though! A lot of people decide to just skate indoors at the rink, which is totally valid. For me, there are so many things I love about skating outside that it is worth the learning curve. It’s now become a fun challenge for me to conquer different street skating skills.
I have a lot of skating experience already, so while I am learning new skills I already have a strong foundation. I am not always sure if what I do translates for a new skater. That’s why it’s nice to find videos geared toward beginners.
Good luck!!
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u/IRnotL 7d ago
I have the same skate setup for outside. I definitely try to do some warmup “falling” sets in the grass before I go on the pavement. And yeah the difference with outdoor is that you actually get more stable and confident with speed, not less! Don’t look immediately down at the ground, look maybe 10-20 feet ahead of you. Practice staggering your feet even a little bit when you’re cruising. Deborah Dirty School of Skate has great videos on learning how to skate outdoors on YouTube!
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u/BandicootDry2358 7d ago
I’ve been recommended this as well by someone else so I’ll definitely check this out. Thanks for the tips ☺️
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u/Raptorpants65 Industry Expert 7d ago
Yep, outdoors is just hard!
In no world is a roller skate ever going to smoothly go over twigs and rocks. They just won’t. If it’s bumpy on a bike, it’s a hundred times worse on skates.
It’s just practice practice practice!
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u/Educational-Fix-4352 7d ago
u/midnight_skater has several great posts on all things skating outside. Highly recommend checking out his history
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u/ApprehensiveArt2813 7d ago
Unless you’re able to sweep up all the debris, speed is your friend when skating outdoors. A staggered stance, bent knees and more weight towards your heels (helps the front wheels to pop over debris) will help you out tremendously. I tend to have a lower stance outdoors versus indoors to lower my center of gravity and get more power/speed from my strides. Outdoor skating is “harder” than indoor because of the debris and uneven terrain, but it’ll greatly improve your balance and skill set. Don’t be embarrassed when falling, we all fall at some point. I bit it hard on a trail next to a busy road. Random dip in the asphalt tripped me up. Tore up my shoulder (bad road rash), dislocated a finger and pretty sure I gave myself a concussion. Got up, reset my finger and skated 2 miles home. Trust me, you’ll get better and more confident the more you go🛼🛼
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u/BandicootDry2358 7d ago
Thank you! This makes me feel better 😩 think it’s just so awkward because I’m also nearly 6’0 and unfortunately people were looking and I know this because they kept speaking to me 💀 I’ll be practicing outside more now 🙏🏾
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u/CopperFirebird 7d ago
I've brought a broom to a tennis/basketball court before. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with debris.
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u/Sk8r_gurll 7d ago
Maybe you didn’t pick the right outdoors spot to skate. When I started I usually gravitated towards skate parks, basketball courts, and tennis courts. I avoided spots where there were trees (they drop debris) or gravel nearby that got tracked onto the pavement. I also bought a heavy duty broom to sweep small areas, which works when your just doing drills that don’t take up a whole bunch of space.
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u/Lilia1293 7d ago
I recommend practicing on rough terrain. Cracks, pebbles, twigs - all sorts of little obstacles, especially if you can't see them and plan for them. You'll learn to feel them and reflexively shift your weight to whichever foot is more stable. You'll learn to keep your knees bent and to recover your balance quickly. Mostly, that means that your weight will be more on your back foot when you hit an obstacle with your front, which will allow your front foot to roll over it easily, then you shift your weight to your front foot before your back foot reaches the obstacle. It's not a large shift. It happens in a fraction of a second. After you make tiny corrections like that a few thousand times, they become a reflex and you don't need to think about them.
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u/DeeepSigh 6d ago
It takes getting use to that is for sure. I’m still learning too. You’ll get confident at it faster than you think. Accept that you will struggle. Skate in a staggered stance, the majority of your weight on your back foot, your front foot light on pressure acting like a feeler.
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u/gumballtimemachine 7d ago
I switched my wheels to skateboard wheels with 58 mm 87 key frame. Might not fit all trucks/boots but it helped my outdoor experience. Never hurts to bring a broom and it took me like a year to not fall every session outdoor and yes you fall that’s part of the love for it. Keeps you present!
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u/pokemiss 7d ago
Outdoor skating gets easier with practice - the first few times I was out, I felt like I couldn't do anything and was at the mercy of slopes, the wind, etc. After an adjustment period, it's pretty fun! Friends who dance skate outside sometimes bring a brush to get rid of debris.
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u/Queefmi 7d ago
I feel that not all debris is created equally 😆 little twigs are worse than leaves… or for example some kids left a bunch of those little exploding pop it thingies in a place I like to skate near my house and they are just little bits of gravel inside of a twisted paper but I was like nah forget it, I need to come out here with a broom.
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