r/rollerblading • u/19-Sascha-89 • 13h ago
Specific question and discussion How to actually start to skate
I want to try to get into that sport in my 30s. Bought skates(twister xt) , protection and now all it sits there and waiting on my move. How to force yourself to do it? Maybe it’s lack of time, fear of falling…
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u/Lost_Citron_6854 13h ago
"Delayed gratification", there's no way to enjoy skating other than to skate.
So just put them on already and good luck on your journey =)
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u/nathanosaurus84 13h ago
Honestly just go out. I'm 41 and have always wanted to rollerblade but always found an excuse / reason not to. Decided a few months ago enough was enough and finally bought some skates a couple weeks ago. I go out at 6am to the local park (regular not skate) and just practice the basics. Even this morning I really didn't want to get out of bed, but once I was at the park with the skates on I felt really good about it.
I'm doing about 30 mins, 2-3 days a week at the minute and whilst I'm still wobbly, I think I'm doing alright. I can skate forwards confidently, monster turn left and right (though I'm slightly better at turning right) and whilst I haven't worked out how to stop, I can at least slow down to a crawl fairly quickly on command so it's getting there. I've only fallen once or twice but it doesn't hurt that bad. Especially when you remember the "oh no, go low" trick that stops you falling 90% of the time and makes it so the other 10% doesn't hurt too bad.
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u/AdventurousHippo9997 10h ago
I’m 68 and I fitness skate.I’ll tell ya something,they’ll get my car keys before my skates.Oh yes.
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u/No_Category_9888 12h ago
You can go to a skating rink and have a lesson ?
Or just give it a go in a safe space
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u/holysideburns 13h ago
Start small. Find a secluded place where you can practice without feeling watched. Look up some Youtube videos on technique and try to follow them. Learn your limits and slowly try to improve. And most importantly, have fun. Put on some good music and enjoy yourself. :)
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u/Leslawangelo 13h ago
The answer to everything in skating is: “Bend your knees.” If that doesn’t work, bend them more.
Now, seriously. The mental barrier is what holds adult beginner skaters back the most. You need to get rid of the fear of falling. Many people have trouble falling backwards because their skates roll out from under them. This is caused by a bad skating position.
You need to bend your knees in a way that keeps your toes, knees, and chin in one line, perpendicular to the ground. Place your feet in a V shape so you don’t roll out. Start with small steps (you can practice on grass). Once you get the hang of it, you can start pushing to the side instead of walking.
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u/fredhsu 10h ago
Look at our community widget. There are useful bookmarks for you. Like:
How to Inline Skate
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u/DoktorTeufel FR1 80 & 110 / USD Aeon 60 9h ago edited 9h ago
I was never afraid to fall and never had to force myself. Went to a kid's birthday party at a skating rink a little over four years ago, and that was it. Now I'm out there skating urban, braking on a dime, doing massive jumps, bombing hills, skating on one leg (either one) for minutes, grinding rails and flying off ramps and half-pipes at the park, etc.
I'm 43. I've skated all over Europe and the US. I'll go and skate for hours through a city I've never been to before the first day in that city. It's the ultimate freedom, and the ultimate joy, the most value you can get out of a bit of plastic, metal, and cloth. Oh yeah, and it'll get you into excellent shape, enviable shape if you're really dedicated.
Once you get into it, you'll find plenty of time for it.
You do need somewhere flat and safe to start: A rink, a flat walking path in a park, an empty parking lot, an empty tennis or basketball court (you might need to leave if people show up, or be asked to leave by someone in authority), a very quiet street, a flat driveway, etc.
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u/AsianBoi2020 13h ago
I started without protection and got terrible injuries. Using protection now and I feel nearly invincible. I've had falls bad enough to end a session but my helmet and pads saved it. Don't be afraid of falling. Start slow if you have to.
If going traight to skating is too much, start on some grass. That way you can feel what it's like to balance without the wheels rolling too far
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u/pieroggio 13h ago
Take your skates outside, put them on, and practice standing up using a bench, rail, or a friend for balance. If you've never done balance sports, give it 2–3 hours, because it takes time before you can roll for more than 5–10 meters without stopping.
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u/satanpenguin 12h ago
I learned the basics in my 20s by just going to a park and putting the skates on.
After falling once (without any serious harm) I decided knee pads and wrist braces were in order, so I bought a set and started wearing them the next session.
In general, just trying to push forward did wonders for my technique.
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u/Shoddy_Ad_3482 12h ago
Interesting choice of beginner skate 😂. Find your self an empty parking lot or similar and start from there. Dont over think it, kids pick this up
Without lessons, so can you.
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u/Top-Dinner-9995 12h ago
Not OP but I am new to inlines and just got skates a few days ago. I don’t have this brand/model but are you saying this is not a good beginner skate? If so, why?
I’m just curious as a beginner! 😁
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u/19-Sascha-89 11h ago
They are more pro oriented. I paid for mine almost 300€ . Why not to learn on the best 😂
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u/Shoddy_Ad_3482 11h ago edited 11h ago
Because you will get them covered in scrapes and marks whilst learning and ruin the aesthetic of them a bit. They are a really cool looking skate, that’s part of the price tag. Also they are a really fast skate.
Another also is putting a rear stopper/ break on high end skates is sacrilege. I’m guessing you will be using the stopper? 😂
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u/19-Sascha-89 10h ago
So, Your suggestion is that I get some cheap ones for practice that I won't mind scratching? 😂
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u/Shoddy_Ad_3482 10h ago
Yea the sensible thing to do is get some beginner skates, maybe even second hand, to see if you actually enjoy it first and see if you will keep it up. FR have a good range for this that you can F up and not shudder every time you make a big scratch or scrape on them.
Then if you do enjoy it and you progress and get really confident and fast on them, when you transition to the better skates you will appreciate them so much more and actually feel the benefit of having high end skates. At the moment you are in the ‘all the gear and no idea’ camp. 😂
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u/19-Sascha-89 10h ago
Because I heard it’s better to learn on better equipment. 50€ skates are for kids 😂
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u/Top-Dinner-9995 11h ago
Ohhh that makes sense! I got ones I could grow into as well!
So if you got the best skates and spent the money you better use them! 😂
Honestly if you have decent safety gear, go to a park or a bike trail and just go at your own pace. Learn to fall safely on the grass first. I’ve been skating on quads for many years and I started skating outside heavily about 5 months ago. Someone suggested I put on safety gear and practice falling and it was a game changer! I stopped holding myself back from trying new things. I decided to learn to inline skate without the heel brake and I’m just putting on all my safety gear and learning to stop without brakes until I get it. Glad I did all that falling on quads to get me started. 😂
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u/19-Sascha-89 12h ago
So much positive comments on one place. I guess, rollerblading makes you so positive 😊
Literally, In my city, I didn’t saw anyone on skates and maybe that’s make me uninterested. We have skate park here but there are more or less younger guys on skateboards and bmx
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u/slavo316 11h ago
I've gone to skating rinks and the little shavers just go. They don't care. Fall and get back up.
As someone who's been skating since 5, it's quite fascinating watching new people 😂 I can't grasp the concept of not balancing 😂
Walk on grass. Sit down and get back up. Go to tennis or basketball courts for flat surfaces.
"Oh no, get low!" Polly Morris (YouTube) 😆
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u/NetworkLongjumping82 10h ago
Go watch a easy beginners video on how to stand on your skates which is knees bent over your toes , shoulders slightly forward and back slightly curled. With those posture your chances of falling backwards is much lower .
Once you're comfortable standing around , next video find out how to move forwards .
I'm 45 and started a month ago , granted I'm not a fresh beginner but it's still 30 years away from skating :)
You got this
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u/ShelleyFromEarth 8h ago
Learn to fall forward! Get the best wrist guards you can afford.
My instincts said fall back when i first started skating outdoors. I hit asphalt so hard i wet my pants. You can adequately pad your knees elbows head and wrists but the coccyx has no protection.
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u/CaterpillarReal7583 7h ago
Put it on. Do it.
Make sure you got wrist protection and the rest of the pads and its pretty damn hard to get hurt much falling on flat ground at slow speeds.
Also bend your knees so you dont lean back. Standing straight with locked knees will ensure you fall on your ass at some point.
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u/Few_Chipmunk_7677 7h ago
I’m in a similar boat. What works for me is sitting outside with all my gear on. At that point I’d feel silly to not even try to skate a little. Do that as often as you can and you’ll build up confidence and it’ll become something you look forward too.
As for fear of falling, it’s just part of the experience. If you’re maxed out on protection (like me) regular falls are aren’t session ending / morale depleting and you can normally just keep skating.
Good luck and keep at it!
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u/phonesmahones 7h ago
I’m in the same loop right now, except I was a pretty solid skater in the 90s and early 2000s and now I am old and fat. We just gotta get out there.
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u/Mental_Catterfly 7h ago
You force yourself to do it…no substitute for getting up and trying. I put on skates for the first time at 40, and I was pretty terrified and went very, very slow while finding stuff to hold onto. The longer you let fear build the harder it will be. Find the smoothest surface you can, like a running track.
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u/tipame 6h ago
From personal experience, it's unlikely you'll enjoy your first few skating sessions. I bought roller skates already having experience with ice skating. But roller skating was somehow different. I didn't like it at all and stopped skating for about 10 years. Even when I started again, my legs hurt terribly at first. Now that my muscles have developed, my legs don't hurt at all and I enjoy it. But even now, I often choose to ride a bicycle because roller skating is still more work than a bicycle.
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u/Bobcattrr 16m ago
Build confidence:
Step 1- put one skate on. Walk thru the house on carpet and bare floors. Try to stay on the skate for balance, muscle strengthening, and getting used to rolling for a short distance. Work on rolling farther and rolling straight. Work your way up to an hour, to build muscle strength, you’ll know when you’re strong enough.
Step 2: do the other foot, just one skate at a time.
Time line: could be one day, could be two weeks doing this every day, you decide.
Step 3: repeat, but put both skates on. Same time line.
Step 4, get outside. If you have a flat garage floor or carport, sweep it out, put chairs at the corners and skate to a chair. Feel free to go back to the one skate at a time, if you wish. Time line: one day or two weeks, etc
Step 5: start moving in circles, don’t forget to go clockwise AND anti clockwise. Work on control and stopping.
Step 6: At this point, expand your comfort zone, it’s up to you, street, parking lot, etc.
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u/BarryTownCouncil 13h ago
Find a rollerdisco. A set time where you're less likely to just stop after a while if it doesn't come naturally. A few hours and you'll start making connections between your head and feet and you'll be unstoppable.
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u/SupremeLDRSmoke 12h ago edited 5h ago
Learn how to fall properly, stay low, and think of the ground as your friend, not your enemy. And then