I'm 59

[cjj]

I roller skated all the time when I was 17-20, and recently discovered that quad skates are back big time. I got the skating itch, bought protective gear and new skates and now want to venture to outdoor roller skating. Do y'all think a major injury is too risky? I'm thinking more back and tailbone.

[fierocious1]

Originally Posted by cjj

I roller skated all the time when I was 17-20, and recently discovered that quad skates are back big time. I got the skating itch, bought protective gear and new skates and now want to venture to outdoor roller skating. Do y'all think a major injury is too risky? I'm thinking more back and tailbone.

Not many places where I am to skate outdoors but love indoor skating. Big but lightweight wheels for outdoors will help. But big will also limit one of two things, turning ability and what kind of plate to use for good wheel clearance.

Definitely wear wrist guards. Seen plenty of broken wrists.

[rwsz]

tail and back is possible, don't lean backwards less likely and u can always wear football type pads for tailbone. use softer outdoor wheels also

[fierocious1]

Originally Posted by rwsz

tail and back is possible, don't lean backwards less likely and u can always wear football type pads for tailbone. use softer outdoor wheels also

Most of the times I have seen people break their wrists is when they fall backwards and try to slow the fall with their hands behind them, then "snap", it's done.

[Skatervideoguy]

Hi cjj,

In reading your other post, I hope I'm correct in believing your Female.
If so, then at your age your bone structure is less strong than when you were 17 to 20. Also your reaction times, agility, and over-all strength are a bit less than back then. You don't indicate your size, but the smaller you are - perhaps the less damage you might get from a fall. The larger you are, the more damage you're likely to get.

Sooo, I suggest that you definitely wear the best Helmet, Wrist Protectors, Elbo Portectors, Knee Protectors and the Football type Hip & Coccyx Padding you can find. You can get a Vest with Padding for your Back, if you're likely to be falling on your Back. If Skating outside, then get the Armored type of each of these Padding Systems. Better protection, skidding, and the Armor helps spread out the Fall forces over the Padding section. Asphalt and Concrete are totally unforgiving. You can get the same type of Protective Gear the the Roller Derby folks use, as it is all thicker and Armored.

Any Fall can damage you, but you can reduce or eliminate much of the damage by use of proper Protection systems. I've worn the Elbow, Knee, and Hip/Coccyx Protection for the last 40+ years, and that's the ONLY reason I'm still Skating at 73, in spite of all the Falls I've taken on Indoor Skate Floors. At 6'9" on Skates & 220 Lbs, Falling is the least thing I want to be doing at my age - but it still happens, even with all my experience.

I hope you get back to Skating Safely.

Harold

[zebra1922]

I'm (only) 45 and much prefer indoor skating. Road and pavement (sidewalk!) surfaces around here are so bumpy and uneven it's really difficult to skate, never mind it hurts more falling.

I'm gonna stick with the rinks for a while (still manage to hurt myself there.....)

[netplaceus]

Originally Posted by cjj

I roller skated all the time when I was 17-20, and recently discovered that quad skates are back big time. I got the skating itch, bought protective gear and new skates and now want to venture to outdoor roller skating. Do y'all think a major injury is too risky? I'm thinking more back and tailbone.

Too risky? No one can answer this question but you. Age has less to do with it then does health and skills. So many factors! I am 61, I rink skate fast, drop into bowls and otherwise crazy stuff. Skating 4 years, never been hurt, it's a game of chance. I can tell you if you're over 50 and don't work out you are at a greater risk. Muscles hold things together and get you out of trouble. For some the risk is extremely high. Can you afford to be out of work for 6 weeks if you get hurt? Who will take care of you, go to the store for you, take you to the doc? You need money, family, or lots of good friends.

Almost everyone I know has broken something, expect it. That's being realistic. Although it may never happen, it's almost 100% over time unless you quit. Sooner or later you are going down hard!

[Waywardwheels]

I would go to a local rink and get comfortable again on skates to begin with. Make sure you are confident in your ability to stop well, before you head outdoors.
Daytimes during school hours should be nice and quiet. I love the smoothness of a good rink. It doesn't take much to trip you up outside, especially on quads. If you don't have a local rink then maybe find a nearby sports court to test your moves out in first. Good luck and I hope you enjoy learning to skate again. It really is one of the best feelings

[rufusprime99]

Originally Posted by Waywardwheels

I would go to a local rink and get comfortable again on skates to begin with. Make sure you are confident in your ability to stop well, before you head outdoors.
Daytimes during school hours should be nice and quiet. I love the smoothness of a good rink. It doesn't take much to trip you up outside, especially on quads. If you don't have a local rink then maybe find a nearby sports court to test your moves out in first. Good luck and I hope you enjoy learning to skate again. It really is one of the best feelings

Agree. Probably close to twice as hard outside. The jolts you get will be harder and you'll have to dip deeper to compensate. Stronger knees for more frequent and deeper dips and good balance and general technique are needed outside.

[Kassus]

Originally Posted by netplaceus

Almost everyone I know has broken something, expect it. That's being realistic. Although it may never happen, it's almost 100% over time unless you quit. Sooner or later you are going down hard!

Yep. Mine finally happened in February at an indoor rink. I fell hard and broke two ribs.

[fierocious1]

I usually have a fall at around 6 month intervals. Usually due to garbage on the floor or water from some unsupervised child taking a drink onto the skating surface. The worse is wrong way skaters, seeking damage.

[smprather]

If you're really worried about falling, then don't skate. It will happen. I'm 48, one of the top skaters at my rink, and I still fall all the time. Mostly because I'm always pushing to learn new stuff. Early on, I banana peeled, feel back and knocked my shoulder out of socket. Man that hurt. But I recovered.

Putting wheels under your feet is an invitation to meet the Earth quicker than you expected. But it's worth it! And if you're super careful, you can minimize falls. You may want to consider getting a longer base plate to get the rear axle a little farther back than "default". That should lower the odds of the dreaded peel. It's pretty rare for people to get anything more than a flesh wound when falling forward.

[Gee]

When I was 30, I used to fall and get back up without any trouble. Now, I'm 62 and getting back up hasn't been that easy. Also, people worry when I fall. I need to find a session with skaters in their 80s so they'll think "Don't worry about him, he's still a kid.".

[BigFoot]

So cool that you are returning to skating AND you want to do it outdoors in the sunshine. I’m a 65-year-old, all-outdoor quad skater. I totally support what you’re doing. And in case you don’t know already, it is a fantastic cardio with benefits like better sleep, better appetite, better mood. But wait there’s more: it is simply a blast. I like to say that it is the second most fun thing to do in life. Ha! You’re riding the concrete wave, earbuds supplying the tunes, and maybe even a bit of roller dancing thrown in. Damn, I sound like Billy Mays the pitch man, except that OxiClean and Kaboom cost $19.95, but outdoor skating is FREEEEEE!

Yeah, falling is part of skating, but it decreases with experience. Wrist guards are a good idea, at least in the beginning. I think the most important defense against injury is to practice how to fall. That might sound weird, but it is soooo important. Find a place where there is grass next to a sidewalk. You definitely want to be alone and be sure that nobody is watching you because this will look pretty stupid. You don’t want to show up on YouTube. You're going to throw yourself to the ground. Do this on the grass, of course. As you are falling, the technique is to twist your torso to land on your side/shoulder and continue to roll out your momentum in that same direction until you stop. It's called a barrel roll. The twisting part should be familiar because you do this while skating to keep your balance and maybe some for turning. When you fall, this twisting needs to be done quickly, like a flinch. You only have a fraction of a second before you bounce off the ground. In a real-life fall you will be in panic mode and may stop thinking. Your automatic response will be to fall forward with your arms stretched out in front of you. This is a Bozo no-no. Don’t do this. Bones will break and you risk smashing your face on the pavement. Do the twist and pull your arms into your body. Practice, practice, practice. If you are in an awkward position when you fall, protect your head AT ALL COST. No CTE. CTE gets worse over time, muddled thinking and dementia. Don’t do it. Cover your head with your hands, bend into a pretzel, or twist around - anything to avoid landing on your head. This move might increase your chances of breaking bones, but make this sacrifice. It’s better than a head injury. Again, you have to do this quickly and automatically, so practice it. I have never broken any bones. Lots of raspberries and cuts, but no breaks. Barrel roll, barrel roll.

[ursle]

Originally Posted by BigFoot

Yeah, falling is part of skating, but it decreases with experience. Wrist guards are a good idea, at least in the beginning. I think the most important defense against injury is to practice how to fall. That might sound weird, but it is soooo important. Find a place where there is grass next to a sidewalk. You definitely want to be alone and be sure that nobody is watching you because this will look pretty stupid. You don’t want to show up on YouTube. You're going to throw yourself to the ground. Do this on the grass, of course. As you are falling, the technique is to twist your torso to land on your side/shoulder and continue to roll out your momentum in that same direction until you stop. It's called a barrel roll. The twisting part should be familiar because you do this while skating to keep your balance and maybe some for turning. When you fall, this twisting needs to be done quickly, like a flinch. You only have a fraction of a second before you bounce off the ground. In a real-life fall you will be in panic mode and may stop thinking. Your automatic response will be to fall forward with your arms stretched out in front of you. This is a Bozo no-no. Don’t do this. Bones will break and you risk smashing your face on the pavement. Do the twist and pull your arms into your body. Practice, practice, practice. If you are in an awkward position when you fall, protect your head AT ALL COST. No CTE. CTE gets worse over time, muddled thinking and dementia. Don’t do it. Cover your head with your hands, bend into a pretzel, or twist around - anything to avoid landing on your head. This move might increase your chances of breaking bones, but make this sacrifice. It’s better than a head injury. Again, you have to do this quickly and automatically, so practice it. I have never broken any bones. Lots of raspberries and cuts, but no breaks. Barrel roll, barrel roll.

I disagree with "practice falling", don't fall, it's simple.

To be precise, falls happen when still, off balance, and usually touched by someone, you just go down, plunk, don't practice that.

Or they happen at full speed, because you touched front wheels on both skates together, don't roll, flatten out and hit with your whole body, wrist guards are very helpful, don't try to break your fall with your wrist's they'll snap, just use the guards to slide, save skin, and again, don't practice this fall.

Don't practice falling, it's not acceptable, just don't fall.

I also only skate outdoors, falling isn't an option.

[BigFoot]

You're correct, Mr. U. Don’t fall. 100% the best protection. Fear of falling is a great motivation not to fall. For the most part, I keep my mind in "skate reality" the whole time I skate. It works. I rarely fall - or I should say, I rarely have a serious fall. My last serious “at speed” fall was three years ago. Got some cuts & scrapes from that. Nowadays it is like you said, it happens when still or barely moving. You would think that I would learn, but no. I fall over once a month, at least, and it's always when I am standing still or slowly moving. Must be easier to correct your balance when moving, and I probably let my guard down when I am standing still and forget for a second that I am skating. So mentally stay “in the zone” and you won’t fall.

I don’t know about falling flat. Sounds like a full-body slam in wrestling. Maybe if you are fleshy and relaxed. That would give you enough “give” to safely plop on the ground and absorb the fall. It would definitely spread the impact over a large area, which is a good thing. And I think it would work better if you are moving slowly. I say “relaxed” because of the news stories about drunks who survive accidents - even when thrown from the car - because they are smashed and loose.

I sticking with the barrel roll method for falls. I found some support for this 20 years ago when I put my parents in an assisted living old folks home. They gave talks on, among other things, how to fall using the barrel roll, and they used a thick floor mat in the Rec Room to practice it.

[netplaceus]

Originally Posted by cjj

I roller skated all the time when I was 17-20, and recently discovered that quad skates are back big time. I got the skating itch, bought protective gear and new skates and now want to venture to outdoor roller skating. Do y'all think a major injury is too risky? I'm thinking more back and tailbone.

Too risky? No one can answer that question but you. I'm 62, retired, very good health. I think about it all the time. It also depends on how you skate, I mean there are HUGE differences in speed, path conditions, and just plain what you do on them. Poke along a smooth path or dropping into swimming pools? Some streets are hell!

There are other kinds of risks most adults don't consider. Depending on the type of work you do and the injury, you could easily be out of work 3-5 months if you are a roofer, etc. Are you taking care of anyone else, is there someone to take care of you for 3 months and or do you have the cash?
Some people are risking very little, others are risking losing their homes. Responsibilities and resources are a HUGE part of the calculation for us adults. I have friends with young children that broke ankles, OMG, you have no idea.

Truth is, it's scary. At least half of my friends (many half my age, skate same as me) have broken something over the past 10 years. A few went through hell. Crazy thing is almost everyone come back to it! Outdoor skating is more dangerous for sure, and harder. I know lots of 70+ year old skaters in the rink. Outdoor, almost none unless you're talking old school dance stuff, which can be really fun by the way!

I will skate outdoors sometimes with friends, but only under very good conditions. 62 is OLD for Skating the streets in quads. Old school dance stuff aside, I have met very few much older than me. Now inlines, that a different thing.

I know many people will say I am harsh, but it's just reality. I am not saying it's too risky! I'm just saying keep it real, know your own particular risk. Note: 82 year old skater above is a RINK skater and a very careful one.