Goals for Beginners

[Oicusk82huh]

Thank you so much. I really liked the Skate U.K. Basic Skills Program. This is actually almost exactly what I do with the kids now but I cater it for the inline skates, so cones are important. I think we'll do an informal warm up, maybe 20 laps clockwise and counter.

Currently, once they have the basics down, I usually start taking their heel breaks off. This is when they get excited, because they know it means they achieved the "next level." Then we usually start with toe-toe and heel-toe tricks and go from there. I'll focus more on edge work with the quad skaters. Last week the quad kids were so adorable, they learned trains and basic dances with the new adults. We've been having a blast. I never thought so many people would be interested!!!

I've been working informally with these kids for so many years now that our local roller rink has become an amazing place. Currently our rink is closed for a couple weeks, so we've all been showing up to other local-area rinks and teaching new faces. We have some new recruits. It's going swimmingly.

[zebra1922]

Originally Posted by MissyPatch

No worries, I know it's probably easy to onsell wheels but yea, would be great to try them out, you know.....

.....

I suppose the main problem with this is if you do not buy them, the shop now has a used set of wheels which no-one will buy (well, not at full price anyway). There are so few skate shops, most are small and a) cannot stock a full range of wheels and b) cannot finance a trial set of each wheel in stock (you could be talking £80-£100 a set). You could add a c) that you find you like them but buy them at skatesrus.com instead of the shop, who now take a double hit!

[Monkeybeaver]

Would like to learn a bit of slalom, but there is no where near me to learn. The local roller rink is as when I was a kid, still a local school sports hall with converted cupboard for skate hire (even though I now live over an hour away from where I grew up). It’s only open on Saturday nights & is full of teenagers going too fast for their skill level, not a great environment.
Have bought some cones & planed to practice on my local park but every time we get time to go I always end up helping my 8 year old with hockey drills.

[Oicusk82huh]

Agree, it's always been hard to find a good place to set up cones. When I used to set them up outside, there were no other skaters around. Since the local rink got new owners, they let me set them up regularly. It's a great way to improve balance, agility, and become more disciplined. It's a good training tool.

[MissyPatch]

Originally Posted by Oicusk82huh

Agree, it's always been hard to find a good place to set up cones. When I used to set them up outside, there were no other skaters around. Since the local rink got new owners, they let me set them up regularly. It's a great way to improve balance, agility, and become more disciplined. It's a good training tool.

Do you do them on one or 2 skates? I'll have to have a look at you tube.... might be some thing I need to do.

[Monkeybeaver]

The local park is actually really good for practice, we have an enclosed multi use sports area with nice smooth tarmac. I’m determined to get some slalom in at some point, found some good tutorials on YouTube. I think it would be good for my little hockey player too, bit of skating variety & the control slalom takes can only be a good thing for the rest of his skating.

[JerryR708]

Returner on quads after 35 years. During that time, mostly in my late teens, we went to Skate Depot in Cerritos Ca. and Cal Skate in Grand Terrace Ca. Never progressed passed anything beyond going forward in circles in rentals. For me, it was about the outing and not the skating. Family and friends would take me about five times a year.

RollerBlades had just came out and my girlfriend and I bought a pair from Sport Chalet in Cerritos, Ca. I had learned to speed skate, jump and crossovers counter clockwise, but nothing beyond that before hanging them up 25 years ago and have not worn a skate since.

Started back up again September 28 2018 at Holiday Skate Center in Victorville Ca. ( going on two months )
I picked up on quad skating again like it was yesterday and ordered a pair of Riedell Raven's September 28 2018

My PROGRESS REPORT so far:
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. ( fast ) 5/5
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) 2.5/5
*Backward C.C.W. ( moderate speed ) no crossovers 3/5
*Backward C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) no crossovers 2.5/5
*Transitions forward to backwards ( slow ) easier, need work 1.5/5
*Transitions backwards to forward ( slow ) harder, need work 1/5

[Mort]

Originally Posted by JerryR708

Returner o
My PROGRESS REPORT so far:
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. ( fast ) 5/5
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) 2.5/5
*Backward C.C.W. ( moderate speed ) no crossovers 3/5
*Backward C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) no crossovers 2.5/5
*Transitions forward to backwards ( slow ) easier, need work 1.5/5
*Transitions backwards to forward ( slow ) harder, need work 1/5

Does that rink ever do clockwise(opposite direction) skates? Backwards opposite(C.W.) and forwards normal (C.C.W.) have the same crossover step.(right foot crossing over).

Also, you can do both rotational directions with your transitions. From forwards to backwards, spinning cw and ccw. As well as backwards to forwards. Also in normal or opposite direction of travel on the rink floor.

There's so many things

[JerryR708]

Originally Posted by Mort

Does that rink ever do clockwise(opposite direction) skates? Backwards opposite(C.W.) and forwards normal (C.C.W.) have the same crossover step.(right foot crossing over).

Also, you can do both rotational directions with your transitions. From forwards to backwards, spinning cw and ccw. As well as backwards to forwards. Also in normal or opposite direction of travel on the rink floor.

There's so many things

I have been going to Holiday Skate Center for about 2 months now and never had we gone Clockwise, Backwards, Couples, Adults, speed, or anything special. Most skating rinks I've been to in the distant past had real disc jockeys with elaborate systems. They would announce the style/direction of skating and play the vinyl records and mix the sounds accordingly.

If the jockey announced couples, he would play slow love songs. If he announced speed skating, he would play rock/metal and etc. You were forced to learn all of the directions and styles and ask a girl to skate with or you would have to sit out on the bench quite often.

Without that variety, there is little incentive or hurry to want to learn and even if you wanted to, it would be like driving in the wrong direction against traffic and you would piss people off or get into an accident and get your license suspended.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

[Mort]

Request an opposite direction skate.

Originally Posted by JerryR708

.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

Awe, ya just gave them some character it's all good. I kinda tend to scoff at people with perfect looking skates

My boots are pretty beat up. Recently polished them up with black shoe polish and they look pretty damn good. The color was GONE. Wish I had before and after pics.

[fierocious1]

Originally Posted by JerryR708

I have been going to Holiday Skate Center for about 2 months now and never had we gone Clockwise, Backwards, Couples, Adults, speed, or anything special. Most skating rinks I've been to in the distant past had real disc jockeys with elaborate systems. They would announce the style/direction of skating and play the vinyl records and mix the sounds accordingly.

If the jockey announced couples, he would play slow love songs. If he announced speed skating, he would play rock/metal and etc. You were forced to learn all of the directions and styles and ask a girl to skate with or you would have to sit out on the bench quite often.

Without that variety, there is little incentive or hurry to want to learn and even if you wanted to, it would be like driving in the wrong direction against traffic and you would piss people off or get into an accident and get your license suspended.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

Wrong way skaters get the crap scared out them.... hard T stop with my wheels will scare just about anybody within 50ft.

[JerryR708]

Originally Posted by fierocious1

Wrong way skaters get the crap scared out them.... hard T stop with my wheels will scare just about anybody within 50ft.

I tried the T-Stop a couple of times just to learn another stop variation. Afterwards, I was at home cleaning my wheels and noticed flat spots on them. I discovered it in time to prevent my wheels from getting worse. I get it, wheels are cheaper than damaged boots and broken bones when the emergency stop is needed.

[Mort]

Originally Posted by JerryR708

I tried the T-Stop a couple of times just to learn another stop variation. Afterwards, I was at home cleaning my wheels and noticed flat spots on them. I discovered it in time to prevent my wheels from getting worse. I get it, wheels are cheaper than damaged boots and broken bones when the emergency stop is needed.

When you T stop make sure you drag the foot at an angle less than 90 degrees. If you slide a skate perpendicular to your line of travel, the wheels will stop rolling. So I usually "T stop" at about a 45 to 60 deg angle. The braking power is the same, if not better than doing a 90 deg, because you aren't giving up your strength for body positioning. You'll want to pull your arch of your braking foot toward the heel of your gliding foot.

Too many people try to teach skaters to make a perfect T when doing the stop and it's not needed at all.

The same angles of attack apply to plows and hockey stops(a hockey stop is just a T stop and a plow stop at the same time