I Can Rollerblade

[hfboardsuser]

Well, I could before, but it was a rather sad thing to watch. Tonight I learned that the secret is to take running starts at it. Lo and behold, it worked beautifully. I'm actually quite fast.

So what do I do now? I have no stride to speak of. Do I just keep running like that? All the speed I build up is wasted as I don't know what to do afterwards.

Click to read more...

 

[doc5hole]

To whatever extent your "running" got you going fast. slowing that motion down should also work, especially once you have some speed out of the run. Lots of ice skaters start from a stop similarly. Brian Rolston is pretty explosive in a straight line and tends to run his first few strides. But you have to be doing something right when you're running, there has to be some sideways pushing to generate speed with the forward skate through the leverage offered it by the rear skate. Discover that and slow the motion down so, once you have some motion, you can add to it and feel your way to a stronger push. It's like dropping a standard transmission into third and fourth gears.

 

[hfboardsuser]

Interesting! Thanks for the help. So I just try replicating the running motion at a slower speed after a start, and get comfortable with pushing off like that?

 

[hfboardsuser]

Today was sure a disaster. I couldn't do the running start... I seem to have forgotten how

 

[Habsfan 32]

Today was sure a disaster. I couldn't do the running start... I seem to have forgotten how

Don't worry about it. You will remember the next time you try it. Keep it simple at the begining.

 

[Wild Thing]

Stay on flat terrain as much as possible while you're learning, too. That helps me out a lot. I'm just learning to rollerblade for the first time this summer, and it's driving me nuts. Been skating for over 40 years, but always on perfectly flat surfaces. The trouble with sloping surfaces is, I learn something and then can't figure out how to apply that principle on a hill.

It's coming, though. I go three times a week, weather permitting, and get a little bit better each time. I can do the "stride and glide" move pretty consistently now, but the problem is, I find I don't "trust" my skates as much as I do when I'm on ice, so I'm skating with tentative legs - if that phrase makes sense to you. To the extent that I can get past that and relax, loosen up the legs and the knees and drop down into the half-crouch, I'm pretty decent. When I relax and go with the flow, I can drop down smoothly and thrust out of the crouch, generate some good power and a smooth, efficient stroke. But when my back starts to hurt, or my legs get tired, I start to fight the skates, and it all goes sour.

I think it's going to be a little while before i do anything fancy, though. The wheels just don't "feel" right to me yet, and I don't feel comfortable skating backwards or anything like that yet. Maybe in a few weeks, but I'm not rushing it.

 

[allin4466]

lol.. rollerblading stories..

have a sweet set of blades i got a year or two ago that i cant get rid of(just keep getting ABEC 7 bearings and new wheels).. took'em out for the first time the other night.. just about died. Im in good shape and am pretty solid on blades, problem? forgot i took that brake off when i first got them.. went down a little hill.. came off of it like a bat out of hell, went to brake.. ended up inthe middle of my street facing the bus that was turning the corner

 

[Cawz]

Rollerblading joke I heard...

Whats the hardest thing about rollerblading? Telling your parents youre gay.

 

[allin4466]

hahahaha thats hilarious

 

[Wild Thing]

That's a good one. Reminds me of an old joke about AIDS - what's the hardest thing about being diagnosed with AIDS? Trying to convince your parents that you're Haitian.

 

[jacketracket*]

That's a good one. Reminds me of an old joke about AIDS - what's the hardest thing about being diagnosed with AIDS? Trying to convince your parents that you're Haitian.

Probably the wrong time to ask this, but did you ever decide on a pair of blades?

 

[PhillyPhantoms]

Can you do a "hockey stop"?

 

[markov`]

Rollerblading joke I heard...

Whats the hardest thing about rollerblading? Telling your parents youre gay.

 

[tml_4ever]

Can you do a "hockey stop"?

i never knew you could do that with roller blades

 

[hfboardsuser]

I managed to get out last night after work and blade. It was about 10 in the evening, so a grocery store about a block away from my house was closed and thus the parking lot was empty. Brand-new building, brand-new parking lot... just great pavement. I was there a long time. I never realized how big a difference good pavement could make. I'm used to the crappy street in front of my house. Once I got out on the flat stuff, though, I was flying.

And yeah, you can do hockey stops on blades... I've never used my heel brakes.

 

[letsgoflyers75]

i never knew you could do that with roller blades

Depending on the surface. You can do it on a wood floor pretty good actually.

 

[DeleteThisAccount]

Depending on the surface. You can do it on a wood floor pretty good actually.

I find it devastatingly difficult on asphalt. Heh.

 

[letsgoflyers75]

I guess it'd be possible... but you'd mess up your wheels reaaaaal bad, haha.

 

[hfboardsuser]

Nope. Why would it?

 

[jacketracket*]

Where does the "gay" thing come from, about rollerblading?

I'm pretty much limited to skating on weekends now, and it's rained off and on all last night and today. I'm hoping to get out early tomorrow, for an hour or so.

Completely OT, but I started rollerblading thinking that it would help me transtion into ice skating (open ice time here in Columbus is still a bit scarce) ... any thoughts, from those here who do both?

 

[Paxon]

Where does the "gay" thing come from, about rollerblading?

It came from skateboarders vs aggro bladers.

 

[Paxon]

i never knew you could do that with roller blades

As someone said, it depends on the surface. It also depends on the wheels. For instance, my local rink got this flooring specifically made for roller hockey from SportCourt (click Gym Sports then Rink). If you have indoor wheels, you can skate FANTASTICALLY on it. FYI the surface looks cool as hell too; it is painted to look just like an ice hockey rink, with all the requisite lines and circles.

 

[Grave77digger]

Rollerblading DOES help you in ice skating if you dont know how to ice skate. it will strengthen your ankles and help your balance. Stopping is another story however.

I rollerbladed all summer last year, then this winter i started ice skating. i was shocked at the difference in before and after blading. im quite proficient on ice now after skating a couple times a month over the winter.

 

[hfboardsuser]

Completely OT, but I started rollerblading thinking that it would help me transtion into ice skating (open ice time here in Columbus is still a bit scarce) ... any thoughts, from those here who do both?

I'm hoping so to, and I think it will as long as I stick to ice-skating technique. Start with two or three short, quick steps, unlock the hips and legs, transition into a longer stride, bend low while doing so, etc. I think the most important rule is not to rely on the heelbrakes or any method of rollerblade stopping, though. Once you do that, you may have trouble adjusting to the ice, especially if you'd never been able to stop before. I learned the hockey stop on blades by staring at a static point in space and moving towards it, then pivoting and bending low so my knees pushed the wheel edges into the ground. Once you do it a whack of times, it'll become habit and you'll never need to actually look at something before stopping.

 

[triggrman]

I find rollerblading messes up my ice skating, especially stopping. The weight shift is totally different.