Roller Skating is one of the most underrated pleasures in Canada. We love the great outdoors, and spend way too much time in the cold winter months to waste a second of warm, mild weather.
Picture this: it’s a fresh and beautiful summer morning, and you don’t exactly feel like jumping on the treadmill at the gym or following instructions from an app in your living room. You put on your skates, hit the bike trail, and get your heart rate moving while gliding through the open air and listening to your favourite songs over your headphones.
If being outdoors doesn’t intrigue you, imagine heading to an indoor roller rink with your friends to enjoy a night of skating and socializing! Roller rinks are a great environment to listen to music and hang out with friends, or if you are really serious about skating, take in a roller derby or try participating on a team.
Do you have a family? Roller skate together and you’ll have a perfect alternative to an evening stroll or bike ride. Roller skating teaches you to use your core muscles to balance, and your kids will enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to move around on roller skates. Start in your driveway or an empty parking lot, and let the fun begin! You can even find pylons at your local dollar store and get your kids doing circuits. Best of all, they will be nice, tired, and ready for a good night’s sleep afterwards.
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People love roller skating because it’s fun, challenging, and a great way to get moving with a minimum amount of planning. Roller skating is perfect for urban and suburban environments, and provides a much needed break from the doldrum of staring at screens all day. Skating also helps us burn off stress - picture plugging into some tunes and throwing on some skates to put a bad day behind you. If you’re not feeling inspired to skate, do a quick search of roller skating on Tiktok or Instagram: you will fund hundreds of mesmerizing videos of people roller skating and dancing in nearly any environment.
Roller skating is one of the easiest ways to make the most out of the outdoors in any setting. All you need is a pair of skates, a helmet, and a paved surface to skate on. Unlike ice skating, where you are limited to the ice rink or a pond, with roller skating you can have the freedom to move nearly anywhere your skates will roll. Explore your neighbourhood, try out a waterfront park trail, visit your local city park, or simply do some practice circuits on your street. You can even find skate parks where there are ramps and rails to experiment on - just make sure you have all the right safety gear!
This article is all about learning how to roller skate for people at all ages. We will discuss how to get started in skating, and what roller skating lessons might be like.
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Which Skates to Buy?
Your roller skating journey will probably start with determining which types of skates to purchase. Let’s explore the steps you should take prior to purchasing, and what kinds of skates you can get.
Try Before You Buy
Brand new roller skates can cost upwards of $120, so it’s not a bad idea to try them out beforehand so you can figure out if roller skating is an activity you plan to do often.
Get a sense of skating by hitting your local roller rink: they will often have skates for rent. You may have an outdoor roller skating rental place in your city or town too: these are great places to try different brands or get expert perspectives on what the best skates are.
Quad Skates
Quad skates look more like a traditional skate, comprise of 2 sets of wide wheels. Quad skates have become trendy in recent years: they have a retro style, and come in all sorts of fun colours and designs that give off a more personal flair. And of course, you’ll look super fashionable skating around in them!
Some people find quad skates challenging to use, as it can be easier to fall over backwards in them. However, if you practice regularly, you may find that they are actually great to use and give you lots of flexibility for different types of movements like dancing and spinning.
Roller Blades or Inline Skates
Roller blades have a much more sportier look: the wheels are much narrower than quad skates, and are positioned in a line through the middle of the boot like an ice skate blade. Roller blading is popular with athletes who like the speed and similarity to hockey skates. Many users find them better for moving over uneven or cracked pavement outdoors, which gives them another big advantage over quad wheels.
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Which Skates Should I Get?
The best way to choose which skates to get is to determine what you want to use them for. If you want to skate over long distances and break a sweat, then roller blades might be a better choice. But if you are buying skates for more indoor rink usage, for use in specific areas that are smooth and easy to skate on, or simply prefer the fashionable appeal, go for the quad skates!
Buying Skates for Kids
Purchasing kids’ skates can be tough because they are expensive and it's likely they will grow out of them in a short amount of time. If you have kids just getting started, and you don’t want to break the bank on brand new skates for the family, why not purchase used?
Used skates for kids are the perfect solution and you can easily find a pair at your local sports trade-in store. It’s easy to replace worn down wheels with a skate technician, and you can trade them back in or pass along to a younger sibling once your child grows out of them. Sites like Kijiji or Facebook marketplace are also great sources for finding used sports equipment.
As with adults, the type of skate you should buy your kids depends on their preference and purpose for use. Let them glide around at the sports store to see how they fit, and make sure they are comfortable and sized properly or you will have a hard time getting them on their feet!
How do I Learn How to Skate?
Skating is not as simple as putting on skates and heading out - you will of course need to learn how to skate! Learning how to skate can start as easily as putting them on and getting used to balancing, moving and stopping.
If you are on a budget, you might want to start learning by watching some instructional videos on YouTube. You’ll get good safety tips on how to fall without injuring yourself, and the best gear to get to prevent scrapes and bruising. A lot of learning will happen as you are actually on the skates and moving around! Set reasonable goals for yourself, and don’t be surprised if you don’t make it far on your first time out. You may discover that you don’t leave your driveway or the parking lot you are practicing on!
Skaters that prefer the structured environment of a class will find plenty of options for learning how to skate in group or individual lessons. Let’s explore the options that are available.
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What is a Skating Class Like?
Search for roller skating clubs or lessons near you and you will find plenty of options for beginner skaters. You may just want the basics for recreational skating: how to get moving, how to turn a sharp corner, how to skate safely down a slope or hill, and how to stop. Taking a lesson can be a great way to accelerate your learning and start skating quickly.
Skating lessons can also be a great place to meet new people that you can meet up with for a skate after the learning is done. Remember that skating is also a great social activity, and if you can create or join a meetup group for skating and heading out for coffee or ice cream after you will have a new activity that will enrich your social life.
Roller skating classes will usually have an instructor modelling specific movements and showing students how to perform basic moves for safety and tips to move efficiently. A live instructor is great for having someone to critique your form and tell you exactly what you need to do to skate better. Ideally, class sizes will be a size that ensures everyone gets feedback and instruction.
Are there Skating Lessons for Toddlers and Kids?
Toddlers are likely too young to start roller skating safely without considerable support, so if you do manage to find a pair of skates they can fit into you will want to ensure they have appropriate safety gear and supports.
Roller skating lessons for kids will be much easier to find through clubs and private classes. Some community centers may also offer lessons for kids, but you will have to check the listings for your municipality to get all the details.
Where Can I Find Skating Lessons Near Me?
Another great option for roller skating lessons is to hire a private instructor. Superprof is an excellent site that connects roller skating teachers to students of all ages.
Roller skating lessons are not quite as common as other physical activities, so this is where Superprof can be the best resource for organizing a class. You can work with a private instructor to teach you or your kids the basics of skating, a unique skill like dancing or jumping, or gather a group together for a bespoke set of lessons. Simply contact a roller skating teacher through Superprof’s messaging system and see if they can offer you the services you are looking for at the times you need it. The site is even equipped for clients to pay their teachers safely using Paypal or the platform’s payment system.
What are you waiting for? Find a roller skating teacher on Superprof today!
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