Roller skating is a sport that involves a lot of things: fun, dance, endurance, strength, positivity and a little bit of nostalgia.
The past few years have seen a rise in people interested in roller skating as it is an excellent way to get a workout in when gyms are closed or simply not an option.
But, how popular is roller skating in Canada? What are the benefits of roller skating? What are the best places to roller skate in the different Canadian cities? This article will give you more info about all these different areas as well as some tips to connect with a roller skating instructor with the help of Superprof.
When was the Rise of Rollerskating in Canada?
While it is true that Canada is typically more inclined to ice-skating as a sport thanks to weather conditions, roller skating has certainly picked up popularity in the past years. But how did roller skating begin in Canada? Here is a brief timeline of the history of rollerskating and roller skates Canada:
- Roller-skating facilities were built in the 1880s in Toronto and Montréal.
- In 1884, skating started in Chatham, Ont, which within a year had become one of the foremost roller-skating centres in the world.
- Speed skater George Berry, of Chatham, became the Canadian roller-skating champion in 1884 and in the next year won the North American championship and was acclaimed world champion.
- The start of WWI put an end to competitive skating, but the 1930s saw a re-introduction of stimulated events such as the 5-day roller-skating derby held at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1940.
- The Canadian Roller Skating Association was formed in 1961, became the Canadian Federation of Amateur Roller Skaters in 1973 and was re-named Roller Sports Canada in 1995.
- Canada sent a team to the World Artistic Roller Skating Championships for the first time in 1973, placing 5th among 19 countries.
- In 1977, these championships were held in Montréal.
Learn more about the history of roller skating and how roller skates where invented.
What Are the Benefits of Rollerskating for Canadians?
As with any form of exercise, roller skating brings many benefits both to your body and mind. Below you will find some of the most significant benefits of learning how to roller skate.
- If you are looking to lose weight, roller skating is a good way to burn calories: Skating for weight loss can just mean putting on your skates and going for a leisurely skate in the park.
- You will improve your balance and coordination: Since balance is necessary for skating, you’ll learn and master the techniques needed to improve your form.
- It is a great way to improve your fitness level: Roller-skating is a great way to improve heart health, strengthen muscles, and burn calories.
- You can workout both your arms and legs: Roller Skating is a great sport for strengthening a wide variety of different muscle groups at the same time.
- You will give your heart a good workout: You can increase your heart rate dramatically to about 180 beats per minute.
- You can lower your risk of diabetes: Roller skating is an excellent example of an aerobic exercise, and the aerobic exercise from skating helps your body use and control your insulin better.
- Rolling skater helps avoid joint injuries: Fluid movement in inline skating and roller skating decreases the chances of sustaining joint damage.
Besides the physical benefits of roller skating, there are also some great benefits in terms of mental health such as:
- You can become more social: Not only is Roller Skating great for fitness, it is also a great way to get out and socialise.
- Roller skating teaches new skills. Roller-skating helps you master new skills and push yourself.
- You can release stress: Staying active is essential to help relieve stress and improve your overall physical health.
- Roller skating can make you happy: Roller skating reduces bad hormones and while it does this, it increases the good endorphins, which are commonly known as the ‘happy hormones’.
- Roller skating is a great way to relax: If you’re in need of some much-needed quiet time, skating is a relaxing activity.
Check out more benefits of rollerskating.
What are the best Places to Rollerskate in Canada?
While it is true that ice-skating is a more popular sport in Canada, roller skating has become increasingly popular in the past couple of years. If you are looking for the best places to roller skate in Canada, check some of these out:
- Scooter’s Roller Palace in Toronto: this is one of the best indoor roller skating rinks in Toronto.
- The Winnipeg Rolling Rink in Winnipeg: Today’s skaters can skate to the music of one of the rink’s several thousand records.
- Wheelies Family Roller Skating Centre in Winnipeg: They are open are for public skating sessions, birthday parties, school outings, celebrations or fundraisers.
- Ottawa Roller Derby in Ottawa. Anyone over the age of 18 can join the Ottawa Roller Derby league.
- Retro Rolla in Toronto. You can rent colourful shoes and safety equipment by the hour, so you’ll be able to stay on track with your date while skating around Toronto’s Bentway path.
- Stanley Park in Vancouver. Anything with wheels has been moved from the Seawall to Stanley Park Drive to encourage physical distancing for the time being.
- The Underpass Skatepark in Toronto. Located under the Bloor Viaduct, this skatepark is free to use and perfect for roller-skating.
- Riverdale Park in Toronto. Riverdale park east outdoor rink is an ideal place to skate during the summer when it’s transformed into a roller-skating rink.
Find more places for roller skating in Canada.
What are the Different Types of Rollerskating in Canada?
There are many different types of rolling skating that depend on the skates you wear, the environment where you practice and the skills and moves required:
- Casual Skating: This is your normal everyday skater that you see at the rink, park, or sidewalk.
- Artistic Roller Skating: There are several areas of artistic skating similar to ice skating, with individual and couples competitions, figures, dance, and synchronized groups.
- Jam skating: This offshoot of freestyle skating grew out of the roller disco days, but has continued to evolve over the years.
- Freestyle Roller Dancing: In freestyle roller dancing, the physical movements are based on music.
- Speed Skating: speed skating revolves around speed and racing.
- Aggressive inline skating: This action sport has more similarities to skateboarding and BMX than most roller skating activities.
- Group Skating: In this type of skating, a large group of skaters skate on the streets.
- Roller Derby: This type of roller skating calls for two opposing teams that have to push each other to win.
- Roller Hockey: Roller hockey is another name for a roller sport which existed long before inline skates were even invented.
- Singles and Pairs: In this either a single or a pair of skaters perform on the music.
Learn more about the different types of roller skating.
Learn Rollerskating in Canada with Superprof
Are you ready to become a skater? Do you want to learn roller skating near me? Here are some tips that will help you become a better roller skater:
- Have the right equipment. If you are a first timer, some safety equipment is a great tool to have while you’re learning.
- Assume the right posture. When you're roller skating, balance is key, and this stance will prevent you from toppling over.
- Start at home or a safe environment. Getting used to the balance and feeling of wearing them is really useful before you hit the pavement or rink.
- Practice walking like a duck. It might seem silly at first but it will help you feel the skates and your own balance and you will start gaining more confidence.
- Practice falling. The fear of falling is the greatest creator of tension in the body for new beginner roller skaters.
- Learn how to stop. You should know how to stop before knowing how to roll this is the first step to learn skating effectively.
- Learn the "ready" position statically. When learning how to rollerskate, the Ready position is a crucial.
- Stay hydrated. Skating burns a lot of calories and requires a lot of energy.
- Learn to relax. The trick is to tell your brain to trust your feet.
- Get a good skating instructor. There are plenty of excellent skating instructors available to you through the Superprof platform!
If you are interested in connecting with a Superprof tutor, all you need to do is conduct a quick search and check out the roller skating tutors available in your area.
Make sure to check their experience and qualifications and pick the one that fits your expectations best. Start learning how to roller skate with Superprof!
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