Physical activity is top of mind for Canadians today, especially as we start to better understand the connections between staying active and our overall health. More time moving outdoors is a recipe for a healthier and happier lifestyle: in a world where it is easy to get lost for hours staring into a smartphone screen, it is critical to make sure we schedule time in for exercise and fresh air.
Rollerskating has re-emerged in popular culture as a fun, fashionable and exciting way to stay fit. You can wear your favourite workout clothes and strap yourself into a pair of rollerblades for a long glide on a summer day, or throw on a retro-inspired outfit with some quad skates to have fun with friends at a roller rink or down a local bicycle path. Whatever rollerskating or rollerblading style you prefer, you can make it happen with some research and skating lessons to get started.
You might be asking - "wait, I live in Canada. How am I supposed to rollerskate in such a cold and snowy place?" To be fair, Canada isn't exactly known as a rollerskating center, and a quick look on social media will reveal hundreds of photos of trendsetters and influencers skating underneath palm trees in Los Angeles. But don't let the internet fool you - skating doesn't only happen in warmer climates!
While yes we do have many snowy days, keep in mind that we can skate three out of the four seasons out of the year! To put things into perspective, Canadians typically do not hesitate to buy a pair of ice skates that they can only use in the winter or on an ice rink. Canada is actually a country perfect for people that love to roller skate. In fact, cooler months are perfect for getting on your skates and working up a sweat. And unless you live in a particularly hilly or unpaved area, it is easy to make roller skating part of your daily routine.
What else makes Canada a great place to roller skate? First of all, if you already ice skate, you probably already bring a significant amount of knowledge to roller skating and particularly blading, where you are using the same types of movement and balance to move around. Canadian cities also have beautiful urban parks with bike pathways that are excellent for practicing roller skating. If you don't have a park near your house, even a large empty parking lot will do: think your local school or community center after hours.
Let's take a closer look at some of the best reasons to start rollerskating today.
How much does it cost to get started in rollerskating in Canada? Find out where to shop and how to choose the best equipment.
The Best Reasons to Start Rollerskating or Rollerblading
There are so many reasons to get into roller skating. Here are just a few of the top reasons to get into it!
1. It's a Great Way to Engage with the Outdoors
When you think of the great outdoors, especially in Canada, we tend to go to the old stereotypes: hiking, canoeing, boating, or cycling. While these are all great ways to enjoy outdoor life, they often rely on expensive equipment, access to a large national or provincial park, or a lake. Rollerskating, on the other hand, simply requires a pair of skates and a safe, smooth surface to glide on. You can literally skate in nearly any city or town, and get your fix of fresh air, trees and the outdoor world in your community.
2. Skating is Social
Gathering with friends doesn't have to be a sedentary activity of sitting and eating or watching a movie, or texting them on social media platforms. Get a group of friends together, and have fun skating while you walk and talk, or make a trip to an ice cream parlour or convenience store for snacks, or pack a sandwich and drink in your backpack and have a picnic in a park. You will find that it is much more invigorating to be moving while socializing!
3. Skating Keeps You Fit
Skating is an activity that will keep you fit as you will need to use your core muscles to balance yourself on wheels and your legs to propel yourself. If you work out regularly, you may find that skating is a great way to keep your body feeling challenged, especially if you are taking a day off from the gym. Work up a sweat and get your heart rate moving! Your legs and glutes will get an amazing workout, and if you skate long distances you can also get your cardio workout in as well.
4. Open a Whole New World of Sports
Being able to skate may even open up a whole world of sports. Roller derby events happen in many Canadian cities, and you can even organize a game of street hockey on blades. Prefer to be artistic? You can find many people that incorporate dance and artistic movement in to rollerskating, which can be a great challenge once you have mastered the basics. You may find a whole new world on wheels to discover!
Do a search on rollerskating on Instagram, TikTok, or your favourite social media platform and you may be surprised to discover just how many things you can do on your rollerskates!
5. Explore the World of Roller Rinks
Skating is a year round activity, even in Canada, thanks to roller skating rinks. Roller skating rinks are much like ice rinks, except instead of ice you will find a large concrete area for skating. Rinks can be tons of fun to visit as well with your friends! They typically have great music and DJs to get you moving and dancing, food, and places to socialize and take a break.
“I’m going rollerskating - what should I wear?” If you finding yourself asking this question, check out our style guide for rollerskaters.
Choosing the Best Beginner Rollerskates
Have we convinced you to start skating? The first thing you must do is get some wheels on your feet. To do this, there are a number of things you must consider. First of all, will you want inline skates or rollerblades, or quad skates with four wheels? To choose, it's important first and foremost to give them a try. If you have a skate rental place or rink nearby, you can test them out to see what you prefer best. Most stores that sell skates will let you try them on and do a spin around the store. See which ones feel most comfortable, and start with the ones you like best. Who knows, you may end up with both types of skates in your closet one day!
The next thing you will want to think about is the reason for skating. If you are looking for a more sporty activity, inline skates may be better suited for your fitness goals. While quad skates will also keep you fit, you may find that they are more challenging to use for roller hockey or skating for long distances. Quad skates are great for indoors and shorter distances. They are also arguably more fashionable and trendy, and will look more striking in photos or with a cute outfit.
Here is a list of some of the best roller skate brands:
- Moxi Skates
- Impala
- Sure Grip
- Chaya
- Antik
- Riedell
- VNLA
- Lenexa
- Rio Roller
- Bont
- BTFL
- Chicago Skates
Here is a list of some popular inline skate brands:
- K2
- Impala
- Rollerblade
- Powerslide
- Atom
- Matter
- Compass
- Luminous
- Redeye
Roller Skates for Beginners
Once you have also picked the best rollerskates to start with, you will want to ensure that you can move in them safely. For this reason, you may want to invest in or dig out a helmet - remember you are still on wheels, can can injure your head if you fall the wrong way. You may also want to get protective guards for your elbows and knees: expect to fall quite a bit when you first get started! Don't be discouraged by some falls and scrapes - it is all a part of the learning process, and if you can remember learning how to bike for the first time you may find the experience of learning how to skate quite similar.
When practicing or learning independently, you will want to choose an area that is free of obstructions, moving vehicles, and pedestrians. You can start with short distances in a cul-de-sac or court in your neighbourhood, a parking lot that isn't used or busy, a school tarmac, or even a driveway. As you build your confidence moving forward and stopping, you can start skating in more public areas.
It can also be helpful to watch skating videos for beginners on sites like Youtube or Tiktok. These videos can expose you to the basics of skating, from how to tie your laces correctly, how to stop while moving, and how to turn or follow curves in the road or path. Skating videos can also be incredibly inspiring as you will see artistic skaters whirling, dancing in tandem with groups, or looking super fashionable in 80s or 70s inspired gear.
It is also incredibly worthwhile to consider finding a skating instructor! We will explore this option in greater detail later in the article.
Where Can I Find Roller Skating Near Me?
Finding a place to roller skate near you is easy, thanks to the hundreds of city parks you can find in places like Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, and Toronto.
Roller Skating Toronto
Toronto, Canada's largest city, is brimming with parks, rinks, and spaces you can use to go rollerskating. The most obvious place to get your skate on is a roller rink. Fort York is a downtown area that creatively uses space under the highway for a skating park, and you can also find excellent flat, paved paths for skating on the Lakeshore or the Martin Goodman Trail or West Toronto Railpath. High Park is closed to cars on the weekends, making it the perfect spot for a family skate. Popular roller rink Rinx is a great option for the winter months. Drive outside of the downtown and you will find lots of paved trails in Mississauga or Vaughan.
Not in Toronto? Do a quick Google search for the "best bike path" or "roller rink" near me and you are sure to find many fantastic options. Of course, parking lots after hours or any large paved areas are an easy and quick way to get some practice in.
Picking roller skates is no easy task, especially with so many options available. Find out how to shop for the very best roller skates.
Is it Possible to Take a Rollerskating or Rollerblade Courses
Rollerskating can be intimidating at first. While videos show skaters effortlessly gliding, dancing, conversing, spinning and jumping, you may feel surprised to feel incredibly off balance when you put skates on for the first time. While lots of practice and independent learning will certainly get you moving in a straight line, you may want guided instruction so you can get to the level of skating you strive for.
What will a roller skating class be like? In most classes for beginners, you will start with learning the basics of safety, the different parts of your skate you can use to move better, and how to move forward, and how to stop using toe stops. You might also learn how to move backwards and forwards smoothly, which is perfect if you want to look and feel confident and stylish on the rink. Students might also do some drills to practice movement and build muscle memory, and maybe even some dance moves depending on the instructor.
Rollerblading Class for Kids
Kids love rollerskating too, and if you have a child that is intrigued by moving around on skates you may want to consider signing your kids up for lessons. You might be surprised as a parent to learn that while there seems to be an after school program or camp for just about anything, there is very little available in community centers for roller skating. Why? It is quite likely that roller skating is still very much an up and coming pastime for young Canadians, and so very few classes are available outside of roller rinks and special interest venues.
So what can you do if you want to get your child into rollerskating? One option is private classes, which we will describe shortly!
Rollerskating Lesson for Adults
There is typically much more availability for roller skating lessons for adults in Canada, particularly in larger cities where there is more demand for lessons. Roller skating lessons are a great way to accelerate your learning, especially if you are eager to start skating with friends or simply want a new hobby. Roller skating classes can be found at indoor and outdoor roller rinks across the city, and you will find independent businesses like Nitro and Suso Skate Company in Toronto that offer lessons. As with kids' lessons, roller skating is still a relatively up and coming fitness activity, availability of classes is not as widespread. You may want to consider hiring a roller skating tutor - which we will discuss next.
What equipment do you need to start rollerskating? Make sure you have all the supplies you need to get started.
What is Roller Derby?
Roller derby is a team skating sport that is great if you feel confident as a skater and want to take your fitness to the next level. It is a fast-paced contact support played on four wheel or quad skates. Team play by putting four skaters on defense, and one player on offense. The defense players are called blockers and the offense player is known as a jammer. The jammer's objective is pass each blocker to make a lap. After the initial lap, the jammer gets a point for every blocker they pass.
How do I find a Roller Skating Tutor?
While there is a lack of roller skating schools and classes, you should find it much easier to find a private roller skating instructor through Superprof Canada. Superprof Canada is a site where instructors and tutors in many areas of knowledge - including roller skating - promote their services to interested students. Whether it is cooking, mathematics, English, Chinese, or chess, you will likely find someone who can teach you on Superprof.
Having a private roller skating tutor has many advantages. First of all, you may find that having small group or one-to-one instruction helps you to learn more quickly and efficiently. A private tutor will be able to monitor your form, help you correct your stance and balance, and give you input on what kind of equipment will work best for your fitness goals and body type. If you are working part or full time and have a limited schedule, a tutor is perfect as they may be able to tailor a schedule that works well for you. You can also coordinate group instruction with a tutor if you have a group of friends that would also like to join, or want to do a skating lesson for a special event like a birthday or bachelorette party. If you are looking for a teacher for your child and have friends or neighbours with children that also want to learn. how to skate, organizing a tutor can be a great way to provide your kids with a way to learn skating.
Finding a private rollerskating tutor is easy on Superprof. Use the search tool on the site to look for skating tutors or teachers in your area. You might be surprised to find that there are so many options! Browse prospective tutor profiles and message them directly through the site to see if they will be a good fit for you.
Are you thinking of purchasing your first pair of skates and are not sure whether to go inline or quad? Learn more about what the main differences are between inline and quad skates.
What Will a Quality Roller Skating Teacher be Like?
Now that you know how to find a great roller skating teacher, what should you be looking for or asking them?
The first thing you will want to know is what their background is in teaching adults or kids, if the lessons are for your children. Some skating instructors will have lots of experience working with kids as a sitter or camp counsellor, and you should be able to request references to hear what their former employers or clients have to say. Here is a list of questions you may want to ask a prospective roller skating tutor:
- Can you describe some of your previous teaching experiences?
- What is your approach to instruction?
- How long do you think it will take to get a beginner skater moving on their own?
- How long have you been roller skating?
- What is your policy for cancellations?
A quality teacher will teach safety, how to move effectively, be patient with their learners, and provide useful feedback. Make sure you share your goals for skating and your expectations during the hiring process so your tutor can plan their lessons accordingly.
Don't delay in getting your skates on and hitting the bike path or roller derby! Find a skating tutor on Superprof today.
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It’s wonderful to read all about skating
Hi Arvind,
Thanks so much! We are glad you enjoyed this article.