First-time rollerblader - advice needed

So my husband, an African, has just completed his second Canadian winter, and we are all very proud of him. applause

He’s never, ever been skating. We went curling once, so he’s been on ice, but curling ice isn’t at all the same thing as skating ice and I could never persuade him to come with me.

Now, once again, it’s rollerblading season, and for reasons not entirely clear to me we have inherited four pairs of rollerblades (yes, that’s eight altogether). I believe this is a sign of some sort. I have these delirous dreams of us blading along the lakeshore, gazing lovingliny into each other’s eyes …

Also he doesn’t bike nearly as fast as me, and he’s got a bus pass and I haven’t, so we need a better method of transportation that will get us to places at the same time.

Plus, it just looks fun.

He refuses to try it. He’s terrified of making an arse of himself. I can’t talk him into it. I’ve exhausted all the reasoning I can think of:

  • he’s a naturally athletic guy, so I think he’ll pick it up pretty quickly
  • it’s really pretty easy (assuming there’s nothing to hit, see below), stopping is the only real hard part
  • I myself have not been on blades (ice or roller) for ten years or so, and I was never very good to begin with, so it’s not like I’ll be skating circles around him - I will probably look just as foolish as he does !

I think the problem was exacerbated when he tried them on, indoors, on our nice hardwood floors. Of course he flailed about like a fool, but that’s because there were a whole lot of things nearby to hit (or, more crucially, to avoid hitting). If he’d been in a wide-open space, he would have been fine. But now he won’t do it at all !

So, I’m searching for your words of advice (in helping me to rollerblade, and in helping me convince mr cowgirl to join me), and of encouragement (likewise!). Anecdotes welcome.

One word: :slight_smile: Helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, wrist pads, start on a flat area, learn to stop before trying hills, grass is your friend. :slight_smile:

It really is a blast, when the snow melts I spend alot of time on blades. Its the most fun you can have on eight wheels. :slight_smile:

Go to a skateboard shop and they will be able to put you onto a roller-blade coach.

FWIW Don’t gaze lovingly into someone’s eyes while roller-blading. :smiley:

Remember, the stopper is on the back of the skate and there is usually only one. Forgetting results in a nasty rollerblading accident*

*Has experience with this, ended up with some lovely consolation prizes (cuts scrapes & bruises)

Heh, heh … as if we’re anywhere near stopping … my method on ice skates has always been “Head towards the boards, and slow down.” Twill be pretty much learning from scratch for both of us !

The coach is a good idea. Once I lure the unsuspecting hubby onto the skates.

And BB: I was kidding about that … we’re married. Gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes isn’t something we do any more ! :wink:

Grass is your friend, says askeptic. Good point. So we should find a grassy place next to a concrete place? I know an ideal spot, we live near the lake and a long, rarely-used road runs beside it (and a concrete bike/blade/walking trail), and on the other side of the road is a big grassy park. I’m thinking we should stay on the grassy side of the road and try to fall that way? It’s the stopping that worries me (no boards to cruise into!) but I guess once the grass thaws, then solidifies somewhat, that will offer a decent landing pad.

I’m getting excited … !

My advice: Do not grab something like a railing to stop, or you’ll find out the hard way that the rollerblade shoe will bend. I broke my ankle trying to stop that way to keep from running over a kid. My husband tore up his knee badly when he had to jump a kid that fell right in front of him. Gosh, is it any wonder I had a tubal done last year? :slight_smile:

Don’t try to stop with a hockey stop, kicking both your heels out like you are on ice skates. This makes you spin around in circles before falling down.

Make a V with your strides.

Always be on the lookout for downhill sections where you can pick up speed. Have a bail out plan before you go down the hill; if you have to dump it, where would the best place be? If you are on a path used by joggers and bikers, make sure you have a passing lane for the entire downhill run. Joggers and bikers often take up both lanes talking to each other. You don’t want to smack into them.

All good advice.
In addition, please, for the love of God, find somewhere flat to get the basics down (turning, stopping, and so on). I’ve got a good-sized scar on my left shin and a smaller one on my right from when I stopped myself by hugging/crashing into a metal road divider on a stretch of land that sloped a lot more than i thought it would.

That is all.
bamf

oh yeah, and if you’re looking for encouragement, you might want to see if you can find a group that goes out and does rollerblading around where you are. I’ve seen a group in Pittsburgh skate through Oakland every so often which has about twenty members, all of whom seem rather confident with what they’re doing. It might make him feel a little more comfortable if he’s around people who know what they’re doing and are also willing to help him (and you) learn the basics and skate along with you guys.

just a thought :slight_smile:
bamf

Thanks for the good advice !

We’ll be by the lakeshore, probably, because it’s quite flat and there’s not much traffic. And if necessary, to avoid a wandering child or aggressive Canada goose, we can always jump into the lake … actually, come to think of it, that might not be such a good idea, you could probably develop film in that lake …

Stopping at this point will probably involve flailing limbs and trying to grab hold of each other before we fall over. I never got the hang of stopping on ice, and mr cowgirl will be starting from scratch.

I will try to keep the ‘V’ suggestion in mind.
Actually, I’m more and more attracted to the idea of renting some of those sumo wrestler suits, they may impede our mobility but will make the ground much softer.

My 2 cents:

  • protective gear. Helmet, wrists and knees for sure. Elbows if you like, but they tend to be a bit bulky. Also, don’t start out in shorts. Maybe sweatpants. Not much, but will help with road rash.

  • starting surface: flat and smooth. Walking/jogging pathways are okay, but to start out with I’d recommend empty (weekend) schoolyards or empty big parking lots. You have to be careful with parking lots/structures as sometimes the owners are concerned about liability. But big open areas are nice to practice on. You can work on turning and such, where you might be limited on walk/jog paths.
    Also on walking/jogging paths you will need to contend with walkers and joggers. You’ll need to deal with them eventually, but better to start off in a nice open area with no one else around (will also help with your husband’s I-look-like-such-a-rookie issue).

  • my best tip: although in both ice or rollerblading you have skates on both feet, the key is to remember that skating is essentially a ONE foot activity. That is, focus on gliding on only the one foot at a time (which you obviously alternate). The biggest hinderance I see to new skaters is the tendency to 1) push off with one foot, then 2) put both feet parallel and coast for a bit.
    To really get the right motion, you need to push off on one foot (semi-perpendicular to the glide foot) and then coast with all of your weight on the glide foot. Yes, this is more difficult. But the sooner you learn to balance on one leg at a time, the quicker you’ll advance.

Hope this helps

FWIW, you can not only fall onto grass, but you can use it to slow you down if you’re still vertical, like the difference between skating on ice and skating on sand.