Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.roller,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: Conventional (quad) Roller Skating FAQ, part 1 of 2 Summary: Conventional (quad) Roller Skating - First Part References: Sender: Followup-To: rec.sport.skating.roller Reply-To: grr@tharsis.com Distribution: Organization: George's Pet Unix System Keywords: skating,roller,quad,FAQ Expires: Sat 31, Dec 1994 23:59:59 GMT Archive-Name: roller-skating/roller-faq-1 Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-Modified: Tue Dec 10 16:10:33 EST 1996 *** Copyright 1994-1996 by George Robbins - see detailed note at end *** This document is posted periodically to the rec.sport.skating.roller usenet newsgroup, and can also be accessed via the world wide web (www) using the following URL: http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller Introduction This is the conventional (quad) roller skating FAQ. It was created in an attempt to provide a clear, concise summary of issues specifically related to conventional roller skating. There is some overlap between this FAQ and the In-line and Ice Skating FAQ's, but the inquisitive reader will find something of interest in each. There is also a Skating Books FAQ posted separately, which lists the most useful Roller, In-line and Ice Skating books. I don't claim to be authoritative on any of these subjects, having only skated seriously for a few years now, so suggestions for improvement are welcome. Thanks are due to John Fulton (JDFulton@aol.com) for his most helpful proof-reading efforts and to various others who have sent in corrections, suggestions and comments. Send e-mail to grr@tharsis.com Contents: Why conventional/indoor skating? How does roller skating compare to ice skating? Isn't roller skating for kids? Roller Skating used to be popular, what happened? I used to skate back in school days... Aren't In-line Skates (aka RollerBlades) better? Crossing Over - Roller, In-line and Ice Skating What about Artistic In-lines Skates? Rinks How do I find a good roller rink? What about skating floors? What sort of sessions are available? What kind of music is available? What about these Hi-tech Sound and Lighting Systems? What kind of rules are there? Well, what about outdoor skating? Equipment Figure/Dance/Freestyle Skates and accessories Boots, Hi-end/Custom Boots Plates, Plate/Skate Manufacturers and Models Wheels, Bearings, Stops Laces, Socks, Pads, Clothing Protective Gear Speed Skates Boots, Plates, Wheels Skating Styles Learning to skate Lessons Managing the Skating Experience Skaters and their SO's. Competitions and Tests Competition Schedule '93-94 Injuries, Safety and Falling Insurance and Legal Issues Fitness and Cross Training Stopping Techniques Rink Management Books, Videos, Magazines (see skate.book.faq for books!) Movies Organizations What does it cost? Mail Order Outlets Why conventional/indoor skating? Conventional (2 pairs of wheels on steerable trucks) roller skates have been around for quite a while (Plimpton, 1863) and are well adapted to certain kinds of skating. The steerable trucks offer a reasonable emulation of the variable curvature of the blades used for figure and dance ice skating, and modern urethane wheels and ball bearings provide a quiet, low friction glide. There are many roller rinks around, lessons are readily available and there are regional, national and international "competitions" in both figure and speed skating to serve as a motivational framework for both young and old skaters. Indoor skating is generally a year-round proposition, so it can serve as another alternative in areas where ice skating is only available on a seasonal basis or in-line skating is adversely affected by rainy or winter weather. Most rinks are modern, clean, well-lit and many are pleasantly air-conditioned. Quality sound systems often provide pre-recorded, disk jockey or live music to set the mood and pace. Note that while skating some rinks prohibit in-lines skates, many are now more enlightened. In-line skaters may find skating indoors a different sort of challenge or just a good alternative for winter or rainy weather, or a chance to skate to music in a social environment. How does roller skating compare to ice skating? This is a trick question! If you watch television, especially during the intense Olympic coverage, you might get the impression that ice skating is the pre-eminent sport and roller skating just the ersatz, no-ice substitute. However, I you look more closely at the sports, you will find that there are more roller skating rinks, there are more active skaters at each rink and those skaters are usually having more fun than the ones you see at ice rinks. While I won't deny that there's a lot of interest in ice skating, much of that interest is on the part of those couch-potato spectators, not skaters, and much of the activity at ice rinks has to do with hockey, not skating! It should be admitted that on the competitive scene, the quality of the skating is maybe one notch below ice skating. The is partly due to the equipment and partly due to the fact the ice skating *is* an "Olympic" sport and that's where the universal recognition, the best coaching and the endorsement dollars go. Still you (or your kids) have to start somewhere and hoping for an Olympic Medal is probably only a small part of your skating dreams. Historically speaking, there has been a lot of cross-fertilization between the ice and roller skating communities, and some skaters have excelled and innovated in both disciplines. Isn't roller skating for kids? Not exclusively. Most skating rinks attract a variety of skaters from pre-school to post-retirement seniors. All that is required is that you enjoy skating. Admittedly, some rinks are highly youth oriented and the only "adults" you see are parents of younger children, but then there are many other rinks which do make real commitments to their adult skaters. Most skating rinks have a weekly schedule of varied sessions to help sort out the children, hormone-dazed teens and adults. Weekend, matinee or "family night" sessions are targeted at the kids or parents with kids, while other evening sessions are targeted at teens, and "organ music" Top-40/disco or "oldies" sessions target adult skaters. The beginner or re-entrant skater is advised to call the prospective rink for schedule details, and ask about good "adult beginner" sessions and when lessons are available. Too many people are discouraged by an un-planned introduction to skating, under less than ideal conditions. Roller Skating used to be popular, what happened? Many of the participant/action sports go through boom-bust cycles as styles, interests, media attention and the economy changes. The most recent big skating boom was in the late 70's through mid 80's when both disco and outdoor skating had big peaks in popularity. Lots of new rinks were built, books and movies popped up, and then as the general public lost interest, many of the boom-time rinks closed and were turned into discount outlets or auto showrooms. For the sake of perspective, in 1970 there were between 500 and 1000 rinks in the US, though hard numbers are not available, then during the boom there may have been as many as 3000-4000+ rinks. Between 1980 and 1985, about half of the exiting roller rinks closed doors. Now it's back down to 2000 rinks. That's not entirely bad, as some of the departed rinks were small, tired things that lost out to new and shiny rinks in the same areas, others were really dance venues, expo halls and other facilities hastily converted to "roller rinks" or "roller discos" and quietly converted back a few years later. Liability insurance was also a big factor, in the early 80's rink policy prices often increased by a factor of 2-10 at the annual renewal time and in many cases rinks just closed rather than operate at a loss or without insurance. One thing to consider is your real motivation for skating. If you went to the rink back when with your school crowd because it was the thing to do, you probably stopped when your crowd aged or moved on and found somewhere else to hang out. If you go now simply because you enjoy skating - by yourself, with a friend or with the folks you meet at the rink, this is quite a different motivation and perhaps a lifetime story. A lot of people look at the current popularity of in-line skating and see either the same boom-bust potential, others see new pool of skaters to be lured indoors into conventional roller rinks. It really doesn't matter - if you enjoy skating, you can find a way to skate or transition to other forms as they become popular. If the rinks are there, be they for-kids-only or hockey oriented, you can find a way to skate. I used to skate back in school days, but haven't thought about it since... Well, if you actually learned to skate, as opposed to trying it once or twice, you have a big advantage over any beginner. This isn't to say that you can put on the skates and never notice that decades have elapsed - it will take you a while to regain your sense of balance, endurance and confidence, but much of the acquired skill remains in a latent form. If you want to try skating again, find one of the rinks that has some adult sessions and plan to skate half a dozen sessions before trying to decide if it's something you want to do. The first session is always the roughest, especially if you carelessly drop in on some chaotic children's session or teen rat-race. There's also a tendency to relax a bit too quickly when the skating starts to come back faster than the defensive reflexes - the result is the returning skater with broken wrist syndrome. You'll probably find that things haven't changed that much. Skaters still go round the rink to "popular" music and many of the "couples" dance and other specials haven't changed. One acquaintance was a little dissapointed that "adults" don't habitually do the Hokey-Pokey, but was told she could come to the family session if she wanted to... Aren't In-line Skates (aka RollerBlades) better? In-line skates seem to be better (competitively) for outdoor distance and speed events and outdoor in-line skating is enjoying a large boom in popularity. In-lines are also quite popular for roller hockey, but many casual roller hockey players get by with their usual conventional or speed skates. While in-lines skates have pretty much taken over the speed skating area, they currently aren't competitive for figure or dance skating. Only time will tell whether in-lines are really "better" or we're just seeing an influx of new skaters whose first exposure was to in-line skates. Initially many rinks prohibited the use of in-line skates. Rinks are always leery of "outdoor" skates, where dirty wheels and stops can scrape up the floor and many in-lines have protruding axle bolts or other metal hardware that can damage the skating floor. Most rinks have conceded that turning away potential customers is bad business and now allow "rink safe" in-lines as long as they are clean, in good condition and have non-marking brakes. Crossing Over - Roller, In-line and Ice Skating Often people will ask if prior experience in ice skating will allow them to skate on in-lines, or if having used in-lines outdoors, whether they can then slip on conventional skates for a rink party. Some people will answer "yeah, sure - it's all the same", while others will relate horror stories of the time they tried. All the forms of skating do share the same underlying principles - you propel yourself by pushing outward from the body at an angle, you glide balanced on the other foot, and you turn by leaning, which changes the angle of the skate to the surface. However, differences in the skating context, the feel of the skates and the response to shifts in balance and control movements require some degree of adaptation. These differences often make the experienced skater feel like a rank beginner, a rather traumatic, unpleasant and embarrassing reversion. In addition, there are specific features of each sort of skate that can trap the unwary, often just as they are beginning to gain some confidence and skate by feel: Figure Skates have a continuous curve on the bottom, and as you shift your weight forward, they first start to wobble and then when the toe-pick bites ice, you fall. Hockey Skates also have a curved bottom, more canoe shaped, but they also have a short "wheel-base" relative to in-lines and so it may feel like you're constantly about to tip over forwards or backwards. Ice Skates have little resistance to spinning or sliding sideways when the blades are flat on the ice - residual turning forces or an attempt to flatten an edge often result in spinning or "swing". Ice Skates require an erect ankle, both to keep the edge in the ice and to limit the bending forces on the ankle ("weak ankle syndrome"). Roller Skaters habitually bend their ankles slightly to modulate the turning action of the steerable trucks on the skates. In-line Skates are much longer than the foot and they usually have the further protrusion of a brake. This can surprise a skaters that does "crossovers" on turns. Unless the wheels are "rockered" they show little inclination to turn, but rockered they may seem unstable. Conventional Skates have wheels that extend slightly beyond each side of the boot - interlocking the wheels results in a sudden fall. The turning response to small amounts of lean can be shocking to the ice or in-line skater. Wheeled Skates display extreme resistance to sliding sideways, the first time an ice skater instinctively executes a hockey stop, they're going to go head-over-heels and slam hard. If you do decide to master more than one form of skating, you'll be way ahead of the beginners, but you will have to allocate some time and effort before you become equally comfortable and proficient on each type. It's a good idea to alternate both forms of skating, so that you will acquire appropriate sets of responses for each, rather than finding that you've learned a new way of skating at the expense of comfort with the old. What about Artistic In-lines Skates? At this point there are several options for Artistic Skating on in-lines. The "PIC" skate, sold through Rainbo Sports, is a 4-wheel frame that mounts on a normal skating boot. At the toe, there is a "5th wheel" which is smaller and mounted higher than the others, with a set-screw that prevents it from rotating so that it can serve as a toe-pick for toe assisted jumps. One of the local skaters here is using these and doing an assortment of jumps and ice-like spins. There's also a bolt-on "toe stop" version of the PIC that can be added to any in-line skate having the conventional frame design and axle bolts. There is also a plate made by ATLAS which has a 3-wheel frame with a conventional screw-post adjustable toe-step mounting at the front of the frame. One of the skaters and an exhibition here used these for their world-class program, but it was mentioned that she would not be using them at the upcoming worlds. Tomy's was credited as the source, but it's not clear if they are selling them or it was some special deal. Synder is now selling a similar design called the "Triax": You get a three wheel frame with a Snyder toe stop in the front. The wheels are flat (non-rockered) with the inside wheel having a different hardness than the front and back. You also get two extra wheels that they say most people won't use that will be kind of like a push wheel. The wheels are poured by Hyper but labeled Snyder. It also comes with a set of bearings. Snyder recommends that you use a stiff boot - A Silver or Gold Star - to provide enough ankle support. Aside from conventional in-line skates, other options include mounting an in-line frame on standard skating boots - most component frames are longer and lend themselves to the "do something with the front wheel" approach like the PIC skate, but they tend to have strange mounting provisions that would require some work. Hockey frames are shorter and have normal ice-like mounting plates, but they assume a low-heel boot with the rise coming from the frame - but a shoe maker could easily reduce the height of a skate boot heel. Replacement frames such as the plastic Rollerblade Lightning style or the Roces MOW-R aluminum frames are available from some in-line mail-order outlets, mounting provisions and heel rise vary. Rinks Rinks come in all shapes, sizes, environments and ages. You will find everything from modern suburban rinks from the 70's to ancient rinks redolent of the "amusement park" atmosphere of the trolley car days. In urban areas you can find an assortment of rinks, from dance clubs to converted warehouses. As mentioned above there are around 2000 operating rinks in the United States. The geographic distribution varies quite a bit, in major metropolitan/suburban areas there are many rinks, both large and small, while in other rural areas, there may be not be any rink within a reasonable driving distance. For instance there are about 35 rinks within a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia, but some mid-western states have only a handful of rinks. How do I find a good roller rink? The starting place is the yellow pages, look under "Skating Rinks" and chances are you will find places you didn't notice or had forgotten about. Note that most rinks only pay for local listings, so if you don't find much in your "local" book, visit a library and check the phone books for surrounding areas. Also check the online rink directory on my web page at: http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller.html or contact the RSA or USAC/RS to ask about roller rinks and skating clubs in your area. You should also make a point of chatting with other skaters. Chances are that many of the more experienced skaters at your rink also visit other rinks occasionally and can suggest other rinks in your area that you might enjoy. Keep in mind that what happens at the rink is more important than what it looks like or even (to some degree) the condition of the rink. A good organist or DJ can make a world of difference. Give each likely prospect a fair chance and then settle on what works for you. In Europe the situation appears to be a bit different - most skating takes place in municipal rinks or multi-function sport/recreation centers. Some of these are simply multi-use gymnasiums or sport courts, some are seasonal ice/roller rinks and some are dedicated roller rinks. Since these aren't necessarily advertised as skating rinks, you should check with the regional sports/recreation council for recreational skating or with the national skating authority for competitive clubs. If you are planning on skating as a tourist or on business travel, doing some research in advance will save much frustration - you can't expect you local contacts to know about every obscure recreational activity in their area. Most tourist information services will be eager to help, but their knowledge may be limited or you contact may find listings for ice skating, but not indoor roller skating. Be patient and be prepared to ask again as you learn more. For example in France, skating in general is "Patinage" and you might ice skate at a "Patinoir", but a roller rink might be listed as "le Salon de Roller Skate. In some countries, such as England and Canada, the same sports organizations are involved in both roller and ice skating, others countries have separate organizations like the US. What about skating floors? Most skaters consider the best skating surface to be a tongue-and-grove maple/hardwood floor, with a well maintained polyurethane varnish (plastic) running surface. The ultimate in wood floors have an underlying resilient structure, which serves as a cushion or spring, but most rinks simply have the underlayment and wood floor sitting directly on a concrete base. Wood board floors are subject to a variety of faults and deterioration. The boards can warp, joints spread and high-traffic/high-fall areas will get dinked, resulting in an uneven rolling surface. Water damage or defects in the underlying floor can result in grooves, waves or even a roller coaster effect. For casual skating you can learn to live with many defects, but your general skating pleasure can only benefit from a well maintained floor. Floors based on sheets of particle board, plywood or masonite, usually coated with blue urethane plastic surface are also common, especially in newer rinks as the cost of hardwood becomes prohibitive. These can provide an excellent surface, but there are often cracks or ridges at the sheet boundaries and moisture or a deteriorating finish can ruin the surface. These are often recurring problems with no real permanent fix short of redoing the floor. Concrete or asphalt floors are also found, particularly in areas of temperature/humidity extremes, where hardwood is expensive, where a rink is a "low budget" conversion of some prior building space, or in a dual-use ice/roller rink. Usually the concrete or asphalt has an overcoating of blue or yellow plastic material to provide a smooth rolling surface, but you'll also find bare, painted or even linoleum tile surfaces. Basically the smoother the rolling surface the better, but these floors still have no give for landing jumps or falling. Floor maintenance is quite important. The surface should be kept smooth and clean. Ideally rinks are resurfaced at least once a year, but daily maintenance is also important. The floor needs to be cleaned daily and also swept after each kid's session to avoid accumulation of dirt, goo and gum. Not only do these gum up your wheels, but they tend to be very sensitive, making the floor shift from slippery to glue-like as the air temperature/humidity changes. Gum or foreign objects can also cause sudden falls - when a wheel stops spinning, the skate stops rolling and impact is only a moment away. When skaters refer to a floor as begin "tight" they mean one that is not slippery and provides good traction, while a "loose" one is slippery. There's no making everyone happy, most skaters expect a controlled amount of sliding and a sticky floor makes some moves difficult. When the tightness of the floor is determined by the surface finish and condition it's usually fairly stable, but when it's determined by a mix of dust and kid-goo, an inrush of humid air or temperature shift such as during and evening thunderstorm can cause a sudden shift from sticky to almost banana-peel slippery. Also important are the surfaces surrounding the main floor. The best arrangement is all wood, with wide areas or nooks that can be used for practice by beginners or when there's a "couples only" or other special skates. Linoleum or other hard surfaces are ok, but worn, dirty or creased carpets can be a real pain, since not only they fail to provide the intended safety effect, but they are still difficult to skate across and also tend to act like stamp-pads to transfer accumulated kid-goo onto your wheels. Narrow aisles with chairs, benches, steps or holes need to be treated with respect, since falling or losing your balance in such spots is far more hazardous than out on the skating floor. When skating over bumps, ramps, carpets or other obstacles, a scissored position with one foot leading the other is much more secure than having both feet together. What sort of sessions are available? Most rinks have sessions on different nights or early/late that offer music and atmosphere aimed at differing ages and interests. Usually, there is a xeroxed or posted schedule available which lists sessions, lessons, party rentals and other details. In other cases, the rink's listed phone number actually yields a taped message with hours and special events. Usually the afternoon and weekend sessions are aimed at little kids, while Friday and weekend evenings are aimed at teens. Adults often get stuck with the mid-week evenings sessions. Some rinks also have mid-week discounted family sessions sessions, cheap-skate or dollar nights, Christian music sessions, and mid-day stroller skate, aerobi- skate or coffee-and-donut sessions, and periodic "late skate" adult sessions. It is important to find a type of skating session where you can both enjoy yourself and feel comfortable. Many open sessions aren't too demanding, but mixing with smaller children who are careless, unheeding of basic traffic rules or slip by below eye level can be frustrating and painful. Sessions aimed at teen skaters may simply be too fast or agressive for your comfort until you gain confidence in your skating and dodging skills. Adult sessions may be relaxed, but the music may not interest or motivate you. The music selection at different sessions/rinks also varies quite a bit. The music is not just background - even if you are not involved in any sort of dance, the music played tends to determine the speed and energy level of the skating. What kind of music is available? Most of the youth oriented sessions offer what is described as "Top-40" music, but the content is skewed to include mostly skateable dance music and a fair amount of rap/hip-hop and other genres that today's kids seem to enjoy skating to. There may be some regional/urban differences here - emphasis or avoidance of rap, classic-rock vs top-40, etc. Usually the more rinks in the area, the more choices. Music for the "Adult" sessions tends to be better defined. A talented organist playing "traditional" skating music is a treasure, but not everyone can tolerate waltzes/polkas/marches all the time. Having an organist that can stretch to take in some pop or jazz helps, as does a visiting organist to add some variety. In the more contemporary mode, a good DJ who is in tune with the interests and capabilities of the skaters can also work magic. Musical styles may include oldies, 70's-disco, contemporary house, rap and club music or even "classic rock". Bad music consists of pre-recorded tapes from n-years ago played over a worn out PA system, DJ's or organists that are incompetent or aren't in tune with the skaters or simply play the same "favorites" night after night, year after year... What about these Hi-tech Sound and Lighting Systems? A rink needs to have an adequate sound system so that the skaters can skate to the music. This means that it should be powerful enough to deliver clean/un-distorted music at a level that can be clearly heard over the noise of skating and people having a good time. The bass response is important, since that's what provides the rhythmic impulse for skating, but the overall effect should be clear and not muddied. A sound system that isn't powerful enough or only delivers a tinny distorted mix can be downright irritating, though even "background music" is preferable to silence. Some rinks and DJ's go in for overkill - the kids like it, but volume at the threshold of pain doesn't really add anything to the skating and makes it difficult to socialize or give any kind of instruction on the skating floor. The DJ and rink manager should work together to come up with the best mix for a given session and there should be a mix of loud and quiet music in addition to fast and slow. Many rinks advertise "Hi-Tech" lighting systems, derived from the disco and club scene. Many of these fail to deliver, either being broken down or left on some un-imaginative "automatic" setting. Also, a lot of the effects don't seem to "work" that well in a rink setting, with a broad low ceiling and (hopefully) no clouds of smoke. Considering what this stuff costs, the layout is often marginal, with a row or two of "projection" devices down the center, a centerpiece and some fill lights around the edges. My gut feeling is that the projectors should be at the edges equally able to throw images on the floor, walls or ceiling and should also be able track along with or against the flow of skating, not just cross-wise. In reality, a "Low-Tech" system with 2-3 mirror balls each with a cluster of colored pin-spots and perhaps a strobe, and variable colored/brightness overall "mood lighting" is capable of delivering pleasing effects that don't interfere with skating. Some kind of "color organ" effect with chinese lanterns or a sequencer operating chase lights in time with the music can also be effective on some numbers. I kind of like strobe lights, but they should be low-powered and in limited areas, and only used sparingly since some individuals find them to be highly irritating or disorienting. What kind of rules are there? Most skating rinks have various placarded or posted rules of conduct, BUT enforcement varies. Just about all rinks try to prohibit gum chewing or candy since it inevitably ends up on the skating surface and carpets and presents a real hazard. Many rinks also prohibit smoking or restrict smoking to specific areas. Skating rules vary somewhat. Some rinks are effectively "anything goes", others prohibit backwards skating and "freestyle" moves or limit them to inside a line at the center of the rink area. If you are stuck with one of these rinks, see if there are alternate sessions or club activities allow more flexibility. More important is how fairly the rules are enforced. It can be quite frustrating when a skate guard blows the whistle on you, but allows the local rink rats to do the same or more extreme moves. Likewise, simple fast skating shouldn't be discouraged, but individuals or packs skating too fast for the safety of other skaters or engaging in horse-play should be effectively controlled or ejected. Also, anyone who appears to be intoxicated, out of their depth or fundamentally uninterested in skating with others should be dealt with promptly before they present a hazard to other skaters. On the other hand, when first visiting a new rink, give the skate guards a little slack. Often the guards (and other skaters) will be a bit critical until they've had a chance to asses your overall skating skills. This doesn't mean that you have to skate well, but rather that you're under control, considerate of the other skaters and are there to skate. Some rinks will allow in-line skates. There's no reason why not, since most current general purpose in-lines come with rink-safe plastic frames and non-marking brakes are available. Competent In-line skaters *can* mix safely with conventional skaters, so why not let them play too... Well, what about outdoor skating? While there is a lot of current excitement about outdoor skating using in-line skates, conventional skates are still quite usable for outdoor skating. Which type to use is a matter of choice, depending on what percentage of time you skate outdoors and whether it makes sense to deal with the feel of a different style of skate than you're accustomed to. Some outdoor races or promotional events are limited to in-lines due to sponsorship by the in-line manufacturers or narrow vision by the promoters, while others still include a mix of in-line and conventional skaters. While the conventional skaters aren't as likely to win, they can still have good time. You can use the same skates indoors and out, but as with most good quality sports equipment, you can get versions specialized for either environment. Outdoor skates will usually have have a rugged plate and boot, large soft wheels to absorb vibration and a healthy sized toe-stop. For really hilly territory, you can also get bolt-on rear brakes using the same concept as the in-line heel brakes (Sure-Grip "California Skate Brake" available from Skates on Haight). Equipment As with any sport, there are different grades of equipment available, ranging from "toy" quality sold in discount stores, to custom made/fitted professional quality equipment. Rinks also offer rental skates which may have been originally good-quality heavy duty skates and boots, but too often these are worn-out, broken-down or ill-maintained. If you do find a pair of rentals which you are comfortable with, note the skate number so that you can ask for or select the same pair each session - arrive early! With rentals, take a moment to evaluate them before you walk away to put them on. The laces should be long enough to catch all the holes, the wheels should be clean, only slightly rounded and spin freely, the trucks should have some flex, but no flop or free play. Beware of skates which look too good - brand new industrial strength boots aren't comfortable and new looking wheels sometime mark sucker skates with bent axles or other defects. You're paying - it's up the to rink to give you usable rentals. The beginning skater should avoid the cheapest "discount store" equipment. While the prices seem attractive for starting out, the skates may not fit well, roll well or last very long. Also, such equipment has negligible residual value - with good quality equipment you may be able to trade-in or resell the equipment as your needs change. The best course is probably to start with rental skates, taking some care to make sure you get ones in good condition and make sure that they fit well. After getting a feel for skating and deciding that you intend to stick with it, you can then justify spending $125-175 for basic utility skates with leather boots, solid plates and decent wheels. These skates can then serve for as long as you skate or you can upgrade them as your skills improve. When you buy skates, you can either specify the particular components and have the skate shop assemble them when they arrive or you can buy a pre-configured combination that is assembled by the manufacturer or distributor. Most skate shops don't display their complete range of skates, but they may have an illustrated distributor's catalog which will show the various combinations and components available. Take the time to talk to the shop attendant during a non-busy period, and make it clear that you are serious, but need help/advice before buying. Figure/Dance/Freestyle Skates Figure skates consist of a high leather boot, a "skate" consisting of a metal "plate" (frame), trucks supported by a rubber bushing that pivots when you lean (edge) the skates, and wheels with ball bearings on steel axles. These skates offer good ankle support and couple the motion of the feet/ legs/body closely to the skate. Boots Skating boots are high quality leather boots, with some specific features required for skating. The boots have steel shanks for arch support and reinforcement/padding in the heel and ankle area. They are intended to fit the foot quite closely and should be laced firmly. Different models are available for dance/freestyle/figure skating which offer varying degrees of support and flexibility. Beware of sticker shock - good boots are all leather, "hand made" in fairly low volume, with features specific to roller/ice skating. Economy boots may start at $75, beginners boots $125, better grade boots $180-250 and up. Special sizes may cost extra and also require special ordering delays. Please note that skaters are often told to get boots one-size or two-sizes smaller than their street shoe size. Don't take this literally - the only sure way to get the correct fit is to try the boots on, preferably in the company of a instructor or shop attendant that has some clue about how the boots should fit. Part of the confusion is that ladies street shoes sizes are 1-1/2 points larger than men's for the same size shoe, while I believe that skate boots use more consistent sizing - your choice of black or white. Boots typically last for several years, depending on how frequently they are used and the demands the skater places on them. It is most important to make sure they are allowed to dry between uses, and diligent use of polish and leather treatment may extend their useful lifetime. Repair or replacement of damaged leather parts is possible - check with your skate shop or search out an old-fashioned shoe repair shop. Lower quality boots come only in standard sizes, while the higher quality boots are available in half-sizes and alternate widths. Custom made and fitted boots are available for exact fit or unusual feet. Getting a good fit is quite important, since if the boots are loose your feet will move around and you will not feel secure, while if they are too tight or laced too tightly to compensate for a bad fit, they will cause pain or cramping. Good quality leather boots require a break-in period before extensive use, both to make the leather flex and to avoid serious pain/damage to your feet. Depending on the boot, this may mean limiting use to 1/2 or 1 hour per session, loosely laced, or damp molding, adjustment or stretching. Boots intended for advanced skating are much stiffer than regular boots and require correspondingly more time and care to break in successfully. The best known name in quality boots is Riedell - their model 220 is the standard good quality boot, while their model 297 "dance boot" offers a higher quality, supple boot, adequate for skater not planning on freestyle skating. Other models are available and note that ice and roller skating boots can be used interchangeably depending on preferences. SP Teri and Harlick offer equivalent boots that may be more readily available in some areas or shops. Hyde makes many of the heavy-duty rental boots. Chicago, Hartford and Pacer offer cheap ($50-$120) combination boot/skates aimed at kids and beginners. Riedell, Harlick, SP-Teri and others offer top quality or custom boots. RISport is a line of imported Italian leather boots ranging from economy to premium quality. Their advertised features are lightweight construction, scallops between the hook and eyelet section for flexibility and lacing closer to the toe than domestic brands. There have been some comments either way about quality or durability, but at a given price point, they are probably comparable to Riedell and other US made boots. Custom and High-end Boots As mentioned above, boots are available in many stock models and also in custom fitted versions, however the beginner - especially the adult in search of quality, must be warned that while higher priced boots are made a little better, they are also much, much stiffer. This is because an experienced skater who is going to be pounding multi-revolution jumps, for hours of practice each day, needs that kind of stiffness/support. For the beginner, the problem is that with the intensity and duration of skating they perform, the stiffer boot will not break in. If the boot doesn't break in, it won't bend, and if it won't bend, the skater can't master the essential basic elements of skating. A number of skaters on the net have admitted that buying high-end boots turned out to be a costly and painful mistake. For the beginner, the Riedell 220 or 320 boots are probably the best overall choice, successive models - Silver Star, Gold Star, Royal, etc. get progressively stiffer, with only minor changes in workmanship. The notable exception is the Riedell 297 "Dance" boot, which is a little less stiff than the 220, but of better construction, it makes a good general purpose boot and requires a minimal break-in period. Similar issues apply to the custom boots - the beginner should not even consider a custom boot unless they know that their feet are of unusual proportions. Not only is the cost hard to justify when the skater really isn't sure they'll be skating a year hence, the custom shops aren't used to working for beginners, and the boot is likely to be too stiff and tight fitting for the beginners comfort. As an intermediate level, note that each of the major boot manufacturers has their own idea of the "average" foot proportions and one may fit your feet better than others. Also, some manufacturers will allow you to "special order" boots in extra widths, with mis-matched right and left boots or with a wide-forefoot/narrow-heel differential. If, at some point in your skating career, you do decide to opt for custom boots, the process starts with taking measurements of your foot - either at a shop approved by the manufacturer, or via an appointment at the manufacturers facility. You then wait six weeks or perhaps longer for the boot to arrive and see how it fits. In some cases, it'll fit like a glove, right off the bat - in others, further interaction with the manufacturer or shop may be needed to make adjustments. Karen Bryden (karen.bryden@crc.doc.ca) provided a description of the measurement process: At the store in Ottawa where I bought them, a particular person was "summoned" to do the measuring. For each foot, they did a tracing on paper and wrote down a series of measurements which were shown on a diagram which came from Riedell. These included "circumferential" measurements around the foot at the first toe joints, three more measurements across the ankle joint (around the foot, heel and ankle) and another higher measurement on the ankle. There were three or so linear measurements where I stepped on the tape and they measured length and width of my foot at various points. They also had to make judgments on the height of my arch above and below my foot. When the boots came back and I tried them on in the store, they felt like plaster *casts*, they were so accurate! These folks know what they were doing! Plates The plate is the basic skate mechanism, usually excluding the wheels and bearings. Ideally it is light, rigid and rugged. The trucks, which hold the axles and wheels, ride on rubber bushings or cushions, which are available in different hardnesses. The cushions may require occasional replacement if they harden or split. Almost all figure plates are made from "forged" or "die-cast" aluminum, with the "forged" plates being considered more rugged and the "die-cast" light duty. Some low-end plates are "sand cast", giving them a rough surface character, these are generally heavy, rugged and suitable for rental or outdoor usage. Some "disco" skaters prefer reinforced plastic double-action plates like the Sun-Lite II mounted on figure boots, so they can be more "light-footed". Most plates come with the trucks pivoting on an axis relative to the plate of 70-80 degrees, while some top quality plates are also available with an angle closer to 45 degrees. The 45-degree angle works out better for dance skaters or speed skaters who take the corners at a profound lean, while the 70-80 degree angle is suitable for skaters who maintain a more upright posture. Most sources refer to the latter skates as having an "action angle" of 10-20 degrees, allegedly corresponding to the tilt of the kingpin from the vertical, but this turns out not to be the determining geometric factor. The hanger-bolt or king-pin which connects the truck to the plate has an adjustment to change the preload on the rubber bushings, which controls the stiffness of the pivoting action. The correct adjustment depends on the weight of the skater - it should be on the stiff side, but not so stiff that wheels try to leave the floor when the skater leans to turn. Most beginners are more comfortable with a rather stiff adjustment and then loosen up once they get the hang of it, but an adjustment that is too stiff makes it difficult for the skater to take advantage of the built-in "steering" of the skates, while one that is too loose will turn or wobble without any intended input from the skater. On most skates, there is a jam nut on the king-pin which must be loosened prior to adjusting the preload and then tightened afterwards. It is important to check this nut occassionaly, since a loose king-pin is more prone to breaking or falling out, which can cause an unexpected and very severe fall. Some skates also have an adjustable pivot point, which should be adjusted to compensate for changes in the cushion height that occur as you adjust the preload. Axles come in two sizes, 9/32" usually found on high-end skates and 5/16" for cheaper skates and rugged outdoor skates. The skates with 5/16" axles may also offer more clearance for bigger outdoor wheels, but the axles have coarser threads which makes precise adjustment of the bearings more difficult and usually allow more slop in the axle/bearing fit. The axles for the old style loose-ball bearings have longer threaded sections for mounting the inner bearing cones and there are sometimes several "grades" of axles in terms of material or hardness/heat-treament that fit a given skate or truck. Using bearing spacers to make a rigid bearing/axle stack can materially add to axle strength and help prevent bending in rough use. Note that axles and other skate components can bend or break on falls or other accidents - most skate shops carry an assortment of replacement parts, but you may wish to carry some spares and tools if you skate at rinks where the rink shop isn't always open during your sessions or is ill-equipped. Skate/Plate Manufacturers and Models Sure-Grip is the best known name in quality skate plates. Their product line includes everything from sand-cast rental plates to top quality forged aluminum plates. Sure-Grip also sells in-line skates, speed skates and a variety of other skating gear - some they manufacture and some is simply resold under the "Sure-Grip" brand name. The "Classic" plate is the top of the Sure-Grip line and nearly equivalent to the Synder "Super-Deluxe" at 1/3 the price. The "Century" model is somewhat cheaper, but lacks the adjustable metal pivot pin feature. Their "Competitor" plate seems to be an attempt at a lower-cost, lightweight artistic plate, still retaining the adjustable toe-stop needed for freestyle skating. Snyder is considered the top quality in US-made skates, but their skates are quite a bit more expensive than Sure-Grip and perhaps not quite as rugged. The most common models are the Super-Deluxe and Imperial (with a 45-degree action). These are also available in both Figure or Dance variants without provision for a toe-stop, and there is also a special figure-only plate and a "lite" freestyle plate with some titanium components. Their most recent designs are the "World Dominator" a light-weight die-cast plate similar to the ATLAS design, though this doesn't seem to have received much acceptance, and a new Triax artistic in-line plate. Note that Synder and Sure-Grip have a degree of common ownership and that Sure-Grip is involved in the manufacture and distribution of Snyder products, but for the skater's purposes it's simpler to consider them as separate companies with separate product lines, addressing different quality and price targets. LeBeda (Precision Sports) offers a "Pro-Line" plate, which is nominally a "Speed Skating" plate, but also has some popularity in Artistic Dance circles. This plate is machined from a solid aircraft grade aluminum extrusion and is strong, lightweight and nicely finished. While it doesn't have adjustable pivot pins, it does have a "micrometer" action adjustment similar to the ATLAS design and uses urethane, rather than natural rubber cushions. There is apparently also an "artistic" varient for dance or figures which omits provision for the toe stop. ATLAS and Star (Boiani) are quality Italian imports, with several models available though some skate shops and mail-order outlets. Both brands feature a click-stop action adjustment mechanism which separates adjusting the cushion preload from attaching the trucks. Each plate comes in a figure/dance model, without provision for a toe-stop and freestyle model with a top-stop mounting. ATLAS is also working on an "artistic in-line" plates, and each manufacturer also offers some recreational level plates. ATLAS plates seem to be considered the best currently available in competitive skating circles, though as mentioned Snyder and Pro-line plates are also common. The prices are all fairly similar and which to get is something best discussed with your coach. If your are considering one of these imports, make sure that the shop you deal with also carries replacement parts, since the European and domestic parts are generally not interchangeable, and you could end up waiting a long time for parts or repairs. Champ markets a line of US made plates which mimic the geometry and hardware details of the ATLAS and Star skates but have machined aircraft aluminum base plates instead of die-cast aluminum. Roller Derby is actually the largest skate manufacturer but their main product line is almost exclusively toy quality figure skates and low-end speed skates sold through discount outlets. The biggest failings of these skates are vinyl boots that offer inadequate support and don't breath, non-precision bearings that don't roll well and can't be adjusted, and generic plastic wheels of a compromise hardness that are too soft to roll well indoors and to hard for comfort outdoors. Roller Derby also sells a line of in-line skates, some of which are really good values, even if they're not the best in-lines on the market. Pacer is a brand name used by Roller Derby for their skates should through rink shops. They are basically recreational/beginner skates with die-cast plates and vinyl, man-made leather and leather boots with plastic soles. These skates may be reasonable choice for kids or uncommitted beginners or where the rental skates are an obstacle to progress. They are often the default skates offered when you go to a skate shop and say "I want my own skates"! The motto to keep in mind is - "you get what you pay for". Roller Derby also sells another line of quad skates which have a ventilated, molded plastic "boot", a separate padded liner and use an integral "torsion beam" axle suspension, rather than separate trucks. These skates are sold as rink rental equipment - it's easy to see that buying a couple hundred conventional skates with heavy-duty leather boots is an expensive proposition and these have fewer things to come apart and avoid problems with leather boots breaking down over time. The Tracer and Dazzle models are also sold through skate shops and similar models are sold thorugh discount stores. Dominion is a Canadian manufacturer of roller and ice skates, boots and components. The most commonly seen Dominion products in the US are the recreational/beginner skates similar to the Pacer Brand. Chicago used to be the major name in roller skates sold though rink shops. Their line ranged from mid-range recreational skates to among the best readily available at times. However, when they went out of business in the late 1980's, they sold the brand name to an importer, National Sporting Good Company, who is currently using the "Chicago" brand-name for a line of low-end quad and in-line skates sold mostly though discount stores. Because Chicago was the biggest manufacturer from before WW I though the last skate boom, there are a lot of used Chicago skates and plates floating around. There are several generations of designs and many models. Most aren't worth any special attention, but the more recent forged aluminum plates are comparable to Sure-Grip's current offerings and have fair parts commonality with Sure-Grip plates. If in doubt, ask someone at a rink who is familiar with the older equipment whether you're looking at something worthwhile. The Micro-Star 2500 (M&K Industries) was a precision plate designed to avoid the "failings" of the classic rubber cushion and pivot-pin design - the axles are actually yokes, each with two additional ball bearings that pivot on a special bolt supported at both ends by the aluminum keel of the skate. This design saw some success during the disco-skating era but apparently didn't make much of a mark in the artistic skating world. The above represents the current mainstream of skates, but there are other maufacturers/importers of low-end discount store skates. In the past there were a variety of manufactures competing with Chicago and Sure-Grip for a piece of the recreational and rink skating market, and there were also reasonable quality skates sold through private brand retail and catalog outlets, such as JC Penney and JC Higgins (Sears). There are also some quality skates made by English or European firms, but never widely imported into the US. You may also encounter the "Bi-Skate", effectively a two-wheeled in-line skate or the "RollerBall", a skate with two ball-shaped wheels at either extreme. These are actuall old designs revivied for the in-line era, but they may be more in the way of curiosities than great skates. The Bi-Skate is currently being touted as a Hockey Skate, while the RollerBall is being pushed as a "better" alternative to in-line or quad skates. Since it's being marketed on television via the Home Shopping Network and though some discount outlets, it's beginning to show up occassionally in the rink environment. There are also a number of "component" in-line frames which can be mounted on either regular or in-line style plastic boots, which have some popularity among disco or indoor/outdoor skaters. Wheels The standard wheels these days are polyurethane (a rubbery plastic) with various filler compounds. They are available in different diameters and degrees of hardness. The ones best suited for indoor skating are rather hard and may initially seem slippery - softer ones may initially seem to offer a better grip, but will require a lot more work to get around the rink. There are many wheel manufacturers and each offers a range of wheels for different purposes. Explain your intended use to the skate shop attendant or seek help from a skating instructor if you aren't sure which you want. The hardness of wheels is usually express in terms of a "durometer" reading of 70-101A. This is a reference to the standard measurement using a Shore Durometer, which is a device that indicates how far a given spring pressure will push a probe into the material. The "A" scale is most commonly used, although the "D" scale is occasionally used for some harder wheels. Wheels will gradually develop rounded edges, wear into a conical shape or develop flat spots. A well equipped skate shop can turn the wheels on a lathe or a special grinder to restore a better profile, though it's worth noting that abnormal wear is usually a symptom of some skating problems or habits you might want to correct. Wheels may occasionally need cleaning, especially if you skate a rink with a lot of sessions for children. Trying to scrape off eight wheels is an exercise in frustration - use a washcloth and warm soapy water, first moisten the goo and then rub it off. Bubble gum may scrape off easier if you put the wheel in your freezer and then remove the residue by rubbing with peanut butter or vegetable oil. The lazy way to clean wheels is simply to spill some water on a concrete, tile or other rough floor and skate in place for a few minutes...don't slip! Bearings Modern skates use cartridge style ball bearings (old ones used loose balls and races like bicycle bearings). There are two sizes, depending on the axle size, and numerous quality grades. The bearings are really just standard industrial ball bearings, repackaged for skate shop retail sale. For 9/32" axles they are type 627-Z, for 5/16" type 608-Z, usually with an AEBC-1 precision rating. Different manufacturers use different numbers but they all cross-reference. Good bearings will last for years, but need occasional cleaning and lubrication. The higher quality ones are open on the inside and have a metal shield on the outer side, so that once you pop them out they can be easily cleaned and re-lubricated. Older bearings or ones marketed for speed skaters sometimes omit both shields. They require more frequent cleaning and relubrication, though adding dust-cover washers helps protect them a bit. You can use either light grease or oil for lubrication. Oil may give slightly less rolling friction, but you must be dutiful about applying a tiny amount of oil on a regular basis if you want to keep the bearings in top condition. The oil also tends to attract dust to the hub area. The Synder dust-cover washers intended for use with loose bearings are also effective for keeping dust and grit further away from your bearings. The bearings are press fitted into the wheel hubs. Sometimes you can do this by hand, other times you need a bearing press to get them started and to insure that they sit square in the bore of the hub. The bearings are held on the axles with self-locking "Ny-Lock" nuts. The adjustment is a compromise between minimal drag and minimal free-play. With cheaper plates/bearings there's not much you can do, with top quality equipment like the Snyder plates you can get a very fine adjustment. Sometimes a star lock-washer is placed between the truck and the inner bearing to minimize wear on the aluminum truck and to provide a certain amount of give. With the softer wheels, an aluminum spacer is needed between the bearings to take up side forces. With harder wheels or wheels with aluminum or plastic hub inserts, spacers are not required, but can help provide the most precise roll and strengthen the axle assembly. Ask what arrangement is recommended for your wheels. If the axle locknuts won't stay in adjustment, or can be turned with your fingers, they should be replaced. Watching your wheel rolling away isn't pleasant and rinks don't like the gouge your skate will leave in the floor as you're going down... Toe Stops Skates come equipped with a rubber toe stop that can be used as a brake or like a ice skate toe-pick to assist in jumps and other moves. On the cheaper plates the stop is fixed, while on the more expensive plates it is on a threaded shaft or otherwise adjustable. While the white rubber "crutch tip" or "bell" versions are most common, these tend to harden over time - the grey Snyder or Sure-Grip stops work better and last longer. Usually the stop is quite large, but more experienced skaters who don't often use the toe stop can replace it with a more petite version. There are also plastic or rubber-dome "dance plugs" that aren't very useful as stops, but do fill the hole and prevent the metal parts of the skates from scraping up the floor. There is often controversy about which works "better" - the conventional skate's toe-stop or the in-line skate heel brake. The best answer is that each is probably adequate for its purpose. For indoor skating braking requirements are not severe and t-stops or hockey stops don't (usually) flatten the wheels. For outdoor skating, having a brake that can be used continuously for speed control on hills or as a quick/panic stop while retaining a forward/upright position is important. Laces, Socks and Pads... Even the little things count! The best laces are cotton, since cotton doesn't stretch much. Polyester or nylon laces tend to stretch as they get warm and absorb moisture, making it hard to find a single consistently comfortable lace adjustment. Some people prefer wide lace and some narrower once and some laces are even available in fluourescent colors or with metallic threads. An alternative for rugged use or outdoor skates is thin nylon "parachute cord". If the laces are too loose, then your foot can move around in the skate and the benefit of the ankle support is reduced. If they are too tight then your feet can cramp or pressure across the foot or downward on the arch can cause pain. Leave the top of the boot loose enough that you can insert a finger behind your ankle, otherwise you'll be abusing your achilles tendon each time you try to bend your ankles. Lacing patterns vary, with no clear advantage from one to the other. One trick worth remembering is that by crossing over the laces a couple times between eyelets to form an overhand knot, you can create a "stopper" that will let you lace one section tightly and another loosely. Looping the laces over and back around the hooks instead of just around from below with also help control tension. Laces should be double knotted. If they are too long, you can take a turn around your ankle, an extra pass around a pair of hooks or simply tuck the excess into the top of the skate. If the laces come untied or "fall off" the hooks, they can get tangled around or dragged under the wheels, resulting in a very abrupt fall. Socks should be fairly thin and without ribs or other irritating patterns. Some folks prefer cotton, which is fairly absorbent, while others prefer slicker nylon or polyester blends. I find that the "slippery" socks feel looser and then I tend to overcompensate when tightening the laces. There are also "hi-tech" double-layer hollow fiber, moisture wicking socks available, and I'd recommend these if you're breaking in new boots or are stuck with rental boots and want to avoid excess blisters. You can get pretty much the same effect just by wearing two pairs of thin polyester men's dress socks, or nylons/tights and a pair of thin trouser socks. Thick socks are best avoided, because while they offer some "padding", the compressibility effectively results in a loose boot fit. If you feel that you need thick socks, get your boots checked for proper fit! It's better to compensate with a thicker non-compressible insole than with thick socks. On the other hand, with rental boots, you have to make do with whatever comes close and bringing one pair of thin socks and one of thicker ones can help provide a "better" fit. Blisters are an occasional fact of life, especially when breaking in new boots. With proper fitting boots in good condition, correctly laced and with good socks, they should not be an on-going problem. Round pads are available for problem spots - you can also use grocery store "foot care" products, but watch out for the self-adhesive pads - they tend to wander around in the hot, moist skate environment, leaving a gummy snail trail. The primary cause of blisters is friction/rubbing and pressure. At some point this causes swelling and a release of lubricating fluid between skin layers, which bulges into a "blister". The more severe and prolonged the irritation, the more likely the blister is to grow and also involve deeper skin layers. When a blister "pops" the fluid lubrication between the skin layers is lost and more rubbing can cause further inflamation or bleeding, while tearing open the blister can also lead to infection. To minimize problems with blisters, you can reduce the pressure, reduce the relative motion of the foot and the boot, or provide an additional point for slippage beyond boot-sock-skin. In some cases tightening the boot actually helps, in others you may need a different boot or boot modifications such as stretching or "bumping out" to eliminate pressure points. Wearing two layers of thin polyester socks or nylons as mentioned above is also extremely effective at reducing rubbing, though in extreme cases, you may also need to tape or otherwise bandage the blistered area. Clothing Skating clothing has a number of functional requirements. It must allow an adequate range of motion for skating, be comfortable at the level of exertion involved, and offer some protection against friction burns when falling. If you can't do a deep knee bend or partial split without binding or something tearing you may have a problem. For males, the current loose fit styles or stretch pants are fairly effective, but make sure the pants either ride high or your shirt has a long tail... Generally you will want to wear fairly light clothes, except in chilly winter conditions, when some kind of sweat shirt or pullover helps for warmup. Polyesters should be avoided until you reach the "almost never fall" stage, since one fall can melt a big hole in whatever part slides on the rink surface. Fashion varies from rink to rink. At youth oriented rinks, everything is pretty casual - jeans, slacks or shorts. Ladies (contrary to the above) may go for skin-tight jeans or frilly blouses. At some rinks you may also see dance fashions, biker pants, spandex-plus, bare-midriff or catsuit styles. For adult sessions men still seem to stick with jeans, slacks or shorts, though you will see some in jacket and tie variations. Ladies are split between casual dress and skating skirts or costumes. These can be home- made or can be purchased from skate shops or individuals that visit rinks with their wares. Since I'm in the jeans crowd, I shouldn't pontificate matters of style, but some simple rules are: 1) Don't dress fancier than you skate. 2) Remember that 50% of your audience will be viewing you from the rear. 3) Consider that you may fall and split/tear something or end up bottom side up. 4) Skating is (eventually) great for the legs and rear, but don't rush it... Protective Gear Admittedly, most indoor skaters don't bother with protective gear, many even skate in shorts and short sleeves. There are some skaters however, that wear knee pads, either visibly or hidden under slacks, and other skaters may wear more gear or even a helmet when doing things that they consider "risky" or when recovering from an injury. The beginner should seriously consider wrist guards - you will fall and will probably try to catch yourself with your hands, which leads directly to the most common roller skating injury, a broken or sprained (hyper-extended) wrist. Some skate shops carry guards or they may be available as part of your rental equipment when taking lessons. You can get also buy separate wrist-guards or the full wrist-guard/knee/elbow pad in-line skating kit. The main reason many skaters don't bother with the gear is that, for an experienced skater, doing nothing special, falls are relatively infrequent and usually manageable. It doesn't always work out that way and injuries do occur. As a beginner you have to balance the benefit that protective gear can provide, in terms of reducing the cost and fear of falling and resultant negative impact on your progress against the image you'd probably like to present. If you show up in full ninja-turtle in-line regalia, you may get some comment or ribbing, but explain that you're just a beginner or that you hurt your whatever last time out and other skaters will understand. Speed Skates Indoor speed skates feature low-cut light weight boots, light metal or plastic plates and wide, high traction wheels. In theory they are intended for indoor short-track racing, i.e. how quickly can you lap the skating rink, however many young skaters simply prefer the low-cut boot style and use them for causal skating. Speed Boots Speed Boots are available from many vendors. They are low cut, have minimal heel lift and laces from the toe on up. The major players are Riedell and Oberhamer. Speed Plates Speed plates tend to emphasize lightness over other qualities. They are available in aluminum, magnesium allow or lighter glass fiber reinforced engineering plastics. Speed Wheels Speed wheels are generally wider than other indoor wheels and often have a traction tread pattern. The harder wheels are typically molded with a plastic hub, while softer compounds feature a (sometimes) replaceable tire on an aluminum hub. -- continued in part 2 of 2 -- ======================================================================== Copyright Notice: This material is Copyright 1994-1996 by George Robbins. Rights to reproduce or distribute via on-line services offering general usenet or internet access is freely granted, provided that such services do not impose contractural or copyright restrictions upon further free reproduction or re-distribution of the material, and that this copyright notice remains intact and visible. All other rights are reserved, contact George Robbins (grr@tharsis.com) regarding permissions.