New to inline skating

[wcc84tennis]

There's no skating class offered around my area. What do I do? I would say my balance is decent. But the learning center highly recommends a skating lesson. Would videos help?

[ephraim]

I started in-line skating without any lessons, just started cautiously. Most of my questions were answered by the FAQs at http://www.skatefaq.com, especially the one on braking and stopping.

[IW Staff]

A video is good if you can find one. We don't have one currently. We do have a book available on our site that covers a wide range of things like workouts and such...

http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?PCODE=FISB

I would recommend just starting out slow and safe and make sure you have protective wear. It's not something that you won't be able to figure out on your own, but lessons may help you get to where you want to be faster.

Good luck and happy trails. The site recommeneded above is a good one. Has all kinds of tips. Try not to over analyze though and just get out there on a nice flat smooth surface and tinker around. Learning by doing is a great way. Then go back to get tips on perfecting the things you seem to have trouble with.

Thanks for the post!

[chaosdsm]

Videos & books can be helpful to some people, but not all. If you typically learn well just from reading or watching instructional videos, then a book or video will probably do you some good. But bad habits are hard to break once you get accustomed to doing them. Try looking at local skate sites for other skaters who may be willing to help.

If you cannot find anyone to help out, & must go it alone, then DO: take it slow & easy, learn to stop before you learn to skate, wear full protective gear, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, helmet, & you might even want to get some "Crash Pads" shorts (sold at Inline Warehouse (http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=CP)), they'll provide cushioning in for your backside... From experience, I can say it ain't no fun sitting down after falling on your behind ;) DON'T: push yourself at the beginning, skate durring high traffic (foot, bike, skate, motorized or other) times if you can help it, let yourself be distracted, expect to become an accomplished skater overnight.

Some links that may help find instruction in your area:
http://www.freeskatelesson.com/
http://www.l8rsk8r.fatcow.com/ussg/inst_search.php (Skate Intructor search, some of these may not be free, but they are all certified instructors, hint: only put in your state of residence for best results)
http://www.icp-international.org/ (same as the USSG search but for outside the USA)

Also, if you live in British Columbia, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, or Washington DC, you can look to see if there is a "National Skate Patrol" chapter near you, although some of the chapters are disbanning due to disolusion of the IISA (parent of NSP) & restructuring of the NSP. Some of the chapters in larger cities have said they will continue without IISA support.

Other links of interest:
http://web.skatefaq.com:81/ as already mentioned (check out their skate buyers guide (http://web.skatefaq.com:81/buyingguide.html) if you don't already have skates)
http://www.inlineplanet.com/ tons of info for everyone from beginners to pros
http://www.getrolling.com/ (check out the "Start Here" section on the right)

Oh, & if you think you might be serious about skating (more than twice a month), you'll be much better off to buy decent equipment, & not the cheapest stuff you can find at the local Wal-Mart, Sears, Target, etc... You can find some killer deals on closeout skates here & (if you have one localy) at "Play it Again Sports".

Good luck & good skating

[BWI-Sheldon]

I started in-line skating without any lessons, just started cautiously.

Considering you are from the northeast, and your name, we might have a lot in common. As for a pretty decent speed skater myself, who skates 15 – 25 miles religiously 6 days a week, you could e-mail me for advice or skating tips.