InlineSkates.net

If you are interested in learning how to skate, are already skating and want to improve on your abilities, or you are interested in getting your child into skating, inline skating lessons are a great choice. Almost every major city has skating centers that offer classes that will help with skating technique and skater progression. Classes are typically available by age range, so you can certainly find something suitable for you or your child. Additionally, you can find the classes closest to you by searching for skating centers and classes in your area via the Internet. Here are a few links to help you get started, but understand that the Internet is filled with many sites to help you find instructors and classes.

 

http://www.skatelog.com/countries/us/inline-skating-instructors.htm

http://inlinenow.com/campsClassesLessons.htm

http://www.craigslist.com

 

If you’re a bit curious about the last listing, you should know that Craigslist.com is a great way to locate personal skating instructors at very affordable prices. Also, if you are an instructor who is looking for additional skating students, this is a great way to find them, as well as simply offer your services.

 

What to expect from an inline skating lesson?

 

Based on our experiences, a skating lesson is most effective only after you have spent time skating on your own. The reason for this is that when you skate on your own, you develop your own skating tendencies. When you begin your skating lessons, you will begin to learn the proper techniques and you will have something to compare your initial tendencies to. If you aren’t willing to lace up your skates and take a few spills before your lessons, you will not gain as much from your lessons. After you have made a solid attempt to learn to inline skate on your own, sign up for a lesson and start improving your abilities.

 

As far as how a skating less is administered, that is up to the instructor. Each instructor will handle lessons differently, but the concepts and techniques should be quite similar. The concepts and techniques, while similar, will also depend on the skill level you have. If you are a beginner, you will be instructed on beginner techniques. If you are at an intermediate level, you will learn some different techniques. And so on.

 

If you are going to your first lesson, you will want to make sure you show up a bit early to make sure you get your skates on comfortably, and that you can warm up to get the most out of your time with the instructor. At the start of you lesson, inform the instructor of the areas you would like to work on. If you want to work on balance, stopping, turning, or speed, let your instructor know in advance so they can focus on those areas when working with you.

 

During your lesson, you can expect to participate in a variety of drills, each designed to focus on many areas of your skating technique. Cone drills will be the most common because instructors can focus on speed, control, balance, turning, and agility. One the many benefits to cone drills is that they are easy to replicate on your own. Therefore, it is easier to practice on days when you do not have lessons.

 

Your instructor should be an expert on form and technique. Their expertise in these two primary areas should help your with skating faster and with more control. Your instructor should always teach proper form and help you become aware of correct and incorrect tendencies. This way you can begin correcting and analyzing yourself on your mistakes. Once you understand the proper execution of a maneuver, you will know how to fix any bad habits when you are working on your skating technique without your instructor.

 

For those who are not interested in skating lessons, but prefer the good ol’ fashion do-it-yourself techniques, you can find an abundance of information through skating sites and online skating forums. You can also find instructional videos in stores or possibly online through sites like YouTube.com. Finally, skate with friends because you can learn from one another by sharing information, this is not only helpful, but it’s fun too.

The best, safest, and most convenient places to skate are at your local indoor skating rink. These are indoor facilities provide a guaranteed great skating service, provided they are maintained correctly, and can be found across the United States. They offer a smooth, cool, and enjoyable place to skate, and are unlikely to present any surprises, so you will have one less thing to concern yourself with. Indoor skating rinks will typically offer lessons, have food, and offer many other services in addition to simply skating. All of these amenities can make your inline skating experience much more enjoyable. To find one of these rinks, take a look in your local directory to find the establishment closest to the area you live.

If you’re interested in skating outdoors, the places to skate are plentiful. Empty parking lots, the streets of your neighborhood, or tennis courts are excellent options. They offer low traffic (people and vehicles) and offer calm, relaxing skate outdoors. For additional fun, you may consider bringing a few cones to the parking lot or tennis court to set up your own obstacle or training course.

When skating in your neighborhood, we strongly recommend that you utilize sidewalks if, and where possible. Always watch for traffic, neighborhoods still have cars.

If you’re looking to become a tad bit more adventurous, we recommend seeking out the local parks, nature preserves, or rail trails in your area. These will usually have biking or running trails that are perfect for inline skating. The outdoors is a great place to gain experience, or fine tune your skating techniques. The paths located at such places are also great because they keep you safe from cars and other hazards that may present themselves in other outdoor settings. Printed guides are available for the best trails throughout the United States, most of which can likely be found on the Internet as well. A great online resource for finding trails in your area and other parts of the US is available at Traillink.com

Lessons:

Lessons are one of the many great ways to start enjoying the sport of inline skating. While it does require a financial investment, it will make learning how to inline skate much easier. Also, the faster you learn, the faster you can start having fun. Lessons are typically conducted at your local skating rink and are available for any age range.

Skating Clubs:

Many states have inline skating clubs that provide a great opportunity to meet fellow skating enthusiast and make some new friends. Each club or association that you find is going to different, but many conduct organized outings and/or trips. Here is a small sample of clubs and associations that exist across the United States.

Arizona

* Arizona Inline Skating Association – The AISA is a statewide skate scene for the state of Arizona. This association covers all styles with indoor, outdoor, recreational skates, speed and area club information.

* Skate Tucson - Home of the Tucson In-line Sk8 Club and is the host of the Cactus Classic inline speed skating race. They also provide information for the inline skating community in Arizona.

California

* As the Wheels Turn – A social roller skating club in the Bay Area with activities beyond just skating.

* California Outdoor Roller Skating Association – News, happenings, videos, events and results. This skating association is buxom with information.

* LA Beach Skaters – Great for Recreational and Speed Skaters. Skate up and down Venice Beach with the Sun, the ocean and all that comes with it.

* Los Angeles Friday Night Skate – A weekly skate group that offers outdoor skates and a dance party. Stake claim to being the loudest and most animated group skates in the world.

Colorado

* Denver Inline Skate Club – A recreational and fitness club that meets for both city and trail skates.

Florida

* Beach Bladers of South Florida - Weekend skating trips, parties, marathons and clinics.

* Central Florida Trail Bladers – A variety of skating styles, from inline recreational, trail, urban, slalom, fitness, speed, and marathon skating. All skater levels welcome.

* Palm Beach Skate Club - Club which meets weekly for fitness and speed training skates at Dyer Park. Show up with your gear and skate.

* SkateTampa.com - Events, News, Where to Skate, links, and more about the local skating scene in the Tampa area.

* The Sunday Bladers - Group of social skaters who meet occasionally for a Blade and Brunch.

Georgia

* Atlanta Peachtree RoadRollers - Participates in outdoor recreational group skates, night skates, instruction and racing. Offer mailing list, event calendar, links, and more at their website.

Illinois

* Thirsty Dog - Features what’s happening on the local Chicagoland skating scene with schedules, news, photo gallery and related links.

Kentucky

* The Louisville Masterbladers - Inline fitness club born from a local aerobics class. Provides schedules, locations, tips, and information.

Maryland

* Rollerquest - A non-profit inline skate and ski organization. Rollerquest encourages a friendly, social atmosphere, as well as providing a competitive training atmosphere for those whose goals are to improve technique, endurance and skill in either sport

Massachusetts

* Inline Club of Boston - Covers the New England area of recreational and competitive skating events. Events, calendar, and an assortment of other information is available.

Michigan

* Farmington Inline Skate Club – Group of all level recreational skaters who skate weekly looped courses.

Minnesota

* Minnesota Inline Skate Club – A club of inline skaters mostly from the Twin Cities but expanded to include the rest of Minnesota (and even parts of Wisconsin). They welcome inline skaters of all abilities to their weekly skating events.

* Northern Inline Skaters – Competitive and non-competitive inline skaters welcome. A nice local trail list with photos and a listing of events.

New York

* Empire Skate Club - Recreational outdoor and competitive speed skaters. Routinely updated event calendar.

* Wednesday Night Skate – An organized weekly skate group that skates the streets of New York City.

Ohio

* Columbus Inline - An informal meeting of people who like to skate using inline skates. All participants are welcome to attend.

Pennsylvania

* Landskaters Inline Skate Club - Purpose is to promote safety, fun and learning for experienced inline skaters and newcomers alike. They offer group skates, city skates, and night skates several times throughout the week.

* Three Rivers Inline Club - Sponsors recreational fitness skates 6 days a week for skaters of diverse skill levels. Formed to encourage and promote the sport of inline skating.

Texas

* Pegasus Flyers – Offer skating activities for speed and recreational skaters on various days throughout the week.