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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.

Your skate bearings are one of the major components of your skates. And in the world of inline skating there are two main types of bearings that dominate the marketplace: ABEC and Swiss. ABEC and Swiss bearings dominate in the marketplace not because they are brands, but rather these two bearing types dominate in the marketplace by classification. In fact, many bearing manufacturers will produce both ABEC and Swiss rated bearings. The biggest questions that exist between the two are:

1.) What’s the difference?

And

2.) Which is better?

The answer to the first is rather simple. ABEC, an acronym for Annular Bearing Engineering Committee, refers to the perfection of a bearing. Historically ABEC ratings have been used to grade the quality of a bearing and the smoothness of the polish. According to the ABEC rating system, the higher the ABEC rating a bearing receives, the more efficient the bearing will operate. The more efficient the bearing operates, the faster speeds it is capable of producing. Presently there are 5 classes of ABEC ratings:

• ABEC 1 – Class 0
• ABEC 3 – Class 6
• ABEC 5 – Class 5
• ABEC 7 – Class 4
• ABEC 9 – Class 2

The above ABEC ratings correspond with the stated class above as measured by the International Organization for Standardization.

The Swiss bearing came long after the ABEC rating system. The primary difference between the Swiss and the ABEC are the standards for which they are rated on. The Swiss system takes into account not only the smoothness of polish on the bearing, but also the entire assembly of the bearing itself. Swiss argues that their rating process and the bearings they produce roll faster and shed debris with less maintenance.

Simply put, the difference that exist are in the standards used to rate the bearing. A Swiss bearing utilizes the same rating for smoothness of polish, but adds the process as a whole to its ratings process.

When making a decision to purchase a new set of bearings for your skates, your decision should be based on what you plan on using your skates for. Swiss bearings, while easier to maintain are generally more expensive. Out of the box, they also tend to be a bit slower, based on our personal opinion. However, if you plan on skating very frequently and in long stretches, or even marathons, the speed of a Swiss bearing will be beneficial for you in the long run.

ABEC bearings are generally less expensive and will be faster out of the box. However, ABEC bearings tend to be more susceptible to debris which can cause friction inside of the bearing itself, and make them less efficient. If you are a recreational skater who skates occasionally, you may not need to spend the extra money on bearings. Instead, educate yourself on bearing maintenance to help extend the life of your ABEC bearings.

Bearing Lubrication:  Oil or Grease?

Regardless of the type of bearing you decide to purchase, you will need to select the proper lubricant to service your bearings and help its performance. The two most common types of lubricant that you will be considering are oil and grease. Both work effectively, but each has its own pros and cons given a situation.

Oil is much thinner than grease and as a result creates less friction inside of the bearing. The less friction that is present in-and-around your bearings means the bearing can rotate faster, making your wheels rotate at a faster rate, allowing you to accelerate faster, and maintain speed longer. Unfortunately, the high viscosity of oil does a poor job of keeping dirt and dust from entering the inner parts of your bearings, potentially creating large amounts of friction if not serviced routinely and correctly.

By comparison, grease based lubricants offer the opposite effects on wheels and bearings. Grease is thicker than oil, which creates more friction for the wheel and bearings. This makes a grease lubricant inferior to oil in respect to speed. From a positive standpoint, grease lubricants are the perfect choice to protect the bearing from water, dirt, and dust. This allows the bearing to go for longer stretches with less friction from these elements.

The bottom line when it comes to bearing lubricant is that you want to consider how often you are going to be using your skates, and how often you will be able to flush the bearings and re-oil or re-grease. If you are buying a skate and want low maintenance, you will probably want to get a grease based lubricant. However, if you are buying a skate for aggressive uses like hockey or speed skating, and you plan on taking good care of your skates, then an oil based lubricant is the better selection. No matter which lubricant you select, remember that you do not need much at all. A couple of drops of oil based lubricant or a dab of grease should get the job done on each bearing.

One of the great things about inline skating is that it is an activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family. And let’s just face it, today’s world moves very fast, and sometimes the time you have to spend with your family just seems like it is too little. Inline skating is the perfect choice to get your family together and spend some quality time.

If members of your family are a bit hesitant or skeptical about how much fun they can have, here are a few things to help you get them excited to pick up the sport.

First, learning to skate is easy to learn and you can skate almost anywhere. It is a low impact activity that helps increase flexibility, reduces stress on joints, and allows you to keep active.

Second, it can be fun for the whole family, and be more than just people skating. One of the great things you can do with inline skating is be creative and devise some games to play. Of course you can also take classic games such as tag, hide-and-go-seek, and basketball and adapt them to inline skating. Aside from these classic games, you can also play some others. We have provided a few below that you may like.

-          Beginner Games –

Koosh Ball Scoop: For this game you will need some Koosh balls, or other easy to grab, non-rolling targets. To play, scatter the Koosh balls around the area you plan on playing. Once they all have been scattered, skaters will skate around trying to pick them up, placing them in their or their team’s respective bin. The person/team who gathers the most wins.

Red Light! Green Light!: Another classic game turned into loads of skating fun. This game is perfect for helping beginner skaters with the critical skill of stopping. All players line up side-by-side at one of a skating area while a “cop” call out commands of Red, Yellow, or Green light. On green light, all skaters move forward. On yellow light, skaters glide/coast in preparation to stop. At red lights, all skaters come to complete stop. Any person who violates must start over.

-          Intermediate Games –

RoadRunner vs. Coyote: Begin by drawing a chalk line on the pavement where you are skating. This line will represent the “edge of a cliff”. Skaters will take turns skating as fast as they possibly can towards the “cliff”. As they make their approach a whistle is to be blown, indicating the skater to stop. If they can do so before going off the “cliff,” they are considered the RoadRunner. If not, they are a Coyote. As skaters get better at stopping before the “cliff,” wait longer before blowing it.

Skating Waiter Relay: Many skaters have difficulty keeping their upper body erect and their arms under control when skating. This retro-themed relay race will help remedy that problem. Divide skaters into teams, giving each team a tray and a water bottle to balance on top of it. A whistle signifies the beginning of the relay and each team member must skate to a cone and back without dropping the bottle. They must then hand the tray and bottle to the next teammate. The race ends when all team members of one team cross the finish line.

-          Expert Games –

Cone Slalom: Using a cone of any sort (plastic bottle filled with sand, milk jug, Frisbee, etc.) invent a course to skate through. Skaters must maneuver through the course without knocking over any cones in the fastest time.

It is no secret that ankle support and control are essential characteristics for successful power transfer and stability control when inline skating. If your ankles are loose and not firmly positioned to the heel of your skate, it will make any skating experience less enjoyable. Every skating manufacturer tries to develop a system that will help to firmly position the foot in place and maximize power transfer and stability. One of the systems that has been developed is the Power Later Support system, or PLS.

Developed by Rollerblade, the PLS system works in tandem with the TFS lacing system. In case you are not familiar with the TFS lacing system, the TFS uses a thin, very durable wire to cinch the foot in place with uniform pressure. It is very simple to use and employs the use of a handle that is attached to the tension cable. One pull, and the entire lacing system begins to tighten and apply uniform pressure across your foot. The PLS system makes use of the TFS system’s ability to position the foot uniformly by providing a support that wraps and cradles the heel of the foot. The PLS system is different from older support technologies because it provides uniform support for both the heel and the ankle, while providing more flexibility and a customized fit. If you are looking for a way to maximize energy transfer and increase foot stability, check out skates with the PLS system.

When it comes to skating large hills even the most advanced skaters still find them to be a daunting challenge. Maintaining speed, control, and having the ability to stop are some of the items that tend to prove difficult. Hopefully this blog will provide you with some useful tips to make the task a bit less challenging. Now we normally love to provide advice, but in this instance we are going to defer to one of the skate industry experts. This blog is inspired by highly regarded inline skating coach and author Barry Publow. Mr. Publow is the author of the books, “Speed on Skates” and “Inline Skating: The Science of Speed.” Each of which is well respected within the inline skating world. The following tips are based from these publications and will hopefully turn those nightmarish hills into exhilarating thrill rides.

Stability

Okay, this one seems a bit too obvious, but the importance of maintaining stability on your skates is magnified when cruising down a hill. The key to stability is what Barry calls “tensed-relaxation.” Tensed-relaxation means that you keep a relaxing composure while consciously contracting your muscles to stabilize your ankles, knees, and trunk. Additionally, you need to be prepared for a bump or push in any given direction. Since your speeds will be higher when going down a hill, the bumps and pushes will come much faster, meaning you need to be prepared at any and all times. Basically, when skating down a hill you will need to be in what is referred to as “defensive” or “athletic” position. Keep your body low and your muscles engaged in anticipation for a move in any direction.

Braking

Braking when going down a hill is much easier said than done. The reason for this is that once you have reached a high level of speed, braking difficulty is increased because it affects your stability. When braking down a hill you need to approach it one of two ways. The first approach is to view the hill with the mindset that it is large and that you do not want gather much speed. If you elect this approach, begin braking near the top and apply constant or consistent braking spurts of pressure all the way down.

The second approach is that you desire to coast the entire hill and maintain speed. If this is your approach, beware that once you reach a certain speed (which varies depending on your comfort level) you can no longer brake. This speed may not be reached on every hill, but you will reach it if it is considerably steep or long. In this case, you will want to coast the length of the hill and wait for your speed to decrease towards the end. Once you decrease to a comfortable speed you can then engage your brake to slow yourself.

Stamina

You may not think that stamina has much to do with skating down a hill. However the exact opposite is true, in fact it requires quite a bit of energy due to the constant flexing and relaxing of muscles. The constant flexing and relaxing of muscles is necessary to maintain balance and stability, and it can be quite tiring. In order to maintain energy for upcoming hills, do not contract your muscles too tightly when skating or coasting because the constant tension will make you fatigue much faster. Relax when you can and maintain your energy when you really need it. And remember, if you feel yourself becoming very exhausted, do not overexert yourself. Save the big hill for tomorrow if necessary.

And For the Advanced Level Skaters…

Aerodynamics

If you’re an advanced level skater you are likely to be well-versed in skating hills…even though they can still be a challenge. When it comes to tackling hills, aerodynamics can be a key contributor. If you are not worried about keeping your speed up when cruising downhill, you don’t need to worry about aerodynamics. But if you like to try and carry your speed as far as possible you’ll find aerodynamics to be your best friend.

In order to maintain an aerodynamic position and keep your speed up, maintain a “deeply-seated” position with the head and shoulders at or just below hip level. Also, keep your hands in front of you in a stable or clasped position. This will help improve stability and reduce wind resistance.  This position is commonly called a “tuck”. If you have every skied before this position will be familiar to you. If not, just know that it is the same position you see skiers going into when they want to maximize their speed.