How long does it take to learn how to rollerblade?

Question

I have asked this before, but i like to see more people tell me how long it took them. So how long did it take you to learn, or regularly how long to learn before u can skate without falling so much?

also, i cant ice skate, but i can on the 4 skates that arent rollerblades pretty good.

Answer 1

It took me three tries of about 20 minutes each practicing in my basement before I was ready to skate outside. I never did fall, but I never learned to stop, either. I just grab a stop sign or skate into grass when I need to stop.

Answer 2

Learn To Rollerblade

Answer 3

Having a background with quad skates (the older style roller skates) will help a lot.
From a falling viewpoint, you shouldn't backtrack much.

The big difference is that once you become comfortable on the inline skates enough to forget the difference is that you might forget that the brake is not on the toe. Fortunately, I was not in panic stop mode when I did that. It feels really funny to put your toe down and keep rolling.

My first dozen times or so were indoors. No falls.
About one or two falls per year in my first years outdoors. I was stretching my skills and skating in more challenging areas.
I had skated for one winter on ice about 30 years earlier and once or twice a year on quads. Since the first place I was on inline skates really has little turning and low skill needed (www.roller-dome.com), I was comfortable on inlines within 20 minutes.
Stopping was the big surprise outside. I needed to learn to stop well and the safety of the dome had not prompted me to learn.

Get a helmet and wrist guards as a minimum.
Expect that your hands will slide on the ground if you fall and the wrist guards mainly keep the skin intact.
The head doesn't hit the ground often (not yet in my 14 years of skating) but when it does (a few friends have) it can be anything from a headache for an hour, 6 months, or death. (I know people who have been at each of those levels without a helmet).
If you are more cautious, go for knee pads and finally elbow pads. You can usually get a kit with the three pad types relatively inexpensively.
Any reasonable bicycle helmet is good for recreational/fitness/race skating. If you are going to skate backwards or be doing stunts a multi-sport helmet will have more protection for the back and lower sides of the head.

Inline skates are a little pickier on skate fit than quads. You want them to become part of your feet.

For braking, the trick is scisoring your feet so that your braking skate is completely ahead of the gliding skate.
You will need to bend your knees to do this well.
That will let you get your weight pushing through the braking heel, which is what you need to stop.

If you are more acomplished on quads, you may already be able to do crossovers easily. Just remember that the inlines are longer and you have to take that into account when doing it. Don't listen to anyone who says you have to remove the brake to cross over. I have 13.5" (distance between front and rear axles) 5 wheel frames on my skates plus a brake and can crossover safely.

After 5 years of skating regularly, I was volunteered to help a friend (certified instructor) teach beginners. We met early to go over what he was going to teach so that I would know what I should do. I was amazed at how much I didn't know about inline skating and improved a lot from having that lesson.
If you can find a local club, there are probably people who can teach you the full bank of skills and help you avoid the common bad habbits.

Answer 4

to tell yu the truth i don't remmeber when i ever used 4 wheels. i always used in-line skates. and i'm going ice skatign for the first time next week i'm soo scared ! but i never remember struggling to try not to fall with skates.

Answer 5

to me... it takes me about 30min to 1 hour.... at first i'm grabbing something and start moonwalk in the same spots to enable myself to use to it first... then i start to roll front slowly to practice my balancing... after that try to kick one side to roll front faster... after that both leg can control speed.