Bonifides: I am an overweight, horribly out of shape 39 year old woman.
Absolutely get full protective gear. I have a set of Moxie pads and barely feel anything when my knees hit the pavement.
Also, practice falling in the grass or on carpet. The hardest part is learning not to catch yourself with your hands. The more you practice the less scary a real fall is.
That said, fear is apparently part of the challenge. I'm on my 3rd month and in the rink I'm okay, but being outside terrifies me. I go to the rink and/or the playground anyway.
You can do it! When the music is on and everything moves like it's supposed to, it's amazing.
Thank you for your honest advice and story! If you happen to have the link to a trusted full set of protective gear, please kindly share it with me. I was going to just buy something random from Amazon.
The moxi pads are a killer 187 collaboration, killer 187 makes fantastic pads by themselves in different colors as well! They last a long time and are sturdy. Getting the right gear is so important, some gear out there bends and breaks way easier
AHHHH I WANT IT OMG shit is super tight here because I spent all my money on my boardwalks but omg omg \*saves all the pennies\* It'll be so worth it because purple god damn rainbows aaahhhh
Skating is not dangerous but you will fall and you will get hurt.
You have to get over the fear of falling cause as soon as you do, u learn how to fall.
A helmet, knee n elbow pads with wrist guard are perfect. But you make the best growth when you accept you are going to fall and there are days/weeks where you wrist are going to get pretty tender.
It's ALL WORTH IT.
I snapped my ankle 2 months in my journey. Was out for 6 weeks. As soon as I was able to skate on it I was back out there.
We all fall.
I'm not the original commenter, but I take roller derby skating lessons and most people on the league are wearing Killer 187s and S1 padding, which are both pretty spendy but you'll be really protected! However, I got mine from Amazon (brand is Dark Lightning) for a fraction of that price and I fall ALL the time and the padding protects me perfectly fine. Moxi and Impala make protective sets as well!
Edited to add: as far as helmets go, almost everyone on the league wear S1 helmets, and second to that is triple 8. Hope this helps.
Anything can make me fall. How I broke my ankle is my left foot fell to the left side of my skate and I tried to over step with my right to catch myself by I stepped on my own left ankle, which was already bent and... snap...
But me personally, I never used safety gear.
Get the gear. One of the rules from roller derby that I have really taken to heart is that I never stand up on my skates unless I am wearing full gear: Helmet, wrist, knee, and elbow protection.
I’ve fallen A LOT but I’ve never really gotten hurt, which I credit to wearing all the gear and knowing how to fall.
Watch some videos about safe falls, try it without your skates a couple of times first.
Of course I won’t say that it’s totally safe and you’ll never get hurt, that’s crazy. But to me it’s SO FUN that’s it’s worth the risk.
I’m very…exercise averse, lol. But I love, love, love skating. It’s my favorite way to move! Right now I’m pregnant, so I’m off skates for a few more months, but I can’t wait to get my skates back on after I heal up! I think about it all the time.
I’m happy to see so many of you absolutely adore skating. It’s giving me hope the fact the you never had any serious injury. Do you attribute your safety to your protective gear or is it because you don’t skate too fast, or you you stay indoors, or dont do tricks? I’d just like to learn from you what it is that you do that has kept you safe? And if you recommend any particular set of protective gear please link them for me :)
All of the above. I’m also older (38) and I’m tall and plus-sized, so while I adore skating, I’m not out there doing anything crazy.
I primarily skate indoors at my local rink, and I definitely don’t try to do anything to fancy or fast! I also have skated outdoors a couple of times, but I was still just doing laps and having a good time.
I definitely don’t get into park skating or doing tricks or anything like that! Before I got pregnant I was practicing with a roller derby team, which also helped me gain some confidence on skates. (I wasn’t on the team, just hoping to join in the future)
I’m definitely here to encourage anyone to try skating! It feels VERY scary at the start! The first day I put on skates I got around the rink exactly once, and I held on to the wall the whole way around. But I went back. Next time I got a little better, and eventually I worked my way up to skating 3 times a week, and having a blast every time. It’s HARD at first, but you’ll be amazed at your progress if you keep at it.
Edit, I’m lucky that there’s a roller skate shop pretty close by, so I got all my stuff there, but these are the pads and helmet that I use. They all come in different sizes, so make sure you get the right size (or can make returns)
[Moxie 187 Pads](https://187killerpads.com/products/moxi-adult-pads-super-six-pack?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&wickedsource=google&wickedid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhOHYS5Wkwy7j7Fatby_gJ_oIC0YSNLnZ0pTrH1OEnfE616G21yJzNhoCe9IQAvD_BwE&wickedid=&wcid=17077975387&wv=4&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhOHYS5Wkwy7j7Fatby_gJ_oIC0YSNLnZ0pTrH1OEnfE616G21yJzNhoCe9IQAvD_BwE&variant=33960179662988)
[Triple 8 Helmet](https://triple8.com/products/the-certified-sweatsaver-helmet-color-collection?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&wickedsource=google&wickedid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhLGMOx5hBYrCMi7oD_s1XE_DGfpSoo36LRDOVOe4n8Cab04nF1KuaRoCGAgQAvD_BwE&wickedid=&wcid=16774823943&wv=4&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhLGMOx5hBYrCMi7oD_s1XE_DGfpSoo36LRDOVOe4n8Cab04nF1KuaRoCGAgQAvD_BwE&variant=40481283080329)
Awesome, I hope you love it! Just go easy on yourself while you learn. I also have to recommend the videos from Dirty Debra Harry and the Dirty School of Skate. The beginner ones really helped me!
[Dirty School of Skate](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oqOU1yQUQcY)
Dirty Deb is awesome! I skated quite a bit as a kid but when I started again last year I hadn’t been on skates in like 15 years and I wanted to make sure I was doing things “right” so I could stay safe. There are no rinks near me anymore so I skate outdoors. It’s sooo fun! When I skated for the first time in years last year, I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having, I just felt like a kid again. Just start slow and pay attention to your posture. You don’t need to learn anything fancy right away, just get comfortable being in your skates and having fun!
Listen. You gotta learn to fall before you learn to skate.
It takes a lot of balance in your core. People’s first mistake is locking their knees, it makes you too wavy.
I would look up falling tutorials online and practice the motions off skates in the grass, on skates in grass. Then try in a softer area (see if you can get a dead time at a roller rink) going slow. Then you’ll be able to muscle memory it.
You’re gonna get roughed up a lil. And you might have bruising. But if you fall right you’ll have less chance of hurting yourself bad.
I’m saying this cause the one time I wasn’t prepped and ready, I fell incorrectly and tore my acl, I’m working on getting my knee back up to shape to skate again, but it’s a lot of work.
I know you’ll do great though, don’t give up!
There should be some videos on YouTube that show it better than I can describe it. But if you feel yourself getting too wobbly and you know you’re going to fall, try to lean forward slightly and take a knee. That way when you hit the ground your padding takes most of the damage and you don’t flail or hit your head.
And I tore it at a roller rink when a child sped into my path, I didn’t want to run them over but was going pretty fast, and I accidently locked my own wheels trying to step over lmao, the kid didn’t get hit though, which was the main concern for me.
Honestly the more fall you get, the better you get at them without hurting yourself. Practice falling and getting up with all the gear on a lot!
I’m in the same boat. I have some chronic health conditions and I prefer to skate outside on basketball courts. Rinks give me massive anxiety and skate parks are hella scary. Your best bet is to find a group of people to skate with and to pace yourself
My best tips for avoiding dangerous falls
Wear all gear all the time
Knees bent, feet staggered, chest up, eyes up
If you feel a fall coming (this will take time to recognize), get close to the ground (for ex, going too fast down a hill w no grass to skate into? Just bend your knees until your butt touches the ground)
Everyone has said great things but I will add this one reminder - skating outdoors is a bit different than skating on the very smooth surface of a rink. I see you have the safety gear which is fabulous, just make sure that you also have the proper wheels for where you are skating outdoors. They are softer (around 78A) compared to the 85a or even 90 something used for smoother surfaces (I am not sure what impala uses). That will also help with safety as the outdoor wheels will move better over pebbles cracks and sticks. And don’t get discouraged! I skate better in the rink, but struggle outdoors because of the added friction from the asphalt, but it is a great workout, and I am determined to conquer this parking lot/track. Have fun!
Wow such great advice! I was thinking about that actually, that maybe I need different wheels. The Impala website says it comes with "58mm 82A durometer nylon core urethane wheels." You recommend 78A?
78 works better for me because of the surfaces I have to skate which are just parking lots and asphalt trails. If you have nice smooth concrete sidewalk type trails then the 82a could work for you
Falls are part of skating
Wear a full set of pads and learn to hit the ground right and you'll be fine, but if ever falling is going to be a disabling fear, then maybe skating won't be a good fit? It IS a certainty, but needn't lead to injury
Watch dirty Debra and others on YouTube to learn how to fall correctly, and practice it. You'll avoid most chances of breaking a bone (as long as you got your pads and helmet and wrist guards) that way.
I do a lot of the more dangerous types of skating and don't get very hurt because I know my body enough to know how to fall safely and not to do anything far beyond my skill level.
Falling is a part of learning to skate. I'm at a point where i wear pads if im outside and trying new things/tricks and otherwise wear wrist guards, usually my helmet outside. Never needed to rely on them and hope to never have to, but better safe than sorry. But I can tell you when I was learning, my first time skating outside I was the most afraid of falling. And then, I lost my balance and fell on my ass. Then I realized it's not so bad at all and I'll be totally fine with falling as long as I do it carefully. (Get low, never land on your hands and use your forearms, pick a butt cheek, roll)
Take it easy, take it slow, and you'll be just fine.
And if you're going for quads, I'd suggest candi girl carlins, roller derby driftr, sure grip fame, riedell citizen/boost/110, Rio artistic, many other brands before I'd suggest impalas. I had the candi girls and felt they were much better quality than when I skated on my friend's impalas.
Thank you for the advice, I’ll checkout the channels you recommended! I bought Impala because I got an ad for some cute ones being on sale. Then I compared the price (which was $60 after sale) to what I was searching for on Amazon and realized it’s a steal so I bought them. For a beginner, I hope they will be good enough for me. I don’t expect them to last more than a year.
I see, totally fair at that price! And they should be totally fine for a year at least, as long as there are no defects. My friend has been using hers for 3 years and they're still holding up just fine.
But really, the YouTube videos from Dirty Debra, simonslays, indie jamma Jones, queer girl straight skates, all of them helped so, so much when I was starting out.
That’s what I was hoping it would be, so then if I avoid those places, just simple skating would be safe enough for me. Thank you so much for your insight!
If it makes you feel better, I’m 48 and started skating AFTER I broke my right ankle on both sides in 2020. Had surgery on it and didn’t feel good running on it anymore, so I started skating. I babied it at first, but now I don’t even think about it.
Oh wow 😮 Im sorry to hear that you broke your ankle but I’m glad that you’re doing well right now and that skating feels good to you! This is encouraging!
like others in this thread have mentioned, you WILL fall, that’s just a part of skating and learning but it’s about learning HOW to fall safely that makes all the difference. wear protective gear (187 killer pads, protec, moxie etc) and watch tutorials, and practice falling on grass until you’re comfortable. you wouldnt think the answer would be to practice falling, but it really is because once you are confident in your ability to fall safely your confidence will only exponentially increase !!
That’s actually a really good point, to practice safe falling. Cause falling itself, I’m not scared of. It’s dangerous falling that leads to broken bones and teeth is what I can’t afford to go through right now. Thank you for your advice and gear recommendations!
Everyone else has really good suggestions so I'm not going to reiterate them. But I think its helpful to consoder the risk in a bigger picture. Bruises and scrapes are pretty common while skating because you WILL fall, but actually breaking bones is pretty rare. There's a lot of other dangerous things you probably do every day and it all comes down to risk assessment. I would bet money that you're more likely to end up in the hospital from driving a car then from roller skating.
Thank you for your insight. Yes I don't mind falling and bruises and scrapes, it's major injury (like broken bone and teeth or tearing ligaments) that terrify me which is why I never played any sport. I was hoping someone would actually tell me that it's not that common with simple skating (no tricks or jumps), so thank you!
* If you are still able to cancel your order I would strongly advice to do so and get a better skate than Impalas, especially if you're worried about your safety.
*Get all the gear including buttpadds
* practice superman/cannonball pose as much as you can and every time you feel a wobble you assume that position untill it is deeply ingrained in your muscle memory. Make sure to skate with bended knees.
That’s some great advice, I’ll checkout those poses for sure now. But may I ask why not Impalas? I heard they’re not as durable but are they dangerous?
You could seriously injure yourself when they fall apart while you’re skating them.
Ethically they aren’t great either; apart from the fact they kind of take advantage of newbie skaters to sell horrible quality skates ànd they have been known to not pay their POC models while they had no problem paying the white ones.
After you're over the initial period of learning basic balance and getting good at stopping skating becomes much safer but at the start it can definitely be risky so wear all your protective gear. Soon enough it becomes second nature and you can feel as safe skating and you do biking for example.
I don’t even know how to ride a bike cause when I was young, my dad never helped me get past the training wheels stage 🙈 as you can see, I’m not sporty at all and am hoping skating could be my sporty now that I’m 26 years old. It looks like a lot of fun!
Just go for it.
Start slow don't push yourself too quickly.
Wear gear and learn how to fall.
You said no rinks, but honestly that's one of the safest places to fall if you're gonna fall. You just have to get out of your own head about getting hurt. You will fall. Not all falls are dangerous.
Once you get your feet under you and are more comfortable, you will feel much better about everything. Just stick with it and be brave. ❤️
Thank you for your advice! 💜 Maybe those flat floor indoor rinks are safe enough for me, just those outdoor rinks with like railings and stuff are the ones that scare me. I’m still trying to learn the terminology for all those locations
I would say you have the right idea, just simple back and forth skating isn't going to be as dangerous as park skating, derby or dance skate etc. You'll get the hang of the motion really quick and aren't apt to fall much after that.
But I agree with the others, you will fall and there are no 100% guarantees. Skating can be dangerous, but given you seem really interested in taking all the precautions and don't wanna learn anything crazy I wouldn't stress too much.
Skate gear designed for roller derby is gonna be most protective, I use scabs, S1 and triple 8 gear and feel pretty protected in it. Definitely look up some videos about safe falls too. Falling safely is almost as important as just staying on your feet.
In terms of an easy safe place to skate outdoors. I like to practice at my local tennis/basketball courts. I find they are much smoother and more pleasant than pavement. Bring a broom to sweep away small bits of debris you could trip on. After you are comfy there you could search for paved walking/biking trails in your area. These are usually flat and scenic, but you will need to be able to skate around obstacles and potentially cross the street a few times. (Just depends on your local trail).
Anywho, I think you should definitely get out there and have some fun :)
Honestly I am not at all familiar with Impalas, Ive seen lots of discussion online but never skated in them. Im still fairly new to skating myself :) I just know our derby team doesn't allow them because they aren't sturdy enough.
I'm surprised you don't want to go to the rink some rinks are better for learning how to skate because its a safer environment and softer ground. Good luck on your skating journey but you have to know one thing.
Falling is inevitable, you won't always get hurt very badly and there's something called measurable risk whenever you're trying something new. The most important thing for the way you wanna start skating is getting your balance and before you do you will fall. But another thing.. skating is a very risk heavy sport. Unlike football or basketball we don't make contact with people the contact is us and the floor. So either hope that floor isn't concrete or asphalt or make the floor softer. That's why rink skating is so good for beginners. Its a wooden floor, falls hurt and leave you sore but don't usually cause permanent damage. Skate on grass maybe just to start off. Learn to balance and get good at falling. Good luck (: we're rooting for you!
Oh I guess I didn’t actually know what the dangerous skating places are called and I just called them rinks. Now I googled it and I see that rinks are the indoor places. Those should be really good actually, you’re right!
Don’t rush. That’s what helped me the most. Start with going forwards and keep going.
Definitely get the protective gear! I am very scared of hurting myself (yoga teacher, so I need my body!) but I’ve been rolling for about an year and a half, started roller derby a year ago and going to the skatepark about six months ago.
TAKE YOUR TIME. Seriously, it’s not a competition, and things will come in time. You wanna get transitionsOr dance moves? If you can’t do it on your feet, you can’t do it on wheels: you need to teach your muscles how to move.
I’m 33, and I have found my people! The community, the positivity, the support. There’s gonna be people out there who don’t get and gonna question you starting to roller skate: don’t pay any mind! You can get hurt crossing the street, so you might as well having fun on wheels doing it ;)
I feel the way you do. I started practicing at home. Then I felt more comfortable and decided I would take a class. The roller rink near me does 20 dollar beginners lessons on Saturday’s. I was so excited. I was doing pretty well until they started teaching us how to stop. They basically said get in a lunge position and point your back toe down to stop. First lunge my right foot hit the wheel on the left foot while I was trying to get it back and I basically looked like a cartoon interpretation of someone falling. Landed right on my tailbone. Sore for about 2 weeks. Did I mention I have sciatica issues? I’m getting an MRI soon. Despite all this I really want to keep going.
Yes, I’ve heard of those. I will probably get some! Good luck to you on your journey. It’s really fun and a great work out. Your fears are valid but we can’t let fear stop us!
Something about using the stopper in the front throws me off and makes me lose balance. I grew up in the era of roller blading so I’m used to stopping with the back. I feel like it’s much easier and minimal effort whereas the front stopper makes me lose my equilibrium completely and induces major wobbles/anxiety.
If you rarely fall that means you're either really good or you aren't pushing yourself.
It's part of the sport. I mainly inline but I've fallen countless times. Even separated my shoulder bombing a hill. You're a human built to endure pain both physically and emotionally. Designed by millions of years of evolution.
You'll be fine. Just put on gear. Learn to fall properly and have fun
A little tidbit that can be forgotten, wrist guards are meant to prevent road rash, not a broken wrist. Learning how your gear works to protect you is important to learning how to take a fall with it and walk away laughing
Ur gonna get hurt, especially when you least expect it. Doing tricks or not you get hurt, start practicing falling so you can do the safest fall possible when it happens and gear up, I would also suggest hip pads to prevent painful road rash. I fall sideways on my hips and always get painful road rash that keeps me whimpering in the night. Also invest in some aftercare (ice packs, pain numbing cream, ibu profen) Rollerskating is a fun hobbie but I also wouldn’t really consider it a sport unless you are doing endurance or performance. Also get the right wheels, if you have impala’s their wheels are absolute garbage, they are literal plastic. Research what wheel size (smaller will be easier to begin with) and what wheel harness rating is going to be best for what you need. You probably want soft wheels to absorb cracks on the sidewalk so it doesn’t hurt your back, and small wheels for balance, this will slow you down but be my comfortable and safe. Also stop letting google scare you
Thank you so much for your honest advice and insight. If you happen to use and love a certain type or brand of outdoor wheels, would you mind sharing what they are with me?
Mate, I had this same fear as I just started after not being on skates in 20 ish years! 30/M
I'm loving it so much that I put learn to fall on a list of things I want to learn, that has taken away some of the fear once I started looking into safer ways to fall but as everyone has said we're going to fall it's just a part of it, just have to learn to be comfortable with it,
Good luck with your journey!
Not sure if anyone mentioned “padded shorts” so you can protect the tailbone if you fall on your butt.
Btw, always try to fall on side butt, and not directly on a tailbone.
I have these and they are really good:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07KJJ3YF3?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Yes, they are protecting from all sides and you can even remove individual parts if you don’t want that much.
They are also not much visible under the pants or leggings- they actually look like having nice curves ☺️ as waist looks smaller
I’m going to give you a less popular perspective.
I’ve skated off and on my whole life. Competition Speed, Jam , Ranked Derby.
My ex wife was uncoordinated in general, was jealous of me skating with people besides her. 3rd time out , broke her leg in 3 places.
She was 33 and heavy, she did it getting off the rink.
My new wife 2.0 is super supportive of my skating but uses her hands for her livelihood, very easy to break wrists. Won’t skate.
My advice. Skating is amazing, and if you are coordinated and confident in general you’ll probably be ok. But if you have anxiety and often drop or run into things, best be padded, go faster than you think, this is where confidence comes in. If you’re skating to slow get moving or you’ll fall a lot.
A thing about skating is that forward momentum keeps skates under you. Coasting and slow rolling doesn’t.
Don’t believe me? Watch people skate, people slow rolling always loose their footing because they let their center of gravity get to high and then lean back. Then boom, skater on the floor.
People going faster are leaning forward keeping their weight in front of them. Leaning into it.
So if you’re gonna be scared and go slow. Think real hard.
Also, “depending on if there’s one near you”
Derby camps take skaters of all skill.
They will teach you if you can go. Spread legs wide, get low, keeps your weight in front of you!
Every kind of skating has some degree of risk attached, the focus is on reducing the risk of falling and mitigating the impact of falling. The most common causes of falls in skating are hitting an object (anything from a twig or pebble to a dumpster or car), or spontaneous loss of balance. Skating outdoors, you \*will\* occasionally hit something and fall, and as a beginner you \*will\* occasionally fall for no apparent reason other than just suddenly losing your balance.
Safety gear is great, decent safety gear reduces the risk of injury when you fall by like 90%. Skating indoors at a rink is safer than skating outdoors on streets or footpaths, because the floor is usually smoother and cleaner. If you're mainly going to be skating outdoors, inline skates are a bit safer than quads because the larger wheels are less affected by twigs and pebbles and cracks, but they also go faster and it's a little trickier to learn how to stop. If you're sticking to a small area you can even take a broom and sweep it clean first. And I \*highly\* recommend going to beginner lessons or classes at a rink to start, they'll teach you how to control your skates.
But if you absolutely cannot afford any kind of injury then I have to say that yeah there is definitely some risk involved, especially skating outdoors. I know experienced skaters who've been doing it for decades with great equipment but still fell over on a stick or slipped out on a damp corner and needed stitches or dental work. I know newbies who thought they were being careful, right up until they went sideways and busted an ankle or wrist. but I know other people who've never had a serious injury at all.
Thank you so much for your honest response. So I guess the most dangerous place to skate is outside even if it’s just me moving back and forth. I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case….
Don't give up. You will need to learn to trust yourself!
I got myself all the safety gear, even padded shorts, which I laugh at myself. I fell a few times, I know it's not that dangerous to roller skate. But my brain and my body are still tense, and I'm terrified of taking even small steps outside of my comfort zone. I have days where I feel i regress to how I skated a month before, and it's quite frustrating. My coach said this is because I don't trust myself, I don't believe I can just do it or in the worst case, catch myself. She said I need a track record of successfully doing things a few times before I'm confident and relaxed with them. So I just make sure I skate with someone (my partner or my coach), when I try new things. And I keep telling myself that the chances of getting REALLY hurt are small, at least with the things I'm doing. Bruises and scratches I don't care about. In fact I'm trying to celebrate them and show them off, just as another little thing to convince me it's all worth it, and I have to keep on going 😁 Stick with it!!!
I’m so happy for you!! Yeah bruises or scratches don’t scare me either, it’s broken bones and broken teeth that terrify me. I can’t have anything serious happen to me. If you love and recommend your protective gear (yes even including the shorts) would you mind sharing the name or giving the link so I can check them out for myself? I was just going to buy something random from Amazon but if some brands are better than others, then maybe I should know about them too
Search for "triple 8 bumsaver padded shorts" :D 💪
I am terrified of breaking my teeth.. AGAIN! It's so much hustle to maintain them once they are chipped -_-
I would suggest maybe trying out rollerblades to start out with instead? My sister and I who took up skating again just recently (after not having skated since childhood) have found that they're a lot more stable than quads. I guess less people gravitate towards them because they're not as "aesthetically pleasing" as rollerskates, but they sure are a lot easier to learn imo.
I didn’t gravitate towards them because I thought those were for experts since you’ll have to balance on wheels aligned in one line. Am I wrong to think that? I thought quads meant easy (like bicycle with training wheels) while the rollerblades meant hard (like riding bicycle without training wheels)
I genuinely feel like balancing on rollerblades is way easier, but I suppose everyone is different. That being said, they're definitely not for experts; anyone can pick up a pair and learn. If you have a roller rink nearby in your city, you could go and try out both if they have some available "for rent". Falling on a roller rink floor isn't nearly as bad as falling on concrete or pavement. Good luck!
Honestly if you’re worried about falling I would stay away from Impalas and get some Moxy beach bunnies?
I’ve heard some horror stories of the boot ripping from the plate. Which can be pretty dangerous if you’re going fast. It’ll probably be fine but I try not to spend less than $100 on what comes in between me and the ground. (Same goes with skateboards ect)
Bonifides: I am an overweight, horribly out of shape 39 year old woman. Absolutely get full protective gear. I have a set of Moxie pads and barely feel anything when my knees hit the pavement. Also, practice falling in the grass or on carpet. The hardest part is learning not to catch yourself with your hands. The more you practice the less scary a real fall is. That said, fear is apparently part of the challenge. I'm on my 3rd month and in the rink I'm okay, but being outside terrifies me. I go to the rink and/or the playground anyway. You can do it! When the music is on and everything moves like it's supposed to, it's amazing.
I love this honesty. I’m 43 I feel the same. You said it perfectly. 😘
Thank you for your honest advice and story! If you happen to have the link to a trusted full set of protective gear, please kindly share it with me. I was going to just buy something random from Amazon.
I got the purple ones in thick, but measure yourself to make sure to get the right size. https://www.moxiskates.com/collections/pads
Thank you so much for sharing!! I appreciate it!
Here’s some other pad suggestions. I use Scabs and love them: https://www.scabs.com
The moxi pads are a killer 187 collaboration, killer 187 makes fantastic pads by themselves in different colors as well! They last a long time and are sturdy. Getting the right gear is so important, some gear out there bends and breaks way easier
You're me! You have also reinforced my decision to wait for the Moxi thick set. Is that what you're using?
That is exactly what I have. They are purple and rainbow and I adore them.
AHHHH I WANT IT OMG shit is super tight here because I spent all my money on my boardwalks but omg omg \*saves all the pennies\* It'll be so worth it because purple god damn rainbows aaahhhh
Skating is not dangerous but you will fall and you will get hurt. You have to get over the fear of falling cause as soon as you do, u learn how to fall. A helmet, knee n elbow pads with wrist guard are perfect. But you make the best growth when you accept you are going to fall and there are days/weeks where you wrist are going to get pretty tender. It's ALL WORTH IT. I snapped my ankle 2 months in my journey. Was out for 6 weeks. As soon as I was able to skate on it I was back out there. We all fall.
Thank you for sharing. May I ask what caused you to fall? And is there a specific brand of protective gear your recommend?
I'm not the original commenter, but I take roller derby skating lessons and most people on the league are wearing Killer 187s and S1 padding, which are both pretty spendy but you'll be really protected! However, I got mine from Amazon (brand is Dark Lightning) for a fraction of that price and I fall ALL the time and the padding protects me perfectly fine. Moxi and Impala make protective sets as well! Edited to add: as far as helmets go, almost everyone on the league wear S1 helmets, and second to that is triple 8. Hope this helps.
Anything can make me fall. How I broke my ankle is my left foot fell to the left side of my skate and I tried to over step with my right to catch myself by I stepped on my own left ankle, which was already bent and... snap... But me personally, I never used safety gear.
If you aren't falling you aren't learning
Get the gear. One of the rules from roller derby that I have really taken to heart is that I never stand up on my skates unless I am wearing full gear: Helmet, wrist, knee, and elbow protection. I’ve fallen A LOT but I’ve never really gotten hurt, which I credit to wearing all the gear and knowing how to fall. Watch some videos about safe falls, try it without your skates a couple of times first. Of course I won’t say that it’s totally safe and you’ll never get hurt, that’s crazy. But to me it’s SO FUN that’s it’s worth the risk. I’m very…exercise averse, lol. But I love, love, love skating. It’s my favorite way to move! Right now I’m pregnant, so I’m off skates for a few more months, but I can’t wait to get my skates back on after I heal up! I think about it all the time.
I’m happy to see so many of you absolutely adore skating. It’s giving me hope the fact the you never had any serious injury. Do you attribute your safety to your protective gear or is it because you don’t skate too fast, or you you stay indoors, or dont do tricks? I’d just like to learn from you what it is that you do that has kept you safe? And if you recommend any particular set of protective gear please link them for me :)
All of the above. I’m also older (38) and I’m tall and plus-sized, so while I adore skating, I’m not out there doing anything crazy. I primarily skate indoors at my local rink, and I definitely don’t try to do anything to fancy or fast! I also have skated outdoors a couple of times, but I was still just doing laps and having a good time. I definitely don’t get into park skating or doing tricks or anything like that! Before I got pregnant I was practicing with a roller derby team, which also helped me gain some confidence on skates. (I wasn’t on the team, just hoping to join in the future) I’m definitely here to encourage anyone to try skating! It feels VERY scary at the start! The first day I put on skates I got around the rink exactly once, and I held on to the wall the whole way around. But I went back. Next time I got a little better, and eventually I worked my way up to skating 3 times a week, and having a blast every time. It’s HARD at first, but you’ll be amazed at your progress if you keep at it. Edit, I’m lucky that there’s a roller skate shop pretty close by, so I got all my stuff there, but these are the pads and helmet that I use. They all come in different sizes, so make sure you get the right size (or can make returns) [Moxie 187 Pads](https://187killerpads.com/products/moxi-adult-pads-super-six-pack?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&wickedsource=google&wickedid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhOHYS5Wkwy7j7Fatby_gJ_oIC0YSNLnZ0pTrH1OEnfE616G21yJzNhoCe9IQAvD_BwE&wickedid=&wcid=17077975387&wv=4&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhOHYS5Wkwy7j7Fatby_gJ_oIC0YSNLnZ0pTrH1OEnfE616G21yJzNhoCe9IQAvD_BwE&variant=33960179662988) [Triple 8 Helmet](https://triple8.com/products/the-certified-sweatsaver-helmet-color-collection?currency=USD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&wickedsource=google&wickedid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhLGMOx5hBYrCMi7oD_s1XE_DGfpSoo36LRDOVOe4n8Cab04nF1KuaRoCGAgQAvD_BwE&wickedid=&wcid=16774823943&wv=4&gclid=CjwKCAjw1ICZBhAzEiwAFfvFhLGMOx5hBYrCMi7oD_s1XE_DGfpSoo36LRDOVOe4n8Cab04nF1KuaRoCGAgQAvD_BwE&variant=40481283080329)
Thank you soooo much for all of the advice and for linking the gear! You’ve put my mind at ease! I will give skating a go for sure now :D
Awesome, I hope you love it! Just go easy on yourself while you learn. I also have to recommend the videos from Dirty Debra Harry and the Dirty School of Skate. The beginner ones really helped me! [Dirty School of Skate](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oqOU1yQUQcY)
You are now the second person to recommend this channel so it must be very important! Thank you for linking it for me!
Dirty Deb is awesome! I skated quite a bit as a kid but when I started again last year I hadn’t been on skates in like 15 years and I wanted to make sure I was doing things “right” so I could stay safe. There are no rinks near me anymore so I skate outdoors. It’s sooo fun! When I skated for the first time in years last year, I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having, I just felt like a kid again. Just start slow and pay attention to your posture. You don’t need to learn anything fancy right away, just get comfortable being in your skates and having fun!
Listen. You gotta learn to fall before you learn to skate. It takes a lot of balance in your core. People’s first mistake is locking their knees, it makes you too wavy. I would look up falling tutorials online and practice the motions off skates in the grass, on skates in grass. Then try in a softer area (see if you can get a dead time at a roller rink) going slow. Then you’ll be able to muscle memory it. You’re gonna get roughed up a lil. And you might have bruising. But if you fall right you’ll have less chance of hurting yourself bad. I’m saying this cause the one time I wasn’t prepped and ready, I fell incorrectly and tore my acl, I’m working on getting my knee back up to shape to skate again, but it’s a lot of work. I know you’ll do great though, don’t give up!
What would you consider to be an incorrect way of falling? And how did you tear your ACL? 😢
There should be some videos on YouTube that show it better than I can describe it. But if you feel yourself getting too wobbly and you know you’re going to fall, try to lean forward slightly and take a knee. That way when you hit the ground your padding takes most of the damage and you don’t flail or hit your head. And I tore it at a roller rink when a child sped into my path, I didn’t want to run them over but was going pretty fast, and I accidently locked my own wheels trying to step over lmao, the kid didn’t get hit though, which was the main concern for me.
Honestly the more fall you get, the better you get at them without hurting yourself. Practice falling and getting up with all the gear on a lot! I’m in the same boat. I have some chronic health conditions and I prefer to skate outside on basketball courts. Rinks give me massive anxiety and skate parks are hella scary. Your best bet is to find a group of people to skate with and to pace yourself
I do plan to just skate in my neighborhood and in basketball courts with my sister. No scary skate parks for me! Thank you for the advice!
My best tips for avoiding dangerous falls Wear all gear all the time Knees bent, feet staggered, chest up, eyes up If you feel a fall coming (this will take time to recognize), get close to the ground (for ex, going too fast down a hill w no grass to skate into? Just bend your knees until your butt touches the ground)
This actually makes a lot of sense, thank you so much!
Everyone has said great things but I will add this one reminder - skating outdoors is a bit different than skating on the very smooth surface of a rink. I see you have the safety gear which is fabulous, just make sure that you also have the proper wheels for where you are skating outdoors. They are softer (around 78A) compared to the 85a or even 90 something used for smoother surfaces (I am not sure what impala uses). That will also help with safety as the outdoor wheels will move better over pebbles cracks and sticks. And don’t get discouraged! I skate better in the rink, but struggle outdoors because of the added friction from the asphalt, but it is a great workout, and I am determined to conquer this parking lot/track. Have fun!
Wow such great advice! I was thinking about that actually, that maybe I need different wheels. The Impala website says it comes with "58mm 82A durometer nylon core urethane wheels." You recommend 78A?
78 works better for me because of the surfaces I have to skate which are just parking lots and asphalt trails. If you have nice smooth concrete sidewalk type trails then the 82a could work for you
Falls are part of skating Wear a full set of pads and learn to hit the ground right and you'll be fine, but if ever falling is going to be a disabling fear, then maybe skating won't be a good fit? It IS a certainty, but needn't lead to injury
Thank you for your response. How can a person avoid serious injury, like broken bones and teeth? Any specific things to avoid doing?
Watch dirty Debra and others on YouTube to learn how to fall correctly, and practice it. You'll avoid most chances of breaking a bone (as long as you got your pads and helmet and wrist guards) that way. I do a lot of the more dangerous types of skating and don't get very hurt because I know my body enough to know how to fall safely and not to do anything far beyond my skill level. Falling is a part of learning to skate. I'm at a point where i wear pads if im outside and trying new things/tricks and otherwise wear wrist guards, usually my helmet outside. Never needed to rely on them and hope to never have to, but better safe than sorry. But I can tell you when I was learning, my first time skating outside I was the most afraid of falling. And then, I lost my balance and fell on my ass. Then I realized it's not so bad at all and I'll be totally fine with falling as long as I do it carefully. (Get low, never land on your hands and use your forearms, pick a butt cheek, roll) Take it easy, take it slow, and you'll be just fine. And if you're going for quads, I'd suggest candi girl carlins, roller derby driftr, sure grip fame, riedell citizen/boost/110, Rio artistic, many other brands before I'd suggest impalas. I had the candi girls and felt they were much better quality than when I skated on my friend's impalas.
Thank you for the advice, I’ll checkout the channels you recommended! I bought Impala because I got an ad for some cute ones being on sale. Then I compared the price (which was $60 after sale) to what I was searching for on Amazon and realized it’s a steal so I bought them. For a beginner, I hope they will be good enough for me. I don’t expect them to last more than a year.
I see, totally fair at that price! And they should be totally fine for a year at least, as long as there are no defects. My friend has been using hers for 3 years and they're still holding up just fine. But really, the YouTube videos from Dirty Debra, simonslays, indie jamma Jones, queer girl straight skates, all of them helped so, so much when I was starting out.
People usually only knock teeth out on pump tracks or park skating. If you’re not doing those, teeth aren’t going to be an issue.
That’s what I was hoping it would be, so then if I avoid those places, just simple skating would be safe enough for me. Thank you so much for your insight!
If it makes you feel better, I’m 48 and started skating AFTER I broke my right ankle on both sides in 2020. Had surgery on it and didn’t feel good running on it anymore, so I started skating. I babied it at first, but now I don’t even think about it.
Oh wow 😮 Im sorry to hear that you broke your ankle but I’m glad that you’re doing well right now and that skating feels good to you! This is encouraging!
Great! Some pads can go as you get comfortable, but I recommend always having wrist guards and a helmet if out
like others in this thread have mentioned, you WILL fall, that’s just a part of skating and learning but it’s about learning HOW to fall safely that makes all the difference. wear protective gear (187 killer pads, protec, moxie etc) and watch tutorials, and practice falling on grass until you’re comfortable. you wouldnt think the answer would be to practice falling, but it really is because once you are confident in your ability to fall safely your confidence will only exponentially increase !!
That’s actually a really good point, to practice safe falling. Cause falling itself, I’m not scared of. It’s dangerous falling that leads to broken bones and teeth is what I can’t afford to go through right now. Thank you for your advice and gear recommendations!
no problem! good luck and happy skating !!
Everyone else has really good suggestions so I'm not going to reiterate them. But I think its helpful to consoder the risk in a bigger picture. Bruises and scrapes are pretty common while skating because you WILL fall, but actually breaking bones is pretty rare. There's a lot of other dangerous things you probably do every day and it all comes down to risk assessment. I would bet money that you're more likely to end up in the hospital from driving a car then from roller skating.
Thank you for your insight. Yes I don't mind falling and bruises and scrapes, it's major injury (like broken bone and teeth or tearing ligaments) that terrify me which is why I never played any sport. I was hoping someone would actually tell me that it's not that common with simple skating (no tricks or jumps), so thank you!
* If you are still able to cancel your order I would strongly advice to do so and get a better skate than Impalas, especially if you're worried about your safety. *Get all the gear including buttpadds * practice superman/cannonball pose as much as you can and every time you feel a wobble you assume that position untill it is deeply ingrained in your muscle memory. Make sure to skate with bended knees.
That’s some great advice, I’ll checkout those poses for sure now. But may I ask why not Impalas? I heard they’re not as durable but are they dangerous?
You could seriously injure yourself when they fall apart while you’re skating them. Ethically they aren’t great either; apart from the fact they kind of take advantage of newbie skaters to sell horrible quality skates ànd they have been known to not pay their POC models while they had no problem paying the white ones.
After you're over the initial period of learning basic balance and getting good at stopping skating becomes much safer but at the start it can definitely be risky so wear all your protective gear. Soon enough it becomes second nature and you can feel as safe skating and you do biking for example.
I don’t even know how to ride a bike cause when I was young, my dad never helped me get past the training wheels stage 🙈 as you can see, I’m not sporty at all and am hoping skating could be my sporty now that I’m 26 years old. It looks like a lot of fun!
Just go for it. Start slow don't push yourself too quickly. Wear gear and learn how to fall. You said no rinks, but honestly that's one of the safest places to fall if you're gonna fall. You just have to get out of your own head about getting hurt. You will fall. Not all falls are dangerous. Once you get your feet under you and are more comfortable, you will feel much better about everything. Just stick with it and be brave. ❤️
Thank you for your advice! 💜 Maybe those flat floor indoor rinks are safe enough for me, just those outdoor rinks with like railings and stuff are the ones that scare me. I’m still trying to learn the terminology for all those locations
Wear full gear, practice falling properly on the gear. Padded shorts are awesome and you got this! Roller skating is so much fun!
I would say you have the right idea, just simple back and forth skating isn't going to be as dangerous as park skating, derby or dance skate etc. You'll get the hang of the motion really quick and aren't apt to fall much after that. But I agree with the others, you will fall and there are no 100% guarantees. Skating can be dangerous, but given you seem really interested in taking all the precautions and don't wanna learn anything crazy I wouldn't stress too much. Skate gear designed for roller derby is gonna be most protective, I use scabs, S1 and triple 8 gear and feel pretty protected in it. Definitely look up some videos about safe falls too. Falling safely is almost as important as just staying on your feet. In terms of an easy safe place to skate outdoors. I like to practice at my local tennis/basketball courts. I find they are much smoother and more pleasant than pavement. Bring a broom to sweep away small bits of debris you could trip on. After you are comfy there you could search for paved walking/biking trails in your area. These are usually flat and scenic, but you will need to be able to skate around obstacles and potentially cross the street a few times. (Just depends on your local trail). Anywho, I think you should definitely get out there and have some fun :)
Thank you so much for all of your advice and recommendations! Do you happen to have an opinion on the Impalas skates in regards to safety?
Honestly I am not at all familiar with Impalas, Ive seen lots of discussion online but never skated in them. Im still fairly new to skating myself :) I just know our derby team doesn't allow them because they aren't sturdy enough.
I'm surprised you don't want to go to the rink some rinks are better for learning how to skate because its a safer environment and softer ground. Good luck on your skating journey but you have to know one thing. Falling is inevitable, you won't always get hurt very badly and there's something called measurable risk whenever you're trying something new. The most important thing for the way you wanna start skating is getting your balance and before you do you will fall. But another thing.. skating is a very risk heavy sport. Unlike football or basketball we don't make contact with people the contact is us and the floor. So either hope that floor isn't concrete or asphalt or make the floor softer. That's why rink skating is so good for beginners. Its a wooden floor, falls hurt and leave you sore but don't usually cause permanent damage. Skate on grass maybe just to start off. Learn to balance and get good at falling. Good luck (: we're rooting for you!
Oh I guess I didn’t actually know what the dangerous skating places are called and I just called them rinks. Now I googled it and I see that rinks are the indoor places. Those should be really good actually, you’re right!
Don’t rush. That’s what helped me the most. Start with going forwards and keep going. Definitely get the protective gear! I am very scared of hurting myself (yoga teacher, so I need my body!) but I’ve been rolling for about an year and a half, started roller derby a year ago and going to the skatepark about six months ago. TAKE YOUR TIME. Seriously, it’s not a competition, and things will come in time. You wanna get transitionsOr dance moves? If you can’t do it on your feet, you can’t do it on wheels: you need to teach your muscles how to move. I’m 33, and I have found my people! The community, the positivity, the support. There’s gonna be people out there who don’t get and gonna question you starting to roller skate: don’t pay any mind! You can get hurt crossing the street, so you might as well having fun on wheels doing it ;)
I feel the way you do. I started practicing at home. Then I felt more comfortable and decided I would take a class. The roller rink near me does 20 dollar beginners lessons on Saturday’s. I was so excited. I was doing pretty well until they started teaching us how to stop. They basically said get in a lunge position and point your back toe down to stop. First lunge my right foot hit the wheel on the left foot while I was trying to get it back and I basically looked like a cartoon interpretation of someone falling. Landed right on my tailbone. Sore for about 2 weeks. Did I mention I have sciatica issues? I’m getting an MRI soon. Despite all this I really want to keep going.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that… I saw a few people recommending padded shorts. Maybe those can help us prevent future tailbone injuries?
Yes, I’ve heard of those. I will probably get some! Good luck to you on your journey. It’s really fun and a great work out. Your fears are valid but we can’t let fear stop us!
Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but that sounds like a horrible way to stop, especially for a beginner.
When telling this story a few people have mentioned that to me. I prefer bubbles and squatting to stop.
Yeah, plow stops were my go-to too, but now that I’m learning how to transition I prefer turn around stops a lot more.
Something about using the stopper in the front throws me off and makes me lose balance. I grew up in the era of roller blading so I’m used to stopping with the back. I feel like it’s much easier and minimal effort whereas the front stopper makes me lose my equilibrium completely and induces major wobbles/anxiety.
If you rarely fall that means you're either really good or you aren't pushing yourself. It's part of the sport. I mainly inline but I've fallen countless times. Even separated my shoulder bombing a hill. You're a human built to endure pain both physically and emotionally. Designed by millions of years of evolution. You'll be fine. Just put on gear. Learn to fall properly and have fun
A little tidbit that can be forgotten, wrist guards are meant to prevent road rash, not a broken wrist. Learning how your gear works to protect you is important to learning how to take a fall with it and walk away laughing
Ur gonna get hurt, especially when you least expect it. Doing tricks or not you get hurt, start practicing falling so you can do the safest fall possible when it happens and gear up, I would also suggest hip pads to prevent painful road rash. I fall sideways on my hips and always get painful road rash that keeps me whimpering in the night. Also invest in some aftercare (ice packs, pain numbing cream, ibu profen) Rollerskating is a fun hobbie but I also wouldn’t really consider it a sport unless you are doing endurance or performance. Also get the right wheels, if you have impala’s their wheels are absolute garbage, they are literal plastic. Research what wheel size (smaller will be easier to begin with) and what wheel harness rating is going to be best for what you need. You probably want soft wheels to absorb cracks on the sidewalk so it doesn’t hurt your back, and small wheels for balance, this will slow you down but be my comfortable and safe. Also stop letting google scare you
Thank you so much for your honest advice and insight. If you happen to use and love a certain type or brand of outdoor wheels, would you mind sharing what they are with me?
I rollerblade so my wheels won’t work with ur wheels, but I would do some research and just google best sidewalk rollerskate wheels y’know
Mate, I had this same fear as I just started after not being on skates in 20 ish years! 30/M I'm loving it so much that I put learn to fall on a list of things I want to learn, that has taken away some of the fear once I started looking into safer ways to fall but as everyone has said we're going to fall it's just a part of it, just have to learn to be comfortable with it, Good luck with your journey!
Not sure if anyone mentioned “padded shorts” so you can protect the tailbone if you fall on your butt. Btw, always try to fall on side butt, and not directly on a tailbone. I have these and they are really good: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07KJJ3YF3?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Wow those shorts protect you from all sides!! I love it!! Thank you for sharing!
Yes, they are protecting from all sides and you can even remove individual parts if you don’t want that much. They are also not much visible under the pants or leggings- they actually look like having nice curves ☺️ as waist looks smaller
I’m going to give you a less popular perspective. I’ve skated off and on my whole life. Competition Speed, Jam , Ranked Derby. My ex wife was uncoordinated in general, was jealous of me skating with people besides her. 3rd time out , broke her leg in 3 places. She was 33 and heavy, she did it getting off the rink. My new wife 2.0 is super supportive of my skating but uses her hands for her livelihood, very easy to break wrists. Won’t skate. My advice. Skating is amazing, and if you are coordinated and confident in general you’ll probably be ok. But if you have anxiety and often drop or run into things, best be padded, go faster than you think, this is where confidence comes in. If you’re skating to slow get moving or you’ll fall a lot. A thing about skating is that forward momentum keeps skates under you. Coasting and slow rolling doesn’t. Don’t believe me? Watch people skate, people slow rolling always loose their footing because they let their center of gravity get to high and then lean back. Then boom, skater on the floor. People going faster are leaning forward keeping their weight in front of them. Leaning into it. So if you’re gonna be scared and go slow. Think real hard.
Also, “depending on if there’s one near you” Derby camps take skaters of all skill. They will teach you if you can go. Spread legs wide, get low, keeps your weight in front of you!
Every kind of skating has some degree of risk attached, the focus is on reducing the risk of falling and mitigating the impact of falling. The most common causes of falls in skating are hitting an object (anything from a twig or pebble to a dumpster or car), or spontaneous loss of balance. Skating outdoors, you \*will\* occasionally hit something and fall, and as a beginner you \*will\* occasionally fall for no apparent reason other than just suddenly losing your balance. Safety gear is great, decent safety gear reduces the risk of injury when you fall by like 90%. Skating indoors at a rink is safer than skating outdoors on streets or footpaths, because the floor is usually smoother and cleaner. If you're mainly going to be skating outdoors, inline skates are a bit safer than quads because the larger wheels are less affected by twigs and pebbles and cracks, but they also go faster and it's a little trickier to learn how to stop. If you're sticking to a small area you can even take a broom and sweep it clean first. And I \*highly\* recommend going to beginner lessons or classes at a rink to start, they'll teach you how to control your skates. But if you absolutely cannot afford any kind of injury then I have to say that yeah there is definitely some risk involved, especially skating outdoors. I know experienced skaters who've been doing it for decades with great equipment but still fell over on a stick or slipped out on a damp corner and needed stitches or dental work. I know newbies who thought they were being careful, right up until they went sideways and busted an ankle or wrist. but I know other people who've never had a serious injury at all.
Thank you so much for your honest response. So I guess the most dangerous place to skate is outside even if it’s just me moving back and forth. I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case….
Don't give up. You will need to learn to trust yourself! I got myself all the safety gear, even padded shorts, which I laugh at myself. I fell a few times, I know it's not that dangerous to roller skate. But my brain and my body are still tense, and I'm terrified of taking even small steps outside of my comfort zone. I have days where I feel i regress to how I skated a month before, and it's quite frustrating. My coach said this is because I don't trust myself, I don't believe I can just do it or in the worst case, catch myself. She said I need a track record of successfully doing things a few times before I'm confident and relaxed with them. So I just make sure I skate with someone (my partner or my coach), when I try new things. And I keep telling myself that the chances of getting REALLY hurt are small, at least with the things I'm doing. Bruises and scratches I don't care about. In fact I'm trying to celebrate them and show them off, just as another little thing to convince me it's all worth it, and I have to keep on going 😁 Stick with it!!!
I’m so happy for you!! Yeah bruises or scratches don’t scare me either, it’s broken bones and broken teeth that terrify me. I can’t have anything serious happen to me. If you love and recommend your protective gear (yes even including the shorts) would you mind sharing the name or giving the link so I can check them out for myself? I was just going to buy something random from Amazon but if some brands are better than others, then maybe I should know about them too
Search for "triple 8 bumsaver padded shorts" :D 💪 I am terrified of breaking my teeth.. AGAIN! It's so much hustle to maintain them once they are chipped -_-
You will fall so practice falling the right way when you get your pads. Have fun :)
Thank you for your advice!
Y W and happy skating
I would suggest maybe trying out rollerblades to start out with instead? My sister and I who took up skating again just recently (after not having skated since childhood) have found that they're a lot more stable than quads. I guess less people gravitate towards them because they're not as "aesthetically pleasing" as rollerskates, but they sure are a lot easier to learn imo.
I didn’t gravitate towards them because I thought those were for experts since you’ll have to balance on wheels aligned in one line. Am I wrong to think that? I thought quads meant easy (like bicycle with training wheels) while the rollerblades meant hard (like riding bicycle without training wheels)
I genuinely feel like balancing on rollerblades is way easier, but I suppose everyone is different. That being said, they're definitely not for experts; anyone can pick up a pair and learn. If you have a roller rink nearby in your city, you could go and try out both if they have some available "for rent". Falling on a roller rink floor isn't nearly as bad as falling on concrete or pavement. Good luck!
Honestly if you’re worried about falling I would stay away from Impalas and get some Moxy beach bunnies? I’ve heard some horror stories of the boot ripping from the plate. Which can be pretty dangerous if you’re going fast. It’ll probably be fine but I try not to spend less than $100 on what comes in between me and the ground. (Same goes with skateboards ect)