Learning to skate backwards

The easiest way to start, is _slowly_. Build up in stages.

Moving in this ==> direction

Stage one:

A simple roll backwards on flat ground, letting skates go apart, then back to the middle. Don't try and lift feet off the ground at any time.

                  ___..___                ___..___
Right foot ---''''        ````---..---''''        ````---..

Left foot  ---....___  ___....---'`---....___  ___....---'`
                    `'                      `'

Stage two:

Keep one foot steady (if you are better at right-handed cross-overs, this should probably be your left foot) and do more exaggerated shorter movements with the other foot. Push the foot out quite hard (with toe pointing inwards slightly) while putting most weight on the other foot. I find it easier to use the front wheels on my pushing foot. When pulling the foot back in, do not try to lift it, just pull it in slowly. Don't try to create motion from the inward pull. Motion should be from the out-push only.

                 ,--...         ,--...          ,--...
Right foot     ,'     ```--...,'      ```--...,'      ```--...

left foot      -----------------------------------------------
 

Stage three:

Swap feet over.

Stage four:

Push with alternate feet.

                 ,--...                      ,--...
Right foot     ,'      ```--...............,'      ```--.............

Left foot      ''''''````````.      ___--'''''''''```````.      ___--
                             `--'''                      `--'''

Stage five:

Move feet at the same time

                 ,--...          ,--...          ,--...
Right foot     ,'      ```--...,'      ```--...,'      ```--...,

Left foot       ___--''`.      ___--''`.      ___--''`.      ___
              '         `--'''         `--'''         `--'''

Stage six:

This is where you start trying hills, corners, crossovers, stairs, or whatever else takes you fancy.

Skating in London's Royal Parks

St. James and Green Park:

No skating is allowed at all in St. James or Green Park, as the paths are considered too narrow and too heavily used.

Regents Park:

• Skating is allowed until 09:00 hrs on the footpaths, with the exception of the Avenue Gardens, and Queen Mary's Gardens, where it is prohibited at all times.
• Skating is allowed from 1800hrs until the park closes on the Broadwalk between the North Gate & Chester Road on a track designated and marked for the purpose.

Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens:

• Skating allowed on part of the Broadwalk, Mount Walk, along part of the North side of the Serpentine, Rotten Row (with bikes), and bike path from Diana statue by Queen Elizabeth Gate, to Cumberland Gate, and the Albert Memorial Road (with bikes).

---

The Royal Parks Revised Code of Conduct states that:

Skaters in the Royal Parks should...

• Skate in single file along cycle tracks
• Keep to the left on cycle tracks
• Skate in a manner & at a speed appropriate to the conditions
• Give way to pedestrians at all times, and take care around the horse rides
• Indicate in which direction they intend to overtake
• Give pedestrians a wide berth
• Keep to the areas marked for the purpose
• Obey instructions issued by a police officer or a member of the Royal Parks staff

Skaters in the Royal Parks should not...

• Perform jumps, tricks, dance steps or spins, where there are pedestrians, or at all on cycle tracks
• Skate backwards anywhere in the Royal Parks
• Perform slalom, or take part in hockey or other games, except in the area set aside for the purpose on the Albert Memorial Road in Kensington Gardens
• Exceed a speed of 15mph at any time
• Hold on to a moving vehicle

---

If you want somewhere indoors in London, check out the Skating in the Park website.

Wanna build a cheap rail to practice on...?

I was sick of the crappy weather one day, so I decided to finally build myself a mini grind rail to practice on. Unfortunately I only had a 4ft length of scaffolding pole to use. I thought 'should I bother?' but then decided it would be good for practicing on my grind shoes, so went ahead.

Tools Required

• A length of scaffolding pole (steel is better, but harder to nick and more difficult to drill).
• A drill with a range of bits for drilling steel.
• A Black & Decker workmate or similar to hold the pole while drilling.
• One of those drill bits for drilling 1" wide holes in wood.
• A pencil and ruler.
• Wood screws, washers, and a good screwdriver. Number and type described below.
• A length of wood, 1" by 12" as long as your rail.
• Sections of wood, 1" by 12" and as long as you want your rail high (max 12")

  The number of screws, washers and wood sections depends on the length of rail you want to build. For each support, you will want 4 screws, 2 washers and 1 wood section.

  The screws should have a head no larger than the biggest metal drill bit you have (no more than 10mm) but a narrower thread (5mm is good) and be about 1.5" in length.

  The washers need to be fairly big. The outside diameter of about 20mm, the inside diameters bigger than the screw thread, but smaller than the screw head.

  You will need to have one support at each end, then one every 3-4ft. So if you have a 10ft rail, you put a 1ft support at each end, leaving an 8ft gap. You then only need on more support in the middle. So work out how many supports you are going to need, and collect all of your tools.

Procedure to follow

1. Measure out and place your supports on the base.
2. Mark the positions of the supports and remove. Do the same on the other side.
3. Within the area marked out for each support, use the wood drill bit to cut 2 holes half way through the base from the under side, as in Figure 1 below.
   
   Figure 1 - recessing screws in base

4. Place the base upside down on the supports, put a washer in each hole, and screw the base onto the supports. Turn the whole thing back up the right way so it site on the base.
5. Lay the pole on the supports as it will be fixed, then mark two points to drill the pole for each support as in figure 2 below.
   
   Figure 2 - Side view of the whole rail

6. Secure the rail and using a drill bit the same diameter as the screw thread (or slightly larger of necessary) drill vertically down through both sides of the pole where marked.
7. Swap the drill bit for one slightly bigger than the screw head, and enlarge the holes on the upper side of the pole.
8. You should now be able to drop a screw through the top hole, so the thread goes through the bottom hole. Put the pole on the supports, and screw it down by inserting the screwdriver through the top hole, as in Figure 3
   
   Figure 3 - cross section through completed rail.

Your rail should now be complete. Before jumping on it in your skates, try pulling and twisting it to ensure it is safe. If it feels safe, put your skates on and give it a go.

How to clean your bearings

The way I do it (when I get time) is to remove 1 shield from each bearing race, and soak them in degreaser. If you want to get them really clean, use a solvent based citrus-cleaner, like Boss', and soak them in that overnight, otherwise, simply use a water based cleaner which is usually cheaper.

The best way to remove the bearings from the wheels is by using a proper bearing tool, like the Sonic one. Alternatively, just use an allen key. There should be a bearing spacer through which the axle goes. Try finding an allen key which is wider than the axle, but narrow enough to fit through the centre of the bearings, and push the bearing spacer out. Once one side is out, use you imagination on the other side as this should be easier.

To remove the bearing shield, there are 2 methods. The first is for bearings that are 'servicable'. You'll know if you have these because there will be a C-ring around the outside of the shield. This will have one small gap in the ring. You can use a pin to prise one end of this C-ring towards the centre, and out, relesing the shield.

If you don't have servicable bearings, you can still remove the shields, but you won't be able to replace them after. To do this, use a good quality electronics screwdriver to prise the shield away fron the bearing from the centre. Once you have created a gap, you can use a larger screwdriver to twist and break the shield off. If you do this, be careful that you don't damage tha ball bearings inside.

I use a small jam-jar, so you can put the lid on and give them a good shake around... The only problem I have with this is that if a lot of dirt comes out of the bearings, they end up sitting in a layer of sludge at the bottom. Another idea would be to try something like the "Turbo Wash" system from Sonic Inc.

It was suggested to me that you could simply place the bearings in an old pair of stockings/nylons and then suspend them above the bottom of the jar as you're soaking them, to prevent them sitting in sludge. I had considered this, but you'd need fish-net or similar, as the sludge would just sit in normal stockings which have very small holes. They would be good for straining the sludge out after though so you can re-use the cleaner. A better solution wound be orange bags, or the bags included with washing powder tablets.

When you've soaked them, you can use an old toothbrush or similar to scrub off the remaining grease and dirt, them rinse with loads of water. Yes, I did say water! When you've removed all traces of cleaner, dry them as quickly as possible. I stick them on a baking tray, and put them under the grill. Sounds stupid, but it works.

Once they are completely dry, apply your choice of lubricant. I use oil, again by Boss, because I clean them regularly (at least once every 2 weeks or so). If you don't want to clean your bearings quite so often, use grease, and replace the shields. When using oil, I leave the shields off, and put the open sides pointing into the wheel to keep most of the dirt out. This saves time when cleaning next time.

I did try some stuff called Ultralon, from Paragon Racing. It's one of those PTFE (teflon) formulae which dries to leave a slidy surface on your bearings, but no liquid. I now wish I hadn't. The stuff makes your bearings spin nice and fast, but they get wrecked very quickly. Only really advised for speed skaters.

Whatever you use, your skates should feel a hell of a lot smoother after you've given the bearings a clean. Now go out there an use them!

If you have any tips or skating secrets you'd like to share, please mail me and I'll add them here.

Buying Vert Skates

One of my favorite places to be is on (or above) a good vert ramp. Unfortunately if you buy a skate which is not suitable, then you are never going to enjoy it very much. I'm not going to say which make or model is the best, as this is subjective, and skates are continually improving. What I am listing here is what should have been considered when designing a good vert skate, and the features you will want to see in any purchase if you want to skate vert regularly.

What you need is a boot with good support and which is stable. Ideally it should have a large grinding space so you can put large wheels in. Remember, when skating vert, you'll be going pretty fast, so a small wobble can cause a lot of problems.

Cuff:

Higher cuffs are better. The flexability of the cuff is down to preference, but low cuffs are bad. The higher cuffs give support to the whole ankle, not just the lower part.

Frame:

You want a long, split frame, with a lot of grinding room and space for large wheels. Ensure that the frame gives a completely flat wheel setup (my Razor Flats give a VERY slight rocker). Metal frames can be used for vert, but not street.

Boot:

Personal choice. Should be correct fitting (as always). Heavy or light is again preference. Heavier boots don't stop you from getting the big airs! Make sure it has a lot of sole space, as you'll be locking onto a round coping, not a square planter/curb/rail.

Wheels:

Big wheels with a big core and soft urethane. They will wear very fast on tarmac, but are the best thing for vert. Get a second set if you're going to use your skates off vert also.

Grind Plates:

Plastic gives a smoother, more controlled grind, but metal makes your grinds faster and longer. You also get the dramatic sound with the metal! Remember also that you will be grinding a round coping, not a square edge, so grind plates may stop you from doing any negative grinds.

Also, ensure you have BIG knee pads and a good helmet. These are more important on vert with the higher speeds and bigger drops than street.

So you are planning a skate park

There are a number of places to get help, support and advice when you are planning a local skate park. When building skating facilities, the 2 people you really want to get involved are those who build skate parks, and those who use skate parks.

Work out your basic budget, and speak to the professionals. Go to someone who specialises in skating facilities so you can guarantee they have experience of your situation and will help you get it right. You can then get some ideas to take to your audience - the skaters.

See if you can get some interested skaters to represent their views. Speak to local schools, colleges, youth clubs, community centres etc. - even the local University. If you don't know what skaters want, you'll never be able to supply it for them.

It is also useful to get skaters, locals and businesses working together for a bit of ownership of the site. The more say people have in the design, building and use of the facilities, the less they are likely to abuse it or resist it. You may even be able to convince them to raise more money to help fund the project, and make it even better.

Check out the links section for a number of ramp builders, and skate shops who may be able to give you guidance.

Ramp Skating Guide (Basics)

Hi, what's the best way to keep your balance on ramps, little and big.

If you find yourself falling as you hit the transition, or when you stop and come back down, it is for 1 of 3 reasons.

1. You are not leaning. At all times on the ramp, you should be perpendicular (90°) to the surface. This means that on the bottom, you are vertical, on the vert you are horizontal etc.
2. You are too rigid. Try to make sure you relax a bit. If you don't you are not flexible enough, and can't cope with the change in slope.
3. You are not rigid enough. Sometimes, as you progress up bigger ramps, your legs simply collapse. This is because there will be a -lot- of force on them. If you have trouble stopping this from happening it may simply be because you need to build up some more strength in you legs. This often happens when you start from the top of a ramp before you are ready, or if your legs are too tired to cope. Commonly know as "going Bambi".

How the hell do you turn round on a half pipe, without getting any air?

You don't need to get air (come out of the top of the ramp) but you do need to lift your feel off the ramp. It should be symetrical as well. before you stop start the spin in your top half while your feet are still on the ramp. As you are slowing down, lift your feet of, and spin around. By the time you get around, you should be on the way back down.

You should not

• wait until you stop before turning
• land on the ramp before you are descending
• push out from the ramp (if on vert)

You should

• turn your arms the opposite way, then start to spin them and your head before your legs.
• land with your wheels pointing straight down the ramp
• push out from the ramp (if not on vert)

It is actually a lot easier to balance and spin as you start to get higher up in the ramp. It is a very steep learning curve until you can get past 45 degrees, then it gets a lot easier. Keep at it.

Inline skates

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Inline skates [commonly called, "Roller Blades"] are a type of roller skate, used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates which have a configuration of 2 wheels in the front and 2 wheels in the back, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line. Some inline skates, especially those used for recreation, have a "stop" or "brake" which is used to slow down while skateboarding; most inline skates have a heel stop rather than the toe stop, particularly indispensable for Inline Figure Skating.

The earliest roller skates were of the inline design, but these were later superseded by quad skates, the design of which made skating curved edges easier.^{[citation needed]}

The modern style of inline skates was developed as a substitute for ice skates, for use by Russian athletes training on solid ground for Olympic long track speed skating events. Life magazine published a photo of American skater Eric Heiden, training for the 1980 Olympics, using such skates on a Wisconsin road.^[1]

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the popularity of inline skates had a strong resurgence, led by the company Rollerblade, Inc. founded by Scott and Brennan Olson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After the brothers sold the company in about 1984, Rollerblade promoted and popularized inlines, and their skates became so successful that the term "Rollerblades" has become synonymous with "inline skates."^[2]

Parts

A skate is composed of a boot, which is worn on the foot. To the boot is attached a frame, which holds the wheels in place. Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely around an axle. Finally, the rubber brake typically attaches to the frame of the right foot.

An inline skate designed for artistic roller skating

There are different types of inline skates for different types of skating such as aggressive skating, speed skating, Inline hockey and artistic inline skating. Those differ in the boots, frames and wheels that are used.

The boot

For most skating a high boot is used, which provides more ankle support and is easier to skate in, particularly for beginners. Speed skaters often use a carbon fiber boot which provides greater support with a lower cut allowing more ankle flexion. For recreational skating a soft boot is used for greater comfort, but many other disciplines prefer a harder boot, either to protect the foot against impact or for better control of the skate. The boot may also contain shock absorbent padding for comfort.

Most aggressive skates use a hard boot or a hard/soft boot for increased support.

The frame

The frame and wheels of an inline skate.

Typical recreational skates use frames built out of high-grade polyurethane (plastic). Low-end department or toy store skate frames may be composed of other types of plastic. Speed skate frames are usually built out of carbon fibre or extruded aluminum (more expensive but more solid), magnesium, or even pressed aluminum, which is then folded into a frame (cheaper but less sturdy).

Carbon fibre frames are expensive but more flexible, making for a smoother ride at the expense of worse power transfer between the leg and the wheels. In general, carbon fibre frames weigh about 160-180 grams. Aluminum can weigh from 170 to 220 grams. Frame length ranges from around 230 mm for short-framed four wheel skates (used for example in inline hockey), up to about 325 mm for a five wheel racing frame.

Bearings

Axles, bearings and spacers.

Ball bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely and smoothly. Bearings are usually rated on the ABEC scale, a measure of the manufactured precision tolerance, ranging from 1 (worst) to 9 (best) in odd numbers. The ABEC standards were originally intended for high-speed machinery, not skating applications, and do not account for the quality of steel used, which is also important. While higher rated bearings are generally better in overall quality, whether they automatically translate to more speed is questionable^[3].

The vast majority of skate bearings on the market are produced in China, and tend to be of much lower quality and durability than bearings produced in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, or the USA. Newer bearings on the market now use ceramic ball bearings instead of steel, the merits of which have yet to be determined.

Wheels

Diagram of inline skate wheels with different diameter and profile.

Wheel sizes vary depending on the skating style:

• 44-59 mm for aggressive skating.
• 68-72 mm for artistic inline skating.
• 47-80 mm for roller hockey skating.
• 72-80 mm for freestyle slalom skating.
• 72-90 mm for general recreational skating.
• 84-110 mm for speed skating.

In general the bigger the wheel, the faster the skate. However, large wheels take more energy to start rolling. Smaller wheels allow faster acceleration, maneuverability, and a lower center of gravity. Wheel hardness is measured on the A scale (see Durometer) and usually ranges between 78A-93A (higher numbers are harder). Harder wheels are faster and more durable, but soft wheels may have better grip (grip is determined by many factors, and wheel manufacture is arguably more important than durometer) and less affected by road bumps. Wheel profiles and thicknesses again vary by application. Elliptic profiles minimise friction for a faster ride; more rounded profiles have better grip and are more stable.

Brakes

A hard rubber brake is typically attached to the heel of the frame. Brakes allow for skaters to bring themselves to a stop. Learning how to use the heel brake thus is crucial for beginners.

The heel brakes can interfere with a useful technique called crossover turn (when a skater crosses one leg over another to make a sharp turn without losing much speed), which is why some users prefer not to use them. Skaters who have chosen freestyle slalom and aggressive skating disciplines also tend not to use them because it limits their ability to perform tricks effectively.