Roller Skating

[iAmBaronVonTito]

i'm bringing it back.  

...except i don't know how to skate, nor have i ever known how to skate.  BUT, i have put on skates and i love going to the roller rink and keeping my legs stiff as a board while i round the four corners of the rink.  i don't drink any water, soda, or beer for fear that i'll have to go to the bathroom.

does anybody know how to roller skate and do you have any tips?

[Emily]

I think you just sort of put them on your feet & go.

[Beth]

Emily gives good advice. That's about it. Make sure you have a smooth surface on which to skate, don't do too many downhills on your first day and you're set. Did you roller skate as a kid? I sort of never stopped.

 I roller skate sometimes for fun. I have white skates with hot pink wheels!! They're still a roller rink around here. Some of my friends do roller derby, but I'm too scared. If you're into getting bashed around (and having fun!) you should look for a local league. Roller derby got brought back in a gigantic way about 5 or 6 years ago, and it's still going strong. I'm sure there's one nearby.

[Chris L]

I can only suggest listening to "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" by De La Soul whenever possible. 

[Satchmo Mask]

I can only suggest listening to "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" by De La Soul whenever possible. 

This goes for all aspects of life, really.

[A.M. Thomas]

Yeah, roller skating is pretty easy and looks cool if you're a lady.  Rollerblading, though, is a whole different beast.  I was recently overtaken by a pack of rollerbladers while walking through Union Square.  I kind of just felt bad for them.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

there is something so incredibly sad about rollerblading, no doubt.

[Beth]

You guys are silly. Rollerblading is awesome. It's like skiing on pavement.  Who cares how dumb you look?

[Martin]

I can only suggest listening to "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" by De La Soul whenever possible. 

Yeah I got nothing else.

[jbissell]

I just don't do well with anything on my feet that isn't flat and stable.

[iAmBaronVonTito]

I can only suggest listening to "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" by De La Soul whenever possible. 

Yeah I got nothing else.

then that's the ticket.  i appreciate that tip more than any safety guidelines this lady threw at me when she caught me looking at roller skates online.  oh, and i'm supposed to bend at the knees, i guess. 

I just don't do well with anything on my feet that isn't flat and stable.

me neither, which is why "put them on your feet and go" is the worst roller skating advice i've ever heard. 

[break]

I love roller skating, as a kid I went to the roller rink every saturday morning for years.  My wife and I bought $40 roller skates from a sports store last summer with the intention of skating up and down the nearby recreational path. Then we hit a nearby parking lot to warm up and found out going up even the slightest incline is tiring as can be.  I'm sure those cheap wheels and bearings don't help.

[Emily]

When you get really good you can do this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30650928@N04/2967547720/

[Sarah]

My advice is that you go back in time and learn as a child, when you're bouncy and fearless.  Then just keep it up.

[Regular Joe]

I remember the days when being a roller rink DJ was pretty much the coolest job you could have.

Anyone else remember the "ladies choice" skate? That was so much pressure, at the time.

Ah, roller skating memories.