Goals for Beginners

[Oicusk82huh]

If there are any beginners here, what are your goals with skating? Do you set small goals and try to achieve them? What are those goals, or things that you wish someone would teach you?

Or, if you could go back and give your self some advice (when you were a beginner), what would it be?

Thanks. Just doing a little research.

[campingnut]

I’m not a beginner, but rather a returner (after a 20+ year break). Besides learning about the mechanics of my skates, my priorities have been:

1. Using multiple ways to stop.
2. Controlling my speed at all times (related to #1). Especially down hills...
3. Skating backwards.
4. Being able to turn from being faced forward to backwards and back again without stopping.

[Oicusk82huh]

I'm cracking up, because I guess there's not many beginners here! The reason I'm asking what people want to learn, is because I'm thinking about running a class. I spend about 90% of my time at the rink teaching, so I might as well run a class. Although I quad skate now, I mainly teach the kids slalom. The quad skaters usually want to learn how to rhythm skate, so that's what I work on with them. They still learn cones too!

A few years ago our local rink was owned by a nice couple that wouldn't allow cones. Local people didn't know that cone skating was a sport. The new owners allowed me to start setting up cones and teaching kids how to slalom. Now the kids have all turned into AMAZING skaters! Half of them are toe-gunning!!! It's drawing quite a crowd, and people want to get involved.

So that's why I'm asking. If I'm gonna teach an organized class, I'd love to hear any ideas that anyone has to make it go smooth. Thanks in advance.

[kcire10]

My goal is getting better at controlling my roll. I practice a good amount of tricks but I also want to get better at my rink routines, skating in trains, and maintaining complete control with ease.

[Oicusk82huh]

Honestly, I gotta work on trains too. The switch is never that fluid. I usually have to go out of town to work on trains, but it's a great recommendation!

Routines too, awesome. Sometimes people want to work on tricks when they can barely even skate. There's a lot to be said for getting good control.

Also, thanks Campingnut. These are things that will definitely be included. Good recommendations.

[zebra1922]

Blimey, where do I start!

Used to skate as a kid(and I mean 10 years old) but only up and downtime street, never backwards, no spins etc.

Main aims right now are:

1 Learn to stop properly. I'm getting better but still rely on the rink wall too often.
2. Crossover turns both ways. The rink I use is anticlockwise and I have a bad right knee so I find anti clockwise cross overs OK but I'm rubbish clockwise, keep working on that.
3. General balance only right leg. I'm much better on my left.
4. Skating backwards, no idea how todo it, lessons coming up in September to learn.

I think that should keep me busy for a few months before I work on forward/backward transitions, jumps and maybe a wee spin.

I'm so glad my daughter wants to skate, gives a 43 year old guy an excuse to go to the rink!

[MissyPatch]

Originally Posted by Oicusk82huh

Honestly, I gotta work on trains too. The switch is never that fluid. I usually have to go out of town to work on trains, but it's a great recommendation!

Routines too, awesome. Sometimes people want to work on tricks when they can barely even skate. There's a lot to be said for getting good control.

Also, thanks Campingnut. These are things that will definitely be included. Good recommendations.

What are trains?

[JerryR708]

Returner on quads after 35 years. During that time, mostly in my late teens, we went to Skate Depot in Cerritos Ca. and Cal Skate in Grand Terrace Ca. Never progressed passed anything beyond going forward in circles in rentals. For me, it was about the outing and not the skating. Family and friends would take me about five times a year.

RollerBlades had just came out and my girlfriend and I bought a pair from Sport Chalet in Cerritos, Ca. I had learned to speed skate, jump and crossovers counter clockwise, but nothing beyond that before hanging them up 25 years ago and have not worn a skate since.

Started back up again September 28 2018 at Holiday Skate Center in Victorville Ca. ( going on two months )
I picked up on quad skating again like it was yesterday and ordered a pair of Riedell Raven's September 28 2018

My PROGRESS REPORT so far:
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. ( fast ) 5/5
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) 2.5/5
*Backward C.C.W. ( moderate speed ) no crossovers 3/5
*Backward C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) no crossovers 2.5/5
*Transitions forward to backwards ( slow ) easier, need work 1.5/5
*Transitions backwards to forward ( slow ) harder, need work 1/5

[Mort]

Originally Posted by JerryR708

Returner o
My PROGRESS REPORT so far:
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. ( fast ) 5/5
*Forward crossovers C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) 2.5/5
*Backward C.C.W. ( moderate speed ) no crossovers 3/5
*Backward C.C.W. practice circle ( moderate ) no crossovers 2.5/5
*Transitions forward to backwards ( slow ) easier, need work 1.5/5
*Transitions backwards to forward ( slow ) harder, need work 1/5

Does that rink ever do clockwise(opposite direction) skates? Backwards opposite(C.W.) and forwards normal (C.C.W.) have the same crossover step.(right foot crossing over).

Also, you can do both rotational directions with your transitions. From forwards to backwards, spinning cw and ccw. As well as backwards to forwards. Also in normal or opposite direction of travel on the rink floor.

There's so many things

[JerryR708]

Originally Posted by Mort

Does that rink ever do clockwise(opposite direction) skates? Backwards opposite(C.W.) and forwards normal (C.C.W.) have the same crossover step.(right foot crossing over).

Also, you can do both rotational directions with your transitions. From forwards to backwards, spinning cw and ccw. As well as backwards to forwards. Also in normal or opposite direction of travel on the rink floor.

There's so many things

I have been going to Holiday Skate Center for about 2 months now and never had we gone Clockwise, Backwards, Couples, Adults, speed, or anything special. Most skating rinks I've been to in the distant past had real disc jockeys with elaborate systems. They would announce the style/direction of skating and play the vinyl records and mix the sounds accordingly.

If the jockey announced couples, he would play slow love songs. If he announced speed skating, he would play rock/metal and etc. You were forced to learn all of the directions and styles and ask a girl to skate with or you would have to sit out on the bench quite often.

Without that variety, there is little incentive or hurry to want to learn and even if you wanted to, it would be like driving in the wrong direction against traffic and you would piss people off or get into an accident and get your license suspended.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

[Mort]

Request an opposite direction skate.

Originally Posted by JerryR708

.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

Awe, ya just gave them some character it's all good. I kinda tend to scoff at people with perfect looking skates

My boots are pretty beat up. Recently polished them up with black shoe polish and they look pretty damn good. The color was GONE. Wish I had before and after pics.

[fierocious1]

Originally Posted by JerryR708

I have been going to Holiday Skate Center for about 2 months now and never had we gone Clockwise, Backwards, Couples, Adults, speed, or anything special. Most skating rinks I've been to in the distant past had real disc jockeys with elaborate systems. They would announce the style/direction of skating and play the vinyl records and mix the sounds accordingly.

If the jockey announced couples, he would play slow love songs. If he announced speed skating, he would play rock/metal and etc. You were forced to learn all of the directions and styles and ask a girl to skate with or you would have to sit out on the bench quite often.

Without that variety, there is little incentive or hurry to want to learn and even if you wanted to, it would be like driving in the wrong direction against traffic and you would piss people off or get into an accident and get your license suspended.

The atmosphere is free for all where kids are going in all directions and bumping into you while they play tag on skates. PVC trainers are going from center-to-wall and wall-to-center. Candy booby traps get tossed on the floor along with lots of chewing gum. I have learned how to fall and tumble really good and hard and ruined a pair of nice new Riedell Ravens with upgraded 220 boot. PVC Trainers connected at the same area forming a wall across the rink where I had to jump over head first to avoid colliding with two 5-6 y.o. girls. Me and my skates got beat up pretty bad.

Wrong way skaters get the crap scared out them.... hard T stop with my wheels will scare just about anybody within 50ft.

[JerryR708]

Originally Posted by fierocious1

Wrong way skaters get the crap scared out them.... hard T stop with my wheels will scare just about anybody within 50ft.

I tried the T-Stop a couple of times just to learn another stop variation. Afterwards, I was at home cleaning my wheels and noticed flat spots on them. I discovered it in time to prevent my wheels from getting worse. I get it, wheels are cheaper than damaged boots and broken bones when the emergency stop is needed.