Definition
"In-line skating is the official term for
the sport commonly called 'rollerblading' or
simply 'blading.' The commonly misused term
of 'rollerblading' is due to the company called
Rollerblade. Rollerblade wasn't the first to
produce in-lines, but managed to popularize
in-lines faster and farther than anyone previously
(in the States anyway)."
Categories of
Skate
In general, there are four major categories
of inline skate:
Protective Gear
Regardless of the sport you chose, your budget
should include protection: knee pads, wrist
guards, elbow pads and a helmet. These "pads"
vary from sport to sport, but all should have
a hard plastic shell and should be hard enough
to protect you from the asphalt when you fall
and slide. Some good brands of protection include
the Rollerblade and Triple8 lines of accessories.
For helmets, any well-fitting ANSI/Snell approved
helmet should be fine.
Fit
"The skate fit should be comfortable but
snug. Unlike hiking or running shoes, it's OK
for your toes to be loosely in contact with
the front of the boot. Unless you have a background
of speed skating, beginning skaters should avoid
the 5-wheel skates. The problem isn't with the
inherent speed of the skates, but maneuverability
and flexibility are sacrificed for the sake
of racing performance, so turns and other maneuvers
require more commitment. The 5-wheelers are
great fun, but master the fundamentals on a
shorter wheelbase first."
Renting Skates
You may wish to rent skates before buying. Ski
Pro will discount part of the
rental from purchase price if you buy skates
later. Our skates are genuine Rollerblade skates
with the active breaking system.
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