Got my new skate boots!
They're here, and they're gorgeous! I received them a few days ago, but with the rinks closed and a bout of depression (triggered primarily because the fucking rinks are closed), I couldn't gather the strength to go put a blade on them until today.
And as planned, I put up some roller blades on the old boots. They're Roll Line Lineas, which my pro shop assures me gives a very close experience to regular figure skates.
After a truly shitty stressful week, I feel a lot better just having them. It was nice going to the rink even if I couldn't skate there.
Unfortunately it looks like everything will remain closed until the 15th of January (which is ridiculous, since they reopened swimming pools here…). I think I might go out of the country for a bit to try them out… even if I have to quarantine for it, I am having a hard time dealing with the rinks being closed.
I tried skating on the roller blades in my very spacious underground parking (@acdw) for ~10-15 mins. Different experience but clearly similar controls. I'll try it some more over the weekend.
Huge advantage is that since I have it in my parking, I can just go for a bit, be ready in 10 mins and do so at any time in the day or even the dead or night. I don't even have to worry about lighting, temperature, weather, anything.
The heel balance is extremely different, scarily so. I almost fell on my back a couple of times which is the worst way you can fall (hitting the back of your head on the pavement). I think I'll wear a helmet for the first day at least.
Or every time? Why risk it, especially if you're going to be alone down there?
I love helmets!
Yeah that's fair. Is that common with inline skaters though? At least in figure skating you don't wear helmets once you're stable on the ice (and it's pretty rare to wear them before). The only time I've worn one on the ice was when I had stitches on my face which could have burst if I hit my head too hard.
But also we're on ice, not concrete … :)
The guy who’s always speeding up and down my street on his rollerblades always wears a helmet. Seems like a no-brainer! ;)
Yeah on the street I would definitely be wearing one. A calm underground parking feels a bit different though :)
I don't imagine there are many cars or pedestrians on the ice to worry about either. ;)
And yes, the majority of rollerbladers I have seen out in the wild have had helmets on (and sometimes even elbow and/or knee pads too). And I always rollerbladed with a helmet on too, back before my knees fell apart anyways.
Yep on the street it makes a lot of sense. In an underground parking lot, it's less of a problem to be honest.
I actually consistently wear elbow/knee pads on the ice. My decathlon sells knee pads which wrap nicely around my knee and are practically invisible under my leggings. They allow me to do lunges with my knee touching the ice very nicely.
My elbow pads are actually a pair of kid's volleyball knee pads. They're less necessary, but when I was training twizzles I would constantly fall on my elbow, to the point where I had a fairly large and persistent haematomae on both of them…
Definitely wear a helmet! Also thanks for the ping -- what a fun thing to get this evening; I'd forgotten about the earlier post! Glad you like your blades :)