How long does it take to learn to inline skate?

Just bought the family skates/pads/helmets...me the wife and our 9 yo boy...wonder what to expect.

How long does it take to learn to inline skate?
A lot depends on the person. I have seen people pick it up immediately (like in strap them on and start moving comfortably) with no help and I have seen people who needed a couple hours of help just to move awkwardly.





If you have ever skated on ice or quad (aka old style) skates, you have a significant advantage.


Downhill skiing seems to be a slight hinderance. It seems that they put more weight on their toes, which is wrong for inlines.





I would suggest looking at Liz Miller's Get Rolling web site (www.getrolling.com/). There are some good hints there.





If you have a local person who KNOWS (not most skaters) how to describe the peoper techniques, it can take off a lot of time. You can search the web for local clubs. Most have people who are very willing to teach beginners.





You started right, with helmets and pads.





The basic stance is the "ready" position.


Feet shoulder width apart


Knees and hips slightly bent.


(Nose, knees, and toes in a vertical line.)


Arms slightly forward with hands up between the shoulder and waist and palms (covered by wrist guards) forward.


This position gives you the best ability to shift your weight to balance yourself.


Your balance should always be slightly forward. If you try to stand straight up, you are likely to fall backwards and smack the back of your head.


That does not mean to push on the toes.


For standing or gliding you want the weight balanced over the skate.


When you push, you want the main push to be through the heel.





You can start to learn by standing and walking on carpet or grass. This lets you get a feel for the balance.





The basic beginners stride is to point the toes slightly out and push to the side, then glide a little.





There are more people at the usenet group rec.sports.skating.inline that can help. If you don't know how to read usenet groups, you can do it via Google Groups.





If you let us know where you live, I may be able to help you find a local club that can help you.





If you can't find people locally to help, Liz Miller's book is good. I also found an out of production video tape that is very good at http://www.surfvideo.com/product_info.ph... . I wish that they would reissue it as a DVD.
Reply:Depends on what you call inline skating. Inline skating has been assigned to the more Extreme Skating sort of activities, and if you are talking about that, it took me about 2 years to become decent. If you are talking about skating with rollerblades, the skates with the inline 4 wheels, it can take anywhere from a day to a year depending on how long you try for and how well you can balance naturally.
Reply:Woa, woa, woa. Back it up a minute!





"Me, the wife and our 9 yo boy"? And here I was thinking you were a single man! Well my day is ruined. I'm so hurt. I feel as if you have led me on for so long...lol. justa kiddin.





it took me about two weeks but I went to practice every other day or so. Plus I'm just really talented.
Reply:almost a month



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