Rollerball sport is multifaceted, with different styles, types and techniques of skating. But before you join the roller-skating movement, you need to get the correct and useful information about where to start, how to choose the skates that are right for you, how to learn to skate without injuries that beginners should avoid mistakes. In this article we will try to formulate the main main questions and answer them!
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Where to start?
FROM theory. The first lesson in any school begins with a story about roller skating, about the styles and directions of skating. People need to know the possibilities of the videos and the perspectives of what can be achieved. Then you need to buy videos. This is a separate topic, because high-quality videos are not cheap, but bad ones, we call them "rattles", they will never give you the feeling of what skating is, and this can discourage the desire to study further. From the outside, they are not very different from high-quality ones, but in fact you are wearing uncomfortable boots, brittle components, the wheels will start to fail almost immediately, you will have to step over, and not roll, because they will not spin well. Therefore, we recommend that you never spend money on cheap fakes. For the first attempt, you can rent videos at the "rollerdrome" or borrow from friends. There is no such person who would not like it. Of course, there are cases when a boy or girl who has never played sports decides to master skating on their own, make mistakes, get injured and never go on roller skates again. But this is an exception.
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What's next, just put on your skates and go?
It is still better to prepare yourself with special exercises to develop balance. Learn to properly stand on the rollers, smoothly transfer body weight from one leg to the other. The skating school teaches how to prevent improper riding, warns against future wrong habits, and gives an opportunity to strengthen the leg. And only after that you need to move on to teaching the elements of skating: movement facing forward (V-Step, movement with a "tree", "flashlight", coasting, pushing), turns, jumps, backward movement, slalom, "monoline" (legs one behind one), parallel (legs parallel to each other), many types of braking, safe fall technique, etc. There are many opportunities to move.
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Professional advice
for those who want to master the videos on their own
Monitor the distribution of the center of weight, complete control over it. Do not suddenly shift body weight from one leg to the other, because you can fall.
Skating always evokes a lot of emotions, and this can cause you to lose control of yourself. A person begins to think that he can do more than he really is, and this is very dangerous. We must take into account our real capabilities, be consistent in any actions.
You need to understand your body, find your ideal, correct position. This is especially true for skiing on the hills.You can drive up a steep slope and never go down from there. At first, move out only from a small slope many times in order to find what does not mean what is in the way, but what, on the contrary, works out well, and this is observed.
Select asphalt without cracks. Try to find yourself a travel companion, preferably more experienced.
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What you need to know when buying videos?
There are many different types of skates, depending on the riding style. THERE ARE those recommended for beginners and those intended for professionals. They are produced by various world companies, information about which can be found on the Internet. The most popular among beginners is the "fitness" model. Such rollers are well suited for normal riding in hot weather, they are not intended for jumping or excessive loads, they are quite safe. THERE IS a version, "fitness-recreation" (with large wheels behind the diameter) - for fast, but not professional driving.
What other styles of skating exist, and how does the model of skates change according to this?
There are also videos for FSK (free skating) - free style. It was discovered by skaters who spent a lot of time within the industrial city. They had to jump off the steps, jump over some obstacles. Such a rather extreme and aggressive ride with tricks and a mix of regular riding on an equal surface. THERE IS even a bladercross competition. The track consists of hills and turns, which you need to overcome as quickly as possible, you also need to jump in length, height, show slides (original braking). Rollers for this style are more reliable, strengthened, designed for heavy loads, because the workout lasts several hours every day.
There are also "aggressive" videos. This style stands somewhat apart from others and is a separate element of street culture. THERE ARE two varieties: verd and street. "Verde" is riding on a V-like ramp, in which the roller rides from one end to the other, and when it flies out in the air, makes a somersault or turn. "Street" - jumping with sliding on the edges or rails (pipes up to half a meter in height, at an angle), which are jumped in different styles. Castors for this style with small wheels because speed is not needed and a tight, almost molded boot construction. There is a plastic sliding surface between the wheels. This type of skiing is very dangerous. THERE IS also “low-skating”, speed skating, which is still poorly developed in Ukraine. The rollers for him have a more flexible boot and rather large wheels. These are professional sports videos. Similar to them are rollers for the style of "artistic slalom" and "low slalom". On the asphalt, special glasses are placed in a row, which must be bypassed. "Artist" is a figured ride between these glasses, the bottom is a high-speed one.
The professional rollers also include those with five wheels. This design allows you to develop the maximum speed and is intended for "older" skaters. For beginners, they lack lateral leg support, and the oversized frame reduces maneuverability. There are also hockey rollers, they resemble true hockey ice skates in shape, but instead of blades they have wheels. These rollers are designed for athletes who have a well-developed and strong ankle joint. So, there are many opportunities, you need to really assess your abilities and go shopping for the first true videos.
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How to find exactly "your" videos?
Only beginners need to explain how to choose and measure rollers, a person with riding experience has his own principles of selection. A beginner, if he has played sports before, even ice skating, will certainly face certain difficulties. But the main rule for everyone is to measure the maximum number of possible models of several sizes and different companies.The main elements of a roller skate are a boot (it is better for a beginner a soft boot, reinforced with strong plastic), a frame (sometimes metal and plastic, some companies offer removable frames, on which you need to check the fastening screws before each trip. But washing such a boot is more convenient; low-quality metal frames can even be bent by hand, so not designed for rolling and loads in general). Wheels (wheels differ in diameter and stiffness, which are written on the wheels, universal numbers: diameter - 76-80 mm, stiffness - 78A-80A) and bearings (no cheap rollers from unknown companies are equipped with good bearings, while any roller of a world brand has normal and high-quality, so you don't need to pay attention to this when buying the first videos. Over time, they will still need to be changed).
There are many world companies that produce high-quality rollers, but among them there are "outsiders" whose products experienced rollers do not recommend, even if they are more expensive at a price. We would recommend buying skates from special stock stores and consulting with someone who has experience in skating.
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To choose the right videos, you need to measure them correctly. How to do it?
The boot should fit snugly around the leg, but should not squeeze it. Someone is trying to reduce the volume with strong lacing, but this can lead to squeezing of the vessels, and after 30 minutes, skiing will be simply impossible, the legs will be stiff. Any discomfort will worsen over time. To prevent this from happening, you need to try on the videos correctly. Of course, on the toe in which you will ride. The best option is special roller socks, in which there is even a right and left, for the best fixation of the leg. These socks wick moisture away from your feet. But they are also not cheap, so terry is also suitable. We do not recommend wearing thin cotton or woolen ones, your feet will immediately sweat and start to "splash". And this leads to rubbing of the legs.
Wearing socks, rollers too. Fastening is carried out using a clip, a heel strap and laces. The main thing further is to take a closer look at the heel. It should be well fixed and feel the heel of the shoe, this position should not disappear when moving. After the rollers are dressed and there is no feeling of discomfort, you still need to stand, ride a little around the store, but stay in them for at least 15-30 minutes. Never go out to skate right away, you still have to test them at home. Walk, drive for at least an hour. If something presses, legs or feet go numb - the rollers are too small for you, or vice versa, there is a feeling of freedom of the foot or heel - they are too big. They need to be changed. And start all over again. But your patience and perseverance will be rewarded in future rides.
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The main thing in roller skating is safety, what are the basic rules of safe riding?
In addition to rollers, you need to buy a set of protection: for knees, elbows, wrists. You can also use a helmet, but not everyone wears it. Next is the study of technology. Every fall is a mistake, the roller did something wrong. But learning to fall is also necessary in order to have minimal consequences. Everyone should be under control. The most important thing is the correct stance and position of the legs. The center of weight should be shifted forward, the body should also be tilted forward a little, the knees should be bent. The center of weight should never be on the rear wheels, except for special tricks.
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Is the ability to brake correctly also a safety component?
Sure. There are many types of braking. The simplest is braking with a standard brake. They are filmed at the roller skating school. It can be used if a person just wants to ride, and not learn. But it’s better to spend the time and learn to master the rollers in order to feel confident. The two main and common types of braking are T-Stop and V-Stop.T-stop - one foot rises from the asphalt, rolls t-like behind and slowly descends, effective hard braking at medium and high speeds over short distances. V- Stop - narrowing of the rollers in front. This slower way of "plowing" braking comes from skiing. At high speed, they are inconvenient to use, you can only slow down. When using this type of braking, there must be a distance to the object. There are also other types of braking for specific conditions, they are addressed on descents, at very high speeds, when it is impossible to brake sharply and generally do some kind of rods of movement.
THERE IS such a style in roller sport as slides - a series of brakes in an unusual way, when the legs somehow twist. But the end is always the same, one roller goes straight, the other turns around and slides on the asphalt, while the athlete makes some kind of figure.
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What's the biggest benefit of riding?
There is benefit from any type and style of riding. You carefully learn the individual elements of skating, gradually increasing their complexity. Everything must be approached wisely and not do what can lead to injury. When rollerblading, all muscles work, because this is a direct analogue of running, only the load is distributed more evenly and smoothly. Legs, arms, torso, abs, leg joints - everything is involved. In addition, skating is an aerobic exercise associated with high oxygen consumption and muscle saturation. This is a harmonious load on the body.
Of the psychological benefits, it is roller-skating sport - recreation that promotes emotional relaxation. These are travels, when you have already learned how to move well in the city, parks, new acquaintances, which increase the circle of friends. This is a mild extreme, with an adrenaline rush, but without fanaticism or life-threatening trials. A person who has become on roller skates always learns something new about himself, and this contributes to new opportunities in life.
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Is there an age limit for rollerblading?
The optimal age for learning to ride is 5-7 years. But the problem is that we still have few high-quality children's rollers, besides, the children's leg is growing rapidly ... Therefore, they buy "rattles", on which it is difficult to learn even the most primitive riding technique, you can just ride as it comes out. If there are desires, there are no age-old boundaries, but older people need to pay more attention to preparing for skiing, to strengthen muscles and joints, and to work out balance.
