Roller Skating Mechanics

rollerskatingOne of the most popular questions that is asked by people learning how to roller skate has to do with the mechanics involved in roller skating. Many brand new roller skaters find themselves wondering how they can achieve acceleration in a forward motion while they are skating on a surface that is flat. Some new roller skaters believe that skating occurs when the weight of the body is shifted forward, back and forth or side to side in order to create a forward acceleration, but this is not quite the truth. So what is the truth about the mechanics behind the art of roller skating?

When you are skating on a surface that is flat using quad skates or inline skates, the safest and the most efficient way for you to achieve forward motion is for you to utilize side push in conjunction with only a minimal amount of body movement.

If you treat each skating foot as if it were an individual scooter, then the forward motion would come from keeping your body weight over only one skate at a time, the employed skate, while you are pushing to the side and then back using the other skate, which is the free skate. The more control that a skater has while keeping the feet close for the purpose of transferring feet, and the more that the skater is able to keep his or her body over the supporting skate or employed skater, the faster the skater will go and the safer he or she will be.

Skating occurs when a number of different right foot and left foot pushes are completed in a sequence, maintaining the concept of using each foot as if it were an individual scooter in order to generate the right amount of momentum. The only body movement that is required is a very slight shift of the skater’s weight in order to keep the main weight behind the head, the chest and the hips situated above the skate that is rolling.

Rollerblading or inline skating techniques are not difficult to learn, but it does take some practice to perfect moves like these in order to get the most out of the basic mechanics behind the sport. If you are not roller skating in this manner, then you are probably utilizing more energy than you should need to, making your inline skating inefficient. If you want to get the most out of your inline skating habit, you have to make sure that you are getting the most out of the mechanics behind the use of roller skates. When you perfect the art of the basic momentum and mechanics of inline skating, that is when you can effectively graduate into tricks and other skating endeavors to get the most out of what your skates are capable of.

Photo Credits: vanlaar

Originally posted 2009-09-04 03:33:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Are Quad Skates Becoming Extinct?

rollerderbyPeople are beginning to wonder if quad roller skates are ever going to become extinct, seeing as most people seem to be preferring inline skates these days. Now that inline skating has become so popular, could it be possible that quad skates are on their way out?

If you explore the history behind inline skating, you will find that the first ever documented instance of inline skate use appeared in the year 1760 in London. The first known inventor for inline roller skates was a man that went by the name of John Joseph Merlin. Quad skates actually evolved much later in order to be an improvement upon the lack of maneuverability that was experienced by the configuration of the inline skate. Inline skates actually ended up moving to the background in roller sports until they eventually ended up re-emerging as a cross training and recreational skating option when the Olson brothers introduced Rollerblades.

Now there are a wide variety of other types of inline skates beyond simply the styles that were recreational and difficult to maneuver with. However, there are still a wide variety of specialized uses that quad skates can be designated for. In recreational skating, speed skating, figure skating and other similar roller skating activities in modern times, both of these types of skates are equally popular, and most sporting activities involving skates are capable of being achieved using either type of skate as long as you have the proper equipment.

  • Roller rhythm skating and roller figure skating are actually still predominantly being done using quad artistic skates or quad figure skates. There is a growing community of inline figure skating competitors as well, however.
  • Speed skating often makes use of inline skates, at least for the majority of the most important events that are competitive in nature, however there are still some racers that prefer to use their quad skates.
  • Outdoor skaters that skate recreationally are typically more comfortable when it comes to using inline style skates. Still, there are some quad skaters that make use of outdoor wheels or special types of quads using oversized frames so that they can skate on smooth surfaces outdoors.
  • Indoor recreational skaters using a skating rink have been known to use either style of skates in many facilities showing that there is a nice mix of skaters preferring each type of skate over the other.
  • Jam style skaters and enthusiasts of roller derby skating prefer to use quad skates that are intended for speed.
  • Roller hockey sports have divisions to suit both inline hockey skates and quad skates as well.
  • Slalom skaters and aggressive skaters seem to prefer inline skates that sport special frame and wheel configurations for the sports that they participate in.

Photo Credits: Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer

Originally posted 2009-10-20 03:07:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Inline Skate Rockering

skatingwheelsIf you have been into inline skating for any decent amount of time, then chances are you have heard the term rockering before. You might even know what rockering is, and this will just be remedial information for you. But if you do not, then this could be quite enlightening for you.

Out of the box, most inline skates are configured in what is known as a “flat setup”. All three, four, or five (child’s skate, standard recreational or short racing skate, and full size racing skate wheel counts, respectively) wheeled skates will have the wheels set at the same height. This is a flat setup, and is an all around good way to start out skating. It is also the standard setup for recreational / fitness skating.

The next main setup is known as a full rocker, or banana / crescent. This involves setting your front and back wheels slight higher than your middle two wheels. This is going to provide the inline skater with great maneuverability, which is good for those who wish to emulate ice skating on dry land. It also provides less stability, so balance can be an issue. Obviously it should go without saying that use of full rockering should be used with great care, and then only by skilled inline skaters. Novice inline skaters will likely find them selves unable to control their direction very well, and will also spend large amounts of time on the ground, possibly with skinned palms or knees.

The next type of rocker is called a front rocker. This style of rockering has the lead wheel on each skate set high, with the trailing 3 in their regular placement. This rockering style is generally used by street skaters, and has two main purposes: the high front wheel allows the skate to better go over imperfections in the ground instead of digging in and stopping, while the remaining 3 flat wheels still provide you with a decent flat profile for pushing power, so that good speed can be kept.

Another type of front rocker setup is one sometimes used by inline hockey skaters, and involves the rockering of the rear 2 wheels, and using smaller wheels for the front two. This makes it resemble a flat setup, sine all 4 wheels are in fact touching the ground. It is purported that this setup provides better maneuvering in corners while still giving the speed of larger wheels when going straight, but this is debatable.

Lastly is the anti-rocker setup. This is the reverse of standard rockering, in that your front and back wheels will be on the ground, while your middle two will not. This, coupled with devices called “grind plates” facilitate ease of sliding along hand railings, curbs, benches, and other surfaces on which an aggressive, or trick skater may wish to grind. The means by which this rocker is accomplished can be done in one of two ways: use small wheels for the two center wheels, or raise the center two wheels. The use of small wheels is the most prevalent means.

Photo Credits: digicla

Originally posted 2009-10-09 03:47:12. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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