General Skate FAQs

If you have ever tried ice skating or snow skiing or roller skating then you will pick inline skating up pretty quickly. If you haven't, then it may take you a few sessions to learn how to inline skate but it is not too hard.

Yes, it is one of the best workouts you can do. It is low impact and it tones your legs and butt. It also works your cardiovascular system. It's not that easy to keep your heart rate elevated for a long period of time when running because running for an hour is pretty hard work. Inline skating for an hour on the other hand is much easier and you can keep your heart rate elevated for the entire time.

It depends on which country you are in. Inline skating certainly boomed in the United States in the 80s and 90s and then dropped off but it has had a resurgence of late. In other countries such as China and India, inline skating is booming.

As with any sport if you go silly it can be dangerous. If you skate sensibly and in a safe location it is a very safe sport.

Roller skating is harder. Inline skates are longer and more stable so they are easier to skate on. Having said that, roller skating is not that hard to do.

It will take some practice to master but it is not very hard to do. 

Yes, there are many forms of ice skating in the Olympic Games from short track to long track speed skating to figure skating and ice hockey. 

Yes, most of them have a pro skate shop that sell skates. 

The best idea would be to check on google maps to see if there are any skate shops near you. 

Longer skates are faster. They are also more stable at high speeds. Shorter skates are better at turning but speed skaters do not need to make sharp turns. 

What? No of course not.

No, your ankles are locked in tight so there is very little stress on them and skating doesn't make them stronger.

Yes, if you can do either ice or inline skating then you should easily be able to do the other sport. Ice skating helps you to improve your skating technique because you need to be more precise and inline skating helps you improve your stamina.

Bont roller skates are much easier to break in than most other brands of roller skates because the last (plastic foot) that Bont boots are built around are actually shaped like your foot. This makes the boot have no break in time for some skaters or just a few sessions for others. All you need to do is go skate in your new boots! Heat molding helps too.

 You can, but it is not a good idea. Indoor wheels are harder than outdoor wheels so you will have a very rough ride. You may damage your indoor wheels skating outdoors on them so they may never grip the same when you go back to skating indoors again.

In some inline races such as the one in St Moritz, skaters reach speeds of 110km per hour or close to 70 miles per hour.

Yes, Rollerblade is a brand name and they make inline skates.

Inline skates are quite a lot faster than quad roller skates. While sprinting, a skater on roller skates would not be able to keep up with a skater on inline skates.

The fastest inline skates on the market today are made of these four components. The Bont Crono boot, the Bont Ceramic 608 bearings, the Bont Supercell 3 x 125mm frame and the Bont Red Magic Hardcore 125mm wheels. If you are looking for the absolute fastest speed skate in the world, this is the one for you. 

Rollerskating is one of the best exercises you can do. Unlike running, roller skating is low impact which means it is great for your knees. It uses all of the muscles in your legs and buttocks and it also gives you a great cardiovascular workout.

The first thing you need to do is to learn perfect skating technique. You probably need a coach to do this. With good technique, you can generate speed more easily and obtain a higher top speed. A skater with good technique can cruse along at a high speed with very little effort where as a skater with poor technique will be working their butt off to try to keep up.

It doesn't matter to the performance of the skate but many skaters prefer to have the graphic to the outside of the skate because it looks nicer.