Starting doing something you’ve never done before? Getting back into something you used to do? Is it fun and exciting? Is it challenging?

I recently starting to learn roller skating (quad skating). It is so thrilling! I can’t do a lot yet, I can barely stop, can’t skate backwards, and definitely no transitions. I can skate forward, scissor, scooter push, and I am getting tight with turns.

I take classes on the weekends, which are an hour, and then I skate 3 more hours in the regular session.

I am inching my way through the fundamentals, and I am not falling as often as I did just a week ago. I am wearing a helmet, because I care about my head, but I have become comfortable enough to take it off since it is not required, just wrist guards.

I own my own skates, Riedell R3s with Sonar Caymans (indoors), and Sketchers 4 Wheelers (outdoors), which I modified by replacing the plastic plates and trucks with Sure-Grip Super X. Now they are not so scary.

ALSO! I just got my first skate board! I walked into a local skate shop I had no idea existed until someone mentioned it, and only went in to see what offerings they had for roller skates so I would not have to order online. They got wheels and bearings, plus tools and protective gear, which is all I need and expected.

I walked out with an 8.5 Real deck (recycled), Ventura trucks, Slime Balls 78a wheels, Bones Reds bearings, and black tape. Assembly was free in-house and the dude got it together under 10.

I have yet to ride it, but I learned there is a skate park near me, so I have a lot to look forward to!

Edit: fixed details

  • dill@lemmy.oneEnglish
    7·
    1 year ago

    Don’t learn to ride at the skatepark, go to big smooth parking lot. Top floor of a parking garage is usually empty and nice and buttery concrete.
    Also, DONT PUSH MONGO!

    • DidacticDumbass@lemmy.oneOPEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      Thank you for the advice! I definitely plan to watch a lot of youtube videos before taking it out to the street. I am so not ready for a skate park, I just love the discovery of one near me.

      I will be on the lookout for smooth asphalt. The roads were I live are awful.

      I shall not push mongo!

    • aname@lemmy.oneEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I didn’t know so I had to look it up. For those wondering: pushing mongo means using your front foot to push more speed on your skate board. It is not wrong per se if you feel comfortable with it but it has couple of drawbacks compared to pushing with your back foot, such as it is slower to start a trick after pushing mongo and more imbalance if you happen to hit a small obstacle while doing so.

      Please correct me if I’m wrong.