Backwards skating

People who learn to skate from roller derby boot camps / fresh meat intakes don't do a lot of backwards skating. They're too busy comparing knee socks and knocking each other over, and I respect that.  However backwards skating is THE BEST. It's almost like roller skates were designed to go backwards, why else would they put the stopper on the front?

Really though, everyone should be comfortable skating backwards backwards, you never know when you might need it, and if you don't want to look 'fresh meat' while you're doing it you need to follow these basic rules.

1. Don't lean forwards.

When you learn to skate forwards you learn that leaning forwards slightly is good for your balance. It counters the 'falling backwards doing windmills with your arms' feeling that you're always going to experience while your bottom half is travelling faster than your top half. Here's the obvious point that people don't get at first: backwards skating is the opposite to forwards skating. Now your feet are pushing backwards and your top half is getting dragged along, so you're falling forwards (or make that FACE-wards) naturally.  Leaning forwards even more is counter productive, until you get your balance.  The next time you're skating backwards keep your knees bent but try to shift your weight ever so slightly backwards towards your back wheels.  Just move it a little bit at a time and I guarantee you'll feel more comfortable, which will mean more confidence.


2. Don't distribute your weight evenly between your feet

This is key.  When you skate forwards you move your weight for one leg to the other, and back again. It keeps you mobile, let's you move your hips and lift up your feet.  When people start skating backwards they plant both feet on the floor and it all goes to hell. Don't do this! Skating backwards and skating forwards share the same basic principles, keep moving your weight from left to right, even if you're keeping both skates on the floor. If you're leaning forwards with your centre of gravity right between your feet you're not going to be able to skate fluidly, forwards OR backwards. Think about it!

3. Look over your shoulder

Get used to it because if you're ever not doing it, that will be the exact moment someone skates out in front of you. Yes, it hurts your neck at first, but you do get used to it. Once you get your balance weight distributed properly weaving in and out of people is a piece of cake.

4. Backwards crossovers

There's a million ways to do this but the main point is that if you're going anti clockwise, as normal, and backwards, then your right (inside) foot needs to be further back, and the left foot out in front. Your weight needs to shift to the right foot as its pushing behind the left foot towards the outside of the rink/track. As it passes behind you, shift your weight to your left foot and pull your right foot back in.

That's all there is to it really, just be aware of where your weight is positioned and stay fluid.

REVIEW: Voltage Skate Bag

Total pile of shit. Got one of these to put skates in, thought it would be handy if I was on my bike, but it just isn't fit to carry skates.  

1. You can barely fit a standard pair of derby skates in.  The picture I saw online had inlines in it which would seem impossible.

2. Once in, the plastic clips just won't stay closed. They just keep popping out once the slightest pressure is applied.

3. Even if you get them to stay closed, the skates just won't stay in one place. They flap about like they just WANT to fall out.

4. You can't get anything at all in the main compartment whatsoever. Might as well not even have one.

Might work for skateboards, but if you're thinking about saving money by buying this instead of the Atom backpack, don't waste your time.  Also the checkerboard pattern is kind of neat, but unless you're a 16 year old girl, or massively into ska, forget it.

REVIEW: Riedell R3

When you start looking at buying skates you're likely horrified by the prices.  Unless you're rich, and you can afford to be the guy or girl who can barely stand up on their brand new Antiks (in which case, everyone hates you. Don't kid yourself).  The rest of us have to choose carefully, but luckily for us there are only a few real options for a skating newbie - the Riedell R3 and the Sure Grip GT-50 spring to mind, there's also a Jackson one I think. All are around the £100 mark, and none of them offer anything that the others don't. The only difference is the fit, eg the GT-50 being reportedly wider than the narrower R3. I got the R3, so here's what I thought...

LOOKS: They're plain black, just like ALL THE OTHER SKATES. seriously I can barely tell the entry level skates apart they all look so similar. I guess no-one can complain because there's nothing to complain about. They're neat, with no shitty decals, save for the discreet riedell badge on the side and branding on the strap. The strap branding wears off after a few skates though. They look good, if unimaginative.

FIT: I found them narrow, but not uncomfortable. The main problem is that the shape of the toe box is, like all Riedell skates, designed for some sort of weirdo with pointed toes.  The result of this is that everyone's always left with about half an inch to an inch gap at the end of their skate, which means it's never a snug fit.  This seems to be the price you pay for buying into the entry level end of the market. I take a uk size 10 and bought US 11 which would be my normal size.

CUSTOMISATION: You should consider this, as most people will have their first derby style skates for awhile so they'll replace the plate at some point. Mainly because given the choice of replacing the boot or plate, most choose plate as it affect performance, new boots will mostly affect comfort which isn't as exciting for some reason.  Riedell R3 are HORRIBLE for remounting plates. The heel is so small you're massively limited to where you can realistically drill, and if you've just bought an Avenger plate you might not get it where you wanted it.  Some skate shops recommend buying a larger plate than normal to give yourself more room but this defeats the point on buying an Avenger, which is a shorter wheel base, not to mention adding to the weight.  It's still possible though, it just won't reach right to the end of the toe. I've mounted a few and no-ones had any problems, it was just a pain to mount.

WHEELS: replace them, unless you're a fan of sliding out on corners, but keep them for skating outdoors where they're strangely efficient.  Get the 'Roller Derby Fresh Meat' look buy replacing them with 8 poisons, then complain that you can't plow stop.

VERDICT: does it matter? They're all the same at this price range, so just get whichever fits better. You'll probably upgrade to leather boots after a year if you keep it up, so don't worry so much about scuffing the toes

REVIEW: SFR Raptor '76

First things first, the box that these things come in is huge, like 'Happy Christmas' huge. It's a good indication of the size of the skates - these are pretty big compared to derby style skates, and one hell of a weight. More on that later. I skated indoors in a sports centre, and outdoors with these skates to get a feel for them over a period of about 1 month.

The first thing you notice is that they look like the skates you saw a lot in the 90s. If you had some Bauer Turbos and loved them, these might offer some sort of nostalgic comfort, though there are other skates out there more similar to the Turbo. The point is, looks wise they're pretty dated, which is no bad thing if that's what you're after. I sold mine on to a guy who's first words when he came to pick them up were "i used to love my old Bauer skates and want to get back into skating".

The outer boot is pretty solid, made of a rigid black plastic shoe and ankle cuff. If you're expecting to get hit in the ankles for some reason, these skates have you covered. Its got a matt finish and looks pretty good, and the branding isn't too in-your-face, which i like. The cuff isn't bulky, and can be laced up or left open.  I left it open, that's just how I roll. I think laced up it would impair movement, but open gave me plenty of room to bend my ankles.

I got a size 10, same as my shoe size. I did have some bother getting my foot into it at first, like there was a bottle neck, but once you negotiated it there was plenty of room and the inner sock is well padded. Underneath it's the usual plastic plate/ aluminium trucks setup, only with the addition of a metal bar. Apparently it's something to do with jumping, not like "grind down that handrail" jumping, more like reinforcing the axels or something. Anyway I didn't exactly do a lot of jumps so I couldn't say if this was any good.

The wheels were excellent for outdoor skating and learning on. The SFR slicks were 78a which means they are super rubbery with loads of grip. I could skate comfortably outside on them, the wheels just absorbed a lot of the vibration from the Tarmac.  Speaking of outdoor skating, I was never worried that the skates were taking damage, or receiving undue wear-and-tear, which i feel sometimes with derby skates. Like the Raptors were so tough they were designed for it, and I think this is what I liked the most about them.

There's one bad point though, they are HEAVY.  I can't remember exactly how much they weighed but it was a lot. Great if you're trying to build up mega calf muscles, but eventually I just felt that the weight was holding me back. It's like skating around with concrete blocks tied to your feet.

In summary: pros -great for outdoor skating, hard wearing. Cons - style is dated, weigh a tonne.
I wish I'd kept them, if only to skate outdoors.

Setting Goals For Yourself, or How To Feel Better About Sucking

I approach skating the same way I approach learning any new skill. I break it down into a series of goals that I can measure my progress against. Sometimes I have to amend the goals as I learn more, but flexibility is ok. I remember being told once that all goals should be SMART. That is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. You can apply this to skating really easily, and it'll help you by giving you that little boost of confidence that you really need at the beginning.

Specific - instead of going into a skating session with no aim, find something each week to concentrate on. Want to skate backwards? Make that your goal. If you don't have specific goals you won't have any focus.

Measurable - Instead of saying "today I want to practice skating backwards" try skating backwards for a whole lap. Or maybe gliding on one foot for 5 seconds.  Pick things that you can define and measure, if your goal is "get better at skating" you'll never really achieve it, which is self defeating.

Achievable/ Realistic - know your limits, and set yourself a goal that is just outside of your current reach. When I started my goal was to to stand still without rolling away. Once I had that under control I could mentally hi five myself and move on to something trickier, like gaining forward momentum. What I didn't do was try to run before I could walk.

Timed - try to say "I'm going to learn to do this today", or this week, or over two weeks. Set yourself a challenge each week so it never gets too boring.

Setting goals really helps to break down the learning process, which for me makes it a lot less daunting. Look at what other skaters are doing to get ideas of what you can aim for!

REVIEW: 187 KILLER FLY KNEE PADS

I had some cheap bullet knee pads when I started, but they were crap. They felt uncomfortable and didn't feel like they offered much protection. I certainly wouldn't get them if I was doing fresh meat training or if I worried about falling. I ended up getting something right in the middle of the market -  187 Killer Fly knee pads - £35 from my local skate shop. Stupid name but they've got a hefty amount of padding on them, and if I drop to my knees I can't feel the floor. That should be the litmus test for all knee pads. They're pretty comfortable, and they don't stick out too much, so I don't worry about my legs catching them when I cross.  Also they have a bend at the top where they go over your knee, and because it's quite a rigid pad it forces you to bend your knees more, which is always a good thing.

The bad points? They're not open back, they have that elasticated 'sock' that you pull your leg through. You have to take your skates off to remove them, and you will want to remove them because they make your legs SO HOT. Seriously. The heat makes you sweat, which can get itchy. Because of the bend in the pads you can't really stand upright without the bottom digging into your shin, which is uncomfortable. The other bad point is that every time I look at them I wish I'd been rich enough, or serious enough about skating to justify the Smith Scabs Elite knee pads. It just wasn't meant to be.

In summary, well worth the money. Recommended!

PADS, or how I learned to stop worrying about my knees

Protective gear has come a long way since the late 80s / early 90s when I was younger. They don't look as dorky for one thing, so most skaters wear it. You don't have to wear everything, how much you choose to wear depends on your skill level and how far you're planning on pushing yourself. For example, until I started learning cross-overs, I was taking it easy, skating in my comfort zone so I only wore wrist guards. When I felt more confident and started pushing myself further I added knee and elbow pads.  They can be as cheap or as costly as you want to make it so lets break it down.

Wrist Guards. These are pretty much your basic protection. If you fall either forwards or backwards, chances are you'll reach out to break your fall with your hand if you can, shattering your puny wrist bones in the process. Or maybe just spraining it. There are some pretty cheap looking things on the market, but since this is the cheapest part of the package you'll want to spend £15-£20. For that price they're all pretty much the same. You want one with rigid plastic strips on front and back sewn into the fabric that totally immobilises your movement. Basically a splint wrapped in Velcro fasteners. I've tried Bullet and Pro-Tec and I prefer the Bullet ones, the Pro-Tec ones are more stretchy for comfort but I like the rigidity of the Bullet ones. Wear these all the time and you can't go wrong.

Knee Pads. These are important, as the last thing that you want is a knee injury. Because they're expected to take the weight of a fully grown adult Human dropping onto them, they need serious amounts of padding. Most brands do a couple of entry points, usually around £20 for the recreational skater, £35 for the 'serious amateur', and £70 for the derby crowd (not forgetting the rich kids).  Skating round a roller rink? £20 ones are probably enough for you. If you're learning transitions (turning from front to backwards while skating), and cross-overs the threat of falling will be hanging over you, so could probably benefit by spending a bit more, especially if you're heavy. Leave the £70 pads for the derby teams. Why do they cost so much? In America, where there is no NHS, spending $70 on pads is way more preferable than spending $70,000 on surgery (may not be actual cost), so I guess it's a no brainer over there.

Elbow pads.  I guess you need them, in case you fall backwards and put your elbow out. I fell backwards once and landed on my bum. I had a bruise the size of a Cantaloupe melon on my backside, but I never put my elbows out. I wouldn't spend big money on them. I don't bother wearing mine often but I should start, and if you're going to do fresh meat training with a derby team you'll need to get used to wearing them.