Rollerblading

Rollerblading involves using two boots with wheels on the bottom to skate around. The boots are usually made of plastic, and can be either done up with laces, or with plastic straps. The wheels tend to be in between 2 inches and 6 inches, and there are usually 4 wheels, lined up along the blade. Blades are different to skates, because of the boots, as well as the formation of wheels. Skates tend to have wheels like a car – 2 at the front and two at the back. Blades have four wheels, lined up like a four wheeled motorbike.

Many people enjoy this sport as a hobby, because it’s an enjoyable way to get exercise, whilst going a little faster than just jogging or hiking. Many people enjoy this sport around the beaches, and other nice areas. Rollerblading is also done as a speed sport, and as an extreme sport, on skate parks, doing tricks and jumps.

Each blade is different, designed for its given purpose. Vertical blades tend to be very expensive, have small wheels and high quality bearings. Cheap, hobby skates have bigger wheels, less expensive bearings and tend to be bigger in size. Extreme blades also often have a bit of metal along the side, to enable grinding to take place. Grinding involves running the side of the skates along a piece of metal, or coping, in skate parks.

A few years ago, some shoes came out with a wheel on the back, aimed at younger children. These allowed for a bit of rolling to occur, but required a lot of balance. Some blades that you buy these days can actually be worn as shoes, and then clipped back onto the blade when you want to ride off! To stop when rollerblading, you can either turn your less confident skate sideways, and drag it along, or if your blades have brakes on the back, just lean back. Rollerblading isn’t actually that complex, and can be learned by almost anyone. To get a cheap set of skates can be the best thing you have done – fun exercise.