Help Should I pick up Rollerblading as a hobby?

[Dr Iron Arc]

I might end up going back on this but for some reason today I'm feeling a little less CTB-ready. I see thoughts of recovery to be the real intrusive thoughts to me since I don't believe it to be good for me but I recently saw something that told me if I'm feeling stuck in life I should try picking up some new hobby and meeting new people. The people in my life are fine but I guess that's not enough. Not much interests me except for rollerblades because I used to do it when I was a kid. I'm 30 years old now so I'm not even sure if it's a good idea for me to get into this community because there's probably too many kids in it and I don't want to have to deal with that.

I first learned to rollerblade when I was six but I haven't really done it at all since I was around 15 maybe. I never got into doing tricks or anything cool, I just enjoyed doing it as a better means of getting around than walking. One thing that turned me off about the action is all the preparation required such as putting on the actual equipment and protection required. I think I'd only invest in blades and knee pads if I were to pick it up again but I'd rather have some shoes that turn into rollerblades like in Pokémon X and Y. I tried finding some online but the closest things were either not what I'm looking for or they didn't have anything in my size. And yes I'm referring to roller BLADES (or inline skates as some people call them) and not roller skates. I've never actually learned how to use skates or skateboards.

But yeah, is this a good idea? Anyone have experience with this? I kind of want to see if I can maybe meet new people by doing this but I'm scared of any potential drama that could exist like what happens in so many communities I see. Does anyone else have any idea where I can find roller blades that turn into shoes so I don't have to sit down all the time to change them?

​

 

[CuriosityAndCat]

Yes. Its great. Most people are very friendly. The shoes aren't great. Board sports are really fun. Learning isn't horrible. Just takes practice and getting used to the balance. Wear protective gear to keep from getting banged up too badly while you're learning.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I'm not very familiar with the rollerblade community but I don't see the harm, I think you should. It sounds like fun. I'm unsure if they have ones that turn into blades, why not carry an extra pair in a bag to switch them out instead?

I'm lazy plus there are very few places to sit in public these days to change plus I'd feel weird carrying my shoes on my back all the time and I really like the idea of being able to switch between them immediately with only the push of a button like if I need to walk into a bathroom or something.


^something like this is what I'm looking for but these are skates not blades but even if I was open to learning skates, their website unfortunately doesn't make them in my size (I'm a US size 10.5/11). I suppose if I can't find what I'm looking for I will just stick to regular rollerblades and begrudgingly changing in and out of them as needed.

Yes. Its great. Most people are very friendly. The shoes aren't great. Board sports are really fun. Learning isn't horrible. Just takes practice and getting used to the balance. Wear protective gear to keep from getting banged up too badly while you're learning.

What do you think is the best way to find a local blading community? I tried Facebook groups but the one I find for my area has actually been deactivated for a couple years now… If say I want to skate alone and I'm wearing all the right protective gear, is it safe enough to listen to music wearing wireless air pods while rollerblading? Sorry for all the questions. The main thing I'm afraid of in searching for a community is any potential drama which I've seen all too often from some video game communities. Might be less of a problem here but there's still the off chance that someone I end up being friends with or idolizing could get canceled for being a pedophile or otherwise.

Also what do people in the communities actually discuss? Do they do tricks or simply have fun cruising around town? I think the latter suits me more but I'd hate to be seen as a casual just for doing so…

 

[Bianka]

Hell yeah. Why not? All the things you're worrying about you have no control over until you encounter them. I would've also suggest facebook groups but if that's not a thing maybe it just happens over time. Maybe you find a familiar face if you go out alone a couple times. Listen to music, enjoy yourself. It's awesome that you have interest in it.

 

[moth_geist]

100% yes. I go roller skating at parks and parking lots whenever I am less depressed (it's been about four years now lol so maybe this is a "used to" thing at this point) and it's(was?) p nice. I rollerbladed as a kid because I found it easier and I definitely had an interesting time learning how to use quad skates.

I've actually found that the majority of people who were into roller blading/skating were in the 27-37 age range. Some were even older. It might be a bit different now because TikTok seems to have decreased the median age of hobby communities. What I will say is that the problems you imagine to erupt by joining these groups are likely not to happen quite like your anxiety depicts. Maybe you'll find some cool people, maybe it will take a while.

I don't have any recommendations for heelies but I hope the market has expanded in the past few years. I remember how irritating it was to find that 99% of the search results yielded for "adult heelies" were either kid sizes or might as well have been. (And that's even for ordinary skates without any sick ass Pokémon embellishments.)

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I've actually found that the majority of people who were into roller blading/skating were in the 27-37 age range. Some were even older. It might be a bit different now because TikTok seems to have decreased the median age of hobby communities. What I will say is that the problems you imagine to erupt by joining these groups are likely not to happen quite like your anxiety depicts. Maybe you'll find some cool people, maybe it will take a while.

That age range does sound promising though I hope I don't find any of these Tik Tok kids since I don't use the app myself and I tend to have no idea what any of its users are saying until their terminology eventually makes its way into Twitter.

I don't have any recommendations for heelies but I hope the market has expanded in the past few years. I remember how irritating it was to find that 99% of the search results yielded for "adult heelies" were either kid sizes or might as well have been. (And that's even for ordinary skates without any sick ass Pokémon embellishments.)

The ones in the Pokémon games aren't all that fancy they just perfectly embody what I want from roller blades and they seem simple enough that I'm shocked they aren't more common in reality:

Weird. I forgot they were merely attachments since they switch on and off so easily just by using the 3DS circle pad instead of the regular Dpad to move. I guess the example I posted earlier which comes from some brand called Roller Kick is the closest thing to what I'm looking for and Heelies aren't quite up to snuff either…

Hell yeah. Why not? All the things you're worrying about you have no control over until you encounter them. I would've also suggest facebook groups but if that's not a thing maybe it just happens over time. Maybe you find a familiar face if you go out alone a couple times. Listen to music, enjoy yourself. It's awesome that you have interest in it.

Thanks, I think I'll start shopping for the roller blades and equipment tomorrow and hopefully I'd get to start by next week. We'll see.

 

[_L_]

I'm a skateboarder myself, my whole life. I had some experience with rollerblading also, for like 2 years. Its amazing, cool - but not as cool as skateboarding though.

 

[SnowWhite]

As roller-skater myself I reckon it's worth a go. I have both inline blades for street rollerskating and derby squads for roller derby/disco. Most places you can go to for indoor rollerskating will let you rent a pair while your there to try out, I reckon that'd be a good place to start to see if it's something you'd enjoy.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I'm a skateboarder myself, my whole life. I had some experience with rollerblading also, for like 2 years. Its amazing, cool - but not as cool as skateboarding though.

I've always been too scared to take up skateboarding ever since I almost broke a friend's board just by standing on it. I'm six feet tall and weigh 195 pounds so I'm not sure I'm even physically capable of skateboarding though I did see a really really cool one I wanted to buy once.

As roller-skater myself I reckon it's worth a go. I have both inline blades for street rollerskating and derby squads for roller derby/disco. Most places you can go to for indoor rollerskating will let you rent a pair while your there to try out, I reckon that'd be a good place to start to see if it's something you'd enjoy.

I checked and there aren't any such facilities within a reasonable radius of my area unfortunately (something needs to be done about all these third spaces being wiped out). I already think I'd enjoy it at least if my memories from when I was a kid were real.

I already bought a pair and some protective equipment. They're supposed to arrive in the mail today but it's going to rain until Wednesday which is fine because I don't have any days off until then anyway.

 

[_L_]

I've always been too scared to take up skateboarding ever since I almost broke a friend's board just by standing on it. I'm six feet tall and weigh 195 pounds so I'm not sure I'm even physically capable of skateboarding though I did see a really really cool one I wanted to buy once.


I checked and there aren't any such facilities within a reasonable radius of my area unfortunately (something needs to be done about all these third spaces being wiped out). I already think I'd enjoy it at least if my memories from when I was a kid were real.

I already bought a pair and some protective equipment. They're supposed to arrive in the mail today but it's going to rain until Wednesday which is fine because I don't have any days off until then anyway.

Yep, you got it right. This shit helps us to build good memories (and damn, its so hard to have any at these trying times) - So, keep it up, it totally worth the ride. Just a hint: As much as you need to learn how to perform some tricks you are going to need how to feel off properly, otherwise, you might end up breaking some bones lol

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Couldn't try them out yesterday because it rained. I think it's going to rain today too meaning I won't really have any free time at all until next Wednesday. I'm not even sure what I plan to accomplish by going out and just trying to roll my way around the neighborhood. Maybe I should at least try them on to see if they even fit though.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Maybe I should at least try them on to see if they even fit though.

They all fit but the knee pads and elbow pads feel kind of weird. Maybe if I was wearing less layers it would have been easier. Guess I have to wait longer until it's actually warm enough outside.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Well, I finally did it. I went out, put on all the gear, and set out to skate in my neighborhood. It took me a bit to get the hang of things and I even fell on my back once (luckily the small bag I was holding my shoes in broke my fall). Also I forgot that I never learned how to go up and down small ramps or inclines so that made things more difficult. Even though I don't think I'd use it as a means to get around more, at least I can go pretty fast on straight level curbs.

 

[EternalShore]

Wow! :D That sounds really fun! ^_^ I'm glad you're enjoying yourself! :D
tbh, I want to learn how to roller skate better too! hehe~

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Ever since I fell on my back last time, I haven't tried to go rollerblading again. I'm thinking of returning the stuff I bought but it may be too late.

Instead I contributed to our capitalist dystopia more by purchasing the Rollerkicks on Amazon.

View attachment 130265
^something like this is what I'm looking for but these are skates not blades but even if I was open to learning skates, their website unfortunately doesn't make them in my size (I'm a US size 10.5/11). I suppose if I can't find what I'm looking for I will just stick to regular rollerblades and begrudgingly changing in and out of them as needed.

I managed to find them size 10.5 from a third party seller on Amazon though I'm not sure how reliable that is. Oh well. Guess I'll see when they come in. Maybe it won't help me recover but it will help me run from my problems more easily.

 

[thenamingofcats]

Yeah it's a cool hobby! Btw I thought you were like 50+ since your posts are always so measured.
I have an embarrassing story about ice skating. I used to take lessons as a kid and one time forgot to take the hard guards off and stepped onto the ice, fell, and it was like a cartoon with me trying to get back up a bunch of times before realizing that the guards were still on lol!!

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Yeah it's a cool hobby! Btw I thought you were like 50+ since your posts are always so measured.

Thanks, I guess in some ways I can see how I come across as such.

I used to take lessons as a kid and one time forgot to take the hard guards off and stepped onto the ice, fell, and it was like a cartoon with me trying to get back up a bunch of times before realizing that the guards were still on lol!!

Ooh, ice skating is fun. Thankfully I never fell but I also never got to ice skate more than twice.

 

[Lady Laudanum]

Rollerblading, skateboarding, etc. all seem super cool but I really don't have the coordination and balance for that kind of sport. I still have a scar on my knee from the first (and last) time my friend convinced me to try and learn how to skateboard, and that was 6 years ago. I just don't understand how people do it.

On the other hand though, you should try rock climbing. It's an awesome sport and I'll always shill it shamelessly.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Rollerblading, skateboarding, etc. all seem super cool but I really don't have the coordination and balance for that kind of sport. I still have a scar on my knee from the first (and last) time my friend convinced me to try and learn how to skateboard, and that was 6 years ago. I just don't understand how people do it.

On the other hand though, you should try rock climbing. It's an awesome sport and I'll always shill it shamelessly.

I have a huge fear of heights and zero core strength. Even indoor rock climbing seems a little too intense for me. I'd probably try it if a girlfriend told me to but beyond that idk.

Skateboarding is something I also always wish I could have gotten into being an actual 90s kid but I never had the balance for that either. For some reason my rollerblade balance never translated to skateboard ability.

If it turns out that even the retractable skates aren't working for me, the next thing I'd be willing to try is indoor trampoline jumping. I have a place nearby where I live that I've been meaning to try.

 

[Lady Laudanum]

I have a huge fear of heights and zero core strength. Even indoor rock climbing seems a little too intense for me. I'd probably try it if a girlfriend told me to but beyond that idk.

Skateboarding is something I also always wish I could have gotten into being an actual 90s kid but I never had the balance for that either. For some reason my rollerblade balance never translated to skateboard ability.

If it turns out that even the retractable skates aren't working for me, the next thing I'd be willing to try is indoor trampoline jumping. I have a place nearby where I live that I've been meaning to try.

I started out terrified of heights, when I was weight restoring from an eating disorder, probably with less core strength than you. I only started because my friends kept on bugging me to go with them. Now I climb better than most of my friends, although I still have a looooooong way to go in terms of progression. I suspect that being autistic af and an adrenaline junkie helped.

I have a lot of upper body strength and I'm really flexible but my balance is still pretty terrible, so I'm honestly not very well rounded as a climber. There's certain types of routes that I absolutely love, and will throw myself at those routes a gazillion times in a row. Then there's other types of routes that'll make me cry lmao.

For what it's worth, you don't need to be strong or fit to start climbing. There are a lot of people I know who started when they were out of shape, and got really strong over time just from climbing without cross training.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Last week I managed to find a third party seller on Amazon who was actually offering the Roller Kick type shoes in size 10.5.



I was worried the seller would be kind of suspicious or that the shoes wouldn't fit but I'm happy to report that they actually do fit even though they are the wrong size. The US shoe size isn't listed at all but they came in European size 42 which apparently translates to US size 9? Weird. Maybe my feet shrunk. No time to be mad about my tiny feet (you might know what they say about tiny feet), I immediately tried them on and went outside even though I'm sick.

So for my quick review based on the three minutes I had the wheels out, I will say that the wheels aren't as easy to shift in and out as it seems. Also these aren't like roller blades so I actually don't really know how to skate with these. I guess I should practice more in keeping my balance. Maybe I'll get used to switching them back and forth too.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Initially I fell on my back trying to go down a small curb ramp but not with these new shoes at least.

 

[ms_beaverhousen]

Why not? Just wear some gear in case you fall on your ass and wear bright neon colors...

Bringing Ken Back... Barbie won't know how to act...

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Why not? Just wear some gear in case you fall on your ass and wear bright neon colors...

Bringing Ken Back... Barbie won't know how to act...

I actually did buy some protective elbow and knee pads as well as a helmet. I think now that I have the retractable shoes I won't need them as much but I still would need them if I can't get the regular skate technique properly.

I never thought about the Barbie connection but I suppose if I actually took one of the messages of that movie to heart I guess I could just see I'm Kenough and be done with that.

 

[theboy]

why not :)