How to street skate and park skate with roller skates

This Roller shawty blog post will how to street skate and park skate with roller skates will provide a  brief introduction into street skating and parking skating, and will go over rules before you go check out skate parks. And some life advice to take with a grain of salt. 

How to Street skate

There’s a way to fall safely? Yeah there is! Especially while you’re street skating and park skating. Since there is no avoiding falling, here are techniques to do it more gracefully or so you can prevent less injury. The first 2 techniques are for when you are wearing knee pads. 

• One knee down: If you can feel that you are starting to lose balance drop a knee down and if you are able to,  get lower to the ground so fall isn’t as impactful on your body. 
• Both knees down: Drop one knee at time, and the knee pads will slide into a split. The reason you want to drop one knee at a time is because over time, if you are just falling on both knees that can cause more force against your knees and the knee pads. 

Both of these techniques are best for when knee pads are in use, and when you are practicing more technical moves for street skating, and park skating. The next two moves are without knee pads. Some roller skaters will choose not to use knee pads since certain skating moves require precise foot placement.

• Falling on your side: Another good fall to practice would be to practice twisting to the side. Your hip can provide cushion, and you are not falling directly on your tailbone. 
• Making yourself small: When you are coming out of a landing a trick making yourself small helps compress your body so there is less impact when you fall on the ground. It also helps from you falling straight down while standing up.
• Toe stops: Are great for slowing down momentum when you are jumping off ledges while park skating or even street skating handy when roller skating in bowls to help slow you down when you are coming back. They are good for quick catches while you’re practicing turns. If you lean forward more than expected, you are able to catch yourself by leaning on those toe Stops. The rubber or plastic will slow the impact down. 

These techniques are best used for when you’re practicing street roller skating, park skating, and ground techniques.  Wear appropriate safety equipment that you feel comfortable having on. It is better to be dorky and safe, than “cool” and with a bunch of ER bills. 

Can Street skating be contact sport?

Street skating is a form of skating which is typically done by skateboarders. Street skating focuses on working with what you have in your environment, so skateboarders are able to practice tricks, grinds, slides, and air tricks in public spaces. Some history about street skating started during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Skateboarders wanted to take a new approach and get creative with how they could practice their moves, they began to look for urban public spaces, and industrial areas.

If street skating interests you, and you want to learn more in depth about how to roller skate on these streets, watch this Madame Quad video. She provides great visual insight on skating in the city, and how to stagger your feet, which is an important skill to have when outside roller skating. Street skating could be considered a contact sport in the sense of when you’re first starting out you will be making contact with the concrete. All jokes a side, roller skating can be considered a contact sport when it comes to roller derby if you’re interested in learning more in depth about roller derby check out Happy Valley Derby Darlins Instagram page for roller skating humor, and when their next lessons will be.

Parkskating 

Park Skating involves, you guessed it, going to a park just for skating. Park skating is a form of skating that involves dropping into the bowl, riding the bowls, transitions, grinds and gaining enough speed to do air tricks, and so much more. Visiting a skatepark, you will find different ramps, bowls, and rails of all sizes and difficulty levels. When you start to roller skate at parks, you will need to upgrade your skate set, starting with wheels. Since you will be landing harder tricks, it is a good idea to have harder wheels. Having harder wheels refers to having more grip. To learn more about which wheels you want to choose, here is an introduction to all about wheels from roller skate nation. 

Skating Parks near me 

Having some trouble finding a good spot to practice your new techniques? Check out Roller Shawty’s blog post on Utah Skateparks near me: Top 5 skate spots to consider checking out. The blog post has indoor and outdoor roller skating options from Orem up to SLC for roller skating enthusiasts to check out.  Skatepark etiquette has no rules, but let’s try to be courteous to other skaters/scooter kids. 

Skating Park Etiquette

The best part of skating outdoors is it is open to all riders, but with great freedom comes great responsibility. (not the exact words but the message is good.) Skatepark Etiquette helps avoid injuries, and prevents mayhem. The skating community can be accepting and supportive when you are matching the same energy. It is also good to be on your toes and try to observe the area to make sure you are aware of your surroundings and people. Here are a few guidelines to follow. 

1. No Snaking:  Don’t cut any roller skater, skateboarder, and even the scooter kids off while they are in the middle of the dropping into a bowl or on their run. If you do, run home because you will not be welcomed back. Just kidding, take the time to apologize and keep an eye out for next time. 
2. Not skating? Please sit down or move: If you’re not using the ramps, stairs, or rails go ahead, take a break. Get a snack, and make sure to hydrate just do it at a distance from the park. So you’re not blocking anyone from shredding it up. 
3. Keep an eye out: Sometimes people are in their own little worlds, and they aren’t aware of their surroundings. It’s good to keep an eye out. You’re able to watch where you are going to avoid crashing into other people or snaking them. 

Here are 3 more Skatepark rules you may want to follow

1. Get up fast- If you fall down get up as soon as you recover. Other riders could be coming towards you. If you are badly hurt make sure to call for some help.
2. Respect the fail – Going to the skatepark is learning how to experiment, and learning from failure. Respect the process that people are going through. Practicing new tricks takes many tries, and many failures. Be positive when you can be and  encourage others if you have the opportunity it can make someone’s whole day. 
3. Keep the Skatepark clean– If you bring any snack or water make sure to clean up after yourself. Let’s leave the park better than you found it. 

If you are wanting to learn a few more guidelines check out Surfer Today for more skatepark etiquette. Enough thinking it’s time to get outdoors and roller skate in these. streets, or drop into a bowl. Before you go there is one last thing to just do. 

If you are wanting to learn a few more guidelines check out Surfer Today for more skatepark etiquette. Enough thinking it’s time to get outdoors and roller skate in these. streets, or drop into a bowl. Before you go there is one last thing to just do. 

Street skating while SENDNG IT?

What does SEND IT mean? Go for it, without thinking. Now this is something you don’t want to be applying to your life all the time. Only when you feel the fear should you send it. Once you’ve been able to take the time to practice falling safely you will be able to hit the rails. Jump off those stairs in the city without as much worry since you will be building confidence by practicing technique. 

Send it started from 1990s climbing slang for just go for it. Some people have said that “send it” comes from a popular video on facebook. Posted back on March 1st, 2017 by Stuntman Larry Enticer. In the video Larry crashes into a snowbank with a snowmobile. (The video is worth a watch if you find entertainment in it.) Send it when you feel the fear and have your safety gear on just in case. If you’re going to be sending it, it’s a good idea to be safe while doing that. If you’re still reading this you’re missing out on some good old fashion quad skating.