More December Skating In Boston
December Skating In Boston
SkateBoston’23 Saturday Mid-Day Skate
SkateBoston’23 Thursday Night Skate
The “Rockered” Skate Setup
SkateBoston
Visit the SkateBoston Linktree page.
About My Inline Skating
I love to skate, but I also like to spread the word about the sport. More often than not, when out skating, I encounter people who have not only never seen inline skating, but are blown away by it.
Some even ask me how to get started, and I never know where to begin with that stuff.
But I try.
It’s part of the reason for this site, and the YouTube channel.
When I get questions, I try to answer them as best as I can, and also direct them to the internet, especially YouTube, where there’s a ton of information for people looking to get into skating.
This site is just my small part in it, that I can send people to, rather than having a 20 minute conversation while trying to do a skate.
The Early Days
From 5 years old, to about 35, I ice skated a lot in the winter, on ponds, with some very active seasons, and some not so active seasons, depending on the weather.
When I was a kid, the absolute worst thing about skating, by far, was taking them off.
I never wanted to stop skating. (even while starving, with frozen feet and fingers)
Hockey was a huge part of those years, and with that, came the skating.
Over those years, I learned a lot, on my own, and never had any sort of training, or anything like that.
With hockey, as fast as the pace can be, you learn pretty quickly how to skate. (rightly or wrongly)
Yes, without any training/coaching etc., you tend to learn a lot the hard way, but learn I did. (and a lot I didn’t)
Around 1988, the local sports store where I live had a big promo for Rollerblades, so I picked up the Rollerblade Lightnings at the time.
I found this picture, which is exactly what they were:
They had the option of rockering the wheels and that was the first thing I had to do when I bought them, to make them compatible with my style of skating. (hockey, not speed)
Flat was not for me!
I did a little bit of pickup roller hockey, and some street skating with those, but overall, I never skated as much again, on the ice, or wheels, after around the year 2000.
My Skating Today
The biggest reason I got back into skating, was to maintain my fitness level with the gyms being closed due to “Covid”.
I found I really enjoyed distance skating for this, and that alone did more than just maintain my fitness level, but that’s another story all by itself.
(I’m now in my upper 50’s at 5′-9″, between 140 – 150LBS…..a major change after over 30 years of being “skinny fat” at 170-190LBS)
It wasn’t long, and after seeing some skating videos on YouTube, that I was looking to do more than fitness/distance skating, so I would spend many hours focusing on freestyle/slalom type skating.
Working with cones was something I thought I would enjoy, but after trying it a few times, I just couldn’t get into it. I was more into hockey style skating, without actually playing the game. (I could play again if I really wanted to) In other words, what I really enjoy, is the intensity of hockey style skating, and the workout I get from it.
I remember David from Deez Skates saying something like “develop your own skating style”, so that’s the way I think when I skate.
I try to learn a little more, every time I go out there.
The Skates
Perhaps I’ll do a video, or post a review of these skates, but for now, here is a brief look at the skates I use, or have used to this point.
Rollerblade-Macroblade 80
In 2020, I returned to skating, after about 20 years off, and did so with the Rollerblade Macroblade 80‘s. These are excellent skates for the cost, and I rotated through three sets of them extensively, for over a year, while learning many new things in them. Although I don’t use them anymore, they are all still in great shape!
FR Skates-FR1
After a lot of practice, and once I started getting stronger, and more comfortable on skates again, I started to play around with cones and freestyle stuff, and soon learned that I needed to go the next level with the skates too. The FR1’s were a whole new beginning for me, and I learned a lot in them. I no longer use these anymore however, due to very slight looseness in them now. (these skates tend to run slightly large, especially after much use)
Powerslide-Hardcore EVO
I like to work with more than just one set of skates, so I decided to try the Powerslide Hardcore Evo’s, based on many video reviews I saw on them. These skates are heat molded to my feet. No skate has fit me better and they get regular use.
Seba-High Light Carbon Pro
Now we get to what I recently have decided are my favorite skates, the Seba High Light Carbon Pros, and I now have 2 sets of them. They are very comfortable, even after several hours, and they are also very responsive. For the type of skating I like to do, and plan to do, these are my favorite skates.
Endless 90 Frames
For reasons I get into here, I now use the Endless 90’s for street/city skating.
How much do I skate?
I skate anywhere from 2-3 times per week in the cooler months, to 4-6 times per week in the warmer months. (average about 20-50 miles per week depending on time of year)
Where do I skate?
Mainly outside, year round, on paths, or in the streets, such as with SkateBoston, and in the rinks, with the South Coast Skate Crew, but lately I have been doing a lot more rink skating (or any smooth lot/surface), to work on footwork and freestyle/slalom skating, along with learning to skate to music.
Here is a list of places I go to, or have been to.
