in-line figure skates/off ice skates

[mayo]

I am very lucky to live a quick 10 min drive from a rink, but unfortunately they are only open on the weekends. So I wanted to get inline figure skates (not just unlined) to extend my practice time, and I have questions

1) Does the cross training actually help? or does the different technique from ice hurt? I know inline is it’s own unique sport but for me it’s mostly going to be training (and just a bit of fun figure skating anywhere!)
2) How steep is the learning curve?Once you get the hang of it, is everything is easier or do you constantly switch from one type of technique to another?
3) How different is the technique and feeling if inline skates from ice? I know spins are way different but are jumps and edges transferable?
4) How flat does the ground need to be? is your average flat with a few bumps tennis court good enough?
5) Is it worth it? Will the 300-400$ I spend on this give me enough practice and technique in return? Otherwise I’ll wait for a few years until I buy it just for the fun of skating anywhere

Also if anyone has any experience, please tell me about it, and if you have anything that beginners often don’t know that might affect my decision!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

The best artistic inline skates (in my humble opinion) are Roll Line Linea. They are the best quality, plus there's a good choice of wheels, bearings and toe stops. And you can alter the rocker to mimic your ice skating blades.

Surface is everything. The nearest I've got to ice without ice, ie on wheels, is with Lineas on the smoothest of sports halls. The floor is blue and looks more like a swimming pool than an actual floor but it's heaven to skate on. Smooth wooden floors are also lovely. I've never yet found a tennis court that I liked skating on but I live in hope.

Artistic inline skating is very like ice skating up to a point. At which you tend to fall over... Personally, I really like it. I didn't much before I sold my Off-Ice brand frames and got the Lineas but now I really enjoy it. As my "local" rink has closed permanently, it's my only option for skating without travelling a 280 mile round trip to the nearest ice rink. I thought it would be difficult to swap between the ice and wheels but in actual fact it isn't and whilst some of the technique has to be altered slightly, the fact that it works your muscles in the same way is a major plus point.

 

[mayo]

The best artistic inline skates (in my humble opinion) are Roll Line Linea. They are the best quality, plus there's a good choice of wheels, bearings and toe stops. And you can alter the rocker to mimic your ice skating blades.

Surface is everything. The nearest I've got to ice without ice, ie on wheels, is with Lineas on the smoothest of sports halls. The floor is blue and looks more like a swimming pool than an actual floor but it's heaven to skate on. Smooth wooden floors are also lovely. I've never yet found a tennis court that I liked skating on but I live in hope.

Artistic inline skating is very like ice skating up to a point. At which you tend to fall over... Personally, I really like it. I didn't much before I sold my Off-Ice brand frames and got the Lineas but now I really enjoy it. As my "local" rink has closed permanently, it's my only option for skating without travelling a 280 mile round trip to the nearest ice rink. I thought it would be difficult to swap between the ice and wheels but in actual fact it isn't and whilst some of the technique has to be altered slightly, the fact that it works your muscles in the same way is a major plus point.

Thank you for the help! I have a few more questions. Would it be worth it in your opinion, knowing that I live close to a rink, to buy them? Also where did you buy yours, and how much did they cost?

And finally are tennis courts manageable to skate on? I have indoor basketball courts a bit away but if I ever want to just go to my local, 2 min walk court will it be a decent experience?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you for the help! I have a few more questions. Would it be worth it in your opinion, knowing that I live close to a rink, to buy them? Also where did you buy yours, and how much did they cost?

And finally are tennis courts manageable to skate on? I have indoor basketball courts a bit away but if I ever want to just go to my local, 2 min walk court will it be a decent experience?

Since my "local" rink closed, I am only able to skate on ice once a week so I am looking at opportunities to skate more on my Lineas. If I had a close local rink that was opened only at weekends, I would still be wanting to use them more, because I love skating on both ice and wheels. Ice is my favourite, but I wanted to keep going on the wheels even after our ice rink reopened after the Covid gap. Sadly, most of the others in my group didn't want to, and I couldn't afford to hire the big sports hall just for me and one other. It is a different sport, although there are many similarities and it definitely helps both the muscles and spirits.

Tennis courts vary greatly in their surfaces. Some are lovely to skate on (although you have to watch out for the next fixture if the net isn't there and never be tempted to grab the net in an attempt to save yourself from falling!) and others are a whole heap of nope, with a fractured and stony surface. You will have to check out the surface to know. What I will say is that anything with a non-slip coating is likely to be a total non-starter but you probably won't know that until you try actually skating on it. We found that out the hard way after committing to hiring a sports hall with a lovely looking wooden floor that we found skating on nigh on impossible.

If you use Facebook, there are some nice groups which evolved during the Covid Times when many ice skaters were looking to transfer to wheels. Some of the members are very knowledgeable indeed about good places to skate and are happy to share that knowledge. Pic That Sk8! is a good one to start with.