Inline figure skating on asphalt/street?

[Skatingbear]

I'm thinking about buying inline figure skates for the upcoming summer, so I can bridge the time when the ice rinks are closed and paractise with the inlines. Unfortunately, there is nothing like a roller rink in my town and it's surrounding towns, where I could skate on a suitable ground. I could only skate on streets, parking areas and so on. I tried this last year with normal quad roller skates and it was a catastrophe. I felt every small stone under the rolls, every little hole in the asphalt, nothing worked there. So I was wondering if it would work better with inline figure skates? At least, you have less contact to the ground compared to the big, wide quad rolls...
Since the ice rink is closed for 7 months (*cries desperately*) I really want to use the inlines to work on my skating skills, paractising spins, jumps and so on, but the skates cost very much and I only want spend that money when I know that it's possible to professionally paractise inline figure skating on streets too.
I don't want to pay at least 380€ and then find out that figure skating with inlines on streets are the same catastrophe as with quads....

It would be great to hear about your experiences with this issue.

Greetings from the Skating Bear

 

[MCsAngel2]

You'll have the same issue. You need to look for someplace like a basketball court that's (relatively) smooth concrete. It will still feel bumpier than a polished wood floor or ice, but that's the best you're going to do outdoors.

 

[tinna]

I bought inlines during covid closures. Yes, the same issue you described with quads exists. I find it impossible to skate on streets. Tennis courts are okay, some parking lots also, but the real issue for me is that falling hurts a lot more and is a lot scarier than on ice.

 

[scottie99]

I skated with my Snow White inlines (paired with speedmax wheels) on asphalt and parking lots. I was able to do 3-turns and land all my single jumps (not axel or loop, edge jumps were nearly impossible for me on the inlines). I was not able to do edges very well. I never felt like I could go very deep. My brackets, twizzles, and double-3s were also near impossible for me. I was hoping it would be similar to skating, but it really wasn't. The rocker is in a different spot, and I was never able to spin. My 3-turns were rocky and I never felt completely stable. I also had a fear of a rock getting stuck in between my wheels and jamming them. This never happened lol, so I am not sure where the fear is from. I am sure inlines would work so much better on courts and in rinks, but I never had the opportunity to try. All that being said, it was still fin to skate on inlines, and even if it wasn't EXACTLY like skating, I am sure I still got some benefit from it.

 

[Elija]

As others have said, you will have the same issues. That said, I believe the three wheeled inlines are a bit better than the four wheeled ones as the wheels are bigger, so would definitely get three wheelers if you do decide to get some. Find a car park or court or some kind of smooth area - not a street. Indoor parking garages are also normally very smooth if you can find one you don’t get told off for skating in. During covid, I skated at a school and outside a big stadium near my apartment- the stadium had beautifully smooth concrete outside the ticket office! And it was undercover - don’t skate on wet ground lol, that’s also a recipe for disaster. I would also suggest carrying a little dustpan brush or a little broom or something, and just give the area a quick sweep for stones and sticks and leaves etc. hope that helps!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'm late to this party but I tried both Off-Ice brand artistic inlines and Roll Line Linea during the lock downs of 2020 and 2021. The Roll Line Lineas were infinitely preferable to the Off-Ice ones for many reasons. These are the main points you need to consider before forking out a tidy sum:-

• Surface is (almost) everything. Find a good one, and you'll enjoy yourself. It needs to be flat and very smooth. A brush is always a good idea to get random bits of detritus out of the way, whether you skate inside in a hall or outside on concrete or asphalt.
• If you do find an inside place, make sure it hasn't been treated with a non-slip coating as that stuff makes it impossible to skate on and takes a lot of cleaning off when it gets on your wheels!
• Three-wheeled skates are almost always preferable to 4-wheeled ones. Pic Skates do both, and are widely liked. Off-Ice brand are not very good at all, plus they have tiny wheels and weird toe-stops that you can only purchase direct from them.
• A frame with an adjustable rocker is a really, really good thing. My favourite are Roll Line Linea, as the quality is second to none, but I believe that Golden Horse do a frame with an adjustable rocker that is also good.
• Body protection is a must. Because you are far less likely to slide than on ice, falls really hurt and grazes are nasty. Most roller skaters are padded up for safety and it's not considered a weakness.

I hope this helps!