FAQs

Start in the Yard
Roll on the TraiIs
Skate like a Pro
Inspect your Skates
Tune-up your Skates
Get a Trail Guide

Inline Skating Lessons

Rollerblade Maintenance Lessons

Rollerblading Trail Guides

News

Welcome to the News page of the Inline Skating Center! Check this page often throughout the spring and summer for news and updates.

We’ll post late breaking news here about changes to the site, as well as news about inline skating products when they become available for download. In addition, we’ll include progress reports about products that are still in the development stage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Do you provide skating lessons?

A1. Yes, we have three skating lessons available for download in PDF format. Lesson #1 For Beginners Only is for novice skaters, while Lessons #2 and #3 dubbed Intermediate Trail Skating and Advanced Trail Skating are geared for intermediate and advanced recreational inline skaters, respectively.

Q2. How are your skating lessons structured?

A2. Our skating series is designed to take the novice inline skater from the schoolyard to the trails within a single season. To reach this goal, the lessons are set up in a progression so the student gets comfortable with the basic maneuvers in lesson #1 before moving on to the more advanced material in lesson #2, and so on.

In addition, the student is free to advance at his or her own pace, but it’s recommended that he or she only moves on after mastering the maneuvers in a particular lesson, which often entails a certain amount of practice and mileage. In this way, the student builds the correct foundation right from the start in lesson #1 and adds the more advanced skills on top as he or she progresses from lesson #2 to #3.

To further this end, all lessons contain ample photos and drawings to illustrate the written instructions. Moreover, all skating maneuvers, procedures, and drills are written in clear and concise steps with feedback, where necessary, for ease of use and student retention.

Q3. I see you also have modules for sale! What exactly is a module?

A3. A module is a group of two or three lessons packaged together according to a theme. For instance, the Maintenance Module consists of two maintenance lessons, namely Lesson #1 Basic Maintenance and Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance.

In this way, those skaters who want a complete coverage of the subject matter in one publication can get it with a module. On the other hand, some skaters may be knowledgeable about the topic at the beginner level, and now need instructions at the advanced level. In this case, the skater should purchase an individual lesson, such as Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance above.

Q4. What does your Maintenance Module contain?

A4. The Skate Maintenance module consists of two lessons, namely, Lesson #1 Basic Maintenance and Lesson #2 Advanced Maintenance. Lesson #1 explains what to inspect, clean, and adjust on a weekly and monthly basis, while lesson #2 delves much deeper into the wheel, bearing, and brake maintenance that needs be done on an annual basis to keep your skates in top running condition.

Q5. What are your Trail Guides all about?

A5. Each guide contains directions for getting to the starting point of the trail, details about the trail including length and width, landmarks along the way, and a trail map. In addition, each guide has an overall ranking, as well as a degree of difficulty ranking. The rationale behind the rankings are also provided.

Q6. Will you be providing guides for trails in other provinces, and/or states in the future?

A6. Yes, first we’ll publish individual guides for the top five trails in Ontario, and then put them all together into an Ontario Trail Module. After that we’ll look at Quebec, and then the states of New York and Vermont.

Q7. What is your newsletter On The Trail all about?

A7. On The Trail is our free newsletter that’s published every two weeks between June and October. The ezine is theme-based and deals with conditions and/or hazards that inline skaters may encounter on the trails. The newsletter is short, but informative, and consists of an Editor’s Note, a Tip related to the theme, and a Tactic that the skater can use when he or she confronts a condition or hazard on the trail.

Q8. What is the difference between inline skating and rollerblading?

A8. Inline skating is the official term for the sport and is synonymous with rollerblading. The commonly misused term of rollerblading is due to the company Rollerblade, which manufactures inline skates. This lead to the generic use of of the term rollerblade to stand for all inline skates, even those made by other companies. This is similar to the use of the brand names like xerox and kleenex.

Q9. What exactly is trail skating?

A9. Skating on trails is all about rolling on marked, in-bound paved paths that can be found inside parks, on waterfronts, and even in preserves and/or sanctuaries. Sometimes, the skater needs to do some street skating to get from one part of the trail to the next because not all trails are continuous. Trail skating is best for the recreational, inline skater who wants to get fit from rolling longer distances and have fun at the same time in a safe, controlled environment away from crowds and noise.

Q10. Does the Inline Skating Center stress the fitness aspect of inline skating?

A10. Yes, definitely! Our approach is to build strength and endurance with a series of thirty-seven, high-energy workouts over a four-month period. To further this end, the rolls are held twice a week, and every week throughout the summer, including long weekends. So, we provide a fitness element via the number and continuity of the rolls, as well as by the distance of our Sunday rolls, each of which is now 30+ kilometres in length. In addition, we encourage sprinting, where appropriate, on flat, straight stretches.

Q11. Do you provide information on your site for racers?

A11. No, we leave this to other groups who promote and participate in speed skating on a regular basis. They know this subject much better then we do!

Q12. Do you provide information on your site for marathoners?

A12. No, we leave this to other bodies who promote and participate in marathons on a regular basis. They know this subject well! Check out our Links Directory and Link Partners pages for the links to affiliations who deal exclusively with marathon skating and events. We have a marathon category in both the Links Directory and in the Link Partners listings.

Q13. Do you provide information on your site for street skaters?

A13. No, we provide information, lessons, modules, and guides for recreational, inline skaters who roll on trails. We leave skating on streets to the tricksters and others, who know this subject and have the necessary experience with street skating.

In addition, it’s the Inline Skating Center’s belief that streets are not inherently safe for skaters. Promoting this type of skating would go against the grain of what the site stands for, which is skating in safe, controlled environments such as on marked trails!

Q14. I want to buy one of your lessons, and perhaps a module? Can I pay for it in Canadian dollars?

A14. Yes, when you fill out the order form with our payment processor, you are asked during the secure credit card transaction if you want to pay in US or Canadian funds. All you have to do is select the Canadian currency option.

Q15. I’m looking for an all encompassing book on the subject of inline skating? Will you have such a book available either online or in print in the future?

A15. Yes, in July of this summer we’re planning on publishing an e-book entitled The Inline Skaters Handbook, which will be available for digital download from our site in PDF format. If all goes well with the online book, we’ll then consider doing a print run for those who wish to have the hardcopy edition.

We have inline skating articles posted on the site. Here are the topics that we’ve covered so far:

To view, print, or use one or more articles on your web site and/or in your newsletter, click the Article Index button:

Article Index

We want to forge partnerships with related sites!

To add your link to our directory in exchange for a link on your site back to us, click Links Directory for instructions:

Links Directory

Visit us often to see what’s new in the world of inline skating. To add our site to your Favorites, click the link below:

Don’t forget to bookmark us! (CTRL-D)

We would really appreciate it if you told other inline skaters about our site. To tell your friends, just click below. Thanks!

Tell a Friend

Are you looking for a place to skate when you’re on vacation? The Inline Skating site at About.com has a category called the Best Places to Skate.

Over the coming months they’re going to feature the best of the best in the US and Canada. You’ll want to bookmark the site and check in before you head out on vacation.

Best Places