Thoughts on inline skating for off-ice?

[WaltzJump413]

I'm just about 2 weeks shy of getting back on the ice for lessons.I haven't been able to skate much this summer, but I've been inline skating more than usual, trying to work on my stroking technique. I find I have the same problems on inlines as I do figure skates--getting a stronger push with my dominant foot and a weaker one with the other. So I've been working to improve that, hoping it will "translate."

Anyone else inline skate? (I don't have PIC Skates or anything...just your typical inlines.) Do you find it helps your technique on ice? Or is it not a good idea for off-ice because the skates are (definitely) not exactly the same?

Thanks!

[nicklaszlo]

Stroking evenly in inlines should help balance out your strong and weak sides.  I definitely think inlines are good for strengthening.  I do not think they have much effect on technique.  Think of non-rockered inlines as being like speed skates.

[Bill_S]

I have rockered PICs, and at the very least, inline skating will help strengthen your legs for ice skating. It might also help with deeper knee bend too since you have to overcome more friction. I'm convinced that it has helped me.

I'd keep things simple on regular inlines though. Work on stroking technique. Save the figure skating moves for rockered inlines.

[sarahspins]

Strength/balance I think it would definitely help. 

There are some videos of people on youtube where they altered regular inline skates to be rockered by simply changing out the front/back wheels for slightly smaller ones.  That may be a possibility to get a more "on ice" feel but whether or not it can be done depends on your skates and what resources you have locally

[WaltzJump413]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

Yep, I think it will be good for strength. I'm really not doing anything above stroking--too risky! Falls on concrete are worse than on ice, I think...

That's neat that you can switch out the wheels, too...

[Nate]

Strength, and Endurance:  Yes, if done a lot.

Balance:  Not so much.  Inline Skates don't have rockers, unless they're pick skates.

Technique:  No, not really.

And I'd only do it on a smooth concrete surface.  Constant rumbling on a rough surface can do a number to your knees.

[rsk8d]

Great for cardio/endurance training with the best muscle carryover to mimic skating (and also the sideboard).

[WaltzJump413]

And I'd only do it on a smooth concrete surface.  Constant rumbling on a rough surface can do a number to your knees.

Didn't think about that...

Thanks for the input!

[WaltzJump413]

Great for cardio/endurance training with the best muscle carryover to mimic skating (and also the sideboard).

That's awesome to know! Thanks!

[Gabby on Ice]

Inline skating will help with speed, but it might not help with technique. It would be good for strength though.

[WaltzJump413]

Thanks, Gabby!

I did see an improvement in my stroking last time I skated. I think rollerblading helped with strength/power.

[riley876]

Anyone else inline skate? (I don't have PIC Skates or anything...just your typical inlines.) Do you find it helps your technique on ice? Or is it not a good idea for off-ice because the skates are (definitely) not exactly the same?

I'm coming to this thread a bit late, but my thoughts, for anyone else wandering into this thread:

- You can rocker normal (i.e. non figure) inlines by simply using smaller wheels in the end positions, e.g. 76-80-80-76mm.   It doesn't get exactly the same "ball = turny, heel = stable" feel that figure skates have, it's more like "toe wheel = turny, centre = stable",  which is really just a weight positioning change.  the same instincts to apply pressure to the front of the foot to turn still apply.

- Instincts in general are 95% the same, 4% benign differences, and only 1% of things will kill you.  You'll find them soon enough

- The difference in feel is not insignificant, and things feel ODD going between them, but the more often you switch, the less you'll notice them.  After 6 months of twice weekly switching I don't have any adjustment period.

- You can't cheat turn and edging mechanics on inlines.  i.e. anything that scrapes on ice is not simply going to happen on inlines.  Consider this a bonus to fix your technique.   

- But you can cheat checking on inlines.  It's too easy to kill rotational momentum with the skate alone.

- If anything edge drills (e.g. slaloms) are easier to learn on inlines because you get trustable traction all the time.

- Without picks, you risk falling off the front of the skate doing turns.  Therefore good kneepads and wristguards are essential.   Typical skateable surfaces are unforgiving on your extremities, so these will prevent VERY painful skin loss too.

- Jumps are very hard, but possible with some modifications without picks, (youtube:  harry wing xanadu).  The trick for pick assisted jumps in general I've been told is to use the whole of the "picking foot" skate planted sideways 4-wheels-down as "one big pick".    I can't confirm this as I'm not jumping yet.  Probably very ugly but hey whatever works.

- Spins are in general not a happening thing.   Look at roller skating technique for spins if you're really keen.  They rock back and forth to get their spins happening.  You could conceivably do the same thing with inlines.

- Inline freestyle (i.e. cone slalom) is an interesting diversion, and the set moves are a goldmine of useful drills.  Anything "wheeling" clearly isn't directly transferable to figure skates, but there's hundreds of moves (youtube: munobal) and they'll all teach you something useful.

- Skating in the sunshine and fresh air is glorious!

[WaltzJump413]

Thanks for your input, riley876!

[Bill_S]

- Spins are in general not a happening thing.   Look at roller skating technique for spins if you're really keen.  They rock back and forth to get their spins happening.  You could conceivably do the same thing with inlines.

I've been able to spin on my rockered inlines in the past. I've found that the best entrance is a RFI 3, then step into the normal  left foot CCW spin. I agree that it's much more difficult to spin on inlines than on ice though. I don't usually even try anymore. A sloppy spin can put you on your b**t really fast.

Here's a video from 2009 showing a spin on PIC skates (which have a toe stop). I was able to muster about 4 revs in this video. I noticed that I was very far forward on the skate wheels for the spin, and I recall that my best inline spins leave light toe-stop tracings.

http://www.afterness.com/skating/images/pic_spin_09.avi

This video is in an AVI format that some users won't be able to view without some sort of plug-in, especially Macs. Sorry in advance.

[lutefisk]

Very nice Bill.  I can't spin that well on ice!

[riley876]

Cheers Bill,

Downloading your link and playing it with VLC media player worked fine for me.

Thanks for that, it's always interesting to see what's possible.  Your spin is very impressive! (to my untrained eye).  Certainly looks quite close to ice style.   

Non-figure inlines I suspect will need a radically different technique, due to not having any support available from dragging a toe stop, thereby making balancing on a toe wheel next to impossible.    I tried to find a video of what I meant by "rocking" in roller spinning technique, and came up with this:

e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS2uxTp9qX0  @ 2:45

Essentially momentarily spinning balanced on a heel axle, and when the (impossible to maintain) balance fails, rocking onto the front axle to centre, then back to the heel.  I suspect this might be applicable to non-figure inlines too.     Any roller skaters here who can confirm this theory?

Whatever the way it's done, I suspect it would be of little help to one's ice spinning skills.   But hey, learning odd stuff is always fun.

[icedancer]

Great job!

The video plays but is fuzzy so I would swear you were on ice!

[Bill_S]

Non-figure inlines I suspect will need a radically different technique, due to not having any support available from dragging a toe stop, thereby making balancing on a toe wheel next to impossible.  ...

Essentially momentarily spinning balanced on a heel axle, and when the (impossible to maintain) balance fails, rocking onto the front axle to centre, then back to the heel.  I suspect this might be applicable to non-figure inlines too.     Any roller skaters here who can confirm this theory?

Maybe it's an advanced move on wheels, not unlike a change-of-edge spin in ice skating. But I don't know much about roller competition and technique. I hope an experienced roller skater chimes in too.

Icedancer - sorry for the fuzziness of my own video. It was made with a very early point and shoot digital camera that I borrowed.

BTW, spinning on inlines trashes wheels and bearings quickly. That gets expensive.

[riley876]

Got me really intrigued now (oh no! save us all!) on how they're done on rollers.

Coming from a different angle, found an impressive demo/tutorial on spins in roller jam-skating.  These guys seem exclusively spin on toe wheels, and they don't have top stops at all (just "dance plugs" which aren't being touched here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVX7ybiCc18

Impressively clean two foot spinning, but clearly staying up on a single toe axle for any length of time is very challenging, and they do travel a fair bit in the effort to do so.  So maybe it's all just a matter of practice.   

(And yes, these guys really do skate without laces.  There's some really freaky moves they do that need that, e.g. the "broken ankle" - which isn't a literal description!

[amandascw]

To get extra practice, I purchased some inline skates for when I can't get to the rink. Will this actually positively impact my figure skating? If so, what are the best moves to practice on them? Any other tips for them? Thanks!