Welcome
to
SKATENOW, inc.
Utah's only premier
Inline Skate School
with
Certified Instructors
GOT Skate GEAR?
Click on the link above
and visit
'the SkateNow shop'
a retail company
by SKATENOW, llc.
Contact:
info@skatenow.net
or call (801)944-5516
Visit
some
of our
Favorite Skate Sites!
ICP
Inline Certification Program
ICP / IISA / USA Fit
USSG Certified
certified skate school
and
US Speedskating Level II
contact
us:
info@skateNOW.net
or call
(801)944-5516
SkateNow is a fully
licensed
and insured,
accredited
inline skate school with
certified instructors for
both ice and inline skating.
Reach you full skating potential
with personalized instruction.
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SKATENOW inc
SKATING GEAR OVERVIEW
- SKATES:
Skate Descriptions & Types:
The
most
difficult thing to decide is on "which"
type of skate to purchase, as there are
so many choices. Key point, your
skates should be matched to your ability
and the type of skating you desire to
do. Recreational Inline skates
come in a variety of styles, soft boot
(which is becoming most popular, and
hard shell (plastic) boots. Both
Recreational and Fitness skates come
equipped with a brake, either a fixed
brake or ABS type, which is adjustable,
and offers the skater a bit more ease to
braking. Hockey Skates and
Aggressive skates typically do not have
a brake. Speed Skates also are not
equipped with a skate brake. Skates are
either laced or buckled, or a
combination of both, and most have
a tension buckle at the top of the ankle
cuff. We cannot stress enough about
getting a good fit. Snug, but not too
tight, your toes should just touch the
end of the boot, no pinching. The
heel should feel snug into the heel
pocket. Too loose a fit and your heel
will lift inside the boot and thus you
will succumb to blisters...ouch!
It is important to get a proper
fit. The padding inside the boot will
give slightly with use, but don't expect
a whole drop in size. Trade up
those old cotton sports socks for a
lightweights micro fiber moisture
wicking sports sock before you go skate.
Cotton tends to get sweaty then
rubs against your skin causing friction,
and whola, again
blisters.....ouch! Buying
your
skate gear locally affords you the
option for good local service.
Key Factors for skate shopping: Comfort,
Good Snug fit, Quality, Lightweight
skates. The rest is a matter of
preference and budget. Though it
is worth every penny to get a pair of
skates with wheels that actually roll.
If they don't roll easily in the
store they won't roll any easier on the
pavement. If you are someone who by
nature pronates (ankles tend to collapse
inward) it may be worth upgrading
the skate manufacturers footbed with a
more supportive footbed, or orthodic for
good arch support. Keep yer dogs
happy, and you will be happy, too.
Sooooo
many choices, and sooooo many
types of skates:
Recreational:
4
standard size wheels, plastic/soft boot,
laces/buckles, usually short frames, which
are easier to maneuver for beginners.
Fitness:
4
or 5 standard or slightly larger wheels,
combination plastic/soft boot,
laces/buckles, longer frames (some are
adjustable) for keeping stability at
higher speeds and going longer distances.
A 4 wheel fitness skates is still a good
choice for beginners.
Street/Urban
& Freestyle/Slalom:
4 wheel, a new breed of skate for quick
turns, and artist skating, and manuvering
urban terrain. A bit of a cross-breed
between rec-fitness-agressive, higher more
supportive cuff, but with larger wheels
(usually 76mm, 80mm-90mm), on a shorter
frame.
Hockey:
4
standard indoor wheels, tightly
spaced, laced, usually fabric boots,
indoor/outdoor, very short frames for
quick turns.
Aggressive:
4 very small wheels,
tightly spaced, laces/buckles,
plastic/fabric boots, grind plates, used
for doing tricks, jumps.
Speed Skates: 5
wheels or 4 very large wheels, long fully
adjustable aluminum/composite, or
magnesium frames, laced, very low cut,
stiff boots, minimally padded, that are
typically heat moldable for a better fit,
made of composite materials: leather,
plastics, carbon fiber, kevlar.
These skates are designed for high
speeds and racing.
- SAFETY
GEAR (PADS)
: Helmet, Elbow, Knee &
Wrist Guards
An ANSI
or CPSC standard, approved
bike helmet provides much
protection to your head in event
of injury. This is by far most
your most important piece of
protective gear you can invest in.
Always wear a helmet when skating.
Be sure to get a proper fit,
and tighten the chin strap
appropriately.
Protective pads for wrist,
knees, and elbows are a must for
anyone learning the sport of inline
skating. Concrete and Asphalt
are not forgiving surfaces. Be
sure to get a proper fit.
Also, available to skaters are
"crash-pants" - padded
spandex/lycra style shorts
designed to protect the tail and
hip bones.
- WHEELS
& BEARINGS: Types
& Hypes
Wheels:
Wheels are
defined by both Diameter in
Millimeters and Hardness in
Durometers. Wheel sizes:
76mm, 78mm, 80mm are common
sizes for Recreational,
Urban, Freestyle & Slalom
skating,
84mm
- 90mm are common for Urban,
Fitness & Cross-training
skates, and 100mm, 110mm
& 125mm are common sizes for
Speed Skates, and we're also
seeing larger wheels on fitness
& urban skates as
well. Are you ready for
Big wheels? Smaller sizes are
common for Hockey and aggressive
skates: 68-76mm. Check to see
what size the wheels are on the
skates you are purchasing, and
see whether the frames will
accept larger wheels. As
you progress, larger wheels
afford you an easier roll, and
last a bit longer. The
Durometer is the other number
you will see on the skate
wheels, it refers to the
hardness or softness of a wheel.
Usually it is 78a, 80a, 82a on
Recreational or Fitness skates
and 83a, 84a, 85a and up on
Speedskates. As speedskaters we
talk about wheels
characteristics such as rebound,
roll-out, wear patterns.
Rule of Thumb: A softer wheel is
a bit more forgiving, while a
harder wheel is less forgiving,
and a very hard wheel can even
cause you to slip easily, not
recommended. There are
also specific wheels for Indoor
or Outdoor uses. Unless
you plan to be a rink-rat, get
outdoor wheels. You will have
far more fun enjoying the great
outdoors than turning endlessly
tight circles to
vintage disco tunes... Of course,
it's your choice, but we advocate
the great outdoors. After all
how often do you have the
opportunity to see deer, bison,
coyotes, turtles, rabbits, red tail
hawk, a family of eagles, or even a
great blue heron while skating?
Bearings:
Your skates will come
with bearings that are typically
serviceable, with protective
shields are designed to come off
for cleaning, meaning at some point,
you will need to clean and re-lube
them. (We typically teach
skate maintenance as part of our
lessons). From the factory
bearings are either packed with a
special light grease, gel, or oil,
, all of which are fine. Greased
bearings tend to take a bit longer
to "break-in", but will last
longer between cleanings.
Just don't expect them to
roll too quickly until you get a
few miles on them. Oiled
bearings roll a bit faster
initially, but require more
servicing than grease packed
bearings. Grease packed
protect the bearings from water
and dirt better than oiled
bearings. Gel lubed bearings are a
nice medium that roll well and
last longer then oiled
bearings. If your bearings
get wet, get them dried out
immediately or they will rust.
Towel dry, then use a hair
drier to get them as dry as
possible. If your
skates come with non serviceable
bearings, expect to spend upwards of
$35 for a new set of 16 skate
bearings once they do get worn out.
How do you tell a worn
bearing? Does it still roll,
does it make crunchy or squeaky
noises? If the answer is
"yes", they are toast.
What's all the Hype about ABEC or
ILQ? These are rating standards for
bearings which for Recreational and
Fitness skating purposes really
doesn't equate to a whole lot,
except maybe extra expense.
The ratings go from ABEC1 to ABEC
11, and are priced accordingly. Some
bearings are not rated at all, and
others have similar rating systems
such as ILQ. The ABEC rating is a
reference to the tolerances designed
between the bearings in the crown
and the inner hub diameter within
the bearings..... just hyped,
tech-talk, as bearings used for
inline skating will never meet or
exceed the speeds they are designed
for.
ILQ bearings and some other similar
types use less balls( 6 balls)
within the bearing crown rather than
the standard 7 balls, and
argue that there is better free
spin, and less chance for dirt and
grit to slow down your roll, thus
less maintenance and servicing.
There are also cermaic bearings and
rain bearings. If your skates
come with an ABEC 3, 5, or 7
or ILQ 7 or 9 they should be
fine for many years providing you
take proper care of them. The
standard bearing size is 608 for
most skates and is universal.
For Speed Skates there are
also mini and micro bearings 688,
either steel or ceramics, which are
lighter and perhaps arguably a wee
bit faster than standard bearings,
but a bit more maintenance, all
designed to keep you moving fast.
- WHAT
TO WEAR: Clothing
Loose,
comfortable fitting
clothing is best for
beginning skaters. If
the weather is hot, look
to micro-fiber clothing
over cotten blends for
wicking away sweat and
moisture. Some
people like
spandex/lycra exercise
shorts or running pants.
Spandex/lycra is
good as it will provide
a minimum amount of
protection in event of a
fall, and could save you
from road rash.
They also offer
compression and support
for muscles. You can
also wear them under
regular loose fitting
shorts for an added
layer of protection.
Cycling jerseys
are a great choice
because they have those
nifty little pockets for
ID and other small
personal items.
Or, if you're a
T-shirt kinda person,
some skaters carry
small fanny / hip
packs designed to hold a
water bottle, ID, cell
ph., mp3's, etc. This
keep your hands free
while skating.
- MISCELLANEOUS: Weather, Hydration,
and more.
Check the Weather
before heading out. Wet slick pathways
can be dangerous, plus water is not good
for inline skates. Sadly enough,
snow and ice are not good for inline
skates either. Though we did
manage to get in a December skate a few
years back.
Always
bring along Water or other Sports Drink
and keep well hydrated, especially in
hotter weather.
If you are going to be out for an hour
or more, Sunscreen is a must.
Sunglasses are highly recommended, and
helpful to protect your eyes from dust
or objects tossed up by other skaters,
or cyclist.
- WHERE TO
BUY:
Skates, Bearings, Wheels,
Protective, Clothing: 'the SkateNow
shop'
All
of
the skate gear mentioned above can be
found in the SkateNow shop
Now that you have all the gear,
sign up NOW
for a skate lesson and get
rolling!
SKATE SAFE GET FIT HAVE FUN!
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