Can roller skaters use skate parks?
Roller skating is fun, and there’s no doubting it! The best part is that you have plenty of places to go roller skating. First off! Depending on what works best for you, you can roller skate indoors or outdoors.
The plenty of options for skating venues makes roller skating more exciting. This is an excellent opportunity if you love making friends and building your social capital.
Many roller sports hobbyists frequent Skate parks, including inline skaters, skateboarders, longboarders, and scooters.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re wondering whether roller skaters also use skate parks. I’ve put together this guide to show you when roller skaters can use skate parks.
So, let’s get to it!
Can Roller Skaters Use Skate Parks?
Can roller skaters use skate parks? Yes! Roller skaters can use skate parks since they can coexist with other roller sports hobbyists like inline skaters, skateboarders, longboarders, and scooters. It’s also much easier when the skate park management allows roller skaters into the skate park.
Skate parks are among the best places for roller skating. But before settling on a suitable skate park for you, you’ll want to ensure it meets some criteria.
- Space—the suitable skate parks for roller skaters should be spacious. Think about it! You need more room for navigating from one end to another since other skaters also use the park. It makes sense to be in a roomy skate park to avoid accidents like collisions.
- Friendly skating surface—outdoor roller skating is different from indoor roller skating. Most skate parks have two surface types, i.e., concrete and asphalt. Whichever the surface, you want to ensure it’s smooth, dry, and free of rocks and pebbles. Rough skating surfaces can cause knee and ankle pains because of the vibration forces. So, you want to avoid them.
- Security—your security comes first regardless of where you go, and a skate park isn’t exempted. The last thing you want is to go to an insecure skate park because you may lose all your valuables. Ensure the security is adequate before settling on a skate park.
- Accessibility—the skate park should be easy to access on foot, car, or roller skates. Also, some skate parks charge entrance fees while others don’t. If you aren’t comfortable paying to access a skate park, there are always free options available if you look around.
- Friendly people—roller skating is a social hobby. It’s more fun when skating with others than alone. You only want to visit a skate park with friendly skaters. Ask your friends for reviews or get first-hand experience visiting the skate park.
How to Roller Skate at a Skate Park
Now that you can roller skate at a skate park, here are tips on how to go about it. The tips are for your safety and other park users. So, you want to uphold them by being disciplined. Let’s dive in!
1. Wear Protective Gear
Protective gear is crucial for all skaters, whether skating indoors or outdoors. Roller skating can be dangerous, so you want to protect your body from falls and collision injuries.
Below is a quick rundown of the must-wear protective gear when roller skating!
- Helmet—to protect your head
- Elbow pads—to protect your elbows
- Wrist guards—to protect your wrists and palms
- Knee pads—to protect your knees
- Hip pads—to protect your butt, tail bone, and hips.
You can always find affordable protection gear at an online store like inline skates or amazon.
2. Pick an Appropriate Time for Skating
While you can roller skate any time of the day, skating at certain times may not be a good idea. Skate parks are often packed in the afternoon, and getting space may be a hurdle.
This is why you should consider roller skating in the morning or evening when only a few people are at the park. This is crucial if you’re a beginner looking to practice some tricks.
3. Use the Recommended Skating Technique
The basics of roller skating and skating, in general, apply everywhere, whether skating indoors or outdoors. The first rule of roller skating is always to stay low. It helps with stability.
So, you want to always be in a slightly bent posture. Your knees should be over your toes and shoulders above your hips.
This helps transfer your body weight to your toe balls for more stability. If you don’t bend properly, you may fall backward from gravity.
4. Don’t Overdo it
Roller skating is fun, but it does no good to overdo it. Roller skating, more than necessary, causes body and muscle fatigue. It also causes foot blisters, which can be painful.
The park isn’t going anywhere, so you can always come back for more skating. The sweet spot for roller skating is between one and two hours if you have to.
Skating beyond two hours may not be a good idea, especially if you’re a beginner.
5. Learn How to Fall
Learning how to fall is crucial for all roller skaters because it helps prevent some injury types. What is the safe way to fall when roller skating? Below is a quick rundown!
- Sliding on pads
- Rolling on your shoulders
- Falling on your hips/back
- Rolling your body
If you’re wondering how they work, I put together a comprehensive guide on how to fall safely when roller skating. Use this link to check it out.
6. Start Slow and Move to Complex Stuff Later
It’s crucial to start slow and move to more complex stuff like transitions. Roller skating is exciting, and it’s easy to be caught up trying to do complex tricks more experienced skaters are doing.
Mastering roller skating tricks take time. So, you want to take it slow. One step at a time should be your mantra.
7. Relax Your Body
Roller skating, while the body is rigid, is a common beginners’ problem. It’s often because of fear of falling. The good news is that it goes away as one acquires more confidence.
Roller skating with a rigid body isn’t cool since it increases the chances of falling and hurting yourself.
This is why you want to be relaxed. A relaxed body also helps with using the correct skating posture for safety.
8. Use Soft Outdoor Roller Skating Wheels
Indoor and outdoor roller skating wheels are different because of the surface types. So, it’s not a good idea to use your indoor roller skate wheels outdoors.
The best practice is buying roller skaters exclusively for outdoor use or outdoor roller skates for skating outside.
The recommended wheels for outdoors are soft since they provide more traction. Though they can be slow, they’re the best for beginners and intermediate roller skaters.
Below are some of the best outdoor roller skate wheels. You can check them out on Amazon!
- Atom Pulse Outdoor Roller Skate Wheels
- Devaskation Bankroll x4 Outdoor Quad Skate Wheels
- CLAS FOX 78A Indoor or Outdoor 65x35mm Quad Roller Skate Wheels
- Bont Skates – Glide Outdoor Roller Skate Wheels
9. Observe Skate Park Rules
Every skate park operates on some rules to keep park users in check. You’ll want to check with the management before using the park.
The last thing you want is to be thrown out because of violating one of the park rules. An example of a skate park rule is traffic flow.
If everyone should go anticlockwise, you don’t want to be found going clockwise.
It would help if you also were friendly and kind to all park users without being told. You don’t need rules for this. Simple human courtesy is all you need.
Other Places to Go Roller Skating
Besides skate parks, you can also use the following places as skating venues;
- Roads
- Pavements
- Malls
- Indoor roller skating rinks
- Bike lanes/paths
- Car parking lots
- Sports parks (basketball and handball courts)
- Skating trails
- Recreational parks
More Reding>>Can You Roller Skate on the Road?
Can You Rollerblade in the Bike Lane?
Can You Rollerblade on Sidewalks?
Can Roller Skaters Use Skate Parks? Wrapping Up
There’s no doubt that roller skaters can use skate parks since they can always coexist with other roller sports hobbyists like rollerbladers and skateboarders.
If you were wondering whether you can use your local skate park, the answer is a yes, if the management allows roller skaters.
