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Rollerblading Vs. Skiing | the Ultimate Comparison

Rollerblading vs. Skiing? Which is better than the other, and how do they help each other? If you're wondering how the two compare, you've come to the right place. I've put together this detailed blog to compare Skiing vs. Rollerblading. So, let's get to it!

Rollerblading vs. Skiing are amazing sports to engage in. While rollerblading is a summer sport, skiing is a winter sport. Perhaps this is the main difference between rollerblading vs. skiing. That being said, how does skiing compare with rollerblading?

Rollerblading vs. Skiing at a glance!

The main difference between Rollerblading vs. Skiing is in the skating or skiing surface. While Rollerblading is done on dry asphalt surfaces, skiing on the other hand is done on snowy surfaces in the mountains.

Rollerblading Vs. Skiing Comparison Table

Elements of comparisonRollerbladingSkiing
HistoryRelatively new: It started a few hundred years ago (1760).Quite old: Its use dates back to the middle ages around 1206.
Wheelbase structure and designWide wheelbase fitted with 2-5 inline wheels.Wide baseline of between 135 cm and 170 cm depending on skier’s height.
Body muscle DevelopmentWorks lower body muscles.Works lower body muscles.
Aerobic BenefitsLow impact aerobic exercise; tons of aerobic benefits.Low impact aerobic exercise; tons of aerobic benefits.
Calories BurnedBurns more calories; approximately 573-1069 per hour.Burns approximately 360-532 per hour.
Required GearRollerblades, protective gear, light clothing, skating suit.Skis and special skiing gear.
SkillsetBeginner guidance is required to get started.Beginner guidance is required to get started.
Speed 8 mph-16 mph.10 mph-20 mph
Cardiovascular BenefitsHigh impact cardio sport; improves heart health.High impact cardio sport; improves heart health.
Joints and Overall SafetyMinimal impact on joints. Primarily done in open venues; relatively safe.Minimal impact on joints.
Activity VenueBoth indoors and outdoors in skate parks, on urban roads and trails, and sports parks.Mostly in snowy outdoors on the mountains during winter.
Skating or Skiing SurfaceBest suited for dry asphalt and or concrete surfaces.Snowy.

Rollerblading Vs. Skiing: the Definitive Comparison

The above comparison table is only a sneak peek view of skiing vs. rollerblading. In the rest of this post, we’ll dive deeper and examine how the two sports compare side by side. So, let’s get going!

1. Rollerblading Vs. Skiing History

Skiing Vs. Rollerblading

Between rollerblading and skiing, which one do you think came first? Well, you don’t need to beat your head up to this. Skiing is much older than rollerblading. Skiing dates back to the middle ages around 1206, while rollerblading dates back to 1760.

However, it wasn’t until the 1980s and 90s that rollerblading gained popularity around the world. Therefore, based on history, it’s okay to conclude that skiing as a sport is more developed than rollerblading.

The first people to use skis were Scandinavian farmers, hunters, and warriors. On the other hand, the first people to use rollerblades, aka inline skates, were ice hockey players who needed an off-season summer activity to keep them engaged.

2. Skiing Vs. Rollerblading Muscle Development

Rollerblading is an intensive and rigorous sport, especially the speed skating discipline. Therefore, when rollerblading, all the body muscles are actively engaged, especially the lower body part.

The muscles found around this area are the core, gluteus, hamstrings, adductors, and quadriceps. Similarly, skiing works the lower body muscles. Therefore, skiing works the following muscles: core, gluteus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and the calf.

More Reading: What Muscles Does Rollerblading Work? The Ultimate Discovery!

3. Rollerblades and Skis Wheelbase Structure and Design

Skiing and rollerblading use special types of shoes called skis and inline skates/rollerblades, respectively. But that’s just it! Skis and rollerblades have different designs from the overall boot design and the means of locomotion.

Rollerblades roll-on polyurethane inline wheels of different sizes from 50 mm to 125 mm. Some rollerblades are fitted with three wheels, and others have four wheels, while some have five wheels. Besides that, some rollerblades have inbuilt rubber brakes for heel brake stopping.

On the other hand, skis have two principal parts where the shoes go into—the bases and the edges. This is what we relate with in rollerblades as wheelbase and frame. That being said, the bases help distribute the skiers’ weight while the edges help cut through the snow and facilitates easy turning.

The typical structure of a baseline comprises the tip, the waist, and the tail. Also, baselines can be made from wood, fiberglass, high-tech fiber, and polyethylene. This helps by presenting skiers with multiple options to consider.

Generally, skis have a longer wheelbase because of the nature of their baseline. Therefore, this makes them more stable than rollerblades.

Does rollerblading help with skiing?

4. Rollerblading and Skiing Aerobic Benefits

Rollerblading and skiing sports come with tons of aerobic benefits. Most importantly, the two are categorized as low-impact aerobic exercises/sports because they’re gentle on joints but rough on calories.

Aerobic benefits come about from the active engagement of the heart to pump oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Cleveland Clinic attributes the following as some of the aerobic benefits from rollerblading and skiing.

  • Reduced chances of developing heart diseases
  • Controlled blood cholesterol levels
  • Enhanced lung function
  • Steady blood sugar levels

5. Calories Burned During Rollerblading and Skiing

According to a study done by Better Me, when rollerblading, the average person burns between 573 calories and 1067 calories per hour. The results depend on body weight, type of terrain, skill level, and speed of skating.

On the other hand, the average person burns between 360 calories and 532 calories per hour when skiing. Also, this depends on the type of terrain, body weight, skill level, and skiing speed.

Overall, rollerblading helps to burn more calories because it’s more involving and engages many body muscles. If you’re looking to burn those extra calories, rollerblading would be an excellent place to start.

The best part is, skiers can use rollerblading to burn extra calories and keep fit when not skiing over summer or whichever day.

6. Required Gear for Skiing and Rollerblading

When rollerblading, it’s important to wear protective gear, including a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads. Depending on the rollerblading discipline, the skater may also use hip pads, shin guards, and a pair of glasses.

Also, there are different types of inline skates (rollerblades) depending on the discipline. Therefore, you’ll find recreation skates, freestyles skates, speed skates, hockey skates, fitness skates, and aggressive skates.

On the other hand, skiing requires more sophisticated gear considering it’s done on ice. Therefore apart from the skis, you’d need a warm hat, sunglasses, neck warmers, 2x thermal tops, 2x fleeces, waterproof ski jacket, trousers, and gloves.

Overall, it’s more costly to get started in skiing than rollerblading, considering the types of gear needed for each sport.  

Related post: Inline Skating Gear: The Must-Have Complete Gear For Skaters

7. Inline Skating Vs. Skiing Skills

For both sports, one needs basic entry-level skills like stopping, turning, going fast, slowing down, and doing tricks. Between the two, which is easier to learn? If you’re wondering what the answer is, I’d say it varies because of the different surfaces involved.

However, one thing is clear that skiing offers more stability than rollerblading because skis have a super long baseline. Therefore, newbies will find skiing easy to juggle with, thanks to the nature and design of the baseline.

Related Post: How to Get Better at Rollerblading | 10 Sure-fire tips

8. Rollerblading and Skiing Speed

The average rollerblading speed ranges between 8 mph -16 mph for an average person. On the other hand, the average skiing speed ranges between 10 mph -20 mph. The variation in speed is caused by skill level and type of terrain. Overall, there’s no significant difference in speed for the average skater or skier doing it for fun.

9. Skiing Vs. Rollerblading Cardiovascular Benefits

Skiing and rollerblading come with tons of cardiovascular benefits considering they’re low-impact aerobic sports.

Some cardiovascular benefits from rollerblading and skiing include improved heart health, controlled cholesterol levels, improved blood circulation, and improved lung function.

Related Post: 10 Health Benefits of Rollerblading | New Research

10. Rollerblading Vs. Skiing Safety on Joints and Overall Safety

Both sports are considered low-impact aerobic sports, meaning they’re gentle on joints but rough on calories and stored body fats. If you’re the least worried that either skating or skiing would hurt your knees, now I’ve helped to clear the doubt.

Related Post: Is Rollerblading Bad for Knees? Best Aerobic Exercise Revealed!

11. Rollerblading Vs. Skiing Venue

Rollerblading can be done indoors and outdoors in rollerblading rinks, skate parks, pavements, bike paths, trails, Recreation Park, and urban roads.

On the flip side, skiing is best done outdoors in the hills and on a snowy surface. Overall, rollerblading offers more skating venues than skiing.

More Reading: Where to go Rollerblading | 9 Amazing Places for Inline Skating

Does Rollerblading Help with Skiing?

Rollerblading Vs. Skiing

It is true rollerblading helps with skiing in many ways. First, rollerblading is a summer sport that skiers can engage in as a cross-exercise to prepare for the coming winter season. Second, the rollerblading sport uses techniques like bending low, carving motions, making turns, and stopping that also apply to skiing.

Besides that, rollerblading works all body muscles and helps with aerobic and cardiovascular benefits. So, if you’ve been wondering: is rollerblading good skiing? The answer is an absolute yes. Therefore, as a skier, rollerblading is the perfect cross-training sport you can ever think of.

More Reading: Does Rollerblading Help Skiing? The Ultimate Comparison

Final Thoughts: Rollerblading Vs. Skiing

Rollerblading vs. skiing! How do the two compare? If you’ve been beating up your head to this, I believe you’ve found this post helpful. Rollerblading and skiing are correlated sports with tons of health benefits. The main difference between the two is the season of playing.

While rollerblading is more flexible and can be done in summer and winter, skiing is best suited for the winters. Because they’re almost similar, skiers can turn to rollerblading during summer to prepare for the winter.

So, is skiing similar to rollerblading? The answer is yes but with a few differences. However, for the better part, the two sports are similar and compliments each other.

More reading: Does Rollerblading Help Skiing? The Ultimate Comparison

Navick Ogutu
Navick Ogutu

Navick is a full-time freelance writer, blogger, and internet marketer. By day, he creates content for multiple sites including inlineskaterstars.com. Over the weekend, he goes out skating with friends.

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