Beginner’s Guide to Aggressive Inline Skating.

Welcome to Grindside’s beginners’ guide to Aggressive Inline Skating, hopefully this will give you a helpful guide for starting out in the world of Aggressive Skating.

Equipment guide for Aggressive Inline Skating

The Aggressive Inline Skate

For beginners, Grindside recommend buying a pair of inline skates off the shelf, rather than custom made skates, which you may choose later on as your skills progress in the sport of aggressive skating.

The following is a brief beginners guide to what components off-the-shelf skates should include:
• Boot shell and lining – The shell is the hard material (usually plastic) that forms the outer layer of the boot and the lining is the soft material forming the inner layer of the boot. Grindside recommend you should buy a new pair of skates which are around ½ to one size bigger than your normal footwear. Take care when buying, as different countries use different footwear sizes and measurements.
• Wheels – Wheels come in a variety of sizes which also have varying degrees of hardness; the softer the wheel, the smoother the ride, but avoid very soft wheels when street skating, as they wear quickly and may crack due to the rough nature of the terrain. Wheel size is related to the width and not the diameter; therefore all wheels will fit all frames. Wheel size is measured in mm and the hardness is measured on an increasing scale from soft to hard and has the suffix of an “a”.
• Bearings – These are ball bearings in a case. They allow quick and smooth rotation of the wheels. The quality of bearing is measured using ABEC values, which comprise of all of the odd numbers from 1 – 9: 1 representing the lowest rating, 9 the highest.
• Frames – The frame connects the wheels to the boot and gives another space to grind on. There are 3 different types of frames; these are 4 wheeled setup, anti rocker setup and 2 wheeled setup. The 4 wheeled setup consists of 4 wheels of the same size on each frame. The anti rocker setup is where the front and back wheel are larger than the 2 middle (anti rocker) wheels, this makes grinding easier. The 2 wheeled setup is 2 same sized wheels on the front and back, in this case there is a large gap between used for grinds. All frames have a gap in the middle of the frame which is called the H Block, this does not have wheels in it and in all cases is left empty.
In conclusion, a good pair of beginners skates should cost around £90 or $180, for further advise on choosing your first pair feel free to contact us, or ask at you local skate supplier.

Recommended Safety Equipment for Aggressive Inline Skating

Aggressive Inline Skating is a hard sport to master and can be dangerous when performing certain tricks. Grindside highly recommend using safety equipment to protect yourself, especially when trying new tricks and first learning to skate. Grindside recommends everyone should use the following inline safety equipment, especially beginners.
• Helmet – A p1ss pot helmet is the usual helmet of choice, Grindside would not advise using a helmet that does not cover the back of the head, such as a cycle helmet.
• Knee pads
• Elbow pads – recommended for beginners.
• Wrist protection – This gives support to your wrists when falling, and can stop your hands being cut if the surface is rough. Recommended for beginners.
• Bum savers (optional) – Gives extra padding to your tail bone and the top of your legs. Recommended for beginners.

(But this is only a guide)

Aggressive Skating Clothes guide

There are no specific requirements for Aggressive Inline Skating, although Grindside would recommend (as a guide) wearing cool and loose clothing that does not restrict movement. Also clothes that are made from a tough material are best, such as denim, but this is only a guide.

Places to start Aggressive Inline Skating

Learning to Inline Skate

If you have never skated before then it is essential to learn to skate before trying jumps, grinds, and other tricks. Grindside recommend that the ideal place to learn would be on a smooth, flat surface. On an area like this, it is far easier to get used to moving on skates. Good places are new car parks, smooth drives and newly laid roads. Check local laws before starting and it is always best to get permission from the land owner.

First aggressive grind

You should try and find a smooth kerb stone that can be easily waxed and has a smooth run-up. For a detailed tutorial on grinds see our trick section.

First aggressive jump/grab

A smooth open space is recommended for your first jump. For a detailed tutorial on jumps see our trick section.

Skate parks

For your first visit, try and choose a day when the skate park is quite quiet, as some beginners can become intimidated by other park users. It is always best to try the smaller areas of the park and leave the larger areas until your confidence has grown. Bare in mind that most of the staff and other users of the park will be happy to help, they were beginners’ once.

Skate maintenance guide

After every Inline Skating session

– Clean off your skates with a damp cloth
– Check for loose screws/nuts/bolts etc.
– Check wheels for cracks.
– Spin wheels and listen for unusual noise from bearings.

Every month

– Removing wheels from frame.
– Remove debris that may have gathered in frames.
– Clean dust and debris from bearings.
– Apply bearing oil if necessary.