In this article i’m going to give you my 7 best tips for skating in the UK. Every terrain and country is different and the areas within countries provide for very unique skating experiences but i’ve summarised what i’ve learnt about skating in the UK, in ten helpful tips. If you are just starting out on your skating journey and you live in the UK, you may find this article really helpful. Please read on if you would like to know more!
7 best tips for skating in the UK – # 1 – Avoid rainy days!
So out of my 7 best tips for skating in the UK, this is number 1. This may sound obvious but as someone who has been skating since I was a child in the UK, I can tell you most of the times I fell were when it was raining or the ground was wet. This is obviously a common occurrence in the UK so you may have to be flexible with the dates and plans of when you skate, especially if you are trying to get regular practice. If you have a nasty fall, especially in the beginning, and/or you are learning to skate as an adult for the first time, this could really deplete your confidence so it’s best to skate on nice sunny days with a clear forecast.
7 best tips for skating in the UK – # 2 – be prepared for walking on your toe stops here and there or for taking your skates off temporarily
Another of my 7 best tips for skating in the UK is that the UK is very hilly and it has ancient history. The pathways are not necessarily always smooth. There are country roads with no pavements. Even when you drive to a suitable place for skating, such as a town, you are going to find that the streets are cobbled with pebbles or bricks intermittently which may require you to demount from your skates! This can be a pain and it leaves UK skaters slightly envious when they see Americans skating down the beach in California for example. It can be best to choose places where there are quiet roads and just skate in the road instead! However, we have to appreciate the beauty which exists in the UK – the ancient foundations make for a lovely scenic skate too.
7 best tips for skating in the UK – # 3 – Research the best places to skate
Choosing the right place to skate can really make a great deal of difference to your skating experience. Being able to skate along a lovely smooth path for miles without interruption and lovely scenery is so rewarding and it’s great for beginners who do not have to grapple with steep hills or cobbles on the floor. My third tip of my 7 best tips for skating in the UK, is to put some planning time into your skating schedule can really make it more enjoyable.
# 4 – Combine skating with sight seeing!
There are so many amazing things to see and do in the UK. Why not travel around on your skates to take it all in? A trip to London and around London on skates can be breathtaking – especially over London Bridge for example, at night? This applies to our other amazing cities and destinations too, however. You can skate past Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye – what better way to get around?! You can take a look at the ‘Places to Skate’ section of this blog to get some ideas and plan your skating trips here:
Places to skate – Sophia Blogs
# 5 – Find skating buddies!
There are loads of people online who love to skate in the UK. There are a number of Facebook and events such as ‘roll outs’ in the middle of central London!! You can join one of these and meet fellow UK skaters to share ideas, places to skate, tips and just enjoy being around other people who have the same passion for skating that you do!
Here are some roll out examples:
This type of event takes place regularly with London Street Skates – it gives the time, date and place of where people will meet, the length of the proposed skate track and a half way point. I’ve also provided the link for your convenience:
Shards & Bridges – London Street Skates
# 6 – Choose your skates wisely!
I’m actually still in a bit of a dilmena with this. I absolutely love my rollerskates but I also appreciate my inline skates too… they are good for different things… perhaps just pick the right type of skates for particular events? Maybe speed skating on inlines at the beach? and mincing around on rollerskates with beautiful sticky skating in a park like Hyde park? Perhaps you just like sticking to one style or one lovely pair of skates which you have tailored in just the way you want? The best thing is to be comfortable before you go out there with whatever your skating in!
# 7 – Take some skating lessons to help you focus on enjoying skating rather than ‘struggling’ to get stable
A lot of people swear by skating lessons. It can make your skating feel way more comfortable and less terrifying for a new skater – especially a new, adult skater. There are many different places in the UK which offer great skating lessons. They do a set block of classes for inline skating for example at some of the rinks, and you can also learn to roller skate at other places/as an alternative. Please check out our other blog posts to see where you might be able to take some lessons:
UK Roller Skating rinks – Sophia Blogs
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