When it comes to stopping on inline skates, there’s a wide variety of techniques to choose from. Below is a list of some common stopping methods, ranked from easiest to most challenging (though, I’ll admit, this ranking might spark a bit of debate—because, of course,...
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Skating Paris: A Dream Weekend on Wheels 🇫🇷🛼 May 2025
What better way to kick off the 2025 skate season than with a trip to the world’s most iconic skating city – Paris? Our recent Skatefresh Paris adventure brought together skaters from the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and France for...
Is Amsterdam the most modern skate city?
Amsterdam is the town with great facilities for both inline and roller-skating.And in 2025 even more! Discover why in this Guest Blog-post from skate local Lex Van Buuren. Skating the city is very cool, as it has so many benefits. Inline skating is not just about...
The Truth About Inline Skating Without a Brake
Why It’s Not Always the Best Advice To Tell a Beginner Inline Skater To Remove It. There’s a prevailing belief in the inline skating community that learning to skate without a brake is perfectly fine because there are other stopping methods available. It’s a mindset...
Is it OK to take a break from skating?
On this recent trip to Brazil, I’ve met up with lots of old friends. I used to spend 3-5 months a year in Rio before the Pandemic and I’ve not been back in over 4 years. I met up with Tel, one of my online students who became a friend. We first met in 2016 when I...
I inspired a song and music video
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro Brazil! It's been four and a half years since I was last here in Rio, my second home where I spent 3-5 months every winter before COVID for about eight years. A Facebook memory triggered seeing this music video which shows my life here,...
Why do my feet hurt & ache when I skate?
Q: I started inline skating and my feet hurt after about 15-20 minutes skating. It can get so bad I have to stop or take my skates off. I even bought another pair of skates but the problem is still there. What’s wrong? A: This reply is applicable to roller skaters...
Amazing Backwards Skating…
“I’m proud of you” - Doesn’t come close Let me introduce to you one of the most significant students I’ve ever taught. On Instagram he’s @northislandking and his name is Minzaw. This is him skating backwards at the London Halloween Skate recently. He’s been off-skates...
Why do experienced skaters remove the heel brake?
Q: Hi Asha, I am certainly skating, and your online course, as well as other videos that you have posted online, have been invaluable. I have been going now for over three weeks and I’m improving every time. What’s more, I’m finding the...
What’s the best way to practice skating?
Let's begin by addressing some questions related to your inline or roller skatingpractice: How many hours per week do you dedicate to your inline or roller skating practice? Do you have a specific weekly time goal for your wheels? Are you able to skate more frequently...
Why is inline skating still a minority sport?
There are many reasons why inline skating hasn’t grown worldwide to become a well known sport. There has been huge growth globally since the pandemic but inline and roller skating still don’t attract the numbers of other sports such as cycling or football. Let’s look...
Inline Skating in Winter: My Top Tips
If you are about to face your first skating winter, then welcome! You are a true skater if colder weather hasn’t put you off. There are some advantages to skating through the winter, namely most skate spaces are much quieter without the summer crowds and this allows...
Best way to stop on inline skates for beginners
Learning to inline skate without a heel brake is NOT the best way to become a good skater quickly. "What are you doing skating with that brake? Take it off, it doesn't work, it'll only get in the way." This (and other versions of this) are the mantra and industry norm...
Making slow progress in your skating?
Feeling stuck & feeling frustrated with slow progress in your skating? When adults start skating (on rollerblades or roller skates) there’s a HUGE variation in rates of progress from one person to another.We can say that new adult skaters fall into one of 3...
Wings & Wheels Skateblog 2: Houston
Pt 2 in a series of posts by our instructor (and airline pilot), Sabine 23rd March, 2023 London Heathrow - Houston, Texas Flight time 9h 47min Time difference 6h After weeks of rain, wind and freezing temperatures in the UK, it is so nice to spend a few days in warmer...
Wings & Wheels Skateblog 1: San Jose
Pt 2 in a series of posts by our instructor (and airline pilot), Sabine February 2023San Jose, CaliforniaFlight time 10h 23Time difference 8h Waking up in my lovely room in San Jose, the local time is 4am. One glance at the clock tells me to go back to sleep, no jet...
Skating on slopes: excitement or fear?
How do you feel when you are out for a skate and then you see a downhill slope approaching or you simply notice that you have started accelerating? If it's a gentle downhill slope and you can see when it flattens out, then perhaps you feel some excitement as you know...
Practice makes Perfect. True or False?
Have you ever practiced a skill for several weeks or even months and STILL not been able to do it Many people experience this with many new skills they want to learn.If practice did make perfect, then no one would struggle with new skills after some ‘practice’.I see a...
“Skating helped me dodge a bullet…” – Mark’s Story
Back in 2005 I started teaching Mark to skate at age 57. His doctor had told him to get some aerobic exercise and to lose weight and he was scared because his father died at age 60 of heart disease. All his life he had always wanted to skate but never had. He hated...
Should I remove my heel brake or not?
I recently received this question from a student using the Skatefresh Beginner Online Course. I think so many wish they’d asked this question but “heel brake shaming” is still so prevalent it’s probably why they didn’t ask. “I want to become very skilled at urban...