A first hand account of Phillipa Elliot’s progress
on learning how to skate.

Lesson 1 (of a 4 week course)

I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m not one of these people who prepares themselves physically and mentally for things. I cross that bridge when it happens. So there I was Tuesday night beginners skate course at Westbourne Green (near Royal Oak) with my new blades smiling apprehensively at a whole variety of different faces that were going to join me on this challenge.

I suddenly started feeling the pressure but after speaking to the others, quickly realizing I wasn’t alone in this boat of inexperience. Embarrassingly I failed on the first task. Not only did I manage to put my wrist guards on the wrong way round (which would have probably caused me more damage than without them) but I had put my skates on before the knee pads! Great start! Luckily the professionalism of the instructors guided me past the first hurdle.

So, there I was padded up ready to rock! I looked round nervously, it was suddenly dawning on me that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this. The safety demonstrations were all well and good but even the assurance of two instructors for a small group was not steadying my jelly-fish legs.

What followed in the next two hours was either divine intervention, or what was more likely, very controlled professionalism from those skatefresh instructors. There I was skating up and down in utter disbelief that I may actually be able to do this. Soon the side rail was not an option as we were taught to stop, scissor and turn. Ok! Perhaps not as fluid as that for me but just as I was starting to think I wasn’t getting it, Asha or Quentin would come along and correct the fault and BAM! Skating was easier. I began to feel quietly confident, sure most people around me looked like they were way above me in standard and poise but this is an individual journey and just being able to skate, scissor and lemon (geeze, I love the terminology) was a great achievement for me.

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Taking it to the streets

When people take up skating for fitness or fun they start in parks, on cycle paths and sometimes roller rinks. However, it’s not long before they set their sights on street skating, particularly in London. Watching upwards of 500 people and a mobile sound system roll by is enjoyable enough but nothing beats taking part in your first mass street skate. Across Europe and all over the world, skaters group together and skate around their city of choice, guided and marshaled by fellow skaters or even the local police. In London these skates reach numbers of 1000 or more in the summer but in Paris, one of the finest street skates in the world, numbers exceed 40,000!

Your first street skate can be a pretty unnerving experience. You are surrounded by good skaters and everyone else seems to know what they are doing. Suddenly they’re off and you may find yourself struggling to keep up if you haven’t read our top tips for taking a London street skate in your stride.

Top street skating tips:
1. Get the know how. Take a group introduction to street skating lesson with skatefresh. It costs just £15 and lasts 1.5 hours and we will teach you all the techniques you need for your first London street skate.
2. Be prepared. Always carry your shoes and money and/or a travelcard with you in case you don’t make it all the way round. You can also print a map of the route from the web pages of the various street skates. (see our links page)
3. Be assertive. In the beginning it is tempting to let people cut in front of you as you automatically decelerate slightly. Keep strong and keep going, it is the job of the other skaters to go around you.
4. Stick to the front. It is tempting to hang out at the back but believe us, it is much harder work. If you start at the front you can skate slower than the pack and end up at the back when you next stop but at least you won’t get left behind!
5. Push to the front while the skate is stationary. When you stop at lights or a junction, be assertive and make your way through the middle or round the sides to the front again.
6. Short, fast steps – Think quick accelerating steps as you skate on

Sometimes, even with the best preparation and practice you won’t make the
whole skate on your first try. Often this is due to fitness levels, in which
case you may find our skatefit classes useful, which focus on stride technique
and aerobic fitness.

For details of our street skating classes as well as skatefit classes, please
visit the Group Lessons page.