Before inline skates became popular, the only roller skating option was on quad, or four-wheeled, skates. While speed skaters favor the newer version of the skate, you’ll wear quad skates for other types of skating disciplines such as dance. You can find lessons for the various disciplines as well as for beginners at skating rinks throughout the United States.
Individual Lessons
Roller skating disciplines done on quad skates include singles, which involve jumps and spins; figure, which includes tracing lines on the floor; pair skating, which resembles singles but is performed by two skaters; and roller dancing, in which an individual or pair follows prescribed skating patterns. All of these require lessons, or coaching, especially if you want to skate at the competitive level. There also are inline and quad divisions for speed skating, but inline skates are more popular for this sport and have usurped the use of quads at the World Speed Championships.
Team Sports Lessons
You can take lessons for team sports performed on quad skates as well. Rink hockey is played on quad skates, though there is an inline hockey division. This noncontact sport requires skaters to make quick stops, starts and turns. Roller derby competitions also are done on quad skates. Players on a roller derby team must learn the intricacies of the varying positions, such as the jammer, who scores points for passing players, or the blocker, who helps the jammer make it through the pack.
Seminars and Clinics
In addition to the lessons and coaching at your local rink, you can attend roller skating clinics and seminars through USA Roller Sports, the governing body for roller skating competitions in the United States. There are seminars for skaters, judges and officials who participate in the many types of quad skating disciplines.
Beginners
Before you move on to a skating discipline, you need to get the basics of quad skating down. You’ll learn to stop in your quad skates with or without your toe stop, how to hold an edge, the basic body position you want to hold as you skate and how to turn before moving on to more complex moves such as hops, jumps, spins or hockey stops made with two feet. Local skating rinks typically offer group lessons for new skaters of all ages. Once you advance to a specific discipline, however, you will need private lessons or coaching sessions.
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