While you might find both at a skate park, skateboards and inline skates are very different. Skateboards originated in the 1950s, with the earliest models adapted from scooters that had the push bar removed. Inline skates spawned from roller skates and ice skates in the 1970s and 1980s, initially used as an offseason training tool for hockey players.
Wheel Layout
Skateboards have four polyurethane wheels mounted on metal trucks on the bottom of a wooden deck, with a line of two towards the front of the deck and a line of two towards the bottom of a deck. Your skateboard should balance and roll smoothly, regardless whether there is a person standing on top. Inline skates have a straight line of four polyurethane wheels, moving from heel to toe on the bottom of a boot. The boots have shoe sizes and you need to find one that fits you, so that you can secure the boot to your foot and begin to skate.
Balance And Stance
Skateboarders stand sideways on a skateboard and either ride "regular," which is having your left foot in front, or "goofy," which is having your right foot in front, depending on whichever is more comfortable to you. The wider you set your stance on the board, the more balance you will have. Inline skates require you to be able to balance yourself on the two lines of wheels on the bottom of the boot. For skateboards and inline skates, having your knees bent will help you stay upright.
Protective Equipment
One way that skateboards and inline skates are very similar is the protective equipment used by both. Helmets, elbow pads and knee pads will help prevent you from concussions, scrapes and other injuries when you fall. Wrist guards are also extremely important because when you fall down or fall off your skateboard, your natural instinct is to brace yourself with your hands, and wrist guards can help prevent a broken wrist.
Skateboard Movement
The way you actually move yourself forward on a skateboard or with inline skates is very different. Standing on the board, take one foot off and push off the ground, manually propelling yourself forward. Many times the front foot is used, but this depends on the comfort of you the skater. Keep pumping until you have enough momentum to coast forward. Lean your body one way or another to move right or left, and stop the skateboard by dragging your back foot, turning the board 90 degrees so it cannot roll, or simply jump off.
Inline Skates Movement
Inline skates are propelled much like ice skates, where an exaggerated walking motion is simulated, allowing the skates to roll forward with each step. Rather than heading straight forward, you often move forward and slightly to the direction of the foot you are stepping with. Taking faster steps and pushing off harder will cause you to go faster on your inline skate. You can stop by skating into grass, allowing yourself to coast to a stop, or by using the heel brake on the inline skate.
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