ROLL - Rollerskate Ottawa Learning Lessons

Ola all! I haven't posted anything new lately because the content on here is fairly up to date, though we missed some of you at the OQRS halloween event! In any case, just thought I'd say that I still think about what to add to this page, so if you have special requests, just let me know! Keep rolling (dancers especially bahahaha) -Greg

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So....I saw this in another skate page andIi love it. I couldn't figure out how to share their page here but their page is called, "Roller skating for beginners" on fb. Anyway, I loved this post of theirs.....

TITLE: WHERE TO BUY ROLLERSKATE STUFF AND YOU LIVE IN OTTAWA?

ROLLERSKATES:
The quick answer is: Rideau Rollers or Ottawa Skate and Play are your only options to try/buy good quality skates on in Ottawa.
The obvious first choice for rollerskates is Rideau Rollers because then you can try various skates on in person. If you're seeking advice though, it depends what you want to do? If you want to be a Derby skater, then the staff there are fantastic! If you want to be an artistic skater or a dance skater, come talk to me. If you want to Waltz or skate around the rink doing dance moves, I think either of the Dave's are great to ask. Ottawa Skate and Play themselves have a store too. Riedell, Impala, Sure-Grip are all good quality brands that have been around for years that you can't go wrong with. I myself took the boot off a Sure-Grip Boardwalk Plus, and put a Roll-line Plate on it.

WHEELS:
The quick answer is: Online Canadian Searches, Rideau Rollers, Rollerskatin.ca, rollergirl.ca
The longer answer is: Okay getting a bit more complicated because not all stores are equal, some stores sell certain brands, and others sell other brands, and not a full selection at any one store . I find online random google searches in Canada the best quite frankly and lately I've been buying stuff at Rollerskatin.ca because they stock "Roll-Line" which are my "goto" wheels for dance skating. Rideau Rollers has a ton of wheels, but if I'm looking for high speed wheels (fat, rubbery looking 101A's for Ottawa SKate and plates wood floor), I get them online. Check out my wheel post, but I loved rollerbones turbo's for a long time, but am now LOVE Roll-Line ICE wheels. I've been salivating over "Scott Corey" wheels, which are sold under the Bont brand and just hit canada in Dec 2024, but they are insanely expensive and I need to eat at some point. This Scott gentlemen is sortof a craft brewer style maker of wheels. Mmmmmm......wheeelsss.

BEARINGS:
The quick answer is: A bunch of us have been using the ceramic bearings they sell at Rideau Rollers. I think they are called Triple 8 or something like that. They come in a little grey metallic box. She'll know what you mean when you go in. Most recently though I switched to "Bones Swiss" and my goodness what a difference. The "Bones" series has a bunch of flavours, Swiss (made in Switzerland), Reds (made in China), Ceramics (made in China with ceramic bearings) and Swiss Ceramic, and a weird one called "Big Ball" (larger bearings and 7 instead of 7). I've found the bones races thicker and stronger than other bearings on the market. So now that I'm using them, I don't think I'm ever going back to anything else. I advise the same to you, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg, so heads up on that.

PLATES:
The quick answer is: Do your research, this is next level. Don't trust anyone's opinion but your own. If you're buying plates, you should know why you are buying plates.
So, you aren't sure what plates ultimately do for you and if you need to upgrade them I'm sure if you are reading this. A plate upgrade is awesome after about a year of skating. Don't blame the gear in your first year of skating. There are amazing skaters out there running questionable skates they got off ebay. In my case, I upgraded to a titanium plate because its lightweight and makes spins much easier. It also just likes darn cool I admit it. lol. If you are doing jumps (i.e. doubles/triples etc.), then upgrading your plate is mandatory. I LOVE Roll-Line plates.

LACES:
The quick answer is: Any place you can find, but laces are technically different!
The long answer is: Get the exact length for your skates. Learn about the stretchyness of different types of laces. Don't just go for cute colours. You will get frustrated if you get a super stretchy lace, or one that has no stretch at all sometimes. I better add more content on laces here later.

Bushings:
Bushings are sometimes VERY plate specific and more importantly vendor specific!!! There is alot of questionable advice out there, the only truth is, go to your skate/plate vendors websites, read about their bushings, and get EXACTLY those and nothing else. Hardness is subjective by vendor (which I find super annoying). If you have boardwalks, ill happily let you try my random bushings I've collected over the years. They are weight specific, and once you pick the weight, you can adjust depending on your weight and bushing you chose (see the truck tighting post).

Carrying Bag:
I tried the amazon ones that look good, have strong zippers and everything. They all fall apart eventually. The only ones that dont are the suitcase roller one, and the canvas ones. I gave up on them. Now, even if I'm travelling on a plane with my rollerskates, I use a strap. Its awesome, its light, its easy to wander around with my skates. Plus when you are travelling, you meet absolutely every random soul in the airport because they see your rollerskates and smile and get a sense of joy. It's alot of fun travelling with rollerskates. You really...really have to try it. Anyway, so ya carrying bag....my opinion is....don't bother. I have a regular backpack for protective gear, and a strap for my skates. Simple.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll collect some info and discuss with others and revise this post as we all gather info :).

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TITLE: ETIQUETTE WHEN SOCIAL SKATING
If you are skating at any roller rink there is etiquette used around the world. Here is a great diagram showing where fast skaters go, slow skaters, and the coolest section, the dance/jam skaters ;)

TITLE: TUNING YOUR TRUCKS
Got new skates? You need to loosen your trucks!!! Manufacturers ship new skates really tightened down. As usual one of my favourite youtubers posted this hilarious video describing different settings they made to their trucks. It is entirely a personal preference (see 11:01 in video). Anyway, check this out! It's 12 minutes. They articulate useful opinions at around the 6:35 mark in the video.

How to Adjust Your Roller Skate Trucks - Loose VS Tight Trucks On todays video, Estro Jen, Kiana, Evelyn and Dita do a little experiment, demonstrating how to adjust your roller skate trucks. We would love to know if you...

TITLE: WHAT ROLLERSKATE CLUBS ARE THERE IN OTTAWA?

Allright so, trying to figure out what all the clubs are in Ottawa for roller-skating other than ROLL awesomeness? Here is a list of the ones I know of (I'll keep adding to this post as we all explore :)):

Discord - Ottawa Quad Mob
Probably the best source as its the longest standing one in Ottawa. I was only added to it recently, but has all the OG on there and covers all kinds of rolling. Great source for finding others to skate with!!!

Ottawa Quad Rollerskate Club https://ottawaquadsession.com/
Love this crew. I've volunteered for them on occasion for events and just the nicest people I ever met in Ottawa are in this club. They run a weekly event Fridays at Carleton U, and the Lansdowne monthly events

Ottawa Roller Derby https://www.ottawarollerderby.com/
Derby clan. I know nothing about this, but they seem nice from a distance and umm I need to go learn more about the Derby scene myself but too addicted to dance lol.

*NEW* (Jan 17, 2025) - Skate and Play Good Vibes https://www.facebook.com/groups/2090888351339574
One of the students in the intermediate class started up a social club for locals that go to skate and play often just to make friends and stuff. It was created sometime this Jan and already has like 50+ people on it.

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TITLE: WHERE CAN YOU SKATE IN OTTAWA?

So, to address another question that came up, "Where can I rollerskate in Ottawa?", I am going to defer to a post made in 2022 on the topic. The article is missing reference to the Ottawa Skate&Play rink as it predates it (but best time to go for adults is after 9pm, and Tuesdays in particular seem exciting!). Also Rideau Rollers has been running periodic trail events outside this summer too (see my other posts) that are also missing from the article. But anyway, other than the indoor wood rink, check out this wonderful article! (Thanks to a passionate OQRC leader for pointing me to this!). The Ottawa Quad Rollerskate club that runs out of Carleton University Fridays is awesome too (and they host events at lansdowne periodically)

Anyway, here's the link...

A Guide to Roller Skating in Ottawa – Apartment613 Want to know the different kinds of roller skating and where to try it? I've got you covered!

TITLE: HOW TO TIE YOUR ROLLERSKATE LACES IN DIFFERENT FUN AND FUNCTIONAL WAYS!

This is my favourite video on how to tie up your rollerskates. I like the tying method starting at 18:15 in the video. Not only is it the most aesthetically beautiful tying method out there, but it is also great for wide feet or if you have a bunion.

How to Lace Roller Skates - 5 Different Techniques Is this your first time lacing up roller skates? Do you suffer from foot pain from roller skates? Or perhaps you just want to learn more about laces? If any ...

TITLE: DIFFERENT WHEELS, HERE's MY COLLECTION OF THEM FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES

This is my wheel collection. Read the captions of each photo for details and my experience. Each has a unique purpose. There are many other wheels I have tried that did not make the cut (for me)! I'd love to get reviews from others on wheels they use, and I'll happily add them to this list! For an amazing deep dive on wheels, Estro Jen from Moxi did a video a few years ago that is my reference for wheel history. It's amazing, shes great to listen to and you learn A TON from this video. Its a long longgg video so be prepared!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPj7cTspsQ

TITLE: GREGS CREDENTIALS TO TEACH

I'm happy to declare that I'm now SkateIA certified and SafeSport certified and the first in Ottawa to be a quad certified instructor!!! WOOHOO!! Dave took the classes with me and is also certified now too so we're gonna bring it!!!

Skate Instructors Association is the internationally recognized accreditation to teach roller-skating at different levels.

Further to this, I have danced / trained (20+ years, NOT-professionally) various styles around the world (off skates) including Salsa, Bachata, and my favourite: Urban Kizomba that all translate into Jam Skating. I've been on breakfast television once for some ballroom dancing even haha, and when my knees were able to bend, I was a breakdancer on stage. Again, all aid with the roller-funk! Bring on the roller-moonwalk :P.

SafeSport Is a registered American organization that promotes safe behaviors towards athletes and is used at the Olympics, If you or anyone you know experience any inappropriate behavior in any sports classes in Ottawa and aren't sure where to turn, or too embarrassed, then please contact me and I can help find resolution or simply lend an ear. You are not alone.