Skating

Does anyone else enjoy skating. I have started going to a quad roller skating group (discos!). I also now go to an in-line skating group which goes out into the parks in the better weather. I've always enjoyed ice skating although don't go that often as I could never find skates that didn't hurt my feet.

I find skating wonderful exercise and it is especially good for developing the 'core muscles' in the stomach area as well as strengthening the legs and improving the balance.

I have not been to any classes but in typical Autie or Aspie fashion I can learn by teaching myself and can now skate backwards.

  • I skated once but it was bad real disaster lol Smile I kept falling off so never tried again. 

    One day when I feel in a daredevil mood I might buy one and give it another try HeartYellow heartPurple heart

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  • Hi all, I am just launching a quad roller skate business.  Our centre has approached us to deliver sessions that are sensory friendly. I’m based in Bham [removed by Moderator]. All feedback, comments and support would be great. Thanks x 

    We love the idea that we could offer extra sessions to include everyone who loves to skate x 

  • Greetings to anyone here. This is now a Five Year Old Thread. Yet given the topic - Skating - anyone reading should still be doing it, at least at times...?

    I am asking - Here, again - if anyone then or now, ever or still now does RollerSkating (not Ice Skating), especially in London. Hyde Park and Battersea Park are the main places to do so. Good Fortune to All who do so anyway.

    ...Now it is May 2019. I am re-posting this because it is 'The Season' for it right now. I just want to know if I am alone or not, in being an Adult RollerSkater with Autism, who is upon this Forum. Thanks very muchly.

  • Thanks again. Just we two, partly with DragonCat16, Skate-Wise then. So I guess I am letting this Thread go, now... 

    (What you say about Security Guards I understand as well. I do not know when/if I shall start such a Thread (before anyone else). It would be similar to the "Bullying" Thread. In any case, Have a Nice Day and Thanks again!)

  • I too get followed by security people!

    is it that we don’t blend in like everyone else therefore as we stand out those that are trained to spot different to the preconceived normality given by most see us as a potential threat in some way?

    I do have fun leading them around super markets, sometimes I reach the end of an isle and as soon as I am out of thier sight I speed walk/slide so when they look for me I have gained a lot of ground, I then act nonchalant..

    Or I stop and walk straight towards them hesitating as I draw level. Best of all is to say “ can I help you in some way? “ which often makes them look embarrassed and they shuffle off quickly.

    I would certainly be a target at say an airport as I would be looking at how conveyor belts have progressed or counting how many panes of glass and do they create a pattern as in numerical. How many screws per panel and are there an even number, my mind never stops, Lol.

     I also people watch,,,

    take care and maybe one day we can have us a race you on skates me on my snow skates Lol. The one in front must act as a tow yes!

    take care. X()x

  • Here is another weird effect, quite funny, though.

    One time I was skating easily... then I saw a small flash to my far right, and then I just fell over for no reason. Another skater kindly helped me up, and I saw my trouble saunter past us... it was a photographer. In the way I learned, I simply stood still, back turned, to wait for the photographer to move away out of boredom...

    Then a skilled Speed-Skater (you know, one of those ones who wears tight lycra) whizzed past me, and I saw a flash from the photographer again... and the Speed Skater then fell over for no apparent reason as well!

  • are there no skaters about now?

    Thanks Muchly. As I said, I could tell stories... I shall summarise one aspect of my troubles. Until I showed up upon a regular basis, I did not know that there were certain International Embassies (!) overlooking Hyde Park. When I skated, and rested, I would be tailed and harassesd by persons of a certain type - They would hang around, take photographs, discourage me, try to ask who I am and why I was there - yes, even as I had skates on!

    When resting, sometimes whole families of them would come out... they beeline right at me, then hang around, and leave only when I left, andd follow where I go. This is a thing nothing to do with skating, which is part of my Cynosure effect, which I have wanted to start another Thread about. (Security Guards.) But not now.

    ...There are plenty of Skaters still about - But I am the Cynosure out of all of them! (I.e. - Do not worry, I am used to it... just not at the same time as Skating, yet.)

  • Hi DC my friend , I am very sorry you stopped learning for reasons you have said, you say there was camaraderie involved by those choosing to take part, are there no skaters about now?

    It is good fun and shouldn’t be about age or ability, I don’t think it is as popular amongst adults in the uk as maybe certain parts of America for instance, although you say it is done in Hyde park and Battersea Park.

    Would it not be possible to try joining in again to see if attitudes have changed in five years, 

    I imagine the possibility for hostility is enough to stop you, I am quite upset after reading how much you enjoyed being with strangers and sharing the fun to learn roller skating, some people just seem he’ll bent on doing everything they can to cause upset,

    A story to highlight modern ways!

    I over heard an older man telling someone he knew he was suffering from very bad sunburn!

    He had fell asleep on the beach,,but what got me was he said his “friends” did not wake him! Instead they took lots of pictures so they could send them to others “ friends” to laugh at. I think he should take a long hard look at those who proclaim to be his friends, he has been suffering three days and still very sore, his face is really red,,,disgusting behaviour but seems all to common to set people up just to get a picture and laugh at thier expense.

    society on the whole is messed up, everything has gone beyond acceptable, extreme need to get a buzz, they seem to keep raising the stakes in order to be more extreme.

    Anyway I ramble on but well done you for joining the group back then, a big achievement and you should feel good that you did so. And whilst trying to roller skate which inevitably means falling over a few times shows great courage on your part.

    Are there any indoor clubs for skating? At least the only people inside would all be skaters, no children onlookers to poke fun or give insults.

    Take care my friend and I hope one day you get back on those skates.

    X()x

  • LooooooooneWarrior (Mr.)!

    The Pictures posted, I vote you (as you vote myself), and with pictures like that -this could turn into a PROPER Skating Thread---! WOW!

    As you Post, I dare to say more. I stopped trying to learn for reasons I stated. There was a "camaraderie" involved, and everyone helped each other, which was the last time in my life I was happy amongst strangers. This was maybe 5+ years ago, now, and I still think about it so much, and visit parks and watch others. But my CYNOSURE effect is/was what stopped me from progressing further, which was the reason for my posting here...

    The RollerSkis you picture, I have never seen those, perhaps because nowadays the wheels are much bigger. To go over grass, it is like big wheels at either end, and more rarely, one massive wheel upon each foot. I have seen RollerSki-iers, playing with their hockey sticks upon occasion, however... I could tell a lot of stories...

    However, reality for myself always bites. I forget what else I was going to ramble... but THANK YOU (and DC16) for responding! I do not know how this Thread shall continue, though...

  • And a picture of the webbed tracks,

  • picture of one of my grass ski’s minus the boot.

  • Hi DC I used to roller skate as a child but they were horrible metal things with very hard wheels, they tied around your shoes, I did have a few pairs of roller blades and found them very easy to use, but stopping isn’t great.

    I can get up speed and turn very well, also little jumps etc to get over rough bits. I haven’t roller bladed for quite some time now but I was about 48’ish when I last did.

    I also have some roller ski’s ,,,,,yes they have boots the same as a ski user wears and clip on just the same but instead of being thin long blades they are about 600mm long and have webbing with plastic pieces every so often. A bit like tracks on a tank,,,these are amazing things as going over rough ground is easy, any down hill grassy slope is as good as skiing. You bend the legs as in skieng also..

    I will try to upload a picture but having tried a few times and not succeeded it may not work, Disappointed

    I hope you get to learn how and enjoy it. 

    X()x

  • Unfortunately, there isn't really anywhere that is completely flat

    Glad Tidings to DragonCat16! I mainly write a Thank You for at least someone else on this site doing so and responding that they do/did so!

    The Quote I give... this is true. Ice Skating and StreetSkating are different, I might say that one is (nowadays) artificial (a RINK) and the other is across hills, cobbles, grass, etc. I once heard a discussion about it, which ended something like: "Yeah Ice Skating is easy, but here, if you fall, you lose SKIN, man!" which all who heard it including myself thought was amusing at the time... (!)

    To end, though, I mainly wanted to know if I am/was alone (here) in doing this. I am/was trying to learn... but it is hard to learn how to do something  in front of hostile strangers (including children). I have written other Threads about "hostility", and so I only say here that I wanted to know if I was alone or not. Skaters are very supportive and friendly, but it is not enough to offset being targeted by hostile strangers.

    ...'Keep those knees bent!'      ;-)

  • I used to ice skate a lot as a kid, and I own a pair of rollerblades because I mistakenly thought that would be basically the same thing. I am fine as long as the ground is flat, but even the shallowest incline and I speed out of control, because I don't really know how to stop (leaning backward is counterintuitive because I am afraid of falling over backwards). Unfortunately, there isn't really anywhere that is completely flat, so the rollerblades mostly stay in my closet lol. I mainly get around on my bike, which has brakes that I know how to use.

  • Greetings to anyone here. This is a Four Year Old Thread, yet given the topic - Skating - anyone reading should still be doing it, at least at times...?

    I am asking - Here - if anyone then or now, ever or still now does RollerSkating (not Ice Skating), especially in London. Hyde Park and Battersea Park are the main places to do so. Good Fortune to All who do so anyway.

    (Edit. July 2018: I am re-posting this because it is 'The Season' for it right now. I originally posted this four months ago, before. I just want to know if I am alone or not, in being an Adult RollerSkater with Autism, who is upon this Forum. Ta very muchly.)

  • This is a fairly new thing and long needed. It is 'Inclusive Skating' organisation aimed at children and adults who are disabled. I visited a rink local to me where IS runs and it was great. There are many autistic children especially attend the session. I also watched the members of this club complete at a national competition which was so great to see.

    www.inclusiveskating.org/

    As usual though I wouldn't attend as I always feel I come across as too NT in appearance so people would be continually asking me why I was there. I did go and volunteer at a session though and it was a great atmosphere. Both the children and the adult skaters seemed like they have having a lovely time. The distance is a bit much from where I stay and also due to being unemployed I don' thave a lot of money to pay for regular travel on trains this far. Also amongst the volunteers I was the only Aspie which can be hard.

  • I haven't logged in here for a while but just to say I'm still mad about skating! Still roller skating mainly and a bit of ice skating too. I got myself a pair of better roller skates just there from Ebay. They are Edea quad roller skates and are so much better than the ones I had. The only problem is getting used to how quickly the wheels seem to move.

    The two young women who organise the roller discos where I stay had posted on their website about someone who teaches Artistic Roller Skating. Apparently this young woman is really good and she's kind and friendly. The distance I had to travel was really a bit much for me but I went along for the 8 weeks of classes and enjoyed them so much.

    Much of what she taught will take a fair bit of practice but I'm pleased about that as it means I have something to potter away at getting the knack of. She taught us how to skate efficiently and how to use the edges. The skates I had at the time were not much good since the wheels on them don't turn easily but hopefully with my newer second hand skates I will be able to put what she taught me into practice. We even learned how to do something called a three-jump, three turns, mohawk one foot turns too.

    In January a Roller Rink will open near to where I stay which is great.

    I am getting a little better at the ice skating although it is much harder to do things at a slow pace ice skating due to the bumps in the surface of the ice. I'm still getting the hang of the backward cross-overs but can skate on one foot at a time much better now.

  • I like skating. I started going to the local skating a few months ago - I take my 7yo boy. It's good because we get to spend time together without mum and little sis, it's our thing. I liked it as a kid too so it's nice to share that with him. Also, I would have felt far too out of place to go on my own. I was encouraged to go by the fact that a life long friend of mine (whom I don't see enough of for many years) goes with his daughter. It then turned out that another guy that a know from when I was a teenager goes with his little girl too. So it is now the highlight of my week. Unfortunately I can't always go due to my general state of health. My friend has noticed that my boy doesn't act like the other kids there. (_Not_ news to me) He said had I considered my boy might have Aspergers or something? It's almost funny if it wasn't spot on. I am pretty sure he is on the spectrum just like I'm pretty sure I am. One diagnosis at a time though. It doesn't seem to be causing my boy any great difficulty (yet) so it seems more important to get me sorted first as I'm in  a right mess. Then I'll be able to help my boy out better in the long run. Does that make sense?

  • did ypu get to the ice rink in the end? The book I got was ice skating steps to success by Karen Kunzle-Waston and it's quite good it explains things very well and I felt like it improved my skating so far! it so much fun!! I wish I'd made the most of having a park to skate around where I used to live, there was a brilliant park there, it was big, mostly flat and with smooth pathways and a skating lane on some of the paths too. There's no where to do that around here though so I'll stick to ice skating, at least I'm lucky to have an ice rink quite close by!