5 Ways To Stay Active this winter for inline skate enthusiasts
How's the winter going so far? Has the seasonal depression had an impact on your level of activity? The last few weeks have not been easy: little sun and perhaps less physical activity during the holiday season... And as inline skate enthusiasts, we no longer have our usual escape, that of going to change our ideas with our inline skates. It is obvious that we cannot continue to practice rollerblading outside in winter when the streets are snowy. But that doesn't mean you have to give up this sport until spring arrives.
In this blog post, discover 5 ways you can stay active during the winter if you're an inline skate enthusiast.
Turn your inline skates into ice skates
Many do not know that it is possible to transform your inline skates or rollerblades into ice skates. In fact, the transformation is quite simple. No matter what skate you use, there's almost always a way to convert them. Whether replacing the wheels for an ice blade or replacing the entire frame with an ice frame or ice blade, it is possible to use the inline skates so popular in the summer in winter. A blog post was written last year to show the different options for converting skates. There is a description of the different conversion options available.
Go ice skating
Whether with converted inline skates or with ice skates, the practice of ice skating is the closest thing to inline skating. With the difficulty of maintaining wet rinks, several cities are beginning to install refrigerated outdoor rinks. These places, often free, allow you to enjoy the winter. What could be better than spending a few hours outside, on a beautiful sunny winter day, to take advantage of this unique and so short season! Here are some noteworthy sites to inspire those looking for places to go skating:
In the Montreal area:
- L'Esplanadade Tranquille is a new public square in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles. With its refrigerated ice rink in winter, extended opening hours, the possibility of renting skates and with the "Le Central" food court next door, the Esplanade is an ideal place to have a good time skating with friends in all the time.
- The skating trail installed as part of the Montréal en Lumière festival.
- The frozen trail in Parc Jean-Drapeau offers a loop 1400 feet long to go for a walk on skates.
- Just under the Ferris wheel, the refrigerated skating rink in the Old Port of Montreal offers a breathtaking view of the city and a whole program and entertainment to have a good time.
- There are dozens of outdoor skating rinks in Montreal city parks. If it is, there is one in a park nearby. The list of skating rinks in the boroughs of the Ville de Montréal is available here.
Elsewhere in Quebec (or almost):
- With its 15km trail in the forest, the Domaine Enchanteur in Shawinigan is a magical place to go skating.
- Part of the UNESCO World Heritage, the Rideau Canal offers a 7.8km long skating rink crossing the center of the national capital.
- Walk the 2.8 km of the popular icy trail on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, in Magog in the Eastern Townships. The trail is lit in the evening and a chalet at each end allows you to warm up and put on your skates.
skate indoors
For those who prefer to stay indoors for winter skating, there are options. Here are a few:
- The Taz is above all a skatepark, but it can be suitable for all skaters with its roulodrome area, a large 400m ring. Solo Inline also regularly organizes events at the Taz, the next one being Saturday January 21st from 9pm-midnight at the Taz in Montreal.
- There are other indoor skateparks in Quebec, including:
- Several groups organize winter skating events, some of which take place every week. Here are a few we know of:
- Rolling Tribes is a community that organizes in-line skating activities year-round for all skill levels
- And to go dancing on skates, there are Roller Disco Montreal events
With all these places to visit, there are no more excuses not to skate in winter! Are there any other sites worth mentioning? Shares information with Solo Inline by emailing info@solo-inline.com and the suggestion could be the subject of a future blog post before the end of winter.
Snow? No big deal, I skate outside!
As for winter bike and fatbike enthusiasts, there are some for whom a few flakes (or centimeters of snow) won't stop them! It is possible to use inline skates equipped with an SUV frame equipped with pneumatic wheels for winter skating. You have to find the right equipment and the right conditions, but everything is available for anyone who wants to get started. To find out more, we wrote a blog post this fall detailing what you need to know about all-terrain skates. Also see our collection and our SUV products for inline skating.
One of our athletes, Denis Raby (aka "The Legend") skates all year round in the streets of Montreal. In this YouTube video, we can see him doing some winter prowess on his all-terrain skates (from 2:40).
Practice other sports
Winter is also an opportunity to practice other sports that are very complementary to in-line skating, such as cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. The movements of these two sports are very comparable and can possibly improve the practice of inline skating. Note for example:
- In alpine skiing, mastering quarters will be very useful for the urban skater. Mastering the snowplow, linking turns in slalom, braking and weight transfer when transitioning between forward and backward skiing are all useful movements in urban skating. For thrill seekers, snowpark jumps and rails are very similar to inline skating in a skatepark. And when you fall on snow, you have much less pain than on concrete or asphalt! Practicing ski maneuvers is a great way to improve aerial skills. It is obvious that the practice of downhill skiing in winter will allow you to develop new skills in inline skating once summer comes.
- The movement of skating in cross-country skiing exactly mirrors the movement of inline skating. This practice will allow you to maintain your cardiovascular capacity to avoid being immediately out of breath when you resume in-line skating on the roads in the spring.
What other sport is complementary to inline skating? Shares information with Solo Inline by emailing info@solo-inline.com and the suggestion could be the subject of a future blog post before the end of winter.
With these 5 ways to stay active inline skating during the winter, there are no more excuses! So let's go skating!
