Skater Buds

Every Friday night my the local roller skating rink they offer midnight skating. Usually the establishment is brimming with the local youth, but midnight skating is for adults only and serves as a viable alternative to the local bar scene. In fact, that is where I met my current girlfriend a few months back.

They often turn the lights down low for the event, and it can be difficult to see who you are skating with. However, I noticed a set of lighted skate wheels next to me that were moving in perfect harmony to the music. I quickly took the opportunity to engage the lovely lady, and we have been going out ever since.

Getting your kids off of the couch can be a challenge for any parent in this day and age. From DVR to video games, there always is some stimulating form of entertainment at a kid’s fingertips. One of the secrets to getting your kids motivated to play outside and stay active is by cultivating an athletic mindset at an early age.

The best way to do this is by making active play fun and treating it as a reward instead of a punishment. Many parents take away video games and other electronics to curb bad behavior, but this only makes your child want those things that much more. I make a point of buying my kids entertaining and engaging toys, like Street Glider skate shoes and sports equipment, which encourages them to get outside.

Extreme sports have been popular with preteens and teenagers for several decades now. The trend began with surfing and skateboarding, and snowboarding and rollerblading caught on shortly thereafter. Kids are naturally drawn to activities that are new and exciting, so it’s no wonder that they are eager to latch onto the latest trend.

Conscientious parents aren’t always keen on the idea of their kids hopping on a skateboard and bombing a vert ramp with total abandon. The best way to forestall this issue is to substitute a child’s dangerous desires with safer forms of fun. While the design has changed drastically over the years, roller-skating remains a mainstay in extreme sports. You can even find skate shoe models now that have wheels built-in.

My best friend in high school was always looking for ways to set himself apart from the crowd. It started by reforming his image; adding multiple piercings and being the first kid in school to get a tattoo. He was always looking for ways to stand out socially as well, erupting in class and constantly performing over-the-top antics.

One of his more subdued attempts to garner attention came in the form of his footwear. I was alarmed when he came to school one day wearing big, bulky black shoes; a total departure from his usual style. As we were walking down the hall, he suddenly started to glide away from me and I realized that he was wearing a kid skate shoe.

When I was growing up, I was what most people would consider an athletically-minded person. Not only did I play the classic American organized sports like baseball, football and basketball, but I also went to roller hockey and lacrosse camps. Needless to say, I was overly confident in my athletic abilities.

For my younger brother’s birthday one year, my parents took our family to the local roller skating rink. I forgot the inline skates that I used for roller hockey and was forced to rent an old-fashioned quad roller skate model. At first I didn’t think that the new design would impede on my skills, but I soon discovered how difficult it was to use them. I was thoroughly embarrassed when my mom was skating circles around me and I was left holding onto the railing.

With the holiday season bearing down on us, my husband and I decided to sit down last night and ponder what gifts to give our children. Our youngest son Bradley is in fourth grade, and he’s already expressed interest in being a scientist some day. As encouraging as those aspirations are, I can’t help but feel that the boy has missed out on a few of the highlights of childhood. He spends so much time conducting experiments with baking soda and vinegar that he doesn’t play outside enough.

This year, we’re putting our foot down and making sure that Bradley lives the carefree life of a kid his age. And that means choosing the perfect youth skate shoe for his Christmas present. It’s our hope that he will grow up to be a well-rounded, well-adjusted individual, which requires a wealth of experience. He has more than enough time to pursue his science, but childhood is fleeting.

“Adrenaline junkie” is an understatement, and “daredevil” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Someone might need to come up with an even stronger way to describe Dirk Auer, the German man who made history in July by skating down a rollercoaster track. Auer rode the rails of a coaster in Stuttgart, traveling 2,821 feet in a minute flat. That’s more than half a mile of track.

While few of us mere mortals could hope to compete with Auer’s feats of derring-do, just donning a pair of roller skate shoes provides a thrill on a more manageable scale. Skate shoes are great for getting in shape and exercising without realizing that you’re actually engaged in a workout. Why not save the roller coasters for the pros and the crazies.

My 12-year-old son has been obsessed with hockey from the moment he was old enough to lace his own skates. We take him to Phoenix Coyotes games whenever possible and try to support his enthusiasm by paying for lessons and clinics whenever we can afford it. The only problem is that we live in Phoenix, Arizona – a wonderful town, but not exactly the ice hockey capital of the United States.

For obvious reasons, the only rinks in the area are indoors, and they all cost a pretty penny to use. I wanted to find an alternative that would allow him to practice his skating outdoors. Street roller skates turned out to be the sensible solution. Now instead of pestering me for money to go to the ice rink, he just skates to school and over to his friends’ houses. When high school hockey tryouts come around, I know that he’ll have an edge.

As anyone who’s tried running as a form of cardiovascular exercise would surely attest, the activity isn’t for everyone. Although the health benefits of running are beyond dispute, there’s no getting around the fact that it can take a serious physical toll on the body. The high-impact motion of feet repeatedly hitting hard pavement can make for an unappealing situation. Luckily, the skater bud offers a viable alternative.

These skate shoes offer people all the benefits of running – the cardiovascular workout and endurance training – while also spicing it up with some fun. When you go whizzing past a sweaty, exhausted jogger, you can’t help but feel grateful that the skate shoes are doing some of the work for you. It’s time to put all of the excuses aside; now there’s no reason to hold back from developing a beneficial fitness plan.

My daughter recently informed me about her interest to try ice skating. She had been watching the pairs skating on TV and wanted to dress up in an extravagant costume and hear the peals of applause from a capacity crowd. Unfortunately, it’s August, and none of the local indoor rinks are affordable. I suggested that she try a pair of youth skate shoes instead.

Before turning her loose on her new wheels, I made sure that every safety concern was covered. The helmet came first, of course, and then a pair of kneepads and wrist guards. I broke out my old pair of rollerblades and skated alongside my daughter as she learned to maintain her balance. It’s become an activity that we can share as a bonding experience, and I’ve set aside many Saturday afternoons for the express purpose of skating through the park.