DIY Skates of Awesome

CRAFT magazine and skates.com just came out with this great article about building your own roller skates with a pair of tennis shoes. Click on the thingie below to read the PDF.

Look Inside >> Volume 7

And the video podcast with Richard Humphreys from rollerdance.com, who is a highly skillful skate customizer:

I can't wait to try this out with a pair of Converse hi-tops. One day, when I have the money...

While I'm at it I'm going to recommend makezine.com for some DIY techie geeky goodness. I'm not much of a crafts person, but making my own LED display... YES please!

Painway out!

Newbie Guide to Buying Roller Derby Skates Part I — Where to Buy

One of the first things you will need as a new rollergirl is a pair of sweet, sweet quad skates. Note I said quad skates. No inlines here (of course, you probably already knew that). The first place to start looking is your local skate shop. Unfortunately, most "skate shops" only sell skateboards and rollerblades since those are the biggest sellers. However, there are a few brick-and-mortar stores owned by rollergirls specifically catering to our quad skate needs. If you live near one, by all means, GO THERE!!! Support your local derby ladies! They will give you some awesome tips on customizing your skates for your skill level and the position that you will most likely play.

However, most of us are not lucky enough to live near a skater-run store, so the next best bet is the local roller rink. Most rinks operate a small sales area. The upside to shopping here is that these people know skates very well. They can give you some pointers on customizing skates to a degree, however, most rink owners are not into derby, but they know enough about it to get you a good speed skate. Also, you can try on the skates and make sure they fit right. The downside to getting skates here is that the selection of good boots, trucks, and especially wheels for derby will probably be limited.

Online retailers are one of the most common places to get skates. I have bought all of my skates and gear online. The biggest downside to buying online is that you can't feel the skate before buying it. You could get a boot too big or small (and since most speed boots come in men's sizes, there is more room for error), and you can't test the weight of the skate (I'll go into that later). Make sure to check the return policy to make sure you can return ill-fitting skates. However, there are so many good reasons to shop online:

1) If you know what you're doing (and if you're a newbie, no offense, you probably don't), you can completely customize a skate using many different boots, trucks, bearings, wheels, etc. Online retailers will have many options to choose from for a custom skate.

2) There will likely be many stock configurations to choose from. The store will create a skate for you based on certain criteria. For example, a skate that is light and maneuverable or heavier and powerful. Many sites will recommend a certain configuration for jamming or blocking. This is a way to get a good skate without taking the risk of setting up a bad configuration. And, generally, a stock skate will cost less than the same skate put together piece-by-piece.

3) Some sites offer "derby packages" designed specifically for beginners. This will usually include a reasonably priced beginner-to-intermediate skate, knee, elbow, and wrist guards, a helmet, and a skate tool. This is what I did for my first foray into derby. While this is a very good option to begin with (I still use my pads, helmet, and skate tool), I have found that sometimes the quality of the skate is lower to keep the price down. My first pair of skates came with two sets of wheels, speed wheels and outdoor wheels, but the speed wheels were terrible on our floor, no grip at all. So I had to order another set of wheels almost immediately.

Regardless of wherever you decide to buy your skates, basic skate knowledge will get you exactly what you want and need. And don't forget the experts! Ask around your league, and check out what other skaters are wearing. You'll get many good (and often conflicting!) tips on finding the right components for your skates.

Stay tuned for Part II -- The Boots.