The Complete In-Line Skater: Basic and Advanced Techniques, Exercises and Equipment for Fitness (Paperback)

by Joel Rappelfeld (Author), Kathleen M. Skelly (Illustrator) "Roller skates have come a long way since the 1700s..." (more)
Key Phrases: backward scull, right skate, left skate, Warm-up Stretches (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Learn America's Hottest New Sport--And Have Fun Doing It!!

In-line skating is fun and easy to learn. It's also a great low-impact way to get your heart and legs in shape.
The Complete In-Line Skater is the perfect skater's companion. Written by an experienced teacher, this book tells you everything you need to know about equipment, basic and advanced skating techniques, safety and improving fitness.
Over 100 professional line drawings help illustrate the text, which includes chapters on:

Equipment: The most popular models and how to select and care for the right skates for you
Basic striding, turning and stopping techniques
Advanced techniques to master the sport--even cross train for skiing or hockey!
Maneuvers to handle curbs, potholes, and other obstacles
A skater's workout to build stamina and strength
Pains and strains: how to avoid them
List of skating terms, organizations and publications


About the Author
Joel Rappelfeld has over fifteen years of skating experience. He lives in New York City, where he instructs skaters of all skill levels and ages. He is the founder of Kids on Wheels and Roll America, troupes that demonstrate skating throughout the country.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312152671
• ISBN-13: 978-0312152673
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,124,968 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nowhere Near Complete -- Even For Beginners, December 13, 1999

By	Curtis R. Martin (Lubbock, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Let's start with the cover of the book. "Basic and advanced techniques" it says. Really? Crossing one skate over the other and jumping in place are about as advanced as this book gets.

For the complete beginner, this can be a handy book. If you've never set foot on skates, or can't figure out how to stop, this book can help. If you'd like to read a brief history of in-line skating, this book can help. If you're interested in skating purely for physical fitness, this book can help.

If, on the other hand, you're interested in learning more than how to stop, go, turn and skate backwards (though I find this instructions for skating backwards to be lacking) then keep looking, you won't find any "advanced" information here.

All in all, this book touches lightly on a variety of beginner's topics, but fails to keep its promises, especially to those looking to get more in-depth.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't be fooled - it's actually a cartoon book!, August 28, 2002

By	Mr. J (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Yes, that's right. I was completely fooled. This books is just a bunch of cartoons, written with text. Very unprofessional. Very uninformative. Too childish! Nothing you would want. I'm shocked it's on the market. If this piece of dung can get published, then we all have a chance with our own mindless doodles.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for beginner, June 7, 2000

By	"cqlow" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This book is easy to read and the writer give a good number of useful tips.

As a beinnger who has just skate a fw times, this book allows me to know more about skating and some of the movements.