Customer Reviews

Get Rolling, the Beginner's Guide to In-line Skating, Third Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is very systematic and teaches basic and intermediate technique in an easy to follow format. The strength of this book is the descriptions and the pictures that match many of the descriptions. The focus on safety and confidence-building drills "before you roll" make this a good book for us beginners. This book would augment any class. But here in rural Utah where there are no inline skating classes, the drills allow one to practice in stages using the book alone. The author DOES recommend professional instruction and says early on not to depend on the book alone...

Just an intro about me, I'm a 40yr old male and having lost weight and seeking a more active lifestyle decided that all the times I'd seen rollerbladers on the beach walk, it was for me.

This book will take you from a never skated numbty to a skater with confidence in about 15hour sessions, I'm now over 20-25hours skating and have progressed through the book. It is quite straight forward and although you will find the need to have the book on hand during practice, it will guide you through what corrections you may need to take to finally master the skills. (Some skills took me more time than others to pick up, when I finally realised I wasn't quite carrying out the practice/tuition right.)

While I still manage to have the odd moment (almost falling) it is nice to be able to skate the local beach walk (3km's) knowing that I can stop turn and steer to avoid 'moments'.

Without this book, I believe I'd still be stumbling along in the carpark, frustrated that I wasted so much money. In my area there is limited tuition and this book was just what I needed.

I encourage beginners to heed the safety advice and also purchase 'crash pants' - I spent 2 weeks waiting for skin and bruising to heal from being over enthusiastic in attempting a hill trail too soon.

Get the book, get some good skates and find a vacant flat lot for your first 10hours - try some trails and go back to the lot to build your skills.

I'm enjoying the sport and hope that I can do so for many more of my 'aging' years.


Good Luck.

The most complete guide on, comprehensive step-by-step, In-Line skating lessons. It takes you from beginner to advanced intermediate in the safest way. The fear of falling is gone; you learn how to fall and get up properly. The Yoga poses are very helpful for balance, strength and increased range of motion. Chapter 7 teaches you how to stay fit with "roll-aerobics". Key terms, skate maintenance, safety, etc. are all covered. If a DVD on the skating techniques accompanied the guide on "GET ROLLING" it would obliterate every in-line skating manual.

This book has very well written instructions to learn in-line skating from the beginning. It has been very useful for me to get some background before heading to a formal skating course. It is nice that the book also contains advice on equipment and related magazines.
I think it should have further figures because many drills are difficult to understand by only a written description.

Liz Miller's instructional book, though wordy, offers an excellent "abc" approach to getting started. For first-time inline skaters, the book provides a thorough explanation of how to get safely up and moving--and stopping. Many of the basic skills are presented in a straightforward, rather easy-to-understand manner, but of course only their consistent application along with diligent practice will produce results. A more detailed explanation of how to control speed and stop on inclines and slopes would be helpful. She clearly presents the rubber foot brake as the best way to control downhill speed, using the standard posture given in other instructional books and videos, but the keeping a vertical "straight back" with flexed knees presents a good amount of instability for beginners, which invites a calamitous backwards fall. Here more about using a slalom approach, carving half circles, etc., with the body bent forward over the center of gravity, would offer more safety while one's ability and confidence grows. In all, it's to be recommended as one of the better books currently available for beginners.

I bought this book a few days ago and I still didn't cover it all, but as far as I read it's a very instructive book. It's very well explained with a concise a clear language and I'm sure it's helping me to improve my skating skills in the last weeks.
I really recommend it to every beginner in-line skater.

Absolutely well done: well organized and well presented. Lots of valuable drills are explained to help build confidence. It's obvious the author is drawing from her teaching expertise because her writing reveals her understanding of the perspective of the novice. I have very few concerns after going back and forth between reading and practicing. I print out a list of her drills, stuff them in my pocket, skate over to a school parking lot and start practicing. The book is easy to research and use either as a tutorial or as a reference - it's all there.