Roller Derby Advice!

After taking quite a bit of time off from this blog, I’d like to go back to it! Taking over coaching my league made my brain mush the last year or so when it came to explaining things again and again and again and again...

Anyways, I have been skating since 2011, and have captained and coached everything from freshmeat to advanced skaters. I’m a bit of a gear head, and I can help with learning your skates, how to change things around in your gear, improving individual skills, and how to make your way around the world that is roller derby.

I have been skating derby for year and half.  Over time, my right big toe (crossover foot) has been permanently numb. I think that when doing crossovers or pushing out strongly with my right foot for plow stops and other maneuvars, the front of my right foot is sliding inside my skate and getting pressed too hard against the inside. The frequent pressure is created numbness, or this is what I assume.  If anything, my laces are too loose in the toe box, not too tight. My right foot also tends to cramp out after extending skating (like doing 27 in 5).  My left foot is having almost no problems. Is there some kind of insole or other product that can help solve this problem?

(Thanks for the question, I’m just going to add to this and post it!)

It sounds like your skates may be too big for you. Your foot moving around in a boot that doesn’t fit can cause cramps because of the extra movement. Are you boots heat moldable? Trying to get the right fit with a blow dryer may help you. If they’re not moldable, try putting in two sets of laces, one from the toe box to middle of your skate and the second from the middle to the top. This can assist you in getting your skates to fit tight where you need them

The other thing could be your cushions and trucks, rather then your boot. This is what I tend to see when people have issues with cramps in one foot and not the other. What hardness are you cushions, and how loose are you trucks? Try a new set of cushions in the next softer color (cushions are the cheapest and easiest thing you can do to fix any issues with your skates). Loosen up your trucks, with your front trucks a quarter turn looser then your back. 

If you only notice this in your cross overs, try to focus on using your left foot to push and flick as you come out of the cross over. You may be over using your right foot, and your left foot being added can help with this a lot. 

Well they will last you through that, and probably a few months afterwards, but you’ll probably want a leather boot eventually. It’s a decent starter skate but just dont expect to last years on them! =)

It depends on a few things- Are you planning on doing derby after the 10 week course? How heavy are you? If you’re upgrading the wheels, you can for sure get a 10 week course out of them, and a bit more. They may last you a year of skating if youre not super hard on them. But if you’re a heavier skater, youre going to notice flex on the plates and that can affect skating.

ahhh the evil t-stop. These were my nemisis when i was learning to skate. 

First of all, you wont be able to do it if you cant balance/skate on one foot. So work on going back and forth, just a foot or two, lifting one at a time. Then start working on usig your lifted foot to slow you down. Remember to use all four wheels when you do it. It’s all about learning about how much pressure to put down to make you come to a stop, or slow down. 

I have two opinions on your statement here.

First, I HATE Caymens. They shouldn’t even be used to be spray painted as trophies. Theyre awful wheels. Everything is better then them

Now back to mixing wheels- I have a personal opinion that pusher set ups don’t really work unless you only skate in one direction and never try to juke or turn sideways or skate backwards. Pushers are an ok set up if you’re on floors you don’t know very well (like away games). however,  i really feel like you should figure out which wheels will work best for you and get 8 of them. Also, 93 and 95 are so close that its not really going to make a huge difference in your set up. It’s more of a thing people do with a wheel in the 80′s as their grippy wheels with a wheel in the 90s.

yes i reccomend them to everyone! All skates are “low cut”,and i personally think the “I need ankle support” thing is a lot more mental then it is actually needing any supportt. Your ankles are supposed to move when you skate, and high boots can stop that from happening fully.

The cheaper hybrid package comes on a basic plastic plate, with the lower quality Bont wheels, and is leather and microfiber. Its not the strongest matieral ever, so I do reccomend toe guards right away, but overall they are a great skate. Still fully heat moldable so youll get a perfect fit, and while the plate isnt overall the best plate, its a good plate to start with. And then when you decide what you want, you can stick the Bont boot on a higher quality plate.