In 2022, I tried roller skating for the first time.
I had no idea whether I could actually do it, so I bought the cheapest pair I could find from Decathlon. At the time, they were around €30. Of course, skates alone weren’t enough, I also needed a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards. Those cost me roughly another €20 in total.
If you’re thinking about starting, I’m sharing the 2022 prices just to give a rough idea. It obviously varies by country and year. For reference, these are the items (and their 2026 prices):
- Skates: Oxelo White Roller Skates-4-Wheel Skates 100 Series
- Helmet: Skating Helmet MF500
- Protector Set (wrist, elbow, knee): Oxelo Protectors Set
In 2026, the total cost for the same setup is around £80.
Learning Roller Skating at Home
Because it was COVID time, I started practicing at home. I think I managed about 12 days in total. On the first day, I even wrapped soft scarves around my hips so falling wouldn’t hurt as much. I could barely stand. Classic beginner stance: feet in a V shape, arms stretched out to the sides, holding onto walls, shuffling forward and backward.
Here’s roughly how those first 12 days went:
- Day 1: Just standing. Holding walls. Moving inch by inch.
- Day 2: Slightly less wall dependency. Managed to roll forward in a straight line.
- Day 3: Practiced sitting down and getting up from the floor safely. I’d sit, pull my skates close so no one would roll over my hands (even though I was at home, it felt like good practice), place one foot flat, hand on knee, and push up.
- Day 4: Tried stopping with the front brake, gently pressing it down while moving forward.
- Days 5–7: Focused on going straight more comfortably.
- Days 8–10: Attempted “lemons” (the basic outward–inward leg movement). Also started experimenting with rolling backward.
- Days 11–12: Worked on smoother stopping and better control.
And then… I developed a plant allergy. My legs broke out badly, recovery took a long time, and that year I couldn’t even wear knee pads comfortably. Skating stopped completely.
The skates went back into the closet.
For four years.
Restarting Roller Skating at 31
I’m 31 now. I decided to start again.
This time, I’m neither pretending to be fully new nor experienced. It’s somewhere in between. My only background before 2022 was a short attempt at ice skating as a child (not even on real ice, one of those synthetic slippery surfaces). And for 15 years, I hadn’t done anything involving wheels or blades. Today was my first day back.
What surprised me most was muscle memory. Compared to my very first session four years ago, I felt significantly more balanced. I didn’t feel confident or smooth, but I did feel balanced. I could move forward without holding onto anything.
Why I’m Writing This
This post series isn’t a “how to become a pro” guide. It’s a tracking space.
I want to document my roller skating journey honestly:
- How long does it take to relearn basics
- What feels difficult
- What improves faster than expected
- What I get wrong
If you’re starting from zero or restarting after a long break, I hope this helps you set realistic expectations. I’ll share resources I use, what works for me, and what doesn’t.
For now, Day 1 takeaway: You don’t forget everything. Balancing on wheels is definitely not an easy task, but I guess that’s the point. I’ll just keep trying.
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