Where to get gear and information

[Fat Chancellor]

Can anyone recommend any good websites or local stores for gear?

Also looking for a good information resource so I can make good decisions when I buy.

I think I'll be needing size 12 or 13 skates, if I'm reading sizing charts right.  I have a size 14 shoe. 

[The Hawt Rod]

Might web shop on rollingthunders site or sincity skates.

Rolling Thunder Fun Factory has a nice little store in bloomington for going and actually trying gear on.  They are a bit pricier than others though.  They did cut me a good deal though when I bought all my gear.  Tell em your with CCDG or the Rebels.

I would check out Diamond Skate Supply or look around here if there is another order going into The Blaze as they take really good care of us with discounts, but you would need to know what sizes and gear your looking for before hand.

[Badeline Kahn]

Definitely go and try things on. You'll find that some pads don't fit you right (for example, I can only wear 187 wrist guards - Triple 8 and Protec both hit a bone on my wrist that is excrutiating, even before I fall) and that's something you want to know NOW, rather than later.

Also, even if you're reading charts right, skates can be weird too. A good friend of mine tried on about ten skates before finding the brand and size that fit her properly.

Looking forward to meeting you!

[CarrBomb]

Can anyone recommend any good websites or local stores for gear?

Also looking for a good information resource so I can make good decisions when I buy.

I think I'll be needing size 12 or 13 skates, if I'm reading sizing charts right.  I have a size 14 shoe. 

I have some size 12 skates that you might be able to try for sizing info but might be too small and we have a ref whos feet are probably too big. You could also go to Roller cave and try on some skates there and then order them online if you find something that fits. Find me on facebook (Matthew CarrBomb Carr) and I will try to steer you in the right direction.

[Fat Chancellor]

Thanks for all the information! I look forward to meeting everyone.  I'll be at practice tomorrow.

[chrome-a-tose]

D&G bicycles in Nora has all equipment in stock.  If you tell them your on the team you usually get a discount.

[Fat Chancellor]

I have skates and a helmet now.  I just need to wait on more money to pick up pads.  Also need to buy some outdoor wheels and bearings so I can hit the Monon between practices.  Went to practice last night, and I need a LOT of work to get good on skates.  It was great fun, I just get exhausted so fast, and I'm pretty unsteady so far.

[beattie sedgwick]

I have skates and a helmet now.  I just need to wait on more money to pick up pads.  Also need to buy some outdoor wheels and bearings so I can hit the Monon between practices.  Went to practice last night, and I need a LOT of work to get good on skates.  It was great fun, I just get exhausted so fast, and I'm pretty unsteady so far.

It's normal to be exhausted and unsteady in the beginning, the real thing to help this is to just skate. Skate skate skate. This may seem boring at first, but really. Open skates. Try to skate as long as you can.  If you stay for a couple hours without really stopping, you've already improved a lot. I remember being tired after a few go-arounds. If you keep going, you'll go for hours (uh huh. jokes, guys), and you won't think about it. So as boring as just skating in circles CAN be, it's really really good for you. Just make sure you're working your form into that, and your stride, eventually, even if it hurts.

[Terror of Paranoiac]

And really, don't get discouraged if some days you can't keep up. You can't be superman every day (Batman, maybe, but that guy trains constantly).

[K-Shock]

So as boring as just skating in circles CAN be, it's really really good for you. Just make sure you're working your form into that, and your stride, eventually, even if it hurts.

Isn't that where the whole hitting people thing came from?

Seriously, though. Keep it up. I was just where you are now a very short time ago and it's hard to keep in positive spirits. You'll improve faster than you can imagine, though.

[The Hawt Rod]

Yup, skate skate skate.  I walked thru the doors with little to no skating experience 5 months ago.  It was hard to make it around one pass without falling down.  I spent lot's of time on the outside looking in wondering if I could ever be there.  Show up to practice early, skate, work on things, try things.  You will fall down, it will hurt.  Get up and try it again.  Go to open skates.  One of my best friends in the world is on the Belles and I spent many Friday night open skates with her getting pointers, tips, etc...  Work on leg and core strength when not on skates.  These are all things that helped me greatly.

[Dave Atonement]

Everyone has given you great advice and I echo all of it.  What you do away from practice matters just as much (maybe more) than what you do at practice.  It took me a while to realize that.  Think about it this way: Even if you come to all three Rebels' practices that's only 6 hours/week.  Work out at home, give jogging (or fast walking) a shot, go to open skates, etc.  It sounds like a lot, but the more changes you make, the easier skating will become (and more quickly you'll pick it up).  The last thing I'll add, is take some time to just focus on a skill you want to learn -- for example, right now I want to learn to skate backwards (and do it well) and do hockey-stops.  It's difficult to focus on these things at practice so I've started doing them at other times and it's made a world of difference.

Keep your head up, come to practice, set specific goals, and every time you fall - get back up.