Rolling into Summer
Under the guise of safety and cheapness we have managed to reduce rollerblading to marching around in boots with wheels attached and skateboarding to to standing on a relatively stationary piece of wood. Here's a guide/rant on how tp choose rollerblades and skateboards that actually work.
The main thing is to make sure the wheels all turn and turn evenly. While you don't necessarily want wheels that are spinning for days for young kids, you also don't want ones that feel like you're twisting a never before opened jar. They should be able to spin for at least a second on a single push with your finger/hand. Yes I understand the danger of your kid going faster than running speed and being unable to brake, the results could be similar to that of a chasing game. In actual reality unless your kid is content with being at a standstill or loses interest in skateboarding or rollerblading, they will likely fall more on crappy equipment since they are unable to generate a speed they'll be stable at where they can wheel over cracks and gravel.
Wheels that turn may make rollerblades and skateboards more unstable to stand on when at a standstill since well ... essentially the wheels should roll pretty easily. Similarly to a bike though, both rollerblades and skateboards should be more stable when they go at a medium velocity. While this may make it harder to instagram pictures of toddlers standing on skateboards or rollerblades I'm sure you could do some cheerleading stunts with them to get on social media. In all seriousness though part of the reason for the crappy equipment is parents wanting to get their kids started earlier and kids wanting that instant gratification of being able to do it. The path to learning sports when you've only recently learned how to walk and talk is hard though. If you have a kid under the age of 8, warn them that it will take some practice and they will fall. Ultimately they will get more enjoyment out of equipment that they can go faster than walking speed on.
The only other thing that you have to do to buy a working skateboard or pair of rollerblades is avoid places like Wal-mart, Target and Toys R Us. While rollerblades and skateboards may be 50% cheaper at these places, they are 500% worse or more and usually don't even work. It's not like buying a cheap bike where it works but the chain falls off constantly and the bike is heavier. Cheap rollerblades and skateboards may not work at all. If you are buying equipment at a sporting goods/ specialty store higher abec numbers will mean faster rolling. If you are buying low end then theabec number means absolutely nothing at all so don't be fooled by a low price abec number.
If you don't believe me feel free to watch a couple of these videos on Wal- mart skate boards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toAsgCnMJhU
P.S. if you have skates that transition into rollerskates they are likely bad at both but signifigantly worse for rollerskating/rollerblading than ice.
