inline

Question
hi lezly. im planning to buy myself a pair of roller skates. i hav skated in e past when i was little but not in many years and just really wanna get active again cos im getting sick of being cooped up in e house. what would u recommend to look for in a pair of skates and how much should i approximately spend? (i live in australia) i know i gotta get e protective grear aswell, do u know how much that would cost aswell?  what skate brands would u recommend too, if that is relevant?

Answer
Alicia,
It's difficult to answer your properly because
1. Prices in Australia are going to be different than they are here in the US.
2. I don't know what kind of a budget you have
3. I don't know the availability of US Brands in Australia

I think the best idea is to go to the Riedell Skates website <riedellskates.com> & click on Roller. That will open links to all the different types of skates they sell. You can also click on their dealer locater link & scroll down to International. You will find a dealer in Wanneroo that you can contact to buy Riedell skates. Riedell is an excellent brand of skates - you have to look through their site & see which package fits your budget. I recommend you select a package that has a leather boot like the 121 or higher - the 297 is the most comfortable boot & easiest to break in, but it is expensive. The 297 is the boot I use & the boot that most of the NY dance skaters use. If it fits your budget, go for it. Perhaps you should check with the dealer in Wanneroo - tell him what you can afford & see what he recommends. Tell him where you will be skating - indoor or outdoor, so he will give you the right wheels for the type of skating you will be doing.

As for the protective gear - you should have wrist guards, elbow & knee pads & if most of your skating will be outdoors - a helmet.

I hope this helps!
Roll on!!!..............Lezly (Lezly Skate School - estab. 1979) www.SkateGuru.com