Bounce, Roll, Skate

What are two things a kid must learn how to do? One might say fight. Others may say be responsible. Someone else might say be obedient. My first thoughts are to ride a bike and skate. Lol. These were the two things that in my house and on my street you were almost considered a big kid if you knew how to do them. Of course there were oodles of others, but bottom line is that if you hadn't bust your ass enough times on the concrete to learn how to skate or ride a bike with perfection, then clearly you were failing in the coordination area. 

My dad was responsible for teaching us these tasks while my mom would look on from the screen door as she chatted away on the phone with a friend. She'd doctor on our cuts and bruises if we got hurt or ruin all our fun by calling us in when she felt we needed to prep for bed. Just like a mother... A true regulator. Lol. We'd opt to skate in our next door neighbor's, Bubby, driveway when he wasn't at home since he had what I call that smooth concrete. We'd bust our asses one good time or another and realize that we needed to get better if we didn't want it to happen again. We didn't get brought to the skating rink until everyone could skate within a reasonable standard. There was no embarrassment of learning how to skate at the local skate center. You learned on the sidewalk at home where you were fussed at for falling but you got back up and tried again without being under the judgemental eyes of your peers. 

I've been dying to make skating a hobby. Not just random roller blading down the lake but rhythm skating. You know, like Roll Bounce. I won't make myself out to be the best skater in the world but I'm certainly not the worse. I bought some skates a while back but realized that there was a difference between a pair that cost $50 and a pair that cost $300+. For starters, I couldn't change the wheels on my cheaper pair. Recently I ordered some Riedell skates. After waiting for what seemed like a lifetime they finally came in yesterday. I found myself rushing home to put them on and skate around the house as if my mom wouldn't have a few choice words for my behavior. I'm all laced up and ready to spin. What inspired me the most was when I went to the local skate rink for adult skate night either early last year or the year before and saw all of the jam and rhythm skaters getting down on the floor. I felt like I was at the filming of the movie ATL or Roll Bounce. There were groups in uniform old and young there to skate their hearts out. Do I want to take things that serious? Hell no! I just want to feel better about skating on side of these people as if I can hold my own out there. 

So where do I begin? Do I find a random spot to practice like old times? Get the skill or tricks down pack before trying them at the rink like a fool? Either way this goes I'm excited. Excited to have a new hobby that may be short lived or not, but I'm more excited to have my own personal skates that surpass the cheapos at Academy Sports and the gross overly used ones at the rink. 

Do you skate? If so what type of skates do you own?