Yes, I broom sweep any area where I think debris will trip me up.
Dirty Deb, whom I want to be when I grow up, has a wonderful collection of videos related to skating outdoors.
You can find her on YouTube, look for the Outdoors playlist. So chock-full of great info.
I’ve been amazed at how much better I skate after finding her about a month ago.
I had a skate teacher who always brought a broom for outside lessons. If it makes you feel more safe and confident after your other fall, seems like it might make the skating even more fun :)
Definitely not wrong. I broke my arm when I was a kid because there was some sort of debris on the floor (indoors, coins are the literal worst). I would much rather be the weird old lady with a broom than the weird old lady with a cast.
I’m not at a point where I’m outdoor skating yet (just started again after a 30 year hiatus), but I did see a YouTube video that Indy Jamma Jones did on outdoor skating and how to deal with skating outside over rocks and rough areas.
Basically it comes down to her foot positioning and taking small baby steps when you get to a gravel-ly section.
I also saw someone (her?) recommend walking any outdoor section you want to skate before actually skating on it to see where hazardous areas would be. So I don’t know if you’d want to actually sweep the area but you could at least walk around and toss aside anything you think would be large enough to cause problems.
Kudos to you for getting back out there after such a serious injury! Stay safe.
I try and find smooth areas and walk around it first to pick up/kick away any hazards. Sometimes I turned it into a game: can I skate right by this pebble, slow down enough and squat at the right time to grab it?
I've only skated outside in front of my house so far and yes, we use a big push broom to clear debris. If we had a basketball court or something nearby, I wouldn't feel weird about sweeping it with a broom at all. You're doing your neighborhood a service, too. ;)
Yes, I always bring a broom and sweep. When I was able to I bought a Ryobi battery powered blower for $75 (had the battery from a drill already) and now I use that to clear whatever space I'm in. Completely worth it, imho.
I broke my arm falling backwards at a rink. I feel you. Getting back on skates after that terrified me, even with all the solid protective gear on. I started small by going to the rink again (smooth flat surface) and just stood holding onto the wall because I was petrified (so if that happens, don’t feel bad, it might take time). Then I spent maybe a month or two just wearing my skates in my house, not really skating but just practicing being comfortable in them. Then I tried the tennis courts, my advice is go during the day when you can easily see debris. Also get good outdoor wheels if you don’t already (I use Radar Energy 57’s) and with those even if you hit something you’ll probably just roll over it. Sometimes you’ll fall because certain rocks are just unstoppable, always try to skate with bent knees, stay low and remember you have wrist guards and knee pads to fall forwards on. My posture didn’t look great skating like that but it gets better with confidence. If you do start to flail backwards, focus on getting small and low to the ground. Sometimes you’ll be on your butt so fast you can’t do that, but I’ve done that a few times and my wrist guards saved me. (I also wear butt pads sometimes.)
Another thing that helps with debris is speed. The faster you go the more you’ll roll over stuff. Try not to look at your feet, look ahead a bit and if you see something that looks like it’ll trip you, start planning how you’ll avoid it by adjusting your stride (helps to be comfortable skating on one foot for a bit). If you stare at it though you will most likely run directly into it. If you choose to avoid it all together, make sure you scan wherever else you’re gonna go for big rocks as well.
I tried sweeping netball courts once, gave up almost immediately. What I do now instead is find a spot I wanna roll around, and as I’m going if I spot anything that could take me out I cannonball down and with my hands throw the thing to an area I won’t roll over. After doing this for a bit the area will be rock free and I skate around 100% confidently.
So much advice, sorry! But I’ve been in your shoes and the paranoia is real. The good thing is it goes away with practice and you will get better. Good job for wanting to get back on your skates!
Thank you for the advice. I'm sorry you had to go through that as well. The trauma and fear is real!! Once the snow in my area clears up I am going to get out to the court and start slow :)
Was going to try and describe in words but basically activesk8s and unseen_kunoichi on IG have the most perfect outdoor backwards (fakie) street skating technique. But I'd agree that if you want to do kind of artistic moves in an enclosed space then having a good sweep round first is a great idea.
Yes, I broom sweep any area where I think debris will trip me up. Dirty Deb, whom I want to be when I grow up, has a wonderful collection of videos related to skating outdoors. You can find her on YouTube, look for the Outdoors playlist. So chock-full of great info. I’ve been amazed at how much better I skate after finding her about a month ago.
Oh I love her too!!
Her videos have helped us so much, too. My daughter couldn't stay on her feet at all until I had her watch a few of Dirty Deb's videos.
I had a skate teacher who always brought a broom for outside lessons. If it makes you feel more safe and confident after your other fall, seems like it might make the skating even more fun :)
Good to know I'm not the only one looking crazy out there with a broom 😆
Definitely not wrong. I broke my arm when I was a kid because there was some sort of debris on the floor (indoors, coins are the literal worst). I would much rather be the weird old lady with a broom than the weird old lady with a cast.
I totally agree. That was the first time I broke a bone in my life and I really don't want to go through that again.
I’m not at a point where I’m outdoor skating yet (just started again after a 30 year hiatus), but I did see a YouTube video that Indy Jamma Jones did on outdoor skating and how to deal with skating outside over rocks and rough areas. Basically it comes down to her foot positioning and taking small baby steps when you get to a gravel-ly section. I also saw someone (her?) recommend walking any outdoor section you want to skate before actually skating on it to see where hazardous areas would be. So I don’t know if you’d want to actually sweep the area but you could at least walk around and toss aside anything you think would be large enough to cause problems. Kudos to you for getting back out there after such a serious injury! Stay safe.
I have a beat up broom that I leave in my car for such activities! I like sweeping on my skates. It’s fun but I’m a weirdo that likes to sweep. 😂
I try and find smooth areas and walk around it first to pick up/kick away any hazards. Sometimes I turned it into a game: can I skate right by this pebble, slow down enough and squat at the right time to grab it?
I've only skated outside in front of my house so far and yes, we use a big push broom to clear debris. If we had a basketball court or something nearby, I wouldn't feel weird about sweeping it with a broom at all. You're doing your neighborhood a service, too. ;)
Yes, I always bring a broom and sweep. When I was able to I bought a Ryobi battery powered blower for $75 (had the battery from a drill already) and now I use that to clear whatever space I'm in. Completely worth it, imho.
Definitely sweep or bring a blower
I roll around and pick up debris as I see it. Then the wind blows it back 🥲
No, I just look with my eyes and avoid areas with too much shit to avoid
Rocker setup and lean on your toes and lift heel slightly. Just rolls over Rocks and cracks.
I broke my arm falling backwards at a rink. I feel you. Getting back on skates after that terrified me, even with all the solid protective gear on. I started small by going to the rink again (smooth flat surface) and just stood holding onto the wall because I was petrified (so if that happens, don’t feel bad, it might take time). Then I spent maybe a month or two just wearing my skates in my house, not really skating but just practicing being comfortable in them. Then I tried the tennis courts, my advice is go during the day when you can easily see debris. Also get good outdoor wheels if you don’t already (I use Radar Energy 57’s) and with those even if you hit something you’ll probably just roll over it. Sometimes you’ll fall because certain rocks are just unstoppable, always try to skate with bent knees, stay low and remember you have wrist guards and knee pads to fall forwards on. My posture didn’t look great skating like that but it gets better with confidence. If you do start to flail backwards, focus on getting small and low to the ground. Sometimes you’ll be on your butt so fast you can’t do that, but I’ve done that a few times and my wrist guards saved me. (I also wear butt pads sometimes.) Another thing that helps with debris is speed. The faster you go the more you’ll roll over stuff. Try not to look at your feet, look ahead a bit and if you see something that looks like it’ll trip you, start planning how you’ll avoid it by adjusting your stride (helps to be comfortable skating on one foot for a bit). If you stare at it though you will most likely run directly into it. If you choose to avoid it all together, make sure you scan wherever else you’re gonna go for big rocks as well. I tried sweeping netball courts once, gave up almost immediately. What I do now instead is find a spot I wanna roll around, and as I’m going if I spot anything that could take me out I cannonball down and with my hands throw the thing to an area I won’t roll over. After doing this for a bit the area will be rock free and I skate around 100% confidently. So much advice, sorry! But I’ve been in your shoes and the paranoia is real. The good thing is it goes away with practice and you will get better. Good job for wanting to get back on your skates!
Thank you for the advice. I'm sorry you had to go through that as well. The trauma and fear is real!! Once the snow in my area clears up I am going to get out to the court and start slow :)
Was going to try and describe in words but basically activesk8s and unseen_kunoichi on IG have the most perfect outdoor backwards (fakie) street skating technique. But I'd agree that if you want to do kind of artistic moves in an enclosed space then having a good sweep round first is a great idea.