Inline Skating Notebook

How to Get Started Inline Skating in Santa Monica, California

By Fabletoo (Feb 26, 2008)

Santa Monica is an Inline Skater's Paradise; Here's Where to Buy Skates and Where to Skate in Santa Monica

When I lived in Santa Monica, I used to go inline skating every day. Inline skating, otherwise known as rollerblading, is an amazing way to tighten up your legs and butt and is very popular in Southern California. The weather is beautiful all year round, so Santa Monica is the perfect place to inline skate and thousands of people do it. If you'd like to try inline skating but aren't sure where to start, here are some tips to get you started skating in Santa Monica.
1. Rent Inline Skates.
Before you go out and spend over $100 on skates, knee pads, elbow pads and a helmet, make sure you're actually going to like it. Go to one of these places and rent a pair of inline skates for a few hours and try them out:

Islands Surf - 2934 Wilshire Blvd,

Perry's Cafe & Sports Rentals 1200 The Promenade

Sea Mist Rentals 1619 Ocean Front 310-395-7076

Rip City Skates - 2709 Santa Monica Blvd

Most of them will rent by the hour or by the day. Also make sure you rent pads and a helmet, as you don't want to break anything on your first day out.
2. Inline Skating on the Boardwalk.
Once you have your rental blades, there is a long boardwalk that runs alongside the Ocean in Santa Monica. You can inline skate on it up to the lifeguard station on the way to Malibu, or all the way down to Venice Beach. The best time to go is morning or late evening when the crowds aren't so bad, that way you won't get in people's way or get knocked off your skate
3. Buy Skates, Pads and a Helmet.
There are several places in Santa Monica where you can purchase inline skates. I bought mine at Big 5 Sporting Goods on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. They have a good selection, with all the extra equipment and they left me alone to decide which ones I wanted. Make sure when you buy them you get them at least half a size bigger than what you normally wear, as you're going to be wearing socks with them and your feet do swell when you skate. Rip City Skates is another great place, where the staff really knows what they're talking about. Champs Sports is on Third Street Promenade, and Kramer Sporting Goods on Ocean Park Boulevard - both good places for purchasing sporting gear.

Also make sure you get at least pads and possibly a helmet too. Most of the locals inline skating in Santa Monica don't wear pads or a helmet, but you probably should for the first few weeks.
4. Take Inline Skating Lessons.
Most of the skate rental places and sports shops will know somebody who offers inline skating lessons. When I started, I signed up for just one lesson and I'm so glad I did. I learned important things like how to slow down, how to turn and how to stop. Makes a big difference in your abilities and in your confidence level and, something you can learn in an hour, can take you a week on your own.My instructor even told me some interesting history about inline skating in Southern California.
5. Don't Overdo It At First.
It takes your body a while to get used to using new muscles. An hour is long enough for the first few days. That will be enough time to learn a few things without feeling wiped out afterwards.
6. Inline Skating Early Mornings On the Beach.
Once you're really used to your blades and have about two weeks experience, the next step is to get up early and head down to Santa Monica beach. You can drive down and park your car on Ocean Boulevard right next to the steps leading down to the beach. Metered parking doesn't start until 9am, so you can get it free if you arrive before then. The best time is about 6:30am. It's just getting light, there's hardly anybody on the beach and the temperature is perfect. Wear a light jacket, which you can take off when you warm up, lace up your skates and off you go. I used to skate to Santa Monica Pier, then turn around and skate all the way to the lifeguard station on the way to Malibu. Takes about 30 minutes and is a fabulous early morning workout.
7. Inline Skating Is For The Whole Family.
Don't forget, rollerblading is for the whole family. Take your husband, wife or your kids. Rent them some blades at Perry's Café and Sports Rentals on the promenade right next to the beach and have a fun family outing.
8. Friday Night Inline Skate Night.
There's a group of inline skaters who meet every Friday night. They meet at the entrance to Santa Monica Pier at 8:30pm and, starting at 9pm, they skate through the streets of Santa Monica together. They make a lot of noise and they say it's kind of like a 'dance party on wheels'. Great fun though.

Live Web Cam from Santa Monica Pier
Los Angeles Friday Night Skate

Santa Monica is the perfect city for inline skating. Once you get really good, you can even ditch your car and skate through the streets, a lot of people do.