From the Rink to the Page: Why I Wrote How to Roller Skate – The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

When I started Cardiff Skate School, it wasn't about building a brand or selling anything. It was about getting people on skates and helping them feel safe, confident and capable doing something that often looks much easier than it is.

Over the years, I've taught hundreds of beginners - adults returning to skating after decades, children finding their feet for the first time and people who have always wanted to try but never quite brave enough. In all that one thing became very clear, very quickly.

Most people don't need more information, they need clearer information, broken down properly and wihtout judgement.

That's what led me to write How to Roller Skate - The Ultimate Beginner's Guide.

Why a book?

In lessons, I often hear the same questions

• Where do I even start?

• Why do I feel so unstable?

• Am I doing this wrong or is it just hard?

• What should I practice between sessions?

• I've been trying to learn a skill I saw on YouTube and I just can't get it?

Sure, there's plenty of skating content online, but much of it jumps too far ahead, has no context or assumes a level of ability most beginners simply don't have yet. I wanted something that felt like one of our lessons - calm, structured, encouraging and realistic.

The book follows the same progression used when teaching in person

• Finding balance and posture

• Learning how to move safely

• Building control

• Practising skills that actually make skating feel easier, not scarier

All in a logical order and about building foundations.

Learning doesn't stop when the lesson ends

One of the hardest parts of learning to skate is what happens between lessons. You leave feeling good, then try again on your own and suddenly everything feels harder.

The guide is also designed to support that gap. Each section focuses on why something feels difficult and what to practice next so you're not just repeating movements but actually understanding them.

There are also QR codes throughout the book linking to short videos, so you u can see the skills in action and revisit them as many times as you need.

Written for real people, not “perfect” skaters

This isn’t a textbook and it’s definitely not written for elite skaters. It’s written for:

• adults who feel a bit self-conscious starting something new

• parents skating alongside their children

• beginners who want progress without pressure

• people who just want to enjoy skating, not conquer it

  
  

Skating should feel empowering, not intimidating. That’s always been at the heart of Cardiff Skate School, and it’s what the book reflects too.

What’s next?

The blog has been quiet for a little while, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s been happening — far from it.

Alongside lessons, events, and workshops, I’m slowly building more written resources to support skaters outside the hall as well.

If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve skated with us before, thank you for being part of this community and if you’re reading this wondering whether skating might be for you — it probably is.

You just need the right start.