Roller skating VS Skateboarding

By Asad | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

Roller skating and skateboarding very much look like the same as in both the activities include moving while balancing on the rolling wheels. While skateboarding, you will have to move on a board that is firmly attached to the wheels. So, you can control the movement of the skateboard by using both feet. Let’s sort out the clarification and do the roller skating vs skateboarding in detail.

roller skating vs skateboarding

Wheels in both are different

But that is not the case in roller skating. In Roller skating, you will have to control two sets of wheels. In roller skates are not on board, these are shoe-like wheels that fits firmly to your feet. While moving, the shoes stay attached to the feet. In Skateboards, you are not physically attached to the board. Neither the board is attached to your body in any means.

In roller skates, there are a total of four wheels two at the front and two at the back, same as the wheels on a vehicle. The balanced placement of the wheels also makes it easy to balance the movement, especially for the beginners, but it also decreases speed and swiftness.

Generally, in Roller skating, it’s difficult to get started, and stopping it also requires practice, but eventually, you can handle it easily. On the other hand, stopping a skateboard, especially on the high speed, requires a lot of practice and skills.

Skateboarding: More of a Pushing

In simple words, Skateboarding is all about rolling and pushing. You cannot measure the easiness of it by just looking at a single aspect. You will find it easy to stand on a skateboard than roller skates–but while skateboarding, stopping is quite tougher. Similarly, controlling the skateboard on sidewalks and bumps is also not that easy, and jumping is tough as well.

Conversely, in roller skating dealing with thumps and curbs is easier as compared to skateboarding.

Another significant difference between roller skating and skateboarding is that skateboards don’t have brakes, so if you are thinking about jumping, you can hit badly. However, in roller skating, you can use the brakes anytime you want.

There can be much difference in both these skates, but to keep things simple, try to look in this way. When you are walking, you always use two feet, and your face is in the forward direction. Have you seen anyone walking with both feet facing sideways?

Roller skating: A Walk with wheels

Roller skating is much simple than skateboarding because, in roller skating, you are basically walking with the wheels. Although it requires practice, but it is more like a walk with the wheels. Instead, in skateboarding, you will have to master a whole new way of maneuvering. You will have to learn how to stand on sideways, you will have to learn how to push a skateboard, and more importantly, you will have to learn the art of balancing yourself on the skateboard.

Performing Tricks and Flips in both

Now, when it’s come to tricks, jumps backflips, we can safely say that performing all these in roller skating is much easier. The reason for this is when you are getting out or jumping off the roller skates; you don’t have to follow any physics, you just jump out. The second reason is control. The control over your feet is much more in roller skating as compared with skateboarding. You are not locked in compact space on the board. This allows for free movement of feet. The third reason is backflips, handplants, other flips, are much easier to do in roller skates than skateboarding.

In the End : Roller Skating vs Skateboarding

Both these activities are great only if you master the art. And we talk about the differences between the two; your personal preference also plays a vital role in liking or disliking. Lastly, both roller skating and skateboarding have a difference, and in no way, there are the same.