Here in Australia, we’re not so lucky as our international friends to have a plethora of roller skating rinks to enjoy. Even so, at our skate events, we still tend to follow some of the rules of good roller skating rink etiquette that exist around the world. If you’re new to roller skating, hitting up a rink or event soon, you might want to brush up on the (sometimes) unspoken rules of the rink.
1. Go with the flow
For the safety of everyone at the rink or on the skate floor, make sure to skate in the same direction. At rinks, this is generally counter-clockwise, but the host, floor marshals or DJs might get you to mix things up every now and again and skate clockwise.
2. Stay in your lane
This one might trip up new skaters who feel like they want the security of the rink fence or barrier to hold onto, but at a rink on a busy night with advanced skaters, the skate floor looks like this – fastest skaters on the outside or closest to the barrier, slowest on the inside lane, and dance or skill work in the very middle. If you’re rolling in the fast lane when your pace might be better suited more towards the centre of the rink floor, more experienced skaters may guide you to a more suitable space. If you hear someone call “behind”, it’s best to move towards the inside lane to let faster skaters pass safely. Please don’t take any offence if this happens to you! If you’re at a session where there are loads of beginners or heaps of kids, keep in mind that these rules may go out window, just read the room and go with the flow.
3. Leave a little breathing space
Make sure to leave a little breathing space between yourself and other skaters as you manoeuvre around the floor. This enables other skaters to weave in and out to keep the flow of the rink. It is common for experienced skaters to slide through small gaps or get close to you as the weave their way around the rink, if this happens to you, just stay in your lane and don’t try to move out of the way suddenly. They have all the skill and experience to safely navigate around you.
4. Take care of your rink
Running a roller skating rink or skating event isn’t for the faint-hearted. It requires a lot of time, passion for the sport and maintenance. Please respect all of the rink rules you see posted up around the place, keep the space clean, and be nice to the staff. Your support of these spaces helps keep them alive, and taking care of the rink is a big part of that.
5. Remember you’re not skating solo
You may have turned up to the rink without your friends, but make sure that you remember that riding the rink isn’t a solo activity, you’re working with all the other skaters around to keep the flow, pace and vibes. If you’re lucky enough to skate at a busy rink it can feel hard to time when to jump on and off the rink. Make sure to signal with a raised arm or hand when your are entering or leaving the rink floor so other’s can anticipate your movements. Likewise, be aware of others around you, predict their next moves and remember that any sudden stops or direction changes you make can affect other skaters. Also, please do not block space with tripods or other equipment, we all need to keep the floor clear for skating and safety.
6. Wear what makes you feel comfortable and safe
Sure, you want to look good when you’re rolling at the rink, but don’t forget, skating is sweaty business. Wear clothes you can move freely in and that are comfortable. If you feel safer wearing your protective gear, wear it! No one will judge you for it. Everyone will just be stoked to have another skater out on the floor.
7. Learn how to fall safely
We’ve all experienced those super sudden or extended dramatic falls that have you all over the place. When you’re at the rink, these kinds of falls can endanger others around you. Practising your safe falling techniques will build that muscle memory if it needs to kick in out on the rink floor. To fall safely, get as low as you can in a cannonball position, send one leg out in front of the body and fall to your bottom on one cheek, then the other to avoid impact to the tailbone. Try not to splay everywhere; instead, keep your hands and arms close to your body (and preferably not making much contact with the floor to protect your wrists). If you’re not injured, get up quickly (but safely) and keep on skating. If you’ve done some damage to yourself, hail down a floor marshal for help.
8. Listen to the DJ, event hosts and floor marshals
It is common for rink sessions and roller skating events to have DJs, hosts and floor marshals. These people are all there to help you, keep the rink safe and bring the vibes. Please ensure you listen to them, whether that’s skating tips, changing the rink direction, playing games, or announcing and moderating special skate rounds.
9. No drinks or food on the rink floor
This goes hand in hand with taking care of the rink and respecting other skaters using the space. Please do not, under any circumstances, take food or drinks out onto the skating floor. All it takes is some dropped liquid or crumbs to send a skater to the ground. Not only does this endanger those around you, but it can damage the rink as well.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
At many roller rinks or skate events you’ll see what we call floor marshals rolling around. They are there to help manage the flow of the rink and keep everyone safe. Don’t be afraid to approach the floor marshals, wave one down to help you get on and off the floor or ask them for some skating tips.
If you see a more advanced skater who is not staff practising a move you want to learn, most skaters will welcome you approaching them to ask for advice. If you do this, make sure to time your questions for when they’re taking a break from their own skating, ask for advice on skills that help to achieve that particular move if it’s still a bit out of your skill level and respect their time. If the skater is wearing headphones it means they are in the zone, so please respect this and do not disturb them.
When it comes to group dances and routines be mindful not to interrupt. These are special moments for skaters who are focused on their flow. If you want to join in, you can sometimes slot in at the back of the group and do your best keeping up and having a bit of fun with the learning process. Just always remember that everyone is at the rink to skate and enjoy their time, so try not to take up too much of it when asking for help.
Rinks can feel a bit overwhelming at first with the lights, music, people and adrenaline of it all, but don’t let that anxiety build up. Rinks are loads of fun and you’re guaranteed to make some new skate friends amongst the controlled chaos. We hope these rink etiquette tips have you feeling ready to roll at your local rink or at a skate event somewhere in the world. We’ll see you out on the floor 🪩
