Roller skating in quarantine is a thing a lot of us think about these days. Depending on in which country you live you’re more or less able to skate at the moment. To stay sane and active some people even practice in their living rooms. If that’s not an option for you and you tend to fall into a big black hole of sadness and sulk consider this very practical guide by CIB skater and creator Irene “Doom” Dose. The Italian skater has been on quarantine for more than a month already as Italy is one of the countries affected terribly by the current pandemic. On her blog Doom Skates she writes about all things skating in Italian. And being a cool person she made an English version of her recent article for us.
April 9th 2020 – I’ve been locked inside my house for exactly one month today and I went outside exactly 5 times: 3 times for groceries, twice for garbage. So, when I woke up this morning and found out restrictions have been postponed till May 3rd, I somehow wasn’t surprised at all.
While I watch an incredibly blue sky outside of my window and it feels like watching fishes in an aquarium (or maybe I’m the fish?), I think about which trick should I’ve been closing today, what would I’ve been eating for lunch at the skate park, at what time would my friends have showed up.
I’m daydreaming, so I blink twice and come back to reality. I’m still the fish. But this fish is here, and now. Generally speaking, “here and now” sounds like a powerful mantra, doesn’t it? It really makes no sense to cry on spilled milk, nor fantasize about things I can’t do.
Let’s talk about what I can do, here and now, for myself
Here’s a list of 10 things I’ve been doing during this quarantine and I hope it will be useful for you as well.
1. Put your skates on. Alright, it may sound predictable, but it’s a big step. Thinking about doing it and actually doing it are two different things. What if I ask you to set an alarm on your phone and wear your skates for 20 minutes everyday?
2. Practice meditation. This can be done during, before or after your yoga session, or even while sitting on your couch, with comfortable clothes on and a relaxed atmosphere. If this sounds too “spiritual” or weird to you, I’d like to change your mind. Connecting with your breath and heart, setting your mind free and gain awareness of your space are the nicest ingredients to brighten your day – and generally, your being.
3. Yoga. Well, seems like everybody is doing it and I’m happy to see that. Needless to say, there are tons of tutorials and videos online you might get lost. My current favorites are Boho Beautiful and MadFit (also for my HIIT sessions). If you’d like to see something more roller-skate-related, @kid_ace is teaching some awesome yoga classes on Zoom, take a look on her profile!
4. Read zines and magazines. Culture is one of the strongest weapons against boredom: surely this is the perfect time to do some research and gather some zines from the “underwood”. There are tons of projects out there that are just waiting to be discovered. If you’d like some tips about where to look, send me a DM.
5. Support small businesses. If your economic situation in this very moment is stable and not threatened by COVID-19, there are people out there facing the opposite situation.
Think about all the skate shops that you’ve always looked up to, or the brands that you’ve always wanted to order from but you’ve never found the “perfect occasion” to do so. Well, this is the perfect occasion, let me tell you, especially because tons of small businesses are offering sales or free shipping deals. It’s the perfect win-win situation: you pay less for something that has been on your wish list for a while, and they’ll be able to go through this period with less damage.
6. Save some money. I know this may sound like a contradiction of what I just said, but starting to keep a book of when and what you spend for – if you’re not already doing it – is super useful. “How is roller skating involved in this?”, you may ask. Think about it this way: every Euro you save from something you don’t really need, is a Euro that can be spent in the setup of your dreams, that now seems unreachable.
7. Watch footage, and all the videos you still haven’t watched because you didn’t have time before. Here’s a pretty cool must-watch list from DogDays Magazine.
8. Go deeper in your gear research. If earlier you were guided by the strong desire to skate as soon as possible, now you can slow down, read more reviews, connect on Reddit or on Facebook groups and ask for support and make sure to buy the right gear for your needs.
9. Connect with others. Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok: roller skaters are literally everywhere. Don’t tell me that in these weeks you haven’t spoken with at least one new person! I have an assignment for you: enter at least one social network. Build your own network and share your passion with others. Speaking of which, I strongly suggest you to follow CIB Italy: every Sunday we take a new trick out of the hat and invite you to try it, at home!
10. Follow livestream or podcasts. This is kinda connected to the previous point but it’s fundamental: to have the chance to participate to live calls will make you feel closer to other people that share the same passion of yours. If you have time, I’m doing another live stream on Instagram (in Italian, but I will answer questions in English too, if requested!) Tuesday 14th at 18:30 GMT+1 (Rome time).
If roller skating in quarantine is not an option you can also build a cool wedge for the time after. Or you find more ideas to keep yourself enteretained here.
Words by Irene “Doom” Dose
Photo by Filippo Bortolon