The New York City Inline Skating Guide
Lessons

For new inliners looking for a free lesson in how to stop, the Central Park Skate Patrol hosts a stopping clinic at the West 72nd St. entrance to the park on weekend afternoons from 12:30 to 5:30 during the prime skating season (mid-April to mid-October). The Skate Patrol also runs a skate school during the summer months.

Over in Riverside Park, the Parks Dept. has in the past offered the Riverside Skate School, with instruction for all ages and aggressive skating lessons for those interested in that skating style. Meeting site was at the skatepark at about 108th St. Call (212) 408-0289 for more info.

Probably the oldest skate school in town is Joel Rappelfield's Roll America. Joel's been teaching inline lessons since the late 1980s, and Roll America now has a staff of about 30 instructors offering a variety of programs. Call them at (212) 744-4444 or check out the Roll America website.

Lezly Skate School is operated by one of the most prominent members of the Central Park Dance Skaters Association. See the website or call (212) 777-3232 for more info.

NY Skateout seems to have an extensive lessons program for skaters of all ages, with activities centered on Central Park. Check their website for lots more info.

Fliers from individuals offering private instruction can usually be found on bulletin boards at skate shops. Many personal trainers also offer inline lessions.

Instructor Certification

From more than a decade, the only certification process for such instructors was provided by the International In-Line Skating Association. However, at the end of 2004, IISA essentially folded its tent (they called it a "restructuring" or "right-sizing") and the instructor program was to be taken over by USA Fit. Unfortunately, as of January 2007, the USA Fit inline website was off-line and no further information is available.

In any event, what this means is that it's a good idea to whether instructor advertisements state "IISA-certified". There were three levels of IISA certification, with Level I meaning the instructor can teach the basics, Level II meaning that she knows how to teach more advanced skating maneuvers and tricks, and "master" certification for specialized instruction.