1. Getting Started - Equipment Guide

• Choosing In-line Skates (Rollerblades)

The most important pieces of hockey equipment, in-line skates, must be chosen carefully and must fit properly in order for you to play your best game. In-line skates designed specifically for roller hockey look similar to ice-hockey skates; and the boots are usually fastened with laces rather than buckles. These boots however do not offer enough ankle support for a beginning skater. Beginners are better off with an inline skates with at least one buckle around the ankle. But make sure that your inline skates allow you to bend your ankle. (Because it is impossible to skate properly wearing skates resembling stiff downhill ski boots!)

A well-designed fitness or recreational skate offers good lateral ankle support, but allows you to bend your ankle forward. K-Mart and the Warehouse usually have various recreational skates in stock. Go to the Cheapskates for in-line hockey skates. In most cases the old axiom "You get what you pay for1" applies to in-line skates. Playing hockey will really test the strength and durability of your skates.

• Hockey Stick

Next most important equipment is a hockey stick. When selecting a hockey stick, consider the construction of the blade, the curve of the blade, and the height of the stick. If you will be playing outside on rough surfaces, choose a stick with a plastic blade. (or one with plastic reinforcement running along the bottom of the blade) When playing indoors, you can use a regular wooden ice hockey stick.

There are three types of sticks - wood/fibreglass, aluminium and composite. Wood/fibreglass sticks have been around since the early days of ice hockey. The stick is made from woods such as ash, hickory or aspen, and combined with fibreglass in unique manufacturing processes to create a stick with the lowest unit cost. Aluminium sticks are lighter and reduce the chance of 'broken sticks'. Aluminium manufacturing also allows producers to make the shafts more uniform than a wood stick. They are usually priced higher than most wood/fibreglass models. Composite sticks are a more recent entry into the stick market and are formed from combining materials such as graphite, fibreglass and Kevlar. The graphite and fibreglass provide strength while Kevlar is used for dampening. Composite sticks strive for consistency, durability, a more responsive feel than aluminium sticks. Usually they are the most expensive sticks in the shop.

Sticks are usually marked "L" (left) or "R" (right). This refers to the curve of the blade. Don't just buy a right curve stick because you are right-handed! Preference for a RH stick or a LH stick is a personal matter, not always related to right or left handedness. To determine if you are more comfortable carrying a stick with the blade off to your right side or off to your left, pick up a stick and move it around as if you were moving a puck or ball. You will quickly discover which hand feels best holding the top of your stick and which hand feels best for controlling the lower part of the shaft.

The length of your stick is also very important: if your stick is either too long or too short, you won't be able to control the puck well. When you are standing in your skates, the top of the stick should be between your collarbone and your chin. (see picture below) When standing in your street shoes, the stick should be no higher than your mouth. Pencil a mark on the stick and cut it with a hacksaw if it's too long.

Put some tape on the end of the shaft. This will give you a good grip for passing and shooting, and will make it easier for you to pick up your stick if you drop it. Visit www.sk8.co.nz to view/order sticks. Alternatively, go to Dunedin ice-rink (Big Chill), they sell some sticks. 

• Protective Equipment

It is true that you only need to have a pair of in-line skates, a stick, and a puck or ball in order to play in-line hockey. Unlike ice hockey, in-line hockey is non-contact. So why have protective gear? When you fall on wood, asphalt or cement, you don't slide as you would on ice. Therefore it can be dangerous without protective gear.

If you want to really play in-line hockey to the best of your ability- with confidence, speed and full concentration - you should be wearing full protective gear. You won't have to worry about losing your skin off of your elbows or knees. Buying full protective gear can be expensive but it's a good investment! At least you should have a helmet, gloves and shinpads. To view/order protective equipment, visit www.sk8.co.nz or Dunedin ice rink.

• Puck or Ball?

The kind of surface you play will determine whether you should be using a plastic puck or a street hockey ball. On smooth, polished concrete, wooden surfaces, you can use a plastic hockey puck. On rough concrete or asphalt (car park area), streets or playgrounds, it is better to use a street hockey ball. A plastic puck won't glide smoothly over rough surfaces; instead, it will take totally unpredictable twists and turns. But a street hockey ball is more predictable on rough surfaces and will allow for a faster game. (and it's safer when you don't have much protective gears!)

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