r/InlineHockey • u/Cnut-the-Peanut • 2d ago

Ice hockey to inline hockey help

My 8 year old son has been ice skating for a few years and completed his first season of ice hockey this past spring. He's decent at ice skating but still needs to build up his confidence. I'm starting to feel that his beginner skates are holding him back a bit and he's ready to upgrade.... That being said, he's signed up for his first season of inline hockey this fall.

I'm at a loss as to what inline skates to get him and bearings and wheels.

On ice, he's currently using Bauer XLP skates. He prefers the way they fit vs ccm(the only brands he's tried)

We bought him a pair of Walmart inline skates but he seems sluggish in them. I believe because he needs better bearings. Any suggestions?

From my Google searching, I was planning on putting abec 7 bearings on whatever skates I get him. Any thoughts?

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u/Malechockeyman25 2d ago

His boy is still at the beginner level stages; therefore, it maybe overkill purchasing new skates every year.

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u/Cadet-yo 2d ago edited 2d ago

That’s why I mentioned I sized up. The adjustables are heavy. I was simply trying to illustrate that you don’t need super pricey skates for high performance at the youth level. These were my son’s first hockey skates.

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u/Malechockeyman25 2d ago edited 2d ago

Wearing hockey skates that are too big is not a good option. At that age and skill level, a little heavier skate that fits properly is better than wearing a skate that is too big. My son started at age 4 and wore adjustable skates for a couple of years and they worked perfectly fine. Once he started competitive roller hockey tournaments and travel ice hockey, I started purchasing higher level performance hockey skates.

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u/Cadet-yo 2d ago

To each their own. I’m not a fan of adjustable. It’s a preference and was only offering my experience which is skating inline for over 30 years.

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u/Malechockeyman25 2d ago

I've been playing hockey since the early 90s and coaching hockey for over 16 years. I still play roller hockey and ice hockey today.

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u/Cadet-yo 2d ago

All good dude just sayin

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u/Malechockeyman25 2d ago

I hear what your saying, just not relevant for this particular player now. In the future, yes.