I finally replaced the Flying Eagle wheels (66mm/90a) with Them wheels (58mm/90a). The original wheels were badly out of shapes when I learned to do the power brakes. They were to the point where I could feel the wobbling, which made dropping in a bit scary. I took a while to do the research because I didn’t know if all the aggressive wheels were compatible. In addition, aggressive wheels were so expensive. A pack of 4 wheels cost $40. For 8 wheels, I would spend $80 and I didn’t know if the wheels would be any good. I was also contemplating on getting a new pair of aggressive skates for $150.

A few weeks ago, I found special deal on Roller Warehouse: $20 for a pack of 4 Them wheels. With free shipping, I ordered 2 packs. Replacing the wheels were easier than I had imagined. I am loving the new wheels. They are smoother. The wheels are also smaller, which made skating more stable.

With the new wheels I am holding off on buying another pair of aggressive skates unless I find a good deal. I still am loving my Flying Eagle Enkidu even though the H-block is a bit too small, which makes grinding and stalling harder. I am just going to spend more time working those skills.

This morning, I tried jumping into the quarter pipe, fell down, and hit my head on the metal ramp. Fortunately I had my helmet on. I still felt the impact. I left the skate park and sat on the bench to make sure I could drive home. I took off my helmet and realized I lost my glasses. I looked everywhere, but couldn’t find it. I can’t recall what I did with it.

I had been rollerblading almost everyday for about half an hour. I used the quarter pipe the most to pump forward and backward. I also got a hang of the 180 turns on the pipe. I learn how to stall as well as how to grind. I still have a long way to go, but I am taking my time and being more cautious. I just want to use aggressive skating as a form of exercise.

I haven’t set my foot in the ice rink for a long time. I need to pick up figure skating again. Once the summer is over, I hope that public sessions at the ice rink near my workplace will change so that I can take my lunch break and hit the rink.

I can’t wait for the winter to ski again. I bought a used snowboard. I might give snowboarding another try. It looked fun, but I couldn’t get a hang of it. We’ll see.

I bought a pair of three-wheel YF YouFu skates on Amazon to replace my four-wheel Rollerblade Zetrablade. I want a comfortable pair of skates for skating on paved bike trails and boardwalks. The last time I skated on the boardwalk in Wildwood with the Zetrablade, I felt the pain on my feet.

I took the YF for a spin on the bike trail yesterday and it felt smoother. The big wheels were intimidating because they sped up. In addition, the skates have no heel brake. My T-stop isn’t so good. I need more practice. My power stop is decent, but I am not sure if I can do it at a fast speed.

I need to spend more time with the YF to get a grip on it. I spent $90 for it on Amazon Warehouse and I’ll definitely put it to good use. I am still searching for an affordable aggressive pair of skates.

I haven’t stepped into an ice rink for at least three weeks. I guess I am taking a break from ice skating. I don’t when I am going to pick it up again. I am stuck at the loop and flip jumps.

I only rollerblade for half an hour each day. I am not learning anything new. I just keep doing the same things over and over again. I am not making any progress at all. I am losing my passion for rollerblading as well. I felt intimidated when I met much better aggressive skaters. I used to be the only rollerblader at the parks, but now there seems to be more. They were super friendly, but I just felt embarrassed.

I am not sure where I am heading with these sports. I guess I am showing my age after all. I still want to skate recreationally though.

My ice skating progress is stalling. I still can’t accomplish my flip and loop jumps. I am about to hit the reset button and go back from the beginning to relearn all the techniques the correct way. I just plowed through them the first time and now I am stuck. It’s time for me to let it go. My kids have moved on a long time ago. They don’t even want to skate around the rink for fun.

I am not making much progress in rollerblading either. My power stops were good, but they caused my wheels to worn out. I can’t find the wheels for my Flying Eagle aggressive skates to replace. I might just look into getting a new pair either USD Sway or Roces. I am learning to do fakies and turns on the quarter pipes. The other day, I watched a guy skated effortlessly around the bowl. He just jumped into the ramp without coping and he did a fakie from the high bowl with ease. I was in awe. I’ll get to his level one day. For now, I am just enjoying what I have accomplished up to this point. My kids aren’t interested in rollerblade anymore despite my attempt to get them to the skate parks.

My kids are looking forward to skiing though. My wife and I started to buy gears for them. Since I can now tuning up our skis in our basement, we can get used skis that are still in good conditions. I have sharpened, fixed the bases, and waxed our our skis. Once the winter arrives, we’ll be able to hit the slopes.

I bought Đán a used snowboard. The board and the bindings appear to be in good shape; therefore, I am not sure why the seller only listed it for $35. All I need to do now is tuning it up and getting him a new pair of boots. The board is a bit heavy. I am not sure if Đán can handle it. We’ll see!

I recently discovered that I have been wearing wrong shoe size all my life. Since I preferred to have some room in my toes, I had always pick size 8 (US), but my actual size is 6.5 (US). Now that I am used to skating shoes, my regular shoes feel weird. A few weeks ago, I bought a new pair of Adidas running shoes size 7 to replace my size-8 pair. Even then it still feels roomy. I took an audit of all my shoes and put together this page as a record for me to refer back.

Shoes

• 2025 Rossignol Primacy Power Focus Men’s Snowboard Boots: ($163). Bought it for Đán on September 9, 2025. It is 9 out of 10 for stiffness. If he can’t use it, I will.
• 2021 DC Men’s Laced Lace Snowboard Boots: ($164). Bought this pair on December 6, 2023. Good for snowboarding.
• Adidas Unisex-Adult Goletto VIII Firm Ground Soccer Shoe: 7 US ($40). I want to get back to playing soccer.
• Lange RX 120 Ski Boots: 25.5 Mondo ($355) I bought this pair brand new. I am loving it.
• 2019 ThirtyTwo Zephyr Snowboard Boots: 7 US ($80). This pair is OK.
• Adidas Running Shoes: 7 US. The actual size should be 6.5. My everyday shoes.

Skates

• Black & Blue Them 909 Marius Gaile Complete Pro Roller Blades: Size Small = 7/8 US ($212 including shipping). Bought this pair on December 10, 2023. We’ll see how they do.
• YF YouFu 110mm Three-Wheel Inline Skates: 7 US, 25cm ($89). I use this pair to skate on bike trails or boardwalk.
• Jackson Ultima Ice Skates Freestyle Fusion: 6.5 US, 39.5 EU ($100). This pair fits really well. I still wear this for ice skating.
• Bauer S29 Hockey Skates: 5.5D US ($65). This is a junior pair. It felt tight on me. I haven’t skated in it ever since I switched to my figure skates. I passed it on to Đạo.

Skis

• 2020 Rossignol Experience 88 TI Men’s Skis 159cm + Look SPX 12 Dual WTR Bindings ($255). Bought this new pair on December 24, 2023)

Snowboards

• 2023 Salomon Super 8: 154cm ($265). Bought this brand new board. I can’t wait to ride it in winter 2023-2024.
• 2020 Rome Bindings United-G1 Black-S: ($110). Size small (Size S or M/L fits shoe size 7). It is comfortable to strap on.
• 2008 Burton White Collection: 143cm. I use this board to train at home.
• 2022-2023 Salomon Rhythm Snowboard bindings ($85). (Size S)

Protective Gears

Protective gears are very important for safety. I love these sports, but I can’t afford to take the risk.

• Soared 3D Protection Hip Butt EVA Padded Short Pants (Large) ($11)
• Relaxyee: Protective Padded Shorts (X-Large) ($17)
• 187 Killer Pads Skateboarding Knee Pads, Elbow Pads, and Wrist Guards (Medium) ($37)
• Helmet: 22″ – 23″ (56 – 58cm)
• Wrist: 7″ – 8″
• Knee: 14″ – 16″
• Elbow: 10″ – 11″

Ex-Gears

• Bodyprox Protective Padded Shorts (Large) ($37)
• 2023 Fischer RC Fire SLR Pro Skis (155cm) with RS 9 SLR Bindings: ($215) Bought this brand new. (I left and lost this pair at Stowe Mountain Resort on December 17, 2023 after just 4 runs total.)
• Flying Eagle Aggressive Skates: 39-40 EU ($93). This pair fits perfect. Despite the tiny coping, I love it to blade around skateparks. (Retired this pair on December 16, 2023)
• Rollerblade Zetrablade: 8 (US). This was my first pair to learn rollerblade. I had a lot of fun with it even though size 8 US was a bit too big for me.
• Head XENON Xi 5.0 (2008): 149cm. I loved this pair. Despite its used condition, it took me from green all the way up to double black diamond in winter 2021-2022.
• K2 Apache Sabre 2008 (119-72-103): 153cm. I also bought this pair used. It works perfectly. It was my go-to pair for winter 2022-2023
• Capita Indoor Survival (2006): 156cm. This was my learning board in winter 2022-2023.
• Lange Comp 80 Team Ski Boots: 7-7.5 (US). I used this pair to learn skiing in winter 2022-2023.
• Nordica Doberman WC EDIT 130 Race Ski Boots: 8 (US). Bought this used, but way too stiff for me and my son.
• Atomic Vantage 97 Ti Skis (2019): 172cm. This pair was way too long for me.
• K2 Escape Jr. 136cm Skis with Marker M450 Bindings. This was a junior pair. Bought it used and never used it.

On Wednesday I went to Wakefield skatepark to rollerblade around and to do a few drops before it would be closed for renovations. The skatepark has been in a bad condition for a while. Since it was built in April 2004, the woods are aging and the screws are popping off everywhere. A major renovation is a must. I will miss skating there over the summer, but I can’t wait for the new park to complete. The new design looks pretty sweet. In the mean time, I’ll just go to Van Dyck or other skateparks.

I still enjoy rollerblading. I try to skate at least 30 minutes a day. I still drop in and pump out. I try not to push the power stops too hard because my wheels have been worn quite a bit. I am learning to do fakies as well as jump turns on the half pipes. I have not worked up the courage to drop into the deepest end of the big bowl at the Powhatan Springs Skatepark. At my age, I no longer wanted to take the risk. I am just taking it easy.

As far as figure skating, I am still stuck on the flip and loop jumps after months of learning and practicing. I am starting to straighten out my landings, but I often landed to a stand still instead of checking out nicely. I still have a long way to go on both of these techniques, but I am in no rush. I am going to take as much time as I need. The ice rink is close to my workplace; therefore, I have been using my lunch hour to skate. Spending $15 for an hour public session is a bit too pricy, but the trade off is that the rink is usually empty. Sometimes there were only three or four skaters.

At home, I had set up my tuning station and I have been tuning up our skis to get them ready for the winter. I am taking my time with them. I just work on them when I have a few down hours on the weekends. I sharped the edges, removed burrs and rust, and repaired the bases. I am going to try waxing next when I have free time. Somehow I find tuning up skis satisfying, especially seeing the end results. Because I take my time with them, I do more thorough job in the details than the ski shops. They have way too many skis and snowboards; therefore, they have to plow through them quickly and their prices aren’t cheap. I can’t wait for the winter so we can take these skis for a run.

My figure-skating progression has come to a halt. I am stuck on the loop jump and the flip jump. Taking off and landing on the same foot have been a challenge. I can’t maintain the balance to check out. I am thinking of hitting the reset button to spend more time relearning all the basic skills to build a stronger foundation.

Last night I went back to Fairfax Ice Arena to see how my old colleagues were doing. I spoke to two of them and they struggled with the loop and flip jumps as well. The other two colleagues had dropped out of Freestyle 4. There were only four students left. The struggle is real and I am not alone. They encouraged me to keep going. I am going to keep trying for a few more weeks to see where I go.

As for rollerblading, my pumps have improved a bit. I’ll just keep pumping more. The drops are now solid. I am still working on my power stop and T stop. I want to get these techniques down first before moving on.

Đạo and Đán are rejoining me at the skateparks. Xuân is also picking up his scooter again. It is nice to hang out with my boys. We just enjoyed the rides. We don’t need to push ourselves into doing things beyond our comfort level. Of course, we get to have boba tea afterwards. Skating life is good.

I only hit the ice rink once this week. I am still working on my loop jump. I am not making much progress. A three-or-four-year-old girl skated by and gave me a compliment. I felt both embarrassed and inspired. I need to get back to the rink at least three times a week to get the loop jump down.

I have been back to the skatepark almost everyday. My pumps are getting better. I realized that I had been doing it all wrong. To pump, I just need to extend my body and keep skating to the top of the pipe. I jumped instead and that what how I lost my momentum. After I found my groove, I spent an hour pumping yesterday and my body was aching afterward. In the evening, I felt like I had no bone left in my body, but it was a good feeling.

Đạo is now taking over Đán’s Roces Aggressive Skates. He is breaking in and loving the skates. He can drop in with more confidence than before. He can also pump well. In contrast, Đán took over Đạo’s K2 Rollerblade. He is still a great skater. I am not sure if he wants to try skateboarding. I wanted to sign him up for a week-long skateboarding camp in the summer, but he is still unsure about it. He can if he wanted to, but I am not going to force him.

Đạo and Đán are willing to go to the skatepark with me and their reward would be a boba tea. I can accommodate that. I need to get Xuân back to the skatepark as well. He used to be good with the scooter, but he just stopped. The weather is so beautiful now and it would be awesome to be at the skatepark than to sit at home on their computers.

I went back on ice yesterday despite having pain on my right joint. The gout hadn’t completely gone yet. Since the loop jump required using my right foot, I was in so much pain. I skated for fifteen minutes and had to take a break to rest my feet. I continued today and the pain was tolerable.

I am making minimal progress on my loop jump. I could only make half of the rotation. My landing was still messy. I could not balance myself to check out. I was getting frustrated.

Learning ice skating required patience and persistence. I have been working on the loop jumps for days—an hour a day—and I am still struggling with it. I just need to find the rhythm and everything will click.