About to turn 40 and just got back into it after 20+ year break. I fell once without pads and while I didn’t get hurt, it was enough to convince me to never again skate without wearing them. I’m not giving up though. It’s just too much fun.
I've switched between hi-lo, antirocker, and flat a few times. I'm new so flat is definitely the least forgiving but the fastest out of all three. Going from 4 wheels down to 2 wheels down honestly only feels a tad more sluggish to me and I don't have that much difficulty turning. However, flat is WAYYYYY faster in bowls and transitions, which is what sells me on it
