Rollerblading Techniques

Posture

• Posture is a very important part of rollerblading because it affects your speed and other elements of movement. Most importantly, you must keep your knees bent. The lower your body is, the more aerodynamic you are. Be careful not to bend so far at the waist that leg movement is difficult. If you are speed skating, your knees should be bent significantly more than if you are skating recreationally. Bending your knees increases your push, but can be tiring on your legs.

Balance

• Obviously balance is a big part of rollerblading, and mastering it is imperative before attempting any complicated rollerblading maneuvers. There are a few things you can do off your rollerblades to improve your balance. Yoga and other forms of exercise that improve general balance will also improve your rollerblading balance. Another trick to help you balance is to skate backward. This will give you an entirely new perspective, and force you to balance in new ways if you have never done it before.

Braking

• Braking with rollerblades is different than braking on a bicycle or other mode of transport, because on rollerblades it is not as simple as just stopping. Instead, you will have to ease to a stop carefully to prevent losing your balance. Most rollerblades have heel brakes, so you have to "scissor," meaning to put one foot behind the other, slowly roll the front foot back and bend your knees very low as the brake hits the ground and stops you.

Tricks

• Once you've perfected the basics, it's time to move on to the complicated stuff. One trick is called the barrel roll. This is simply a spin done on rollerblades. First you open your feet so that your toes point away from each other. You are, in a sense, now skating sideways. Then you transition into skating backward. Then you turn the other way so you are sideways again, and finally turn back to a normal skating posture.