Ever since I set my foot on the roller skates, I wanted to try those crazy tricks I used to watch pro skaters doing in the skating rinks. Yeah, some of them were weird enough to give you goosebumps but you can never imagine the thrill of it unless you try for yourself!
But every time I tried to play nerd when I was still learning how to balance and stop on skates; they seemed more challenging than exhilarating.
So, out of my personal experience, here is a word of caution for all the newbies, WAIT to try new tricks until you get the basics right. Mastering your stance must be the top of your list when it comes to learning roller skating.
Next, comes the balancing and stopping techniques. Once you have come this far and find yourself comfy enough to stay stable and stop deliberately on your skates, you are ready to hit the rink for some awesome stunts.
You can get your skating experience to the next level by trying some eccentric yet innocuous tricks as a beginner. Here are some weird quad roller skate tricks to add to your arsenal.
1. Spinning
Spinning on skates is one of those fun skating tricks you should try if you can comfortably move on the wheels [source]. With this trick, you can spin in any direction, or even switch mid-spin from one direction to another. To perform the trick, move to the middle of the rink so that you do not accidentally bump into a peer skater.
Next, take the position by slightly bending your knees and keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. Spread your arms making a right angle. Gently rotate your arms to one side, keeping them closely tucked to your body. As a result, your skates will aline by pulling your near skate backward and pushing your farther feet forward. Lift your body once you gain momentum. Pull your skates together closely into a powerbox pose to create a perfect spin.
If that sounds tricky, try taking several powerful glides before you turn your skates to switch directions. Keep your skates turned to continue the spin. You can stop the spin by simply straightening your feet.
2. Spread Eagle
Wanna flaunt your skating skills more casually? Try the spread eagle. Spoiler alert! Make sure you have mastered balancing if you do not want to witness a nasty fall. If you know how to maintain balance, the trick is simple to perform. All you need to do is to skate forward with your knees bent, gently spread your legs, rock back onto the heels, and balance on the two rear wheels. Gently glide forward and voila! It’s done.
3. Salchow
If you have tried your hands or more relatively your skates on Spread Eagle, here is a trick called Salchow to give you a genuine adrenaline rush. For this, you have to skate backward, do a one-leg twist, execute a quick jump, and gently land on the opposite foot. Certainly, no one can escape being impressed watching you do this trick.
4. Backward Skating
Before you begin skating backward, make sure your surroundings are clear of any hindrances so that you do not accidentally end up running into anyone or anything [source]. To perform the trick, simply position your feet making a V-shape with your toes pointed inward. Make sure that your knees stay slightly bent and your weight is distributed evenly across both legs. Gently lift the other foot as you apply pressure moving backward with the toe of the dominant foot. The movement will automatically push you backward. Put down the other foot and push with the toe as you lift your dominant foot. Keep alternating your steps to steadily move backward. Keep your core engaged. Look over your shoulder often to avoid a sudden fall or accident.
5. Moonwalk
You must have seen the signature step of the famous dancer and singer Michael Jackson. We will pretty much do the same in this trick but on wheels. Once you have gained enough confidence to comfortably skate backward, you can nail moonwalking in on time. For this trick, you need to keep one skate on the ground while the other is pointing downward with your toe stopper keeping you in place. Push off the toe stop, and glide backward with the other skate. Keep altering sides to continue your moonwalk across the skating rink. Never hurry. Start slow taking baby steps and gradually gain momentum when you have acquired enough confidence to comfortably pulling off the trick.
6. One-foot Skating
As simple as it sounds! The only catch is to maintain balance on one foot. You can begin with short bursts before you work your way up to taking longer strides. Remember to shift your body weight onto the foot you are gliding with, to stay balanced. To master the trick, all you need is practice and patience.
7. 4 Wheeler
A great trick to help you work out your balance . You can do this trick either with your front wheels or rear wheels of both skates. The plan of action is to roll using only 2 wheels in each skate. Initiate the trick by rolling on one foot keeping it flat and keeping the other foot rolling behind on two wheels. Gently push off the flat foot and lean back switching your weight on the rear wheels. Maintain balance. Make sure to keep one foot grounded before the other throughout the drill. You can gain momentum by moving your heels from one side to the other.
8. Backward Cross
If you have really been trying hard to master some of the skating tricks, you must have tried crossovers where you cross one skate over the other thereby moving forward. In the backward cross, you practically do the same, just moving in the opposite direction that is backward. So it is like doing crossovers in the reverse direction.
9. Crazy Legs
As the name suggests, it is one of those craziest tricks that you may attempt to try as a beginner. It combines the fun of crossovers with backward and forward motion to create a bizarre sequence of moves as you tread forward. In this trick, you first do a straight cross, then you cross backward, and continue in one direction sideways. Remember to perform both crossovers with the same leg with which you start.
10. Grapevine
It is another crazy trick that you can either love or hate. It involves both skating forward and skating backward. More or less, your motion resembles the twisted stems of the grapevine, hence the name. Remember to keep your knees bent and stay low throughout the drill. Flex your ankles and relax. One precondition to performing grapevine is to master skating on toes to move backward and forward. You start with your right leg to move forward, take a turn and move a little backward with the left leg ahead, and take a turn again to move forward and end up on your right leg moving forward. Confusing huh! Well, it won’t be once you try.
So, here is all for some of the craziest tricks I have learned during my expedition into the marvelous world of skating.
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Related Questions
Is it necessary to bend forward to stay in balance? Well, the question says it all. Skating requires you to maintain a perfect stance with your knees slightly bent, your torso kept straight, and your feet kept shoulder-width apart. The stance helps you maintain the point of gravity in the center and keeps your body stay balanced throughout the duration you roll on the wheels. You do not have to lean too far, just a slight forward bending will do the trick.
How can I perform scissors? For this trick, you need to stand straight keeping your arms held out on the sides to maintain balance. Keep your heels together with your toes placed slightly apart so as to form a V shape. Bend your knees and gently push your toes apart, then quickly bring your toes together and straighten up your knees as you move forward. Repeat this motion to continue the scissors trick.
I want to be a professional roller skater. How should I proceed? First and foremost, get training sessions from professionals or certified trainers and practice as much as you can. Joining a nearby rink may be a good head start. You can also seek advice from experienced skaters in the rink. Once you are through with your rollerskating lessons, you can try participating in zonal competitions in your area.
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