When you roll around a curve, you won’t slow down or pick up speed—you’ll just change direction slightly.
For example, if you’re leaning to the right as you turn, you’d shift your weight to the outer right edge of your right skate, and the inner right edge of your left skate. If you’re leaning to the left, you’d shift your weight to the outer left edge of your left skate, and the inner left edge of your right skate. The faster you approach the turn, the more you’ll need to bend your knee.
If you’re very new to rollerblading, this technique might be tough to nail down at first. Crossovers can be extra challenging if your skates are very long.
For now, focus on shifting your weight from foot to foot and getting the basic movements down.
It’s okay if your left skate isn’t exactly 45 degrees away from your right. As long as your left foot is angled, you’ll still be able to turn.
Skating backward may feel pretty awkward at first. That’s okay! Take as much time as you need to practice stepping and gliding backward.
This technique is easier to pull off when you’re skating slowly. You can also do this with your left foot, if that feels more comfortable. Just be sure to angle yourself 45 degrees to the left as you brake.
It may take many tries before you get the hang of this trick—that’s okay! Just keep practicing until you feel confident.
