Have you just got your first set of roller skates but don’t know where to start? Maybe you skated as a kid and are rekindling your skate love? Well, our new Rollin’ With The Skills series is for you! We’ll be bringing you regular doses of roller skating skills and tips to help you along on your skating journey.
Before we get started we’ve got some recommendations for all you beginner skaters out there:
- Get the good stuff – Good quality roller skates and gear will go a long way in helping you to progress on your skating journey. We have plenty of info available on skates we love and recommend and our top beginner skate recommendations.
- Protect yourself – We always encourage beginner skaters to wear protective gear for safety and confidence. We’ve got plenty of protective gear choices available on our shop and you can see our recommendations over here.
- Patience and kindness are a skater’s best friend – Take it slow, be patient with yourself and your body and most of all be kind to yourself along the way. Roller skating should be joyful so don’t bog yourself down with comparison.
1. How to stand safely
Once you’ve laced up it’s time to stand. Whilst this may sound like a piece of cake, we find that many first-time skaters cannot stand still comfortably. One standing option is to bend your knees and place one foot directly behind the other to create a “T” shape with your skates. Another option for keeping your feet side-by-side is to point your toes outwards to create a “V” shape or put your toe stop down on one foot. Practise getting comfy and stable in these positions and BEND YOUR KNEES.
2. Getting moving
To start moving, create a “V” shape with your feet and start marching, shifting your weight side-to-side. If you feel unstable make sure your knees are nice and bent and take little steps like a penguin waddling.
3. Falling and getting back up safely
Here at RollerFit, we recommend falling on your bottom. If you feel unstable or notice a fall coming on the best thing to do is get low in a ball. Put one leg out straight in front of your body and then fall to one butt cheek then shift your weight to the other. Try and keep your hands from taking the fall for you.
To get back up, go on to all fours (hands and knees). Pull one foot up onto all wheels and press your weight through your arms and hands on this leg to push yourself up and onto both skates.
4. Get low with crouching
To help you feel more comfortable with falling and to progress to some of our favourite tricks, learning to crouch is an important skill. The secret is to lean forward with your upper body, keep your feet close to each other and try and get your bottom down to your heels.
5. Find your balance
Balancing is a big part of roller skating. To balance put all your weight evenly on one foot and make sure to have a softly bent knee to help with stability, then slowly lift the other foot off the ground and hold it in front of your body. Get comfortable with balancing whilst stationery on both legs and then try adding a roll.
If you like what you’ve seen here and want more detailed instructions along with other roller skating and hardware knowledge why not try out one of our digital Learn to Skate Programs. We’ve got Absolute Beginners covered and another Beginner Plus program to help you continue progressing. The online programs contain a detailed pdf booklet and accompanying instructional videos from some of RollerFit’s most loved coaches.
We’d also love to see in you a RollerFit class! We cover these basic skills and so much more. You can check out our venue locations across the land of Oz over here.
Good luck on your roller skating journey and we hope to see you rolling out and about soon!
