How do you rollerblade without falling? I hate to break it to you, but there’s no way to inline skate without falling. Falls are inevitable when it comes to inline skating. Even pro level skaters like our very own Bujie falls once in a while.
Also read: How to powerslide on rollerblades
But here’s the good news! Falling safely on inline skates is actually a thing. And in this article and video tutorial, we will demonstrate to you how to fall safely on inline skates, the correct way to go down on rollerblades.
Also read: downhill inline skate tips for beginners
Always Wear Protective Gear
A look at a bunch of inline skate injury statistics reveals that crashes are pretty common in rollerblading. Here’s one number that stood out to me: 67 percent of all inline skating injuries reported by the US healthcare industry’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System in that study were sprains, fractures, strains, avulsions, and dislocations.
Head injury numbers aren’t as scary, but you will wear a certified skate helmet if you value the gray matter in there.
Whether you started learning to inline skate last week or are an expert-level showman who’s been playing on skates for 40 years, you’ll take a tumble.
No protective inline skate gear offers complete protection against bruises, scrapes, injuries, and fractures, and concussions. But there’s evidence that gearing up is better than riding without protection.
Even though no helmet is concussion proof and no knee pad guarantees you won’t break your knee caps, your confidence gets a nice boost when you pad up. Plus impacts from falls will hurt noticeably less.
3 Ways to Fall on Inline Skates
1.Method #1: Shield your head with your hands, go down, and roll like a log
2. Method #2: Fall forward on your knees and slide.
3. Method #3: Deviate from the current trajectory and head to a grass-covered path to reduce speed.
1.Falling Technique #1: Fall on your knees and slide
This is probably the safest way to fall when rollerblading. If it begins to feel like you’re about to eat it (you know what I mean), try to hit the waiting rock-hard pavement knees-first. So, tuck your belly and head in and then lower yourself down until your knees come into contact with the surface.
You want to have the best knee pads for inline skating strapped on your knees for this falling technique to work well.
It’s best that the knee pads have plastic knee caps because plastic slides really nicely on hard surfaces. As for your hands, be sure to hold onto the ground with the palms facing down so that the hard plastic on the wrist guards and not your bare palms will experience the friction from the road.
2. Fall and roll like a log.
This crash correctly technique has you hitting the pavement or whatever surface it is with your covered elbows and knees. But before you go down, make sure to move your arms up so that they shield your face from what’s coming. Your belly stays tucked in, too.
Again, make sure to kiss the hard ground with your knees first and then the elbows. The next thing to do is roll like a log with protrusions. In this scenario, your knees and elbows are the protrusions you use to pivot the rest of the body off the ground.
This method works, but it’s not the best way to fall on rollerblades.
3. Head into the nearest grassy patch to control speed or fall there.
Sometimes, the best way to stay avert a crash when rollerblading is to leave the road or path and head to the sides of the road. If your hands find a shrub, hold onto it as though your life depends on it. Because it just might at that point.
The whole point of rushing for the sweet green grass is to slow your skates down. Remember to make the necessary adjustments to maintain your balance as you ride on the green carpet
7 Inline Skate Safety Tips to Know
1.Wrist fractures are common, so wear good wrist guards.
2. Elbows are hard, but asphalt is even harder, so wear elbow guards.
3. No helmet keeps concussions out of your skate life, but a certified helmet can help prevent severe head injuries.
4. Poorly fitting protective gear can compromise your safety, so be sure to fit the padding correctly.
5. Even if you are a pro rollerblader, wear pads because overconfidence can lead to the same disastrous events as inexperience.
6. Try to fall forwards and onto your knees. Try not to hit the pavement with the back of your noggin.
7. If you’re older (anywhere north of 30), consider covering your bum, hips, and tailbone with properly fitting anti-crash pads.
Falling Right When Rollerblading: Conclusion
Always wear a highly protective skate helmet before skating. Also, put on knee pads, elbow guards, and wrist guards to minimize the odds of severe injury.
One way to fall correctly is to roll on the ground similar to how a log would. Use your amply padded knees and elbows as contact elevated contact points with the ground.
If you’re going too fast and feel like you’re losing control, run into a grassy patch (where possible) to cut speed.
