Are you new to rollerblading and learning the basics? Getting up after lacing the skates is where it all begins. It’s not hard at all, but if you’re totally clueless as to what to do to stand up on your rollerblades and stay still, it can be a tad challenging.
In this tutorial, Peter takes you through the entire process step by step so you can see how the different parts come together to get you up and keep you stable.
Why is the Ability to Stand Up On Rollerblades Important?
If you can get up from the ground and stand still on your rollerblades, you can skate. Period. This is a fundamental skill, one that easily gets you back up after a fall or gets you up so you can practice the very first beginner glides.
And here is…
How to Stand Up on Inline Skates [And Remain Stable]
Standing up on rollerblades takes just four simple steps. Anyone can do it if you follow this straightforward guide. And if you prefer watching tutorials on YouTube over reading your way through walls of boring text, we put together a video for you. Watch it below. Here’s the skatingmagic youtube channel if you’re interested.
Step #1: Roll over onto your knees.
Step #2: While on the ground, push up one of your knees.
Step #3: Place both hands on the knee and apply some pressure to get up.
Step #4: place your feet in such a way that they form the letter T. This is the position you end up in when doing the T stop.
In this position, I can assure you that you won’t go anywhere. You’ll stay nice and stable, standing still until you’re ready to roll.
How to Stay in the Same Position on Rollerblades
Once you’re up and in the T position, bend your knees a little and that’s it. Another trick to stay still on inline skates is to keep your feet parallel to each other like this. If the place you’re standing on is level, you won’t go anywhere.
But if you’re standing in the middle of a hill and keep your feet parallel you’ll certainly start rolling backwards. So keep that in mind.
The third way to stay up on inline skates is to get into the V position. The V position keeps you standing in the exact same spot even if the surface isn’t flat. It’s the position you want to be in when going uphill on inline skates from standstill.
Moving Forward and Backwards: the Basics of Skating
To move forward on inline skates, simply start marching like some soldier. Lift one foot and put it back on the ground at an angle. Repeat this move with the other foot and that’s enough to propel you forward.
When your toes point outward you’re gonna glide forward. And when the toes point inward, you’ll start rolling backwards.
Tips for Standing Up on Inline Skates
- If you’re a complete beginner in rollerblading, consider practice getting up and staying still on a patch of grass. Skate wheels have a hard time rolling on grass, and limited movement is your friend when learning how to get off the ground for the first time.
- You can also do it on the carpet or other rough surface for the same reason as above.
- Be confident as you learn. Since you’re not skating at this point, what’s the worst that could happen? Not much, and there’s almost a zero chance of you falling while trying. And if you do go down, you likely won’t get hurt because there isn’t much impact involved.
- The T position prevents you from rolling forward or backward, so get into this position once you stand up.
- If you’re learning this on a hill (which you shouldn’t be doing), get into the V position once you get up since this stance ensures you remain standing at the exact same spot in all kinds of terrain.
- To go forward, open your toes and start marching similarly to what soldiers do. Reject any advice that says “take small steps forward” or “make strides” or “walk on your skates.” That’s bad advice according to an inline skating guru named Dirty Deborah (find her channel on YT, you’ll learn loads).
- To go backwards, turn your toes inward and you’ll magically start rolling backwards. To learn more tips about beginner inline skating, read this article.
How to Stand Up on Rollerblades: Conclusion
To stand up on rollerblades, roller over onto your knees as demonstrated in the skatingmagic.com video above. While in this position, lift up one knee while the other knee stays on the ground.
Place your palms on the raised knee for leverage and push yourself up all the way through. Once you’re standing up, position your feet in the T-position to prevent movement. It’s not extremely difficult, but there’s no guarantee you’ll do it perfectly the first time you give it a shot.