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Top Skating Tips

14 Mar, 2022

Learning to skate? Why not learn from the best! Rollerskating coach, Macarena, and artistic roller skater, Mercedes, show us how you can get rolling, safely and smoothly, in no time. What you'll need: a pair of Gallaz quad rollerskates, protective gear, and derby socks to top off your look.

SHOP SKATE

HOW TO TIE YOUR LACES

Start by criss-crossing your laces to the bottom of the hooks. Pull tight from the toe and work your way up. Wide feet? Skip the hole where it's pinching for a comfortable fit.

Once you have them laced up, pull them tight and cross them over. Skip the first hook and pull the laces towards you, while using the hook as a lever. Then, hook the laces over the top and down under the hook at the bottom. Repeat for the second hook. Do the last one slightly looser to allow for ankle movement and finish off with a bow.

Watch this video demonstration from Macarena.

WATCH VIDEO

HOW TO STAND UP

It might sound simple, but standing up on skates can be harder than you think.

Start on your knees, bringing one foot up first and using your opposite hand to balance on the ground. Slowly bring your next foot up and keep your knees bent. Staying in this position, bring your hands out and chest forward, until you feel comfortable enough to stand up.

HOT TIP: If you ever feel off balance, bend your knees and put your hands out in front again.

HOW TO STOP

Before skating off into the sunset, it pays to get familiar with the feel of your wheels, and more importantly, learning how to stop. Now that you're up, test your wheels by shifting your weight and moving side to side. Once you're feeling comfortable on your quad skates, give these stopping exercises a go!

The Plough Stop: Start with your heels together, creating a V shape. Bend your knees, bring your toes out and slowly squeeze your toes to bring them back together. The wider and slower you go, the more control you have.

The Toe Stop: Practice balancing on one foot first. Bend and lean into the outside edge of your standing foot. Then, lightly tap the toe-stop of your back foot onto the ground.

The T Stop: Again, stand on one foot but instead of dragging the toe-stop, you're going to drag your inside two wheels and slowly bring them into the back of your front heel.

See Macarena in action!

WATCH VIDEO

BEGINNER MOVES

Now that you can stop, we can get started! Macarena shows us how to penguin walk - a great move for beginners.
Start with your feet in a V shape, put your arms out for balance, and move side to side. There's no need to push as the movement comes from shifting your weight from one foot to the other. Give it a go!

Next, Macarena teaches us how to turn. Turns out... it's much like a skateboard! It's all about leaning into the edges to create a curve. But don't just take our word for it...

WATCH VIDEO


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