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Inline Skating Tricks: Backflip, Vert And Barrel Roll
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Published: November 1, 2006
For the skating enthusiast who wants to develop skill in inline skating tricks, some say all one has to do is watch a skateboarder and follow along.
To a certain extent, this is accurate; inline skating tricks include many of the same categories familiar to skateboarders, though the mechanics of the two sports are quite different.
In order to translate between skateboarding and aggressive inline skating, an athlete might wish to look at two classes of inline skating tricks: grinds and vert stunts.
The major difference between a grind performed on aggressive inline skates and a skateboard grind is that the inline skater has more combinations of edges to slide on.
The basic grinds are frontside and backside. The difference between the two is the direction the skater is facing when he slides on the ledge. Skaters jump and slide on their H-blocks, which is the space between the two middle wheels. Both feet face the same direction.
The edges the skater uses and the direction he is facing determines the name of the grind. In a soul grind, the skater glides on the outside edge of his back foot (called the soul foot) while his front foot is in ordinary position and used primarily for balance. An acid grind is a step up from the soul grind and has the front foot facing the opposite direction it normally would. Some skaters can do sophisticated inline skating tricks like adding turns mid-grind. This agile twist on the trick can make the skater look like he is dancing on a rail.
If grinds have grown too tame for a skater, he can move on to the world of vert, or aerial inline skating tricks. Vert skating is performed using ramps as opposed to streets or flat ground.
One of the flashiest basic vert tricks is the backflip. To get sufficient height for a backflip, skaters need to pick up a fairly high speed before approaching the ramp. A skater should relax into the vertical slope of the ramp and kick skyward at the moment he reaches its upper edge. Tilting upward as opposed to backward when starting a flip helps many daredevils avoid falls caused by under-rotating. Depending on the slope and height of the ramp, the skater will have to vary the amount of rotational energy used in the trick. Flips take practice and have to be carefully approached.
Vert skills on inline skates often are less flashy than those performed on snowboards, for example, because the wheels on aggressive skates are too small to hold much speed. This reduces the potential height and airtime for tricks. However, the small, durable wheels of aggressive inline skates make for amazing footwork tricks no other extreme sport can duplicate.
Challenging footwork moves include the barrel roll and the grapevine. The barrel roll looks like a sophisticated spin with many changes of direction. The grapevine resembles the popular dance step of the same name, with one foot crossing in front then in back of the other. When done well, both these footwork tricks look elegant and stylish, and can also double as effective roller-hockey dodges.
Another footwork trick is the scissors. To scissor skates, ride up on the toe of the back foot while riding on the heel wheels only of the front. This takes great balance and timing, but can be used in quick changes of direction. Toe stalls are most useful to switch from skating forward to skating backward, while heel stalls are the reverse.
With the sheer variety of inline skating tricks available, it is difficult to know where to start! In truth, determining which are the easiest tricks depends a great deal on the individual skater, and only through getting out on skates and trying can a person master the sport. Practice makes progress.
Sources:
Aggressive Skate Tricks, available at http://blog.rollerwarehouse.com/aggressive/skating /aggressive-skate-tricks/, last accessed October 11, 2006.
How to Skate a Barrel Roll: an Online Tutorial available at http://www.londonskaters.com/how_to_barrel_roll.ht m, last accessed October 11, 2006.
How to Skate a Grapevine: an Online Tutorial available at http://www.londonskaters.com/how_to_grapevine.htm, last accessed October 11, 2006.
Skating Tricks, Rollerblade Tips, and Moves available at http://www.londonskaters.com/main_how_to.htm, last accessed October 11, 2006.
Toxboe, Anders. Trick Guide: Grinds, available at http://toxboe.net/Trickguide/showCategory/3, last accessed October 11, 2006.
To a certain extent, this is accurate; inline skating tricks include many of the same categories familiar to skateboarders, though the mechanics of the two sports are quite different.
In order to translate between skateboarding and aggressive inline skating, an athlete might wish to look at two classes of inline skating tricks: grinds and vert stunts.
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The basic grinds are frontside and backside. The difference between the two is the direction the skater is facing when he slides on the ledge. Skaters jump and slide on their H-blocks, which is the space between the two middle wheels. Both feet face the same direction.
The edges the skater uses and the direction he is facing determines the name of the grind. In a soul grind, the skater glides on the outside edge of his back foot (called the soul foot) while his front foot is in ordinary position and used primarily for balance. An acid grind is a step up from the soul grind and has the front foot facing the opposite direction it normally would. Some skaters can do sophisticated inline skating tricks like adding turns mid-grind. This agile twist on the trick can make the skater look like he is dancing on a rail.
If grinds have grown too tame for a skater, he can move on to the world of vert, or aerial inline skating tricks. Vert skating is performed using ramps as opposed to streets or flat ground.
One of the flashiest basic vert tricks is the backflip. To get sufficient height for a backflip, skaters need to pick up a fairly high speed before approaching the ramp. A skater should relax into the vertical slope of the ramp and kick skyward at the moment he reaches its upper edge. Tilting upward as opposed to backward when starting a flip helps many daredevils avoid falls caused by under-rotating. Depending on the slope and height of the ramp, the skater will have to vary the amount of rotational energy used in the trick. Flips take practice and have to be carefully approached.
Vert skills on inline skates often are less flashy than those performed on snowboards, for example, because the wheels on aggressive skates are too small to hold much speed. This reduces the potential height and airtime for tricks. However, the small, durable wheels of aggressive inline skates make for amazing footwork tricks no other extreme sport can duplicate.
Challenging footwork moves include the barrel roll and the grapevine. The barrel roll looks like a sophisticated spin with many changes of direction. The grapevine resembles the popular dance step of the same name, with one foot crossing in front then in back of the other. When done well, both these footwork tricks look elegant and stylish, and can also double as effective roller-hockey dodges.
Another footwork trick is the scissors. To scissor skates, ride up on the toe of the back foot while riding on the heel wheels only of the front. This takes great balance and timing, but can be used in quick changes of direction. Toe stalls are most useful to switch from skating forward to skating backward, while heel stalls are the reverse.
With the sheer variety of inline skating tricks available, it is difficult to know where to start! In truth, determining which are the easiest tricks depends a great deal on the individual skater, and only through getting out on skates and trying can a person master the sport. Practice makes progress.
Sources:
Aggressive Skate Tricks, available at http://blog.rollerwarehouse.com/aggressive/skating /aggressive-skate-tricks/, last accessed October 11, 2006.
How to Skate a Barrel Roll: an Online Tutorial available at http://www.londonskaters.com/how_to_barrel_roll.ht m, last accessed October 11, 2006.
How to Skate a Grapevine: an Online Tutorial available at http://www.londonskaters.com/how_to_grapevine.htm, last accessed October 11, 2006.
Skating Tricks, Rollerblade Tips, and Moves available at http://www.londonskaters.com/main_how_to.htm, last accessed October 11, 2006.
Toxboe, Anders. Trick Guide: Grinds, available at http://toxboe.net/Trickguide/showCategory/3, last accessed October 11, 2006.
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