From: adchen@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu (Tony Chen)
Subject: REC.SKATE FAQ - part 1/5
Followup-To: rec.skate
Reply-To: adchen@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu
Organization: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 16:46:54 GMT
Expires: Sun, 1 Nov 1992 00:00:00 GMT

Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part1
Last-modified: 9/11/92

REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 1: GENERAL Q&A
 
Frequently Asked Questions for rec.skate
 
Q: Who is this newsgroup for?
 
A: The charter for rec.skate is for all kinds of skating: traditional roller
   skating, in-line skating (although often called "rollerblading", Rollerblade
   is the trademarked name of a particular brand of in-line skates) figure
   skating, speed skating, and participants in hockey. Skating-related
   discussions not held in rec.skate include pro and college hockey (held in
   rec.sport.hockey) and skateboarding (held in alt.skate-board).
   Cross-country skating skiing may be discussed either here or in rec.skiing.
 
   Within the various disciplines of skating discussed here, most anything
   goes: discussions about equipment, maintenance, technique, competetions,
   access to skating areas, etc. are all welcome.
 
   At this point, the majority of the discussion in rec.skate (and virtually
   all of this FAQ) is about in-line skating (due to the currently fast growth
   of the in-line sport).  If you want to discuss something else, feel free to 
   discuss it.
 
 
Q: I'm interested in getting a pair of in-lines for outdoor skating. I want to
   get decent stuff, but I'd rather not spend a lot of money. What do I need
   to get?
 
A: First off, your budget should include protection: knee pads, wrist guards,
   and a helmet. Elbow pads are optional. These "pads" should have a hard
   plastic shell -- they should slide on the asphalt when you fall. Good
   brands of protection are the Rollerblade TRS or the Dr. Bone Savers (DBS)
   set of accesories. For helmets, any well-fitting ANSI/Snell approved
   bicycle helmet should be fine.
 
   The in-line industry is a lot like the bicycle industry -- specialty shops
   generally sell and support more expensive functional skate brands and
   department stores generally sell inexpensive lines that will never work
   well. Also, there's usually a much greater chance of getting spare parts
   and service from a specialty shop than a department store.
 
   Rollerblade is the best-known brand of in-line skate; they make a whole
   family of different in-line skates. Any skate in Rollerblade's line at or
   above the Lightning skate should work well and last a long time. Other
   reputable manufacturers are Ultra Wheels, Riedell, and Bauer. The
   higher-end skates in the California Pro line are functional and relatively
   inexpensive. Performance Bike is introducing a line of skates at a low
   price; quality of these skates is unknown at this point.
 
   You may wish to rent a model of skates before buying. Some shops will
   discount part of the rental from purchase price if you buy skates later.
 
   Fit of skates should be comfortable but snug. Unlike hiking or running
   shoes, it's OK for your toes to be loosely in contact with the front of the
   boot.
 
   Unless you have a background of speed skating, beginning skaters should
   avoid the 5-wheel skates. The problem with isn't the inherent speed of the
   skates, but since manueverability and flexibility are sacrificed for the sake 
   of racing performance, so turns and other maneuvers require more 
   commitment.  The 5-wheelers are great fun, but master the fundamentals on a
   shorter wheelbase first.  
 
 
Q: I want to get good in-lines, but I can only afford $150.
 
A: At this price point, you'll have to be pretty resourceful. First, note that
   the in-line "season" begins somewhere around the end of March. You'll
   probably find some good bargains in stores in the Jan-Mar time frame. Like
   many sports, the in-line market is style-oriented: you may find last year's
   style at a huge discount.
 
   Even at this price level, you should avoid "department store" skates
   (unless you want to buy skates that you won't use). You're far better off
   buying a pair of used Rollerblade Lightning skates.  If you don't see
   anyone selling your size, consider putting an ad advertising that you want
   to buy skates. The going rate for used Lightnings in good condition is
   around $80-100. If wheels and bearings are shot, cut that to about $40 --
   you'll need the other $50-60 or so to get new wheels and bearings.
 
   Use the other $50 to buy protection. Don't skimp on protection! A knee is a
   terrible thing to waste. Used protection in good condition is fine.
 
 
Q: HOW DO I STOP? (see also, the stopping file following this file, for more
                   details)
 
A: Good question. You've taken the most important step -- realizing that there
   is a need to be able to slow down. The rest is just practice.
 
   There are several general techniques for stopping while remaining on your
   skates: generating friction by dragging your brake pad, generating friction
   by sliding your wheels laterally against the ground, jumping onto grass and
   killing your speed by running out, and pushing against a slower-moving or
   stationary object with your hands. There's also falling, which is a valid
   last-ditch technique that's a good to learn.
 
   These techniques are described in a document, Speed Control on In-Line
   Skates.  That document will be posted periodically as a separate FAQ.
   Here's the section on using the brake:
 
   I finally learned how to brake well when someone described this image: your
   brake foot has just slipped on a banana peel. Whoops! Your brake foot will
   be about a foot in front of your body. The leg will have a slight bend. The
   rear wheel and the brake will be in contact with the ground.
 
   At first, your non-brake foot will be bearing almost all your weight. That
   leg will be directly under your body, and the knee will be bent. The amount
   of bend in your knee will determine how much braking force you can apply.
 
   Your feet should be very close to your centerline. This should help keep
   you going straight forward when braking (pretty important!).
 
   There should be a slight forward bend in the waist. It may also help to
   keep the hands at waist height or so. This keeps your center of gravity
   lower.  Try to keep your hands (and your whole upper body) loose; clenched
   fists do not make the brakes work any better! Relax.
 
   After you've tried a dozen or so stops, add one more refinement: drive your
   back knee into the back of the front knee while braking. This creates a
   triangle with your lower legs and the pavement between your skates. As all
   the Buckminster Fuller fans out there know, triangles provide structural
   stability. This triangle should enhance your braking power and ability to
   run smooth, straight, and true while stopping.
 
   As you master braking, begin to shift more of your weight to your front
   foot. The Masters of Speed Control can actually decelerate while standing
   only on their front foot. Good trick, that.
 
 
Q: I've learned how to slow down. How do I go faster?
 
A: First off, keep learning how to slow down! Learn new techniques; refine the
   ones you already know. Until you master slowing down, your mind will limit
   how fast it will let you go on skates.
 
   Watch good skaters. Notice that they rarely have both skates on the ground
   at the same time. This independent leg action is something you'll master
   over time; you can practice by seeing now long you can glide on a single
   skate. When you can glide on a single skate for more than 30 seconds (both
   left and right legs!), you're well on the way.
 
   Notice that almost all of the side-to-side motion is happening below the
   waist. Eliminate any twisting motion in your shoulders -- keep your
   shoulders square to your direction of travel. If you want to move your
   arms, move them forward and back -- crossing patterns may have you twist
   your shoulders. Relax the muscles in your lower back to allow your upper
   body to remain quiet.
 
   Watch your stride. Are you pushing more to the side or to the back? Shift
   your stride to be pushing almost exclusively to the side.
 
   Where do you set your skate down at the start of your stride? Shoulder
   width? Start setting your skate down on the centerline of your body. After
   you're comfortable with that, start setting your skate further in beyond
   your centerline.
 
   Do you flick your toe at the end of your stride? If so, stop. Instead,
   flick your heel -- drive your heel out at the end of the stroke. This will
   feel very strange for the first 10,000 or so times.
 
   Relax. Then relax some more. Discover levels with levels of relaxation.
   Travel fast while moving your skates slowly -- your body is swimming
   through air. Consider beginning to practice T'ai Chi Ch'aun postures daily.
   Relax some more.
 
 
Q: What sort of maintenance do I have to do?
 
A: Things that need maintaining are the wheels, bearings, and brakes.
 
   Rotate wheels every 50-100 miles. To rotate a set of wheels, remove the
   frontmost wheel, stash it away, move all the other wheels up one position,
   and place the front wheel in the rearmost position. Flip each wheel as
   you're rotating it, swapping the inside and outside edges.
 
   With each wheel off the skate, clean around the bearings. Spin the wheel to
   see if the bearings are in good shape. If bearings are bad, replace them. 
 
   Replace the brake pad when it's worn out (there's a "wear-line" on the new
   brake pads if you don't intuit this).
 
   Practice preventative maintenance: avoid sand, dirt, and water as much as
   possible. These guys are what cause bearing failure. If you want bearings
   to last, vacuum in/around your runners with an upholstery accessory after
   every day. If you do want to skate in sand/dirt/water/mud, get a set of
   sealed bearings.
 
   Rotate your wheels often. It can be done in about 30 minutes tops.
 
   Buy a Rollerblade "Y" tool to remove bearings from spacers, or buy one of
   the aftermarket bearing spacer kits. These make bearing removal much
   easier.
 
 
Q: What other information is out there to help me with in-line skating?
 
A: There are two magazine that exist for in-line skating: In-line
   Magazine and the Speed Skating Times. In-line Subscriptions are
   available through In-Line Subscription Department, 1919 14th
   Street, Suite 421, Boulder, CO 80302.  Telephone number is (303)
   440-5111. Speed Skating Times is more race-oriented. 
 
   "8 issues a year only $15". . ."first class delivery only $25"
   "make check/mo payable to speedskating times" Just put your name and
   address and phone on a piece of paper and send it to them.
 
   Speedskating Times, 2910 NE 11 Ave, Pompano Beach, FL  33064, (305) 782-5928
 
   There are several videos that are marginally good at training. One
   of these is the Rollerblade/Ski Magazine Skate to Ski video. Your
   local Rollerblade dealer should have training videos available for
   viewing in the store and/or rental.
 
Reading list:
 
_Blazing Bladers_ by Bill Gutman
ISBN 0-812-51939-6
A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 1992.
Cover price: $6.99 ($7.99 CAN)
 
_Wheel Excitement_ by Neil Feineman with Team Rollerblade(R)
ISBN 0-688-10814-8
Hearst Books, New York, 1991.
Cover price: $9.00
 
_The Complete Blader_ by Joel Rappelfeld
ISBN 0-312-06936-7
St. Martin's Press, NY, New York, 1992.
Cover price: $8.95
 
_Laura Stamm's Power Skating_ by Laura Stamm
ISBN 0-88011-331-6
Leisure Press, 1989
Cover price: $17.95
 
 
================================================================================
 
 
                      The In-line Stopping Techniques File 
                      ------------------------------------
                            (written February 1992)
                          (lasted changed Aug 22, 1992)
 
 
[Copyright 1992 by Anthony D. Chen.  All rights reserved.  
License is hereby granted to republish on electronic or other media 
for which no fees are charged (except for the media used), so long 
as the text of this copyright notice and license are attached intact to 
any and all republished portion or portions.]
 
 
This document is written for rec.skate, one of the many hundreds of 
newsgroups under USENET, the international electronic news 
network which reaches millions of readers.  You will see "8-)" in use 
throughout the text and if you look at it with your head tilted to the 
left the intent should be obvious 8-)  (This sideways smilie face is 
used to ensure that all computer terminals can display it properly.)
 
I am not the originator of any of these stops, except perhaps the 
combination stops.  This file is the result of much discussion and 
feedback from the rec.skate readership.
 
This list is arranged in order of increasing difficulty, but skaters 
have all sorts of different backgrounds so your shredding may 
vary.
 
Good luck, and skate smart.
 
-Tony Chen
 adchen@lee.cs.uiowa.edu
(7 Heather Drive, Iowa City, IA 52245, (319) 354-4456)
 
 
List of stops:
- runouts	- backward stepping stop
- wall stop	- forward stepping stop
- windbraking	- reverse stop (forwards snow-plow)
- the brake-pad	- backwards heel drag
- V-stop/snowplow	- toe-drag spinouts
- (regular) spinout/lunge stop	- heel-drag spinouts
- spread eagle spinout	- curb ramming
- crossover stop	- power stop/power slide
- slaloming/parallel turns	- chop-stop
- T-stop	- New York stop
- toe drag	- combination stops
- backwards T-stop
 
Related topics:
- falling
- collisions with stationary objects
 
While the basic repretoire of stopping techniques includes the 
brake-pad, the T-stop,  spinouts, and the power stop, this file is 
meant to go one step beyond merely teaching the basics.  The 
basics are crucial, but once skaters progress beyond them, they 
often need some guidance for further learning.  One cannot expect 
each skater to discovery techniques on their own, hence this file.
 
 
BEGINNER LEVEL
 
The following set of stopping methods, most beginner skaters 
should be able to handle.  They keep both feet on the ground 
throughout the stop, and don't require as much independent leg 
action as more advanced stops.
 
% RUNOUTS:  Assuming the path you're skating on has grass or 
packed dirt (or some other hard-to-roll-on surface), you can just 
skate off the path and reduce your speed by running onto the grass 
(hop-hop-hop-hop-hop). In the worst case scenario, you can 
tumble and hopefully you won't take any damage.
 
 
% WALL STOP:  This stop is simply to skate towards a wall (or any 
reasonably stationary object, really) and use your arms to absorb 
the impact.  At low speeds, this should be quite safe (make sure you 
turn your head to the side so as not to smash your face).  You may 
or may not bang your skates, depending on your speed and how 
you hit.  The key is to use your arms as cushioning springs (like 
doing a standing push-up.)  One way to practice this is to stand a 
few feet from a wall (with your skates on).  Now fall on your hands 
against the wall, and you should be able to bounce a little, while still 
avoiding banging your head.  The faster your approach, the less 
bounce will result.
 
A variation on the wall stop is the billiard ball stop.  Instead of 
stopping against an object, use a fellow skater to push off and 
transfer your momentum to them.  To be safe, warn the receiving 
person about your approach.  It works well on flat surfaces and at 
low to moderate speeds.  It's not recommended at high speeds and 
especially on people you don't know 8-)
 
See the collision section for more extreme cases.
 
 
% WIND-BRAKING:  Wind-braking is more for speed-control than 
to stop (although on windy days, this can stop you).  Just stand up, 
spread your arms out and catch the air like a sail.  You'll probably 
need to lean forwards slightly, to counter the force of the wind.
 
 
% THE BRAKE-PAD:
 
The brake-pad is subject to much debate amongst skaters.  Many 
people with  ice skating and rollerskating backgrounds find the 
brake in the way, in the wrong place, or simply ineffective.  
However, used proficiently, the brake-pad becomes a very versatile 
piece of equipment because:
 
1) you can use it to stop, even at very high speeds;
2) it allows you to keep both skates on the ground while 
stopping (good for keeping your balance);
3) you can maintain a narrow profile (good for high traffic 
areas where cars or bicycles might be passing you);
4) you can still steer yourself;
5) the sound of braking can often alert others to your presence;
6) the brake-pad is the most cost-effective technique there is so 
far for in-lines. 
 
To learn how to use the brake-pad, first coast with both skates 
shoulder-width apart.  As you coast, scissor your feet back and 
forth a few times to get used to the weight shift.  To apply the brake 
then, scissor your skate so your braking skate is out front.  Lift the 
toe of your brake skate and press with the heel too.  Your body 
weight is centered and even slightly on your back skate when you're 
just learning it.  The key is a straight back and bent knees.
 
If you have trouble balancing or find your braking ankle a little 
weak, you can try the following trick:  form a triangle with your 
legs (from the knee down to your skates) and the ground.  This 
means putting your back knee either right behind or next to, the 
brake-foot knee to form that triangle.
 
Eventually you'll want to stop at high speeds.  Basically, the more 
pressure you use on the brake pad the faster you stop.  Maximum 
stopping power is achieved by putting your entire body weight onto 
the brake by lifting your back foot, and leaning onto the brake.  
This takes some practice but is very effective.  It is possible to stop 
within 15-20 ft even when going over 20 mph.  Practically 
speaking, you may still want to keep the other skate on the ground 
for balance.
 
Note that the amount of leverage, and therefore the amount of 
stopping power you have, is dependent on how worn your brake is.  
A half-worn brake will provide better leverage than either a new 
brake or a worn-out brake.  Some people sand or saw off part of 
new brakes to avoid the annoying breaking-in period.
 
One important point to keep in mind when using the brake-pad:  
You can still steer while braking.  Just keep the brake-pad on the 
ground and pivot on your heel wheel slightly to go the direction 
you want.  This is very useful while going down a very narrow and 
curvy path or while trying to avoid curbs, pedestrians, parked cars, 
trees, and the like.
 
A brake-pad generally runs from $3 to $6 depending on what type 
you buy.  Compare this with wheels which are $5.50 or more each 
and the freebie stops: runouts, wind-braking, billiard ball stop 
(freebies since you're not wearing anything down).  Wheels are 
expensive, and the freebie stops are infrequently available, if at all, 
for the large majority of skating situations.  The brake can be your 
standard stop, provided that you learn it well.
 
 
% V-STOP/SNOWPLOW:  For a low-speed rolling stop, point your 
heels inward (for backwards) or your toes together (for forwards) 
and let your skates bang into each other.  This might throw you in 
the direction you're going (depending on your speed), so take care 
to be prepared to lean forward or backwards to compensate. 
 
You can do a more exaggerated snowplow by spreading your legs 
out past shoulder-width and pointing your skates inward or 
outwards as before (and you won't bang your skates together.)  
Here, use leg strength to press your inner edges against the ground, 
and you'll slow down appreciably.  This can work even at very high 
speeds.
 
 
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
 
% ADVANCED RUNOUTS:  Skating off pavement onto 
grass. You can weave from pavement to grass and back to 
pavement to control your speed, especially when going downhill. 
To stop completely just stay on the grass.
 
As you hit the grass, knees are kept bent, and one foot is ahead of 
the other. Nearly all weight is distributed on the foot that will hit 
the grass first, and you keep that leg real stiff, as if plowing a path 
for the trailing leg to follow. Very little weight is on the trailing 
leg. Muscles in the trailing leg are relaxed. The only function of 
the trailing leg is stability and balance. The leading leg does most 
of the work.
 
Beginners are often intimidated by this procedure, but it is really a 
very simple physical feat. The hard part, if any, is simply 
understanding mentally what it is you are trying to do, as I 
explained.
 
This is a lot of fun, too. I like to hit the grass full speed, and then 
skate as far down a slope as possible before the grass stops me.
 
One important requirement is that the ground should be dry.  Wet 
dirt or grass will clog your wheels and your skates will also sink 
into mud (yuck).
 
 
% (REGULAR) SPINOUTS/LUNGE STOP:  This is where you 
skate into a spin to transfer your linear momentum into angular 
momentum.  To do this, you sort of stop-n-hold one skate at an 
angle to act as the pivot foot and the other traces a circle around it 
(and you).  It may help to think of having each skate trace 
concentric circles, with the pivot skate tracing the much smaller 
inner one.  The pivot skate will be turning on its outside edge, while 
the outer skate will be on its inside edge.
 
 
% SPREAD EAGLE SPINOUTS:  A spinout with your skates in a 
bent spread eagle position (i.e., heels pointed towards each other, 
skates at slightly less than 180 degrees).  There is no pivot foot 
here, instead both your skates trace the arc.
 
There are inside and outside spread eagles, where you skate on both 
inside or both outside edges.  The above paragraph describes the 
inside spread eagle.
 
A sustained outside spread eagle is more of an artistic skating move 
than a practical stop, although I use it occasionally to stop on flat 
surfaces.
 
NOTE that all types of spinouts require a fair amount of room.  
Your forward motion is quite suddenly changed to angular motion 
so I'd recommend this mainly for low traffic areas where you won't 
have people running into you from behind when you do the 
spinout.
 
 
% CROSSOVER STOP:   This stop works both forwards and 
backwards at higher speeds.  I call this the crossover stop because 
your feet are held in the position of a spread-out crossover.  In this 
stop, you're going to be arcing to one side.  The harder and sharper 
you turn, the faster you stop.  If you tend to trip on your skates, 
spread your skates farther apart (forwards-backwards).
 
The braking pressure comes from the turn. The harder you press 
with the outer edge of your back skate, the faster you stop.  So if 
you're turning left, your right skate is in front, the left skate is 
almost right behind it (so that all your wheels are in line).  Press on 
the outer edge of your left skate (your back skate) and on the inner 
edge of your right skate.
 
There is also the inverted crossover stop where your feet positions 
are reversed:  so you turn left with your left foot forward and right 
foot back (and vice versa for right turns).  Watch ice hockey players 
just after play has stopped.  More often than not, the circle around 
in the inverted crossover position.
 
Both crossover stops are good for high speed stops but make sure 
you have plenty of open space.
 
 
% SLALOMING/PARALLEL TURNS:  For skiers, this maps over 
very nicely.  This is more of a speed control technique rather than a 
stop, but it's very useful to know.  Explaining slalom turns can take 
an entire book in itself, so I will merely suggest that you find a skier 
or a ski book to show you how.
 
One way to practice this is to find a nice gentle slope with plenty of 
space at the bottom, set up cones in a line, and weave through the 
cones.
 
 
 
ADVANCED LEVEL
 
This next set of stops require good independent leg control.  These 
advanced stops will require you to be skating only one foot for 
some portion of the technique.
 
 
% T-STOP:  This stop uses your wheels as a source of friction.  To 
do the T-stop, place one skate behind you, nearly perpendicular to 
your direction of travel.  Bend a little in both knees to drag your 
wheels.  You should think more of dragging the heel than the toe.  
Apply the braking pressure to your heel.  If you drag the toe too 
much, you will end up spinning around.  Keep your weight mainly 
on your skating (front) foot.  As you learn to stop at higher speeds 
you will apply more downward pressure to the back skate (but your 
weight is still on the front skate).
 
NOTE:  One particular phenomenon to avoid in the T-stop, or any 
wheel-dragging stop (such as the toe drag) is the "flats".  If you T-
stop or toe drag such that the wheels do not roll as your drag, you 
will end up with a flattened wheel which will not roll smoothly at all.  
In effect, ruining your wheel(s).
 
 
% TOE DRAG:  Similar to the T-stop except you drag only the toe 
wheel instead of all four or five wheels.  Unlike the T-stop it's not 
critical to keep the skate perpendicular to your line of travel.  In 
fact, you're free to drag the wheel anywhere in a 180+ degree arc 
behind you.  Also, your toe can be pointed into the ground at 
pretty much any angle.  (If you have old wheels, the toe position is 
a good place to put them if you want to avoid shredding your good 
wheels.)
 
The toe drag is better than the T-stop in that you wear down only 
one wheel, and more importantly, you are also allowed much better 
control over steering, since you can still stop effectively even if the 
drag wheel rolls too much.  The toe drag can stop you even when at 
cruising speeds, although at  significantly longer breaking distance 
than the brake-pad or the T-stop since you are dragging only one 
wheel.
 
 
% BACKWARDS T-STOP:  This is a T-stop when you're rolling 
backwards.  There are two ways to perform this stop.  The first way 
is to stop by dragging the outside edge of your skate (i.e., toe 
pointed outward).  The harder way is to point your toe inward, 
much like a reverse New York stop (see New York stop).
 
 
STEPPING STOPS
 
These three stepping stops are essentially advanced low-speed stops 
("advanced" since they require good independent control over each 
skate).  They could also be called "pushing" stops, since most of the 
braking action is done by pushing a skate against your motion.  
Many advanced skaters will do this intuitively, but I will detail them 
here for completeness.
 
 
% BACKWARD STEPPING STOP:  This is like while wearing 
shoes, and someone pushes you from the front.  One foot 
automatically steps back to keep you from falling backwards.  On 
skates then, while rolling backwards, you simply put one skate 
behind you, 90 degrees to the other skate, and hold it there so that 
your body doesn't roll any further.  This is basically a very low-
speed power stop, and so without the sliding and scraping action of 
the wheels (see the Power Stop).  
 
The faster you are moving, the closer you are to doing a true power 
stop.  This may be a good method to learn the power stop, 
gradually building up speed.
 
 
% FORWARD STEPPING STOP:  A low-speed stop very similar 
to the backwards stepping stop except you're rolling forwards, of 
course.  This time you plant your skate 90 degrees out in front of 
or right next to the rolling skate.  Your front heel will be pointing 
inwards (it's probably easier for most people to keep the toe pointed 
outward here).  This is especially useful at curbs, like just before 
you accidentally roll into an intersection, in crowded indoor places, 
or if you just want to get a little closer to people you're talking 
with.
 
This stop should halt you immediately.  Once you plant your foot, 
your body should stop moving forward.   You may find it easier if 
you bend slightly at the waist and knee to give your skate a better 
angle to grab.
 
You can also use this stop in a sort of shuffling fashion:  stop, roll a 
little, stop, roll a little, etc., until you get to precisely where you 
want 
to be.
 
 
% REVERSE STOP (FORWARDS SNOW-PLOW):  While 
rolling, point one skate (only) inward, lift and set it back down.  
Roll on it and push off slightly at the heel.  Now lift the other skate, 
and do the same.
 
Essentially you are skating backwards even though moving 
forwards.  Keep doing it and you will eventually start skating 
backwards.  This can be done even at high speeds.
 
 
% BACKWARDS HEEL DRAG:  This is for rolling backwards.  
Similar to the toe drag except you drag your heel wheel.  If you 
find your drag skate rolling sideways, apply more pressure to your 
heel wheel.
 
 
Now that you can do toe-drags, heel-drags and spinouts...
 
% TOE-DRAG SPINOUTS:  This is a one-footed spinout with an 
accompanying toe-drag on the other foot.  The toe drag will be in 
the inside of the spinout.  So for a right-foot toe-drag spinout, you 
will be carving a right turn.  It takes a bit more balance and strength 
and will shred your toe wheel a lot.  The more pressure on the toe, 
and the sharper/harder you carve your turn, the faster you stop.  
 
At maximum effectiveness, it can stop you very quickly.  The 
skating foot will be nearly doing a power slide (see Power Stop) 
and the dragging foot will be doing a very hard toe-drag.  Done 
correctly at low to medium speeds, it takes up at most a sidewalk's 
width.  At downhill speeds, expect to take up most of a car lane.
 
NOTE that hitting a crack or rock during this stop really bites since 
you've got most of your weight on one skating foot.  Look for any 
debris or holes ahead of you and be prepared.
 
 
% HEEL-DRAG SPINOUTS:  For this spinout, just plant one of 
your heel wheels on the ground out in front of you and spin 
around it.  The only tricky part is that the pivot heel wheel may roll 
a little, so keep some downward pressure on it.  It probably helps to 
keep your pivot leg straight and slightly locked to help stabilize the 
pivot.
 
A variation on heel-drag spinouts is to use your brake-pad as the 
pivot.
 
This stop looks pretty neat when going backwards, although you 
should be careful to protect your knees if you have to abort.  To 
perform this backwards, start a heel-drag stop (you're skating 
backwards), carve the skating foot behind and to the inside, and you 
should spin around the heel wheel/brake.
 
 
% CURB RAMMING:  You approach the curb at around 90 
degrees (i.e., straight on) and lift your toes enough to clear the 
curb.  This should jam your wheels and runners into the curb.  You 
should be prepared to compensate for the sudden change in your 
motion.
 
An alternative curb ramming stop is to do a spinout near the curb 
and ram the back of your skate into the curb.
 
Both these techniques cause quite a bit of shock to your skates 
(especially at high speeds) so if you really love your skates you 
may not want to do this stop too often 8-)
 
 
% POWER STOP/POWER SLIDE:  This is one of the most 
effective stops, and also one of the hardest.  To do this stop, you 
should be able to skate forwards and backwards well, and also be 
able to flip front-to-back quickly.
 
There appear different approaches to learning the power stop.  The 
end result should be the same, or nearly so, but both are detailed 
below.  It is left to the reader to decide which one is easier to 
follow.
 
One way:
 
You can piece the power stop together by combining two things:
1) flip front to backward.
2) place one foot behind you and push the entire row of 
wheels at a very sharp angle into the ground.
 
You can practice this by skating backwards, gliding, and then with 
nearly all your weight on one foot, bring the other foot behind you, 
perpendicular to your direction of travel (see the Backward 
Stepping stop).
 
You should start out doing this while traveling slowly.  Your wheels 
should scrape a little.  If they catch, you need to hold your braking 
skate at a sharper angle.  Once you get this down, you can practice 
flipping front-to-back, coast a little, and then stop.  Eventually, the 
combination becomes one smooth move:  just get the braking leg 
extended as soon as you flip.
 
You can use any flip (mohawk, 3-turn, toe-pivot, etc.) for this stop.  
This stop is good for hockey, and a good stop when going 
backwards (especially at higher speeds).  A power-stop using a 
jump turn is called a chop stop (see following section).
 
 
The other way:
 
The second method involves one continuous motion instead of 
two:  Skate forward on an outside edge, while extending the free 
leg to the side. All weight is on the skating leg. The free leg is 
dragged along the ground. Now sharpen the turn on the outside 
edge of the skating leg (with its knee greatly bent), and swing the 
free leg in front. This continuous transition causes the skating leg 
to turn, so it's now skating in reverse.
 
The key is to have all the weight on the skating leg. If you place 
any weight on the free leg, you will go into a spin and lose 
control.
 
Some prefer this method because you do not need to go into a 
complete power slide to stop. At any point in the continuous 
motion, you can abort if something is going wrong.  Only at 
higher speeds is it necessary to completely turn the skating foot.  
There is less risk of catching the free leg on an uneven surface 
because it is already extended and dragging before you swing 
around.
 
 
% CHOP-STOP:  For skating forward or backward at low to 
moderate speeds. This is much like the hockey stops done on ice 
except, since you can't shave asphalt, you need to jump and turn 
both skates and hips perpendicular to the direction of travel.  Land 
with the skates at an angle (like in the power stop) and push your 
wheels  against the ground.  To maintain balance you can keep one 
skate mainly beneath you, while the other goes out forward to stop 
you.
 
Most of the shredding will be done on the lead skate, where the 
inside of your lead leg should make a sharp angle against the 
ground.
 
Basically what this is, is a power stop using a jump turn.
 
The jump isn't so much for air time as for lifting your skates off the 
ground so you can reposition them sideways.  The lower the jump 
you can get away with, the less off balance you should be when you 
land. However, if you don't jump high enough you may not be able 
to place your lead skate at a sufficient angle.  Caution should be 
used even more so in this stop than in others.
 
The particulars of the jump aren't crucial.  You can lead with one 
foot followed by the other, and land in that order; or jump and land 
with both feet at once.  Pick whatever style you're most comfortable 
with.
 
 
% NEW YORK STOP:  Harder than even the power stop, the New York stop is 
  mainly a power stop but you don't turn your gliding foot!  It doesn't 
  appear that just anyone can perform this stop, since it seems to 
  require quite a bit of knee flexibility.
 
  L = the track left by the left skate,  R = ditto by the right skate
 
  ------ direction of travel --- >
 
  L----------------------   |  <-   slide with skate, scraping edges of
                            /   |---all the wheels like the power-slide
  R---                     /   <-
       \                 /
         \             /          (A NY stop with the right foot)
           \         /
             \_____/   
 
                            
 
This stop requires your knee to be twisted inward (not a natural 
position, by far), so if you can't do it, I wouldn't say it's a big loss 
since it seems to have above average potential to cause injury if 
done wrong. 
 
 
% COMBINATION/SEQUENCE STOPS
 
  Once you've got some stops perfected, the next thing you might want to 
  try is a sequence or combination of several stops.  These are 
  definitely more fun and a bit more showy.  These are some of the 
  random combination stops that I do.  You can easily make up your own. 
  (Sequences are denoted with "->" and combos with "+")
 
  S-stop:  Crossover stop -> turn opposite direction -> toe-drag 
           spinout.  So for example, you can crossover stop to the left, 
           ride your left skate and do a toe drag (right toe pivot) 
           while turning to the right to complete the S-pattern.
 
Double crossover stop:  crossover stop -> inverted crossover 
           stop (or vice versa).  This also traces out an S-pattern.
 
Braking T-stop:  T-stop with non-brake foot + brake with brake-pad
 
Braking toe-drag:  Brake with brake-pad + toe-drag on other skate The 
           braking toe-drag and the braking T-stop are the two of the 
           most effective ways to stop that I know of when cruising.
 
Braking spread-eagle:  Spread-eagle (follow w/ spinout optional) with 
           braking skate in front + braking with brake-pad 
 
Braking glide stop:  glide -> reverse feet positions -> brake-pad.  The 
           effect is that of shuffling your feet quickly and stopping.  
           (Glide:  a heel-toe glide, one skate out, and one skate back; 
           use only the back toe and front heel wheels.  The back skate 
           should be the one with the brake since the assembly gets in 
           the way on the front skate)
 
 
Related Topics
 
FALLING:
 
Falling should be one of your last resort techniques, but everyone 
falls some time, so it's a good and safe thing to know.  Falling can 
be practiced at low speeds to get used the idea that indeed, you can 
plop on your guards and pads, and come away safe as houses.
 
1) One of the less graceful and more painful ways to stop is to 
wipeout into a face plant or another nasty, bloody occurrence.  I 
daresay no one does this "stop" voluntarily.  These stops work 
vicariously:  If you see someone else do it...you're likely to stop or 
slow down too 8-)
 
2) At low speeds, a better (and less painful) falling-stop is to 
collapse your body in a way so that the primary scraping areas are 
the knee pads and your wrist guards/gloves.  Bend your knees, fall 
on your knee pads and follow by falling on your wrist guards.  
Keep your wrists loose since there is still some risk of injury.  See 
the collision section below.
 
If you tend to fall backwards, your rear-end will probably be your 
biggest cushion (just how big, depends on you 8-).  You should try 
to spread out the shock to your arms and over as much body area 
as possible (in general)...the less directly on your wrists and elbows, 
probably the better.  NOTE however, that your tailbone is, after all, 
located in your duff and a hard fall at too sharp an angle will either 
bruise or fracture/break the tailbone.
 
At high speeds, when you desperately need to stop, an outright 
collapse on your protection gear may not be enough.  High speed 
falls are best when you take the brunt of the force with the entire 
body, save for the head (besides, you're wearing your helmet, 
right?)
 
Rolling with the fall is a key to reducing the force of impact.  So if 
you happen to be careening down a hill, if possible, turn sideways 
to your direction of travel and fall uphill (to keep you from 
tumbling further down the hill).  When you hit, keep your body 
loose, with hands up near your face or over your head.  With luck, 
and no other dangers eminent (such as approaching 18-wheelers or 
rolling off a cliff), you should be able to stand up, thank your 
favorite deity, wipe yourself off, and go take a lesson in skating 
safety and control.
 
 
COLLISIONS WITH STATIONARY OBJECTS:  Hopefully 
you will never ever have to use a collision as a means to stop, but if 
you insistIkeep your limbs bent and be a big human shock-
absorber and cushion your contact with bending of the arms and 
legs.  Locked limbs will only increase the shock going into your 
joints causing likely ligament/tendon tears or other damage.
 
 
 
 
Bottom line
 
Practically speaking, all the stops that require dragging the wheels 
will put a bigger dent in your wallet since wheels cost a bundle.  If 
you don't use your brake-pad, harder wheels may slow down the 
wear on your wheels.
 
 
 
[Copyright 1992 by Anthony D. Chen.  All rights reserved.  
License is hereby granted to republish on electronic or other media 
for which no fees are charged (except for the media used), so long 
as the text of this copyright notice and license are attached intact to 
any and all republished portion or portions.]
 
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