Today was less about moving and more about preparing the body and learning how to stay stable on skates.
Before even standing up, I realized how important the basics are, things like tightening the skates properly, wearing protective gear, and practicing how to fall and stand up safely.
These things might sound boring, but they make skating much safer and much less stressful.
Tightening the Skates Properly
The first thing I learned today is that how tightly you tie your skates matters a lot.
A simple check: if you can easily slide a finger between the laces, the skate is probably too loose. Especially the upper part near the ankle should feel firm and supportive. That ankle stability makes balancing much easier.
Loose skates make your foot move inside the boot, which can quickly throw off your balance.
Protective Gear Matters
I’m wearing full protective gear every time: Helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards.
Falling is part of learning. Protective gear simply makes it less scary to try things.
And when you’re less afraid of falling, you usually improve faster.
Practicing How to Get Up Safely
Standing up from the ground is something beginners should practice early.
A simple way to do it:
- Start on both knees.
- Place one hand on the ground for stability.
- Put the other hand on the knee of the leg you will stand on.
- Bring one skate forward and push up using your leg and your hand on your knee.
If you’re practicing this for the first time, doing it on grass or soil can help. The higher friction makes the wheels less slippery, which makes learning easier.
Practicing a Safe Fall
Falling safely is also something worth practicing.
The idea is simple: from a standing position, lower yourself forward onto both knees, then place your hands on the ground.
Knee pads help a lot here. Instead of panicking during a fall, the goal is to control the way you go down.
Ready Position
The ready position is something I mentioned in the previous post. It’s basically a full knee bend.
When you bend your knees correctly:
- your knees extend past the front of your skates
- your center of mass moves slightly forward
- you become much more stable
The tricky part is keeping the upper body upright while the knees are bent.
The V Position
When starting to move, the skates should form a V shape. Heels are closer together, toes point outward. Some instructors call this the “pizza slice” position.
This position prevents you from rolling forward unintentionally and gives you control before you begin moving.
From this V shape, I practiced small penguin steps, alternating left and right.
One thing I noticed: if the V becomes too wide, you can suddenly gain speed. A smaller V keeps things slower and easier to control.
Foot Distance
When standing in a straight position (not V-shaped), a useful reference is the distance between the skates.
Ideally, the skates should be about one wheel apart. This spacing helps maintain balance without feeling too stiff.
The T Position
Another position I practiced today is the T position. This is used when you want to stay still without rolling.
One skate stays pointing forward, while the other skate turns perpendicular behind it, forming a T shape.
There are a few ways to practice this:
- alternate which foot forms the T
- slowly shift weight between the skates
- make small rotations by switching from one T to the other
By alternating T positions, you can even turn slowly in place. It’s a small exercise, but it helps develop awareness of where your weight sits on the wheels.
Day 3 Takeaway
Today was about,
- tightening the skates correctly
- trusting protective gear
- learning how to fall
- learning how to stand up
- building stable positions
Basically: getting comfortable on wheels before actually skating.
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