Getting over the fear of skating

One of the biggest barriers to becoming an inline skater that some people face is overcoming fear. The types of fear vary from person to person: fear of looking silly, fear of simply not being able to do it, and perhaps the greatest fear for most: the fear of falling. Three things can help make the fear of falling and subsequent injury negligible: understanding basic inline skating safety, learning how to fall and learning how to stop.

• Basic Inline Safety: the most important thing a beginner inline skater can do to insure his or her safety in the sport is using the necessary safety equipment, namely a CPSC, ANSI, ATSM or Snell certified helmet, knee pads, and wrist guards. Use this equipment at all times! Also, the inline skater must follow basic traffic laws and be able to navigate public skating areas such as parks and bike paths in a respectful way towards other skaters, cyclists or joggers. The inline skater needs to be very wise in where he or she chooses to skate. Initially, a wide-open parking lot or even a playground is a safe bet. Avoid places that are obviously densely populated or have steep terrain.
• How to fall: Falling is simply a part of the sport of inline skating. The key is learning how to fall correctly. If falling forward, you should try to fall on your knees and take full advantage of the protection that the knee pads provide. If falling backwards, the key is to try to fall on one “cheek” as opposed to straight on your tailbone or completely on your hip bone. Also, most skaters try to “break” their falls with their hands. It is important to try and slide your wrists on the ground as you fall instead of having one tremendous “whack” on the hard surface. Wrist guards are designed for this sliding motion. There are several techniques taught in inline skating classes that help off-balance skaters regain their balance without falling.
• How to Stop: Most inline skates are equipped with a braking mechanism called a heel stop. And interestingly enough, using the heel stop is called making a “heel stop.” Here’s how it done: Bring the skate with the heel stop forward until it is parallel with the toe of the other skate. Bend your knees slightly and raise the toes of both skates. You will decelerate and come to a stop. There are other methods of stopping, but the heel stop is the most basic one. If you are in a tight spot and there happens to be grass nearby, then skating into the grass will also slow you down quickly.