Inline Skating Safety Gear and Braking Techniques

Hull: Protection Basics

The hull is a fundamental element of protection in inline skating; it is not an accessory. Basically, you will find 3 types of helmets:

• Helmets for bicycles.
• Ventilated type (for aggressive skating).
• Ventilated type (for aggressive skating).

The bicycle helmet type is most appropriate for fitness skating, offering good protection without sacrificing too much comfort.

Braking with a Heel Stop

This is a simple and powerful braking method, essential for beginners. Please install the brake blocks (including one on each flange). When you develop good technique, you can consider whether to dispense with them or not.

In-line skates are placed in the rear. The movement consists of lifting the front wheels of the skate so the heel contacts the asphalt.

Steps to Follow:

1. Bend both legs, keeping your head in front of your feet.
2. Take your foot off the brake (usually the right one), raising it as high as possible.
3. Press the brake toe with your heel. Try to watch that your feet remain parallel all the time, but one must be well in advance.

Important Considerations:

• If one foot is too advanced, we have stability problems.
• If we separate the feet transversely over a long distance, we risk turning.
• Gradually learn to carry all your weight on the brake pad to apply more force to stop.
• You must learn slowly: first at low speed, then increasing speed.

In some skates, the brake is on the front. For these, please perform a small jump to position your rear foot, and then bend your knee to stop with your heel against the pavement. This is a very powerful brake, but it requires technique.

Skid Braking

Known in English as "slide," this involves making one or both wheels skid on the pavement. Its braking ability is high, comparable to heel braking, but it has two major drawbacks:

• Depending on the skid type, it has some technical difficulty.
• It wears down the wheels!

The Art of Turning in a Skate

This is the easiest way to learn to spin on skates. The basic steps are:

1. Separate the feet to shoulder width.
2. Tilt both feet inward.
3. Press on the opposite foot to initiate rotation.

These three steps must be accompanied by some advice:

• We must always keep our legs bent to improve our balance with the skates and avoid falls.
• The trunk should be slightly bent forward.
• The separation between the feet must be constant during the rotation.
• The turning radius is regulated by the inclination of the foot: the greater the inclination, the tighter the turns.