1st steps on Inline skates // The pinguin move.

First Step, Then Flow
Before you can start flowing on your roller skates, you need to take some first steps. At our shop you can rent or take lessons to get the right gear and learn the basics. Once you have your gear and skates, it's time to find a good place to skate. We recommend starting at the park or any other spot that has no traffic.

Before you hit the pavement, make sure you read this blog first. It will show you what gear you need and how to stand up on your skates. You'll also learn some basic techniques, such as the crab and ballerina, and how to practice falling safely.
https://www.thisissoul.com/blogs/skate-lessons/how-to-start-inline-skating-first-time

Skate like a Penguin #1
If you want to enjoy skating, one of the goals you should have is to learn how to flow, meaning, not lifting up your foot at all, but we are going to leave that for a later lesson. Right now we are going to lift up our feet allot and wobble around like a penguin.

Put your foot in a V shape, with the heels close to each other and the toes pointing outwards. You should have about a 70 degree angle of your foot. If you then start to lift op your foot one after the other as if you were walking like a penguin, then you notice that you automatically start moving forward.

While rolling, put your foot side by side facing forward to get a steady roll. Remember, always have your knee's over your toes and your shoulders over your knees.

Skating like a penguin #2

Once you've mastered rolling a bit, you can start working your technique of your strides.

Try to glide on one foot for just a bit longer then you did before with the first exercise. 

A common mistake is that beginning skaters keep their legs wide apart while skating. After each stride you foot should actually come back all the way to the center again.

Penguin Stop
The same technique used for getting speed, can be used to slow down.

There are two types of techniques to slow down:
- Braking is slowing down on skates
- Stopping is coming to a complete stand still

The penguin stop is done by putting one foot in front of the other in a slight A shaped angle when you are not going too fast. This can make a skater come to a complete stand still. Watch the video at the top of this Blog to see a more detailed explaination.

Penguin Brake
The braking Penguin uses his foot in an A shape, with the toes close together and the heels appart and steps from one foot to the other to slow down.

Beginners Course and Private Lessons
If you're serious about improving your skating skills, we recommend taking a beginners course or private lessons. Thisissoul Skateschool in Amsterdam is an excellent place to start. They offer a list of techniques and private lessons to help you master your skating skills.

Last Tips: Keep Watching, reading and Practicing!

Inline skating can be a challenging activity, but with enough practice, you can become a graceful penguin on skates :P