Tips · 5 tips

Fakie on inline skates: backward skating drills and 3 transitions

Five short tips: lemons, half lemon, back cross and three ways to go from forward to fakie.

1. 

   Tip 1 · Beginner

   Skating backward: lemons, 180 turn and half lemon

   Key points

   • —The first thing you need is lemons; if you don't know them, start there.
   • —Turn your body 180 degrees from the forward position: one leg and then the other, or with a jump, landing with your heels forward.
   • —Once you're facing backward, bend your knees and push your hips back.
   • —With a half lemon (one leg opens and closes, the other stays parallel) you control your speed and direction better.

   Common mistake

   With confidence you can add the fish and the snake, slalom elements that give your backward skating some style.

2. 

   Tip 2 · Beginner

   Smooth fakie: controlled lemons, one straight leg and back cross

   Key points

   • —To skate backward smoothly, first have some controlled lemons: from heels to toes, dosing your push.
   • —Chaining lemons backward is already skating fakie, but it's not how you'll go down the street.
   • —Now try it with one straight leg: that drill teaches you the push.
   • —With those two down, add style with a back cross; if you switch sides, you have a fakie with a lot of style.
3. 

   Tip 3 · Beginner

   From forward to fakie: the simplest transition from your scissor stance

   Key points

   • —Start from your safety position or scissor stance.
   • —The leg you carry behind rotates like an eagle position; the front leg only makes a half turn.
   • —You end up on your dominant side, facing the same direction you were going.
   • —With a small push: go behind, rotate and finish with your leg and shoulder pointing the same way.
4. 

   Tip 4 · Intermediate

   180 jump to fakie: gaze and shoulder line up

   Key points

   • —Keep your legs bent at all times and your arms up.
   • —Leave your gaze in the direction of your front leg.
   • —That way, as you turn, your gaze and your opening shoulder match up, and that keeps you rolling when you land.

   Common mistake

   The landing is solved before the jump: if your gaze is already on the side of your front leg, you land rolling instead of braking.

5. 

   Tip 5 · Intermediate

   Toe-to-toe transition: pivot without lifting your feet

   Key points

   • —Shift the weight of your legs toward the tongues of the skates.
   • —Your torso makes a jumping action, but instead of lifting your feet off the ground you only raise your heels.
   • —With the rotation of your torso and hips you pivot on your toes.
   • —Once it comes out standing still, add a little speed.

   Common mistake

   It's easier than it looks: it's a jump that doesn't take off, it just lifts the heels.