Tips · 5 tips
Inline skate tricks: moonwalk, grapevine and combos with flow
Five short freestyle step tips: moonwalk, grapevine, an eagle transition and two combos.
Floor tricks on skates are steps: weight changes, crosses and transitions that, chained together, look like dancing. The easiest one to start with is the moonwalk, which you practice in place before taking it backward.
If you've already got the lemon and the cross, the grapevine is the next step: front cross, V position, weight change, back cross, A position, and start over. From there you move on to transitions like the eagle into front cross and to combos that put together several slalom elements.
All of these tricks come from the same basics; if one gives you trouble, go back to the lemon and cross drills.
Tip 1 · Beginner
Moonwalk on skates: weight change in place
Key points
- Start by practicing the weight change in place.
- The back leg, on its toe, rolls forward; as you lower the heel the change happens. Repeat it continuously.
- Then smooth out the transition and, lastly, add a push backward and then the steps.
Tip 2 · Intermediate
Grapevine: front cross, V, back cross, A
Key points
- Base: the lemon, from the V with heels together to the A with toes together, lowering your center of gravity and going back and forth with control.
- Front cross from the V, with your dominant leg in front; back cross from the A, with your dominant leg behind.
- The pivot comes from putting your weight on the opposite side of the cross (if you cross with your left, the weight goes on your right) and keeping it on the outside edges of the skates.
- Put it together: front cross, transition to V, weight change, back cross, transition to A, and repeat.
Common mistake
Once you've mastered it, don't just do it in a straight line: play with direction, try a zigzag and vary heights and speed.
Tip 3 · Intermediate
Eagle transition into front cross
Key points
- A transition that passes through an eagle position and exits into a front cross.
Tip 4 · Intermediate
Combo with flow: back snake, italiano and mabrouk
Key points
- Back snake: skates in a curved line, one behind the other; move your hips from side to side to draw an S and look over the shoulder that's going backward.
- Italiano: from a V with your toes pointing out, drop your body into a back cross, spin on the axis of your heels to an A with your toes pointing in and spin on your heels again back to the V.
- Mabrouk: four parts; front cross, eagle transition, back cross and an A transition to return to the starting position.
Tip 5 · Advanced
Step-by-step combo: one-foot snake, eagle 360 and cross
Key points
- Start from a crossover on your strong leg and hold a one-leg slalom, drawing a snake.
- Do a 360 transition switching the support leg, passing through an eagle position, and you end up in a front cross.
- Put the weight on your back leg to go from front cross to back cross.
- Exit the position with a double compass with a toe change.
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More ways to supportFrequently asked questions
- What's an easy trick to start with?
- The moonwalk. Practice the weight change in place: the back leg, on its toe, rolls forward and, as you lower the heel, the change happens. Then smooth out the transition and add a push backward.
- What do I need before learning the grapevine?
- Master the lemon, the front cross and the back cross. The grapevine connects the two crosses with two weight changes, one in a V position and one in an A position.
- Where does the weight go in the grapevine?
- On the opposite side of the cross: if you cross with your left, your weight goes on your right, and vice versa. That's how you get the pivot.
- How do I make my tricks look stylish?
- Experiment: don't limit yourself to doing them in a straight line. Play with direction, try a zigzag and vary the heights and the speed.