I would like to thank the following people who helped with this writing: roller skating coaches Larry Bishop and Stacey Lavender, who both encouraged me to try moves I did not think were possible on in-line skates and helped me to understand more about roller skating; Shirley, David, Shane, Sarina, and Melissa Hayden and Frankie Bishop, owners/managers of Bosanova Roller Skating Center in Colorado Springs who made me feel so welcome at their facility; ice skating coach and colleague Larisa Gendernalik who encouraged me and illustrated most of this project; (Larisa wants me to mention that at the time she began jumping and spinning on in-lines, she was 44 years old – so remember, you are never too old to jump and spin on in-line skates!); Chelsee and Michelle Foster, who took the time to allow me to take photos of Chelsee; skater Nathalie Biedermann and photographer Eric Maurer of Visiomatics (www.skatetrix.ch)for giving me permission to share their wonderful photos of Nathalie;my editors Bruce Curtis and Susan Grimm for their time and dedication to detail,and my lifelong friend, Marion Ennis Curtis, for her support and encouragement. I’d also like to thank Harmony Sports, John Petell and Nick Perna for inventing the PIC® Frame Skate!
 
 

You may be already be cynically thinking; ‘Yeah, sure; like I’m going to be able to get out there and perform advanced maneuvers – right.’ And, after all, what is the attraction here? Why even bother to learn jumps and spins on in-line skates? The simple answer is pure enjoyment; you will actually learn to do these moves! Actually, there are a great many reasons, but to list them here would be next to impossible. More to the point is that while jumping and spinning is really quite easy on ice skates, these beautiful and classic maneuvers don’t come quite as naturally on in-line skates. Then why tackle these maneuvers? That’s an easier question to answer. If you are an ice skater or artistic roller skater, there is something compelling about the refined dynamics designed into modern in-line skates. Put them on and they just naturally give you the urge to jump and spin, perform turns, dances, footwork, and more. Of course, the urge to do these moves can be limited by the fact you’re on wheels instead of blades. While that can seem like a real frustration, the good news is that if you have the desire and the time, you’ll find that just a little effort re-creating those classic ice moves can be marvelously rewarding and challenging. What if you are not an accomplished ice skater or artistic roller skater? Don’t worry about it; you’ll find that learning to jump and spin is just adding another satisfying dimension to in-line skating. Just take a moment to paint a mental picture: Can you imagine yourself gliding out to the center of the rink, performing a perfect one-foot spin, and seeing the look on the faces of those who watch? The surprise alone is worth it; you would be amazed how many ice skaters and quad roller skaters have never even been near in-line skates. When they get a look at what is possible, they’re bound to be impressed! Although it’s a kick to impress spectators, keep in mind, the main thing is simply to go out there and have fun!

You may even detect a large enough streak of talent to get you thinking about entering in-line skate competitions. USA Roller Skating holds a number of such events throughout the U.S., and in-line competitions have even found their way into the big time; several events are now formally held at the Roller Skating World Championships. If you want more information about these meets, I’ve provided the address of the USA Roller Skating Association at the end of this book. You can also check with your local roller rink – the folks there will be able to tell you about their own artistic skating programs or club, and that’s one of the best ways to find out about competitive events in your local area.

Note: I’ve made the assumption here that you are already comfortable on in-line skates; that is, you can stroke, stop, go backward, and glide on one foot. If you are not quite there yet, don’t worry, there are excellent books available to help you get started. Can you tackle it? Sure, and you’ll have a lot of fun building up your skill level. Harmony Sports, makers of the PIC® Frame in-line figure skate, has an excellent manual on the basics of in-line skating. That’s the type of skate I personally train on and teach with, so I especially recommend their manual to those of you who consider yourselves absolute beginners who simply want to learn the basics. The manual is also a component of an exciting new training system called the GYM SKATE program that can be used at school campuses, in case you don’t have a roller rink nearby. The GYM SKATE program was developed by Harmony Sports to interest more skaters in in-line skating, and I’ll have a special section with details on it at the end of this book.

Another excellent resource is Get Rolling: the Beginner's Guide to In-Line Skating by Liz Miller. There is also an excellent web site related to this publication that will help all in-line skaters: Liz Miller’s Get Rolling In-Line Skating Web Site. It can be found at http://www.getrolling.com.

You’ll also notice that I often refer to classic skating terms, such as, outside edge, free foot, etc. If some of these sound like Greek to you, get a copy of the United States Figure Skating Association Rulebook. Some other reference sources are Ice Skating, Steps to Success by Karin Kunzie-Watson or Ice Skating Basics by Aaron Foeste for a complete explanation. Roller Skating Associations also have similar manuals. Also, at the end of this writing, you’ll find a short glossary of basic skating terms—so don’t feel bashful about taking a peek back there whenever you run into a term or expression you don’t recognize.

You’ll also notice that I’ve designed the training methods to utilize "toe-pick" skate-oriented in-line skating, meaning you’ll probably want to consider the purchase of a skate which features the rubber toe stop, or toe pick, mounted on the front of the skate. In fact, you probably won’t be able to perform many of the moves I describe without one. You may already have realized that most street style in-line skates have a rubber stop or brake at the rear of the skate, so how can you skate these moves on the pair you now own? First, many of the moves I describe can be attempted without a toe pick, but remember, you really do need skates equipped with toe picks to do most of these moves properly. In the next section, I’ll help you get familiar with specific types and brands of skates available for performing the jumps, spins, and other maneuvers you’ll learn.
 
 

Pivots are a fun and easy way to get you feeling in-control! Just place the PIC® into the floor for a forward inside pivot, push with the other foot, and skate around your toe. Make a complete circle around the stationary toe. To do a back inside pivot, simply reverse the procedure. This move will make you feel like an expert skater almost immediately!
 
 

Attitudes are in that category of easy, pleasing moves that only appear difficult. Start off with a one-footed glide, stretching your free leg behind. Bend your free leg slightly, and put one arm up above your head and one arm out to the side. Make sure your free thigh is raised and turned outward. Keep your head up throughout. Next try the same body attitude, going backward. Finally, change feet and do the same move in the reverse direction.

Bend both knees completely and squat down as far as you can go while moving as fast as you can in a straight line. Then place your right hand under your right calf and your left hand on your left knee and stick your right leg forward. This isn’t the suicide maneuver you may be picturing, because if you fall, it’s no big deal since you are already almost on the floor! If you don’t fall, just bring your right leg back down next to your left one and skate in the dip position again and then stand up. Wasn’t that fun? When you have complete control of the entry and exit, then you can try to perform the shoot the duck, bending down on one leg, with the other extended forward. If you have really good knee control, you can work up to getting up on one leg as well (assuming you are not like some of us in the over-40 crowd, whose knees complain whenever we

attempt those under-20 moves!). Another, more difficult way to perform this maneuver is to add the element shown in the photograph above: Extend both arms in front of you throughout the move. You’ll be on your way to achieving that "Olympic" look. By the way, the real wild and crazy skaters will actually do this going backward.
 
 

I’m inserting a special section on doing spread eagles and Bauers written by my friend Marion Ennis Curtis. She is an expert on doing these moves. Enjoy!

Here is one move that is hindered somewhat by the limitations of a wheel skate. Learning to spin on in-line skates is not easy! Spinning on the ice is actually much simpler, to tell you the truth. On an in-line skate, it is essential to get up on the front wheels to be able to perform a decent spin. If you practice what I describe below, you should be able to perform this maneuver.

1. The easiest way to start is with a 2-foot spin. If you spin to the left, try to get the feeling of spinning forward on your right skate and backward on your left skate: It will feel like you are doing a forward swizzle and a backward swizzle at the same time. The right skate should have most of the weight on the heel, while the left skate should have most of the weight on the toe.

At the outset, I mentioned that most moves such as this require a skate with a toe pick, but you’ll discover that a two foot spin can be performed in regular in-line skates—in fact, it is probably easier. Balance is crucial here. Keep your weight distributed right in the middle; that is, keep your weight right between your left and right legs. The right skate’s weight should be on the heel, while the left skate’s weight should be on the toe.

2. When you reach the point where you know you are skating backward on the left inside edge, lift up the right foot. Stay forward over the left skate, and you will find yourself making a small back inside circle, and you should be spinning on one foot! The conventional wisdom says that attempting a one-foot spin on in-line skates is courting disaster, but here is where a pick-type in-line skate makes things interesting; these moves are cutting-edge at the moment, so you might as well give them a try. Then you can bask in the glow, knowing you are a true pioneer in this sport!
3. After you have mastered this technique, try entering the spin on a forward left outside edge. To make this work well, you really need to enter the spin with considerable force, after which, you throw your left arm around hard and pivot up to the front wheels at the same time; that should put you into a successful, centered one-foot spin. At this point you’ll have the sense you are actually doing a very deep left outside forward three turn. The trick now is to bend down quite low on the left knee, which actually helps center the spin. Your free leg has to follow the curve; think of it as a tetherball swinging around the pole on its string.
4. (This next step will really help firm up those tummy muscles; it’s better than Richard Simmons.) Hold your stomach in hard, and remain over the front of the skate; then pull your free leg into your knee while you raise up a bit on the skating knee. If all goes well and you remain balanced, you’ll now begin to pull your arms into your chest. Don’t forget to keep your elbows up!
5. To exit, pull out backward on a nice back right outside edge by making a swizzle with your left foot and transferring your weight over to your back right outside edge. Turn out and stretch your free leg, and hold the edge, keeping your head up. You’ll need to push hard as you exit the spin. You’ve probably noticed that you are feeling pretty dizzy right about now. To prevent vertigo, focus on a stationary object, like the high price of Milk Duds on the snack bar sign.
6. Here’s a bit of an add-on to give you some extra style. Try the spin from clockwise back crossovers or from a tight turning, sharp right back outside edge. I have found that the entry from the sharp back outside edge a bit easier than the traditional back crossover entry that is done on the ice.

Take a breather here, because these will be a piece of cake by now. Enter the spin on a very bent knee, and lean way forward over the skate pick. Bend your free leg into the attitude position, and if all is still forward enough, pull your head back. First do it for only one revolution, and as you gain confidence, hold the spin longer. Arm positions are optional.
 
 
 

Back in the old days, jumps were rarely done, and when skaters did perform them, they were seen as frills; today the frills are gone and jumps have been integrated into the very fabric of competitive skating. Since 1948, when Dick Button performed the first double-Axel in Olympic figure skating to become the first American in men’s competition to earn gold, winning has been impossible without jumps--and with good reason. As a skater leaves the ground, the audience is frozen in awed suspense, wondering whether he will touch down lightly or crash and burn. It’s high drama, but artistic roller skaters had to await the in-line revolution before they could match the beauty of ice-rink quality multi-jumps. Today, with all the great equipment available to skaters, high and exciting jumps are easier to perform than you might think–and let’s face it, they’re the favorite of fans.
 

The bunny hop is an elementary maneuver that almost anyone at any age can do. The nice thing about doing these is that they feel something like a jump, so they’re a great way to work through your natural fear of jumping. Start off skating in a straight line on a left forward outside edge, but heads up for the foot change. Swing your free foot forward, leap forward toward your right leg, place the right toe on the floor, and then change feet by pushing out forward on your left forward outside edge.

You’ll next learn the ballet jump, starting from a standstill. Place the left toe into the floor, jump from it with your left arm extended up, and then land on the left toe again. Lastly, change feet and glide forward to exit on your right inside edge.

By now, you are probably itching to try your first full-revolution jump, and that means a loop jump. Full-turn jumps are the latest trend on in-line skates, guaranteed to impress, and you’ll be doing them backward, to boot! The critical thing to remember here is that you don’t want your skate to slip out from underneath you. That’s why you’ll enter this jump from a very straight back outside edge. Don’t let your skate edge curve as you jump; instead, use your left shoulder to help you rotate. (Your goal here is to rotate counterclockwise through 360 degrees in the air.) Again, I want to emphasize the importance of balance; stay forward over the front wheels. It is best to keep your free leg in front throughout so that you land in exactly the position you were in before jumping. I know it seems like a lot to remember, but be sure to keep your arms in control, not letting them get over your head. Once you've landed, pull out exactly as you would from a spin.

As soon as you’re ready to raise the level of difficulty a notch, the Walley is your next jump. The Walley is similar to a loop jump, but with a back inside edge takeoff. Try it at the rail first: Stand on a back inside edge; then, instead of leaving your free leg in front, bring the free foot right next to the skating foot and lift it up slightly. Now jump 360 degrees counterclockwise in the air. Land on a back outside edge, exactly as in a loop jump, waltz jump, or Salchow.

Ready to move away from the rail for the real thing? Try doing an edge pull, that is, a back outside edge that pulls into a back inside edge. This move takes some practice and requires bending the skating knee hard, rising as the edge makes the transition, and then –bending again. Bring the free foot into the skating foot, jump a full revolution in the air (toward the free foot), and then land on a back outside edge, skating knee bent, free foot extended back. Keep your hips and shoulders level throughout the move. You can also enter a Walley from a three turn, then a back inside wide-step, exactly the same as a toe Walley, but don’t use your toe. This entry may be easier for you than the edge pull I’ve described above.

The flip jump and Lutz are very impressive full-revolution jumps because your feet move like lightning due to the pole-vaulting effect the toe pick gives. It’s easiest to progress toward these jumps in stages. Begin by doing half flips and half Lutzes to build your PIC® or toe stop skills. Don’t rush; start out slowly.

Half flip: To do a half flip, enter with either a left outside three turn or a right mohawk so you are going backward on a left inside edge. "Pick" with the right toe, jump counterclockwise a half revolution, land on the left toe, and exit on the right forward inside edge. To finish: Make sure you do the jump in a straight line. As you land, continue in the straight line, gliding forward in a "checked" position, with the left arm in front and the right arm in back.

Half Lutz: Begin this jump clockwise, entering from back crossovers. The key here is to take off on an outside edge instead of an inside edge, but spring up on your PIC® and perform the jump exactly as you would a half flip. If you do it right, you’ll trace an "S" pattern on the floor.

Before you go full-bore into a 360 degree flip jump or Lutz, you may feel more comfortable practicing two more transition jumps, the split jump and split Lutz. These should feel familiar already, because they’re the same as the half jumps, except that you’ll scissor-split your legs by leaping forward in a scissoring motion. These jumps have that wonderful quality of being relatively easy, while spectacular to watch! After you "pick" with the right toe, turn and leap towards your left leg, land on the left toe, and push out forward on the right inside edge. Keep at it until you are confident: then you can move on to the full jumps.

You should definitely begin learning to perform the flip and Lutz slowly and carefully. There is some risk of toe pick slippage, I’ve noticed, so when you notice significant wear on your PIC®, it’s crucial to adjust or rotate it for proper floor contact. Enter these jumps just as you entered the half flip or half Lutz, but add rotation to achieve a full revolution in the air.

Land on your right back outside edge on a soft slightly bent knee with your free leg stretched and arms extended out. While you are still in the air, your arms should be pulled in close to your chest. When doing the full Lutz, I’ve noticed that you don’t need to bend down quite as hard in preparation as you would on ice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We have now advanced by degree of skill through the major jumps, but that’s not the end of the story. Think of jumps as elements which can themselves be combined into artistic routines in an overall competitive program. Marion Curtis has some excellent ideas for this:

The mini-illusion: Though it sounds like an amateur magic trick, it’s actually an aesthetic prelude to practicing a back camel spin. Reach down quite far toward the floor, and push the forward inside edge a good distance around before you turn backward to start doing the back camel spin. If you are flexible enough, your legs should do a complete split, with your free leg pointing toward the ceiling or sky and your body vertical, head down and touching your skating foot! This move impresses everyone and is so easy!

Do a flying camel exactly the way it’s done on the ice. The whip effect produced when making a jump seems to make the back camel spin occur naturally. If you haven’t done flying camels on the ice before, it’s wise to start out at the rail. From there, practice jumping from your left toe to your right toe, with your free leg parallel to the top of the rail, as if you are jumping on a table top. Move away from the rail, and try the actual flying camel. Now, don’t say I didn’t warn you, because you will fall the first time you try it! For control, reach out to the side a bit when you land. Pull out in the same way you would in a back camel spin.

A camel-jump-camel is similar to a flying camel, but you can allow yourself to do a bit of a forward camel spin before throwing your free leg into the flying part of the camel. This move should help you get used to doing the flying camel, so work on both at the same time. Remember to jump with your skating leg. You can get a mental picture of how it looks by picturing yourself swinging around on top of your dining room table on your tummy (makes an interesting mental image, doesn’t it?). That’s one you definitely don’t want to try at home, though.

Flying sit spins are fun, look impressive, and are really not that difficult. Start by entering the spin the same way you would enter a sit spin, but before you hit the actual sit spin position, jump up in the air and land on a back inside edge on the same foot you just used to jump up with and then allow yourself to get into the actual sit spin position and spin. You’ll probably fall, but it won’t hurt since you are already "sitting." Sometimes I just allow myself to fall on this move and spin around on my rear! Move over, break dancers!

These elegant turns are pure action, with the feel of flight as you soar a graceful arc across the floor, but remember to practice proper edge control before you attempt one. The best practice method is short distance glides on forward inside and backward inside edges. The secret to doing this type of turn is balance, keeping your weight distributed properly on your feet. You should feel like you are placing your toes on the ground as you turn. Of course each skater will have an edge preference; my best mohawk is the right inside.

To do this turn, begin by gliding on the right inside edge with the right arm slightly in front, and then bring the left (free) foot to the inside of the right foot. Place the left toe down, transferring your weight to the left foot. You should be on your back inside edge with your left arm checked in front. Keep your body weight to the outside of the circle, lift up your right hip (which is now the free hip), keep your weight over the left toes, and check your right arm back.

Back crossovers are not difficult and are an excellent aerobic footwork exercise because you get more workout per motion. They are done much like cross pulls; that is, each skate pushes and pulls. If starting counterclockwise, put the skates on a circle. Your skate on the inside of the circle should be on an outside edge, and the other skate should be on an inside edge. Now, starting with the left skate, make a "D" from toe to heel, sort of a half circle, keeping both blades on the ground. That’s how you get the "push." Let that "D" pull over your right skate as you push your right skate under. Lift the right skate as you return the feet to a parallel position, then repeat the cross pull motion. There’s no wasted motion; like bicycling with toe clips on your pedals, you get a lot of extra power because you are both pulling and pushing!

It won’t hurt to add a quick reminder at this point. Like almost every other maneuver, these depend on consistent outside and inside edges. Part of the recipe for that is balance; in this case, staying back over the skate will help keep your speed up. Round out your practice by doing crossovers in all directions. Ever notice that crabs have one big claw and one little claw? Don’t allow yourself to get trapped into having to go one way only. Also, remember that in-line skates do have edges. You will find that when you can actually turn the blade over you will have more control and more security as you skate.

Sometimes it’s the little things that get overlooked. Imagine performing a textbook-perfect Bauer spiral waltz jump sequence, then scuffing off speed in an out-of-control sideways skid that ends in a wall collision, complete with the booming sound of heavy skates crashing into the plywood—kablam—right in front of the spectator stand. Not a pretty picture to leave them with. I’ll guarantee they probably won’t remember the perfect combo you pulled off, because the last image in their minds was that embarrassing hog-on-ice finale. When it comes to achieving that graceful look you’re after, stops are just as important as any other element. You want to fool those who watch you skate into thinking that the stop is just part of an entire picture.

The drag T-stop looks nice. Of course it’s impossible to stop on an outside edge as you would on the ice, but on in-line skates, actually dragging the inside edge is a perfectly acceptable technique. If you desire, you can even stand in a nice "T" with the skates pressing on the outside edges after you’ve stopped, which definitely impresses spectators! I also find the drag toe-stop useful.

Of course, you must have a PIC® or toe stop to do this move. Instead of allowing your wheels to drag behind you as you stop, let the PIC® or toe stop drag as you bend forward. Both the drag T-stop and drag toe-stop feel so odd to ice skaters since neither of these stops is considered acceptable on ice. Using the toe stop on quad roller skates is standard, so don’t hesitate to use your PIC® or toe stop when you in-line skate.

A hockey stop is also graceful and presentable. Here’s how you do it: With your feet parallel, turn to the left. You will want to push the right skate forward on an inside edge, in a small arc, as you turn 90 degrees; your left foot will make a MUCH smaller arc, almost a 90-degree twist. Leave the arms out to the sides and don’t move them as you turn. Once stopped, pose and look straight forward and put some weight over your front skate. With practice, you’ll look as good as an ice hockey player doing a hockey stop!
 
 

In conclusion: Enjoy yourself. The explosion of technology has opened up all kinds of possibilities that simply were not available in the past. Never before has roller skating gotten this close to matching the elegance and the true feel of ice skating. Nevertheless, in-line artistic skating is a totally unique sport that awaits you with its own set of challenges and achievements. This is such a new sport; fresh competitors are already stretching the envelope with original creative performances; new competitions are opening up all the time.

You can enjoy artistic in-line skating almost anywhere: parks, outdoor skate parks, roller rinks, school gymnasiums and playgrounds--almost any level, smooth surface becomes an instant practice site (use your helmet and safety gear). Impress your friends and enjoy the challenge of being able to jump and spin on in-line skates. Have fun and Happy Skating!
 
 

Jo Ann Schneider Farris began ice skating in 1964. In 1975, she won a silver medal in the United States National Figure Skating Championships and became a United States Figure Skating Association Gold Medallist in 1976. In 1983, she began her career as an ice skating coach, and has trained skaters of all ages and levels. When in-line skates came out in the early 1980s, Jo Ann and her husband, Dan, were among the first to buy the original Rollerblades, and they enjoyed all the attention the skates attracted when they skated on them in the streets, beaches and parks in California. In 1995, the PIC® Frame Skate was developed, and Jo Ann was one of the first to buy the product. She has spent the last few years working on learning to re-create everything she can do on the ice on the in-line skate.

She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her husband and three children, Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle. She teaches both ice and in-line skating, and directs and coordinates skating programs at both the Ice Arena at Chapel Hills Mall and at Honnen Ice Rink at Colorado College. Jo Ann is a graduate of Colorado College, and holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University at Long Beach.

When Jo Ann is not coaching skating or jumping and spinning on her PIC® Frame Skates, she enjoys cross-country skiing, swimming, creating web sites, playing hockey with her son Joel, in-line skating outdoors with her family, and playing and singing with her husband and children.

Marion Ennis Curtis is a USFSA Double Silver Medallist. She has taught figure skating since 1979 and is a registered PIC® Frame in-line coach. Marion, who lives with her husband Bruce and two skating children, holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and currently coaches both in-line and quad skating in Morro Bay, California.

Larisa Gendernalik began skating in Saint Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, and competed in the National Championships in Russia. In 1979, three years after graduating from the Academy of Sport Science and Physical Education with a B.S. degree, she started teaching in the United States. She is Master Rated by the Professional Skaters Association, and teaches figures, freestyle, field moves, and choreography, and also arranges music for skaters. Larisa was on staff at the world famous Broadmoor World Arena for eight and a half years, and has trained many national competitors. She began drawing at a young age in Russia, and completed several art courses there. Larisa loves dramatic theater, music, ballet, and art, and she loves to ski. She now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her husband and two children, Valerie and Alex, and her two dogs, Bazil and Forrest.