How to Do Tricks on Roller Skates

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 24, 2023 References

If you’ve been roller skating for a while, you’re probably itching to try out some cool tricks. Learning tricks can push you to try new things and improve your overall skating ability. They’re also lots of fun and are relatively easy to learn. Start by mastering some basic tricks like skating backward and jumping, then try to tackle some tougher tricks like a toe jam before you move on to some of the more advanced tricks. Always wear the right safety equipment, take your time as you learn a new trick, and practice it until you’ve got it down pat.

Things You Should Know

To skate backward, form an inverted "v" with your feet. Push off your right toe as you raise your left skate. Then, drop your left foot and push off your left toe while raising your right skate.
For a jump, bring both skates together, bend your knees slightly, and jump straight up. Keep your knees bent when you land.
To do a 4-wheeler, lift the toe of your front foot to skate on the back wheels. Then, lift the heel of the back foot to skate on the toe wheels.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Skating Backward

1
Form an inverted “v” shape with your feet. Stand still in your skates, keep your toes together, and spread your heels apart. Balance your weight evenly on each leg and bend your knees slightly so you’re in a good skating position.^{[1]
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- Don’t lock out your knees.
Tip: Think about trying to form a 90-degree angle with your toes forming the corner of the angle.
2
Apply pressure with the toe of your right skate and lift your left foot. To start moving backward, push off of your right toe while you raise your left skate. Keep your core tight so you’re stable and balanced.^{[2]
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- If you’re not comfortable pushing off of the toe of your skate, start by pushing off of a wall.
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3
Drop your left foot and apply pressure to left toe. Once you start to move backward, reverse the process. Drop your left skate back to the ground and push off of the toe of your left foot as you simultaneously raise your right skate slightly.^{[3]
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- Don’t look down or it will shift your weight forward and make it more difficult to skate backward.
- Shift your body weight from one skate to the other as you push.
4
Look over your shoulder to look behind you. You need to look behind you every now and then to avoid running into something or tripping, so glance over your shoulder to see what is behind you as you skate backward. Don’t lean back or turn your whole body to look behind you or you could lose your balance and fall.
- Practice slowly at first so you get used to looking behind you while you move backward.
5
Push harder and increase the length of your stride to move faster. When you get more comfortable skating backward, pick up the speed by pushing harder from your toe and increasing your stroke to generate more of a push.
- Don’t be afraid to fall! It may happen once or twice while you get the hang of it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Jumping in Roller Skates

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Get to a comfortable gliding speed. Take a few strides to reach a comfortable gliding speed before you try to jump so you’re better balanced and stable on your skates. It’s much harder to jump while you’re standing still in skates and if you’re moving too fast, you may be unstable and could fall and injure yourself.^{[4]
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Bring both of your skates together. To prepare for your jump, bring your skates together so they’re parallel to one another as you glide. Tighten your core so you're strong and stable on your skates.^{[5]
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- Extend your arms out to your side to help you balance if you need it.
3
Squat down and jump straight up. With your feet together, bend your knees to squat down and jump straight up. Bend your knees slightly as you land to help absorb the impact and keep you stable when you land from the jump.^{[6]
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- Keep your jumps small until you get comfortable jumping in your skates.
Tip: Think of your legs as springs, you need to load them enough to help you jump and they need to bend to absorb the force when you land.
4
Practice jumping higher as you get more confident. The more you practice jumping in roller skates, the better you’ll get at it. Increase your gliding speed and jump higher to make your jumps travel further.
- Try jumping and landing on one skate for an extra challenge!

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Jamskating in Roller Skates

1
Bring your right skate back on the toe. Start standing still in your skates and move your right skate backward and raise it so it’s resting on the toe of the skate. Keep your left skate on the ground in front of your right.^{[7]
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Pivot and bring your heels into each other. Balance on the toes of your skates so you can shift your weight, then pivot so that your heels are together and pointing inwards. Keep your knees slightly bent and your core tight so you’re stable on your skates.^{[8]
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- Keep your heels even with one another when you pivot and bring them together.
3
Pivot again to bring your left skate back on the toe. Balance your weight on the toes of your skates and pivot so that your left skate is back and balanced on the toe of the skate, and your right skate is forward.^{[9]
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Repeat the two motions over and over. For a toe jam to look good, you need to practice the movements until you can do them in a smooth and fluid motion. Start slow and pick up the speed of the motion as you get better and more confident at performing it.^{[10]
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Tip: When you get really comfortable, try doing the toe jam while you’re gliding to perform a traveling toe jam!

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Trying More Advanced Tricks

1
Balance your weight on one skate to improve your ability to do tricks. Stand still in your skates, hold your arms out to help you balance, and lift one foot off of the ground. Hold it for at least 3 seconds, then place your foot back on the ground and try it on the other side. Learning how to balance on one skate is an important skill to have if you want to try more complex tricks on roller skates.^{[11]
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- Try balancing on one skate while you’re gliding as well.
2
Try doing the moonwalk while skating backward. Once you feel comfortable skating backward, try doing the moonwalk to add a little flair to the movement. Start with the wheels of one skate on the ground and the toe stopper of the other propped up to hold you in position. Push off with the toe stopper and glide backward on the other skate. Then switch the positions so that the skate that was previously propped up is flat and the other skate is propped up and repeat the motion.
- Alternate the positions back and forth to imitate the moonwalk dance.
- Start by practicing slowly and then perform it at your own speed once you feel more comfortable.
3
Do a 4-wheeler to improve your balance. Get to a good gliding speed and lift the toe of the skate in front so you’re only skating on the back wheels. Then, lift the heel of the skate behind you so you’re only skating on the toe wheels.

Tip: Mix in 4-wheelers as you glide to add some extra flair to your movement.
4
Try a 1-foot turn. As you glide, balance on one foot, transfer your weight to the toe of the foot on the ground, then rotate your heel around so that you end up skating backward on one foot. Place your other foot back on the ground for stability as you skate backward.^{[12]
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- Perform the trick again while you skate backward to turn back around.
- Hold your arms out to help you balance.
5
Do a spread eagle using the heels of your skates. Keep your knees slightly bent as you glide forward, then raise the toes of both of your skates as your feet spread apart. Balance on the heels of both skates, then roll them back towards you.^{[13]
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- Use the muscles of your legs and core to brace yourself so you don’t fall forward.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I keep looking cool when I fall?

Community Answer

Avoid making a big deal out of it. Just get up, smile, and shake it off. Say something along the lines of "Oops." Everybody should understand that falling is learning, and most people won't make a big deal out of it.
Question

I go to a skate place where they have games every hour. I want to show off during the races. How should I do that?

Pamela

Community Answer

Try doing some cool turns. This can really jazz up your run. Be careful not to get too cocky, because you might get laughed at if you fall while showing of.
Question

How do I make it look effortless?

Pamela

Community Answer

One word: practice. You need a lot of practice to make it look effortless.

Warnings

While you’re learning some basic tricks and getting more comfortable roller skating, you need to wear the proper safety gear so you don’t injure yourself. Wear elbow pads, knee pads, and a helmet for safety.

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