How to Spin

How to Spin

a section from the book HOW TO JUMP AND SPIN ON IN-LINE SKATES

by Jo Ann Schneider Farris

This material may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author.

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.

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.

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!

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.

(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!

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.

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.

A Note to Ice Skaters

Spins must be at the top of the front wheel and the PIC®. Yes, that is exactly where you need to feel that your skating foot is in order to spin.

It feels really weird to an ice skater to get that far forward, but just jump in and go for it! When I see beginning ice skaters go up on their toe pick, I know their spin won't work, but that's what you need to do if you are wearing an in-line skate with a PIC® or toe stop.

Pull your stomach in hard and make sure your chest is over your stomach.

As soon as you go even a little back on the wheels, the spin will end and stop. There's a certain place right between the PIC® and the front wheel that you must spin on.

Also, throw out the traditional back crossover entry ice skaters use with one foot spins for awhile. (You can try that entry later.) Instead, enter by doing a right inside three turn (if you spin to the left), then from that back right outside edge, push on to a very deep left forward outside edge on a VERY BENT KNEE, and use your left arm to enter the spin with much force.

If you want to pretend you are entering a sit spin, and then "chicken out," if you fall, you'll be so low that you won't get hurt!

Once you enter the spin as I've described above, you must hit that place right between the PIC® and the front wheel, and just like ice, you need to actually do a left forward outside three turn, so that you are creating back inside circles as you spin.

I know that this is all hard to explain without seeing, but please, don't give up!

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**Note: this is only a section on spinning--the book covers sit spins, scratch spins, back spins, camel spins, combination spins, layback spins, flying camels, and much more.**