Here’s something every skating coach tells new skaters: you’re going to fall. The goal isn’t to never fall — it’s to fall well. Once you know how, falling stops being scary, and you’ll learn faster because you’re not skating stiff and afraid.
Why backward falls are the dangerous ones
When skaters lean back, their wheels shoot forward and they land on their tailbone, wrists or the back of their head. That’s how most serious skating injuries happen. Everything about safe falling comes down to one idea: if you’re going down, go down forward and low.
How to fall forward safely
- Get low. The moment you feel off balance, bend your knees and crouch. The shorter the drop, the softer the landing.
- Lean forward. Push your chest and weight forward, away from a backward fall.
- Land on your knee pads. Drop onto one or both knees and let the hard caps slide.
- Then your wrist guards. If you keep going, land on your wrist guards with your elbows slightly bent, then slide onto your forearms if needed.
- Tuck your chin to protect your face and head.
Practice this standing still on a soft surface, then at very slow speeds. Ten practice falls at the start of a session will make the real ones feel automatic.
If you fall sideways
Try to roll onto the meaty side of your hip and thigh rather than reaching straight down with an arm. Keep your elbows bent and your head tucked.
If you can’t stop a backward fall
Sometimes it happens. Tuck your chin to your chest so your head doesn’t hit the floor, try to sit down onto your rear and thighs rather than your tailbone, and don’t reach back with straight arms — that’s a classic way to break a wrist.
How to get back up
Trying to stand straight up on rolling wheels doesn’t work. Here’s the easy way:
- Roll onto your hands and knees.
- Bring one foot up and plant it flat between your hands, wheels on the floor.
- Put both hands on that knee.
- Bring the other foot up next to it.
- Push up slowly into your ready position — knees bent, weight forward.
On quads, you can also use your toe stops for grip as you stand. At the rink, get up quickly and move toward the wall so other skaters don’t run into you.
Rink tip: falling in traffic
If you fall on a busy rink floor, get up as fast as you safely can. If you’re hurt, stay put, protect your hands (fingers are easy to roll over) and signal a floor guard. Skaters coming around will steer around you.
The mindset
Skaters who are afraid to fall skate stiff, with straight legs and their weight on their heels — which makes them fall more. Practice falling, trust your pads, bend your knees and you’ll be surprised how quickly the fear goes away.
Grew up skating at Super Wheels? The floor remembers — and so do we. Share your Super Wheels memories and photos so the next generation knows where South Florida learned to roll.