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Australian Rollerblading
/ Inline Skating Online Magazine  A
great grind for beginners and experts alike, easy enough to do on a small
gutter and still impressive when done on a big hand rail. The
soul grind is where you slide along a rail or step with the outer edge
of your boot or soul of your skate and your other foot slides between
the middle wheels. (some skates may have to be altered to perform this
grind)
1
- If you are a beginner start this one by finding a waxed gutter, step
or low pole as the grind can feel a little disorientating when you first
try it as your feet are facing different directions.
2
- Next you have to find out which of your feet is your natural soul foot,
this would be the foot you would more easily roll along on one foot with.
Although some people change their natural foot even after months of practice
on the other one.
3
- Now you have decided which foot you would like to learn soul grind on.
Roll along parallel to the rail / step and place your chosen soul foot
onto the rail / step while your other foot is still rolling beside it.
Do this until you feel confident that you can hook your soul onto the
edge every time.
4
- This time roll along beside the rail put your soul foot on and when
you feel yourself sliding, lift the rolling foot off the ground so that
all your weight is on your soul foot.
5
- Now try the grind and when you start to slide put the foot that was
rolling, on the rail, in front of the other foot with the rail in between
your middle wheels. This is a soul grind.
6
- Once you have this much perfect try jumping onto the rail with both
feet at once. If you can do this now you are good enough to try it on
a higher rail.
7
- When you're ready to jump onto a bigger rail there's a different way
of looking at how to jump onto the grind. Instead of jumping up
onto the rail, think about how you want to look on the rail and what height
you want to be when you're grinding, jump up to the rail (not as high
as usual) and when your head is at the height you want it to be over the
rail lift your feet up to the rail, this gives you time to spot your feet
onto the grind.
8
- This also carries over to ramp skating where you would normally place
your feet in the soul position the coping this time turn into the grind
a little earlier and lower, lifting your feet up
to the grind.
TIPS ON STYLE To
make sure you're sitting properly on the grind ensure that about 70% of
your weight is on your soul foot.
Look
at pictures of the skaters that you would most like your soul to look
like theirs and think about how they are positioned, from their knees
to the ways their arms are positioned find a quiet spot where you won't
look silly and practice your stance. The actual grind is that easy to
change and the more you practice the more the stance becomes habit.
 Video Clip
(Ryde Oval in Sydney, NSW) This tip was provided by Iain Smith. More tips... |
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