This was exactly what I needed to hear right now. I’ve been pushing myself to do backwards skating when I don’t really want to because I thought I had to in order to improve. Now I can give myself permission to do mostly forward skating, which I’m happier about anyway. Thanks!

Wow! I am a senior skater trying to be serious about skating to keep up with my 7 year old granddaughter. So this week I was thinking that I seem obsessed with backwards skating. Wow...weird...here is your video! Thank you Deb Harry! It will help me reorganize my focus!

its so great to hear someone talking about the connection to the floor and striving to be 'grounded' just like a dancer.❤

..."and the floor is LOVING IT." 🤣😂🤣💀💀💀 You are the best teacher.

The main issue is lack of proper pivots. Some people even TEACH pivots wrong, so there's no smooth transitions. Then some can pivot one way, not the other side, or the rear to front pivots are wrong. Next thing is how to swivel your head front and back, and some folks do NOT teach that. Skaters end up with their head down, one step away from a collision. I teach people to Look alternate sides, and then you can see about 270 degrees of the floor. When I teach I do NOT let you skate the floor until you learn the mechanics. First you work on the skills IN PLACE, step to the side and turn your head, back to middle position, then the other side, same thing.

I love your analyses of the psychological aspects of skating...and I love to watch you skating on your videos! You're fantastic! I am almost 67 and used to be a fast and fearless skater! 😉 I quit skating, which I really regret, and only skated again about 20 years ago a few times. With the resurgence of quad-skating popularity, I've recently started back... although with not the same fearlessness! ...but it's still a thrill! I'm a pretty good skater, but I'm out of shape, and I'm having to work on transitions since I'm not as flexible as I used to be (an understatement 😅)! Your instructional videos have been so helpful and fun to watch-- thank you for helping me check off the "skate again!" box on my bucket list! Wish I lived close enough to come skate with you!!! 😍 🥰🛼🥰🛼🥰

I totally understand what you mean about feeling the floor

It’s amazing to me to see the quick reflexes of skaters when I watch videos where there are so many people in the rink. So many obstacles and the fact that it can be avoided so smoothly whether skating backwards or forwards amazes me. The awareness while not skipping a beat.

How about obsessing over spins? I've been doing that, too.

Thank you!! This is so validating! I spend most of my time doing just skating forwards because I feel like it's the most comfortable but not as good as it could be. I can skate backwards a bit, enough that I can do it if I need to. But I don't really like it because of the difficulty with looking behind

I’m a TikTok skater!!! Because of your videos I decided to try roller derby! I used them to work on skill before and during Bootcamp. Your videos helped me so much when I couldn’t see my progress. Tomorrow I’m playing with my team in the championships. I’m not a star but I know I will be if I just keep Practicing! Skating has brought me so much joy and so many friends. I know when I go to open sessions I’m gonna meet even more friends! It’s so rewarding!!

I feel like you made this video for me. Thank you

I love your videos and saucy "tude! I've been a recreational-style ice skater my whole life. In Dec '22 a friend asked if I would go with him to a roller skate event in a mall...and I got hooked. I roller skate 2-3x a week now and am learning everyday. I'm in my late 50's with no meaningful or positive roller skating experience before that. I love picking up speed to my favourite music and it is so satisfying when I learn something or earn a thumb's up from the experienced skaters! Btw, I find backwards a bit boring but I devote 5 min of my skating time to it! Thanks from the other London in Canada 🍁 🍁

I didn't understand this at all for quite a while, I'm not there yet, but I get it now. Time on skates! It's like being a baby that just started walking. You don't really have your legs under you. You have to build from that first step, get good and grounded, and trust your limbs. The same concept applies here (intention). Eventually, turning around is a natural progression, and it won't be forced. At least, that's how I received the msg. Best explanation I've heard on this topic yet.

When are we getting another podcast episode? 😅

I am looking to get into roller skating as a fun hobby. To balance out walking. I enjoy the most your skating videos as you are closer to age for me in middle age. I like seeing the items from this company who is your new sponsor.

Hi from Australia. I’m 2 years in. Only get 1 skate a week due to owning a business. I do skate like you say 90% forwards and the rest backwards. I struggle with transition. It always turns into a turn around toe stop so it’s clunky and then it’s a bubble action with you in my head saying stop good footing it lol. That transition where you say it’s all in the hips seems to make sense until I try 😂. Practice makes perfect im sure.

i've had my skates and have been consistent for about 3 months now. i've probably practiced backwards skating for a total of 5 minutes so far LOL. don't think i'll commit to that bit for another year or so!!!

I keep my head looking back when I skate back.

Dirty Deborah.. why you gotta call me out like that!! 😂😂😂

There ya go again, singing my life in your song! Such a great video. You once told me to focus on “being smooth” first. I have never forgotten it🙌♥️

Great to see you!!!!! Thanks

I love your videos. I am 45 years old and got back into roller skating just over 2 months ago. I was a rink rat in my teenage years! I have been loving getting back into it! I got my skills back to where they were, and rebuilt the muscles in my legs. Now I'm working on learning new moves every time I go. I love it! Love your videos! Wish I lived near your rink - it looks like an awesome place to skate! I think you are a really good trainer! Thanks again for making your videos. I wish more adults were into this in my area.

Thank you as always for your great advice❤

Thank you!

Love the advice that is me all the way thank you

Valuable rant. Thank you!

This made so much sense!

Damn this is so helpful and comforting to hear. Thanks :)

Thank you so much for this video! I had skated a lot as a kid then got back into it in the pandemic. I’ve been really focusing on transitions and I’m actually ending up where I want to part of the time! This video was great to hear that it’s worth it to put effort into good transitions before feeling really comfortable going backwards! I’ve also learned so many fun forward skating drills from your channel and it makes forward skating so much more fun!

Love you Debra keep up the good work 😊❤

Preach, sister!!

So funny, I kind of worked this out myself recently. I can always relate to your skate somatic observations x

Thank you so much for another backwards skating video

I'm a stopper/starter. My biggest struggle is just starting again. Not looking for sympathy, just stating. In other news, DDH liked my comment on Goodboy.Ollie's post and I had a major fan girl day. 🤩

As always...good video. Ive been slipping on my Dirty videos..

Im about to go skating now, after watching a few of your videos, you really inspired me! Thanks! I kinda learn in the lines of how you speak! Its great to hear your classes, no hesitations, direct, and the psychologic facts....! You're a great communicator and teacher!! From the comments I see no different❤. Thanks for validating something ive been very discussed for; learning with "tiny steps", but they mean a lot for me :) I don't wanna sound cocky but- I knew this!! But I've even heard from a lot skate teachers to say "just jump" and no prior nor proper training in forward skating yet. So... I was trying to kinda get rid of that thought of slow learning forward and transitions, and" just jump" , but for me that's scary af, so thanks again for the inspiration!!❤❤

I love you just wanted to let you know. You have helped me so much and now you have confirmed what I thought I needed to work on to get better at backward skating.

this was so helpfull!!! thank you for explaining this... i will slowdown in everything (artistic skater). and indeed, when skating forwards i feel the floor, and try to think about that.

I guess I'm a pandemic skater, though I was late to the game since I started in 2022 at age 48. I'm happy with my progress: I can do transitions (yes, I have a good side, lol) and just now I'm getting comfortable with crossovers. My backward skating is like your mechanical example! But fortunately my ratio of forward to backward skating fits your recommendation. Thanks for this! I'll be focusing on feeling the floor now.

So true! Solid advice from DDH if you want to skate backwards.

Oh yeah, thanks for literally turning me around on this Deborah! Been backwards obsessed lately believing I'm a roller rockstar now (not!) and forgetting how important all those forward skills truly are. Inspired to connect with the floor and go forward again! Cheers :)

Thanks for the video

Wow I just love your videos Debrah! This one I just have to comment. I skate with a group and they tend to focus too much on backwards skating and I thought there was something wrong with the way I skate. 80% of the time I focus on forwards skating and a smaller amount of backwards it will come in time. Thank you D.D!!😁

Dirty!!! Get out of my business please-LOL. I was out practicing before work today and my thoughts said, "girl work on stopping." I feel very confident skating forward and making turns but not properly using the stopping techniques. I can use the plow method and turn to stop but not T-Stop or I don't use the toe stop. This is my confession. Great advice; thank you!

I’ve been going slow! I’m patient with myself by not listening to others (skate videos) who don’t seem to get it. People are too impatient but it takes a long time to get good.

Make a connection to the floor! Never looked at it that way....

your hair is gorgeous

Pandemic skater here..bought my first pair of skates as an adult in April of 2020. Started with Ms. Wendy at my local rink with my kids in a private small group and have progressed to trail skating, rink skating, and street skating. I have been able to do a half marathon on quads and came in second place, derby boot camp twice where I made the team but other commitments kept me from continuing, I have attended the Skate Love festival in Barcelona twice, and am embarking on my second season with my local artistic skate club competing in dance and figures! I have met so many wonderful people through skating and am in the best shape of my adult life because of roller skating 🙂. With that said I think social media makes people “skill jump” because people get caught up in doing tricks instead of working on skills. I have fallen prey to this as well but realized quickly I wasn’t able to do the “trick” well because I was not able to perform the individual components/skills that made up the trick. Anyway still learning but have recently started spending time working on skills like toe manuals, heel manuals, pivots, cross in front/behinds, and single leg balance at the start of every practice session and then the rest of the time having fun🙂.

My mom skated competitively as a young woman. My sister and I got our first pair of skates when we were about 5 and 6. I've been on roller skates off and on throughout my life. My skates from my teenage years still fit me; those are the skates I've skated in. I hadn't been on ice skates for decades when I started ice skating again this year. I returned to skating because I stopped running a few years ago. I like my bike and riding, but just working out was so boring. Now that I have started skating again exercise is fun again.

I'm having trouble with transitions because I seem to want to plant my foot before I lift it to turn. I get away with this at a slow pace, but I know that at a more normal pace I will wipe out!

My cousin made me get back into skating. 🤣😂🤣. I don’t have tik tok. I got back into skating in late 2021 (I think).

Thanks for your focused insights and uplifting encouragement. I am in that zone you described 😮 One quick question... I am using blades outside and quads for rink. Is this a bad idea as each method has its differences, but I don't as much opportunity for rink (which is my favourite)

I'm still struggling with my forward skating. I'm having a really hard time with my posture and balance. I'm extremely "top heavy" and already have posture issues even without skates. So im not sure how to progress. Not having a good place to practice really makes things difficult. I don't have all the typical places to practice where I live that most people do. And what is available are really rough surfaces that are all beat up and has a lot to trip on. I use 78a wheels, but even they get caught up on the surface I try and skate on. Any advice on how to make my skates roll over that terrain?

Any good advice on how to strengthen adductor muscles or groin muscles for skating? As I get older they are easier to injure now.

😊❤❤❤❤

Pandemic skater here.. I had to stop for awhile to finish my BSN. I have one test left than state boards I really want to start again. But here in Akron it's hard to find someone to help you learn. I want to get smooth, better Can transition well and learn speed. also our skating rinks are crazy crowded, it is hard to be able to skate comfortably.. suggestions?

Rooster pre thigh bull leg no jokes

Well, I'll bite, then - I see the points you're making, and I'm still very "mechanical" (see 9:37) with going backwards; I admit I haven't tried it all that much. I taught myself to skate - just barely - as long ago as 2001, then took an ice skating crash course (five days straight) in 2012, and backwards skating (bubbles and basic strokes) was something I had to do to achieve my target of Skate UK's level 3. As of a couple of months ago, I now intend to get as good as I need to be to pull off every one of Skate UK's moves up to and including level 5 (on quads rather than ice), but after ten years firmly believing (and with good reason) I'd already hit my level cap at 3, backward skating was something that didn't interest me so much. After all, cars are only fitted with one reverse gear rather than five or six and it's used only occasionally for manoeuvring rather than normal driving. I saw backward skating in much the same way. *Now* I think I should sharpen up everything I needed to do on the ice 11 years ago to "autopilot" level, and build from there. Backward stroke skating and backward bubbles are both part of these low levels so I'm going to have to do that, and do it well, come what may. Good call on the "feel of the floor" as well - maybe others have noticed this, but I can tell just by the tactile sensation of the wheels rolling on the rink floor if they've got spacers in them or not. (At least on my 88As; no idea if it's the same for 100-and-somethings that Fred Flintstone would have on his car...) There's a slight sponginess if I'm putting a lot of effort into each push, which I assume is the wheel distorting slightly around the axle, a bit like a bike tyre that hasn't quite been pumped up properly and the air is squishing around inside it as it rolls (with my immense weight on top of it). With a spacer in, and the axle nut locking hard against it, all that sponginess has gone. I've watched rather a lot of Skatie recently (she's on my side of the Atlantic, and is also one of the admins in a Facebook skating group I've joined, so I've actually had contact with her), and her advised order is forwards, *then* backwards, *then* transitions - because, if you can crack transitions but can't skate backwards, you'll be in a pickle that could feed the five thousand. And I'm going to have to agree with her, because at least in my case - I'm a 44-year-old, 210 lb oaf with about 5% of the natural balance and co-ordination of a normal person (no, really, it is *in the pits* and it's intensely annoying living with it this long) - the transition is, for me, *the absolute hardest* move I'm ever going to make. The next few months - years, maybe? - are a quest to see if it's physically possible. If I can do it, even once, and not end up in a crumpled heap on the floor, then I have hit my level cap. If I can do it confidently every time, then I have achieved 100% completion. Every boss, and every optional superboss, and every enemy in the Game Of Skating has been slain and is recorded in the bestiary, every sidequest has been completed, every secret has been uncovered, I'VE DONE IT, and can enjoy the extended victory sequence. Whether or not my hardware is up to the task remains to be seen.

What are some backward skating edge drills for developing inside and outside edges and backward skating progressions?

Any recommendations when you only have a small skating area?

Sweeeeeet ✊🏾😎🛼🛼🛼🛼

I feel like we need some awkward skating/rink stories.

Oh, the irony.

But WHY is it everyone's obsession to skate backwards?

💯 Totally agree to skate with the floor. That’s how I feel when I skate but even to get “one” with the floor takes me at least 40 min of skating footwork, practicing drills, just skating forward. I do skate very smoothly backwards, even working on the moonwalk…but only for 10 -20 min because you are absolutely right. I’ll need many years yet of skating backwards to see with eyes behind my head. I started during lock down and even my husband couldn’t believe how fast I picked it up again at 58y.o. Not. It was not quick, he just didn’t realize my progress over two yrs. I have so many dance moves yet to learn going forward like perfecting crazy legs, the arabesque, 360 jump (I got the 180 down solid) I do mostly enjoy dance skating…because it’s fun! I’ll never stop bc nothing makes my day or makes me smile more. ❤🛼🏖️

you are amazing. gracias 🫂❤