Q: Hi Asha,
I am certainly skating, and your online course, as well as other videos that you have posted online, have been invaluable. I have been going now for over three weeks and I’m improving every time. What’s more, I’m finding the activity rather addictive.
One issue regarding the brake. It’s not whether to remove the brake, but rather the opposite. What are the reasons virtually all experienced skaters remove the brake?
Consider this scenario. We have many very narrow bike paths, and we also have bike lanes that are shared with parking cars creating effectively a very narrow lane (about a meter) between parked cars on the left, and traffic on the right. Now, what happens in an emergency situation going downhill when there is not enough time to stop and a collision is inevitable? With a heel brake you continuously face the obstacle in front while braking, you have your arms in front to help absorb the impact, you still have some steering capacity, and if you identify an opportunity to wiggle around the obstacle, it’s easy to put the front skate down and turn. So it seems to give you a fighting chance in such a collision or close call. It seems better than, say, the power slide that might lead you to collide with your back into the object in front, right?
Is there, in fact, a stopping or sliding technique that is better that the heel brake for inevitable collisions on narrow paths? If not, does it not make sense to keep the brake, and in fact, to have one on each skate in case one needs to stop instantly while scissoring with the left foot forward?
At any rate, so far your course has been great, and I doubt I would have been able to advance as well as I have without it.
Many thanks.
Peter (42) New Zealand
A: What a great question and I also LOVE your very real stopping scenario.
All the benefits of the heel brake you identified I agree with;
Seeing the obstacle always in front of you,
Having arms in front for an additional save option,
Being able to steer and remove/reapply the brake at will at any moment &
Narrow space appropriate.
I don’t think there is a better stop for a narrow space like the one you describe than the heel brake. The powerslide has more limitations in terms of space needs, surface and consequences of a non-slide (for whatever reason). Turn stops like Powerstop aren’t possible in narrow spaces. The T-stop sometimes just isn’t enough power, particularly on slopes of a certain steepness.
So why do virtually all experienced skaters remove the brake?
I’m sure every experienced skater without a brake has a slightly different answer. For me it’s a practical reason which is the frames I wear I don’t have a heel brake attachment option (and for years before these frames the “universal” heel brake was excessively long compared to better heel brake designs and that length of brake did get in the way a little. However the normal heel brakes can be worn and street skated perfectly as long as you are mindful and learn where it is, like every part of you when street skating.
For many skaters the heel brake is seen as “uncool” because it is used by beginners I assume. This is very unfortunate as it’s not the experienced skaters who end up suffering, it’s the beginners and intermediate skaters who remove their heel brakes too early (because they’ve been told to by the experienced skaters, or told its uncool) and then don’t have the stopping skills to cope with their skating demands.
Many of these skaters who removed their brake too early end up having falls and injuries which then take them out of skating altogether. I applaud anyone who chooses to retain their heel brake while they work on new methods. And if you never want to learn another new stopping method then you don’t have to. You can survive very well with just a heel brake (as long as you know how to use properly including on slopes).
As an instructor with 24 years of experience, I always advise my skaters to ONLY remove their heel brake when they have 2-3 alternative stopping methods (that work to stop them from their highest speeds). If you only have a so-so T-slide and decide to remove your heel brake, then know that you are taking some big risks with yourself and those around you, as your stopping ability in the situation highlighted in the question above, could be seriously tested with unknown results.
What are the alternative stopping methods that a skater should have before safely removing their brake and not compromising their safety (or fun)?
In order of difficulty;
Plough stop
Stepping Plough *
T-Stop *
Spin Stop
Lunge Stop *
Powerslide *
Soul Slide
Powerstop *
Magic slide
Parallel Stop / Hockey Stop
* These methods can be learned online via online course with Skatefresh.
https://skatefresh.com/stops-slides/
Take your pick from these stops and keep studying and practicing and drilling several new stopping methods and do not remove your heel brake until these other methods stop you from your highest speeds.
When you haven’t touched your brake for 2-3 months because your other methods have been doing the job, then you’re safe to “graduate” to non-heel braking world.
However, I would anticipate that up to 70 or 80% of all adult inline skaters out there cannot stop in an emergency situation or on a downhill slope. The amount of risk people are willing to take is surprising (in not having several functioning non heel brake stopping methods). After a fall or accident or injury it’s easy to then say “I should have….” So think about it now and ask yourself, is it worth it? Is it worth removing the brake now? Be conscious and mindful of your stopping abilities and if you are skating without a brake then make it your mission in skating to really master those other methods, so they work.
Let me help you with that. Check out the stopping methods covered in our online series “Stops & Slides”. Just choose the methods you want.