Roller Skating.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 691, 18 November 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

Roller Skating.

Looking at the popularity of roler skating amongst ladies, we think ie will not be out of pUce if we otfar a taw practical suggestion* for their guidance. First, ladi«s mast dismuisa the idea that anklet that appear weak when attempting ice skating will prevent their becoming proficent oa the rollers. The roller skate is so constructed that the strain on the ankle is almost nil, and if the preposterously high heels of the age are dispensed with, there is no reason why any l*dy ; even the most dehoat*, should not become stronger by the exercise, and an adept at the art. Ladies as a rule, and especially (hose who have not skated on ico, commence wioh the idea tha£ thrusting either foot alternately to the front in a spasmodic manner if* the tru secrat of propulsion ou the roller*, and it is tho difficulty of eradicating this wide-spread notion that is the canae of the slow progress they at Ijrst make. Jn commencing roller skating there are two golden rules to remember. First, that tpo foot that fajls to the rear at the end of each glide is the propelling power for the next glide. Secondly that the nearer the feet are together the easier it is to use this propelling power. The rollers have this advaatuge over the ice skates — anyone can stand on them without «ny dangar. To begin, the learner should turn out her toes to half a right angle »ad simply walk, taking care that the heyl of one foot touches At each step the toe of the other, and when a balance is obtained on either foot, (he feat should be plactd m the name position and the rollers avowed to glide some fuw inches. With most ladies, 9s soon as tho rollers revolve and the glide takes plact, &U idea of placing the unemployed foot close to tho employed at the end of the glide is abaudoned for a spasmodic effort to place it down and get it as far in fiont of tho othor as possible. At th* end of a glide, say on ! .lio right foot, the lefc should 4?e pUced i quietly dowu, and an impcrcepfcbie p\uee male to obtain tha balance ou it, aud toe laove with the right, which ii ia tv« r#»r of khu left, given. Tho foftl of the sluttr ; <hould appear to emerge, as it wero, from ich other, the right appearing to start from .he ball of the left, »od tho U.lt, from the ■ ii- ii'j 1 l''f<ini tba inechftiiical O'a"'ru 1 1 •Jt'.o kw!<, tu^j wheels ni^. iv .1 > d* 10 •« >no ijrrn, or loft, in acittuii.iiico Wi'»a -Lv pio-iiUin l^utoa tae right or left of (he loo; niock. Although (he feet may be pronely pt»oe4 i)t

the commencement of the glide, no sooner is the body balanced on one foot than the skater leans inwards involuntarily, becauss in the event of over-balance the unemployed foot is ready ai a prop to save a fall. Hence, with beginner*, the toes will tarn in, Perhaps the best practice to overcome thu difficulty is to walk with the feet crossed and the toes turned inwards. If the feot are placed in this position and a glide of even two inches effected, providing the body to he kept 'fall front/ the skates in the glide mast be on the outside edge, that is, the feet must run in a curve away from the unemployed foot instead of towards it. And the learner at ones finds that she is at safe when directing the wheels in • straight line or au outside curve as on the inside, and that the ready prop of the unemployed leg is, in fact, quite unneessary. When the outside edge is attained and skated with a certain amount of confidence, it should be the study of the fair skater to perfeot it, as there is nothing that we are aware of, which equals in grace and beauty the swing of the outside edge when skated with straightened knee and upright bearing. The mistake which moat ladies make, and I which mars the truth of the curve and destroys the grace aud elegance of the I ' swing ' is that at the end of the carve, say oa the right foot they place the left fojt, down almost a; right angles to it, and go go off on an abrupt carve on the left, whereas if the left foot; be I pat along side of the right, and parallel to it, and the direction of the curve made by the ngnt continued for a short space by the left, the beautiful, graceful motion of the outside edge will never ba lost, as no portion of the curves will be otherwiie than true from atari; to finish The iuabihty to turn a corner is a constant source of falls, and yet it is perfectly easy when the right principle la known -A a equal amount of pressuro mast be put on either skate, but on opposite side ; for instance, in going round to the lefc the weight of the body must be distributed eqaally on the inside of the right and the outside of the left toot, and the skates will then run round in a curve parallel to etch other. At a rule, pressure on the side of the skate suflicient to cause it to ran in a curve is only applied to oue foot, and as the other foot, to which no lateral pressure ha* been given, will run straight, the feet naturally get entangled, and a tall ensues Another difficulty ladies have, is going baokwards Let the to»s be turned m a good deal, and the fact placed on the grouud in front of the skate, and the weigho of the body transferred first to one *ad tueu to Due other Tae res alt, will ue a pro^iesnou backwards, anu the m jib upright, ih-j body id in doiug this, the quicker will Oe Due progression, as when tne body is upright, hha weignt is distributor! oa both seta of wneeis equally ; and this observation as to keeping the body upright, and so causing both trout and mud wheels to do their share of work applies equally to all movements. When me power of moving in a backward direction u> attained, it must ba the aim ol the skater to disguise tne stroke, and allow the f del to fo.^ow each other m graceful our ye» The loot in nuking the stroke, will atill be turned iv, but, naviug accomplished its object, will be linmeivately straightened and allowed to follow tue otuei, aud so on. The cross roll backwards can be learned by simply turning the tooa out aud walking backwards, as a rule, ladies try to make the turn the body, instead of allowing ttic body to turn the fttst ; ana thus it ia t-hjwn in taeir attempt to learn the emas roll .<acbward more tnan iv any other movement, After muipJy walking Daomv»rdu with the feat turned out, the wait should be developed into a glide on either foot, care being taken to place bht> leet ar befoie, and tiie body tjwuug from the hipi. brat Cj one side and then to tho other. For instance, while deaciioiug a curre oa tho ngnt foot, the htiad should be turned to iHe leic and the lets tshmlder thrust back, aud vue vena when on the left foot the head aud suouiders should bo turned to the right, iv roller ukatmg, da iv ocnor pastimes requiring skill, some develop greater aptitude thau other*, bac no iaay neea despair ot attaining Mufficientbktll to thoroughly taujuy heraelt, and, we may add, give eujitytucuo to others by her graceful evoldtious. i£v^ryouo bUouid atnve daily to learu qomething new or peneoc lometaiug old, as it is the feeling of aavauosmeut toward perfection, no mutter how tar dutaut or hopeless au imaginative state of perfection may «eem, tn*t give such uharm to auy pursuit inquiring for Us full attainment peraeveranoe, energy, and ekiU. — [From the Queen,