3 skills you can train on rollerblades to dramatically improve your skiing technique

I strongly believe in the crossover training possibilities of this sport for Alpine skiing.

As a young ski racer, my coaches always told me that skiing starts from the feet. And although after gaining some coaching experience myself, I now personally look at this from a less 'strict' perspective, I still find this to be a quote that contains a tremendous amount of truth when it comes to alpine skiing.

Quality and fast movements from the feet are indeed a must when it comes to high-level carving.

Fast movements from the feet are indispensable for high-level alpine skiing…

In a previous newsletter, I already mentioned that I am a huge fan of using rollerblades as summer dry-land training for skiing. Rolling movements from the feet can be greatly strengthened by frequent rollerblading.

These are 3 functional skills that I like to train on rollerblades as a crossover to skiing:

• Fast ankles

• Rhythm changes

• Lateral balance

How do I approach this? To train my way, it is best to start on a smooth, paved surface. A very slight slope is recommended. Without any slope, it can be more difficult to create and maintain momentum.

The aim is to practice fast turning kinetic muscle movements from your feet for each skill wearing skates. With the help of a mini slalom course that you set out yourself using training cones (the same ones that football coaches use), training these skills becomes super fun. By placing the cones differently each time, you can train each skill adequately.

Here's how to set up the course for each skill and what to look out for:

• Fast ankles: lay out the training cones in one straight line, with 0% horizontal distance and a short vertical distance. Focus on fast rolling movements from the ankles.

• Rhythm changes: provide variation in your course (rhythm changes diagonally on the imagined fall line are always fun, for example!). Focus again on fast rolling movements and adjust your timing where necessary.

• Lateral balance: make sure there is a large horizontal distance and enough vertical distance in your course. Skate through the course at a considerable speed, trying to get your blades under your body as far away from your body's centre of mass as possible without falling over. Stay low during each transition, aim for a knee angle of 110 degrees between your lower legs and your upper legs while doing this.

Technically, training on rollerblades for skiing mostly involves rolling your skates from side to side, with your outside leg using the inside edge of the skate, and your inside leg using the outside edge.

Why is this sport so similar to skiing? Like skiing, a stance on rollerblades that is too wide will make it difficult for you to roll the skates from side to side. And because you have to maintain a bent stance during turns on rollerblades, you are also continuously practicing your athletic skiing stance. After all, standing too straight with blocked legs and muscles will greatly reduce your mobility.

Another aspect is that you become better at optimising timing so that you can learn to benefit from momentum. If you for example go too slowly on a flat surface, you will not be able to roll the skates from side to side.

As always, be careful when doing this training: wear protective gear, and only set out on courses where you know no traffic will pass.

Give it a try, and let me know if you had fun!