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Merrie_England
PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:56 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Jun 2008
Posts: 1391
Location: UK

This post is about a simple new propulsion method, and the fact that tricks don't need to slow you down: in fact ANY trick (even a pretty straightforward glide) can actually speed you up if you know how.... If you want to learn more about how to keep Heeling, feel free to read on, if not, feel free to ignore. Smile

A lot of new heelers comment on the fact that they feel they slow down too quick, and whilst one of the problems is the simple fact of friction: i.e., either the wheels or bearings aren't running smooth enough, or you're simply encountering wind or slopes, in this post I wanted not to address the things which slow you down, but rather the things that can (in fact) speed you up, such that the slowing is no longer a problem.

We all know that you can use the excellent kickswitch invented by Merlyn, where you plant your lead toe, push the ground fast and hard as you switch legs, and push off that toe when it's now behind you, so that for a split-second or so you are footying fast on your new front leg before putting the rear wheel back on the ground - if you can master it this would still seem to be the most efficient method of gaining speed. If used with skill in quick succession, it will wipe the floor (no pun intended) with any other propulsion method I can think of so far, as demonstrated brilliantly in this vid by Merlyn.

I might have mentioned previously that I had learned that ANY trick could be used to increase your speed, and not slow it. As I'm sure you can imagine, any spinning trick can be used to gain speed, by spinning tricks I mean stuff like 180, or 360 etc. Because all of these tricks involve one point in the spin where one of your wheels is sideways on to the direction you're moving - and if it's sideways and you can learn the balance (which anyone can do with time/patience and practise), you can PUSH off on it to gain speed, and then pull it back into line. But if you can't spin yet, but you can switch legs (heel with either leg in front, then you can still kickswitch, or propulsion switch (see tricktionary for that second one).

Also, even if you can't switch yet (can't heel with either leg in front) once you learn to fishtail you don't even have to switch legs - you just heel in a tight slaloming pattern, throwing your weight from side to side so that it increases your speed. (Again, see tricktionary for Fishtail).

Now, I recently discovered that I like to fishtail without even using both legs, just using one foot - you don't even have to be able to footy to do it. You simply PUSH your lead foot from side to side as you heel normally (leaving the back foot in a straight line). The mere act of pushing the lead foot side to side, can speed you up. Here's a little video of what I mean...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrzTr-D5Bik

So, with this trick, you should be able to speed up even if you only know the basic glide and maybe some slight cornering. All you need to do is push your lead foot from side to side, and with practise the act of pushing with the toe sidewards will PULL you along faster and faster.

I know most things have been done before on Heelys before my time, but if this trick hasn't been done before I'd think a suitable name would be "1-foot prop-weave" or "1-foot fishtail" or something like that.

Hope this helps. Smile

-ME

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