How to Parallel Turn on Inline Skates (Rollerblades)

One of the participants of the Greensboro Eddy Matzger Roadshow, who was well on her way to getting the hang of the classic stroke, mentioned to me that she'd like to be able to do parallel turns, instead of A-Frame turns. I was an IISA certified beginners inline skate coach, so I helped her out. I wanted to post it somewhere so that she and others searching might see it.

Break it down into 3 steps:

1. Ready position,
2. scissor feet,
3. rotary motion ("pass the tray").

Assuming you know the 'ready position' (feet shoulder width apart, knees and hips slightly flexed, weight on heels, with your hands and arms in view in front of you), be rolling in the ready position. Next, scissor your feet, with the forward foot corresponding to the inside of the direction you'll be turning. This inside (foremost) leg will be the support leg (the opposite of downhill skiing), so keep your weight over this leg. Next, to help you lean over to that side and therefore turn, rotate your head and upper body into the center of the turn: this is sometimes described as 'passing the tray'. This helps you swing your center of balance into the turn and pull you around the turn. Note: don't mix this particular move up with slaloming or crossover turns, as those have components that won't work in the parallel turn.  

I remember as a beginner having to do this in Piedmont Park, Atlanta, for about 30 mins or so. Not being able to learn by just seeing others do it, I didn't get it at all until I focussed on the throwing-my-arms-into-the-turn bit!

By all means go as slowly as you want to at first, but it works better if you're definitely rolling, rather than almost stopped. After you've practiced and you get the feel for the whole movement, you won't need to do the arm-swinging at all, because you'll be dropping into it with your hips intuitively. You will also get a feel for your 'edges' after a while too, understanding that when you are doing a parallel turn to the left, your left skate wheels will be on their outside edges, and your right skate wheels will be on their inside edges.

Sign on and post if you have any questions or feel like you can't do it. It's definitely worth perfecting, from a point of view of stability, agility, speed and overall control in your skating.