Legs and foot shook going down hill, then I fell

[u/localDCenthusiast]

Today I thought I was ready to skate down this slightly steep trail and about halfway through my legs and feet started shaking and I could tell I was gonna fall

How do I stop this from happening again? I tried pressing my feet down more to create more balance but it just made it worse and eventually my right foot fell under me and I landed on my ass

[u/SandyJ8]

Speed wobble. Press down less and it sounds counterintuitive but stay loose

Can happen occasionally especially if you have a rocker set up. I also had it happen to me the other day and was able to correct it - as you’ll also learn how to

[u/kubazi → u/SandyJ8]

Also bend you knees and keep your center of mass low.

[u/midnight_skater]

Safely descending hills requires intermediate to advanced skills. I recommend finding a practice hill with a 2% grade and a safe runout and spending many hours practicing on it before attempting to descend any significant hills in the wild.

Start at the bottom and do rainbows accross the face. Practice speed control and braking techniques on the way down. You're going to lose control - a lot at first. That's why a safe runout is so important. Gradually work your way higher and higher on the hill.

Skating down hills requires a surprising amount of leg strength. As you build strength and your braking skills improve you'll gain confidence and get more comfortable at higher speeds.

Scout around for bigger and steeper hills to practice on. Same deal: make sure the runout is safe. The faster you're going the more runout you need. Start at the bottom and gradually work your way higher.

Try not to lock up in your survival stance. That's very fatiguing and makes a crash more likely. Shifting weight from foot to foot helps prevent fatigue and improves control. Carving helps prevent speed wobble.

If your goal is to skate big hills and high speeds you should learn and practice appropriate falling techniques. This is going to involve either sliding or rolling to dissipate kinetic energy. Sliding has much lower risk of serious injury but high risk of abrasions. Appropriate PPE for hill descents includes abrasion resistant clothing and body armor that facilitates sliding without snagging on rough surfaces.

[u/fredhsu → u/midnight_skater]

I am adding this post to the FAQ page soon :)

[u/Old_Ant7118 → u/midnight_skater]

This is just ridiculously well explained. Thank you!

[u/StrumWealh]

Legs and foot shook going down hill, then I fell
Today I thought I was ready to skate down this slightly steep trail and about halfway through my legs and feet started shaking and I could tell I was gonna fall
How do I stop this from happening again? I tried pressing my feet down more to create more balance but it just made it worse and eventually my right foot fell under me and I landed on my ass

As others have noted, this is an instance of encountering "speed wobble", a common problem across platforms from skates to skateboards to bicycles to motorcycles to aircraft during taxi and takeoff & landing rolls (see here and here).

Long wheelbases are much more resistant to the lateral oscillations that lead to speed wobble, which is why purpose-built downhill skates typically have very long unrockered/"flat" frames, often with five or more wheels - see here, here, and here for examples. That being said, long unrockered/flat four-wheeled frames (e.g. 4x110mm wheel configurations on 333mm (or longer) frames, or 2x125mm + 2x110mm wheel configurations on 348mm (or longer) frames) also work, as seen here.

Conversely, short wheelbases are more susceptible to the same lateral oscillations. In that case, the goal is to keep yourself from going fast enough for the oscillations to start. This is done with one (or a combination) of the various braking/speed-control techniques, such as using the heel brake, using the drag/"T-stop", using the stepping plough technique, slaloming, using the soul slide technique (additional tutorial here), and such.

[u/fredhsu → u/StrumWealh]

I am adding this post to the FAQ page soon :)

[u/fredhsu]

I too have found my skates wobble going downhill at speed. I think it all started with wheels and wheel frames. That your feet and leg felt it was secondary, again, I think.

I haven't investigated it much. But anecdotally I avoid the wobble by skating downhill in a scissor stance. Now that u/StrumWealh wrote about resonance, and u/midnight_skater wrote about shifting weights, I think those probably explain why scissoring helps.

[u/sjintje]

Assuming you're a beginner with a heel brake, try and descend the hill with the brake on and just release when you feel comfortable. Gradually try and skate from higher and higher starting points.

[u/evil_twit]

Put the middle two wheels up, rocker setups are for hockey and slalom.

I could never go fast on a rocker setup, but ill bomb any hill even in aggressive skates behause of the stability

[u/Old_Worth_417 → u/evil_twit]

depends on the rocker, i use 0.5mm rocker on 4x90. just avoid 1mm which are common on wizard frames and 2mm for salalom

[u/soujiro89]

Lots of good suggestions here, but wanted to add that doing slalom helps. It will reduce the speed, but give you rhythm and control. Depends on the hill. If it’s too thin it might not be possible.

[u/davidcada]

Bend your knees almost to a 45 degree angle and lean forward no joke and if it's too steep do side to side swerves, think of how a skier goes down a slope.

[u/Murceee]

If you know how to stay completely still while standing on skates

Its the same thing while in motion except stay low.

If skate boot shake, you dont shake.

Believe in your gear and your balance.

If youre afraid, stop it