In the dashing stunt universe of roller skating, jam skating is no less than an art. It’s a blend of creativity and energetic vibe.
Watching a band of youngsters jamming together on their roller skates is the coolest thing to enjoy. Those synchronized moves, footworks, shuffles, and spins on the skating rink are just beautiful.
Essentially, jam skating is a freestyle roller skating trick, involving a bunch of skaters shuffling, jumping, sliding, and spinning along the path on roller skates. Music plays a vital role in jam skating too.
Wanna know more on jam skating? Then let’s delve into this amazing sport, including its origins, tricks & techniques, and norms.
What Is Jam Skating?
Jam skating or otherwise known as shuffle skating is basically dancing on the move. You’ll simply have to master some cool moves and apply them on skating. Usually, jam skating involves freestyle movements, gymnastics, and a few eye-catching dance elements.
Simply, it’s a dynamic trick of roller skating with creativity and rhythm. In other words, young people or the jam skating community express themselves through this awesome form of skating.
A special and mandatory element of jam skating is music. It’s the beats and tunes of music that keep those skaters on their toes, or specifically, their wheels.
That’s why pop songs, disco music, emotional uptempo remix, etc., just blend fantastically with jam skating moves. In short, the skaters keep alluring the audience with their brilliant moves, literally owning the dance floor for a while.
The Roots of Jam Skating
The mind-boggling style of jam skating may look state-of-the-art, but it has its deep roots in breakdancing, roller disco, gymnastics, modern dance, and artistic skating. And if you want to get to know jam skating, knowing its origin will help a great deal.
Jam skating originally evolved from the Afro-American roller disco culture back in the 70s. However, it took about a decade for the jam skating to get popular among people.
Although jam skating has a root in roller disco, it was more influenced by breakdance, modern dance, figure skating, and artistic skating. History says that initially jam skating was developed by teens who practiced this style underground.
Gradually, through small to medium battles and local competitions in the US, this phenomenal skating form got hyped in the young generation; hence, getting adapted to modern dance moves and music beats over the decades.
4 Key Techniques and Moves of Jam Skating
Jam skating involves several mindblowing moves and techniques that make this skating style more intriguing. Let’s unravel a few jam skating techniques below:
- Spins and Turns
By spins and turns, you can make out that this technique involves spinning or rotating on skates. A skater must be agile and balanced to showcase spin techniques as it takes rapid rotations on the wheels.
- Shuffles and Crossovers
Shuffles involve rhythmic footwork along with precision and style. Truly, jam skating is essentially based on shuffles and crossovers.
If shuffles render precise footwork and style, crossover involves a crisscrossing trick of the feet, meaning, dancing with one foot across the other. All in all, shuffle and crossover add a fluidity to the jam skating performance.
- Slides and Glides
If there’s something that adds a grace to the jam skating performance, it’s the slides and glides. Sliding adds a sense of spontaneity to the moves. Conversely, gliding is something a skater uses to flawlessly navigate the skating rink.
- Jumps and Leaps
Jumps and leaps essentially take the jam skating to the next level. While it’s about rhythmically moving and shuffling, jumps and leaps go in the opposite direction where a skater has to make shorter to higher jumps and leaps.
Doing so, the skater must maintain balance to keep up with agile follow-through while making beautiful dance moves on the wheels.
Jam Skating Community
Unlike other skate moves and styles, jam skating is more related to a group activity. As mentioned earlier, it’s a synchronized and coordinated skate dance that involves a supportive community.
In jam skating, skaters come to join the party where they would participate in events, social gatherings, contests, etc., to express and share their passion for this creative skating art.
Today, jam skating has captured social media too. There are online forums, social media groups, etc., where skaters of all levels connect with one another. Together, they’re making a global community of avid skaters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are other names of jam skating?
Since, jam skating has evolved a long way from traditional roller disco through various other dance styles, it got itself many labels of names. Commonly, jam skating is otherwise known as shuffle skating, toe-dancing, hexing, rexxing, boogie bouncing, shadow skating, etc.
Can you jam skate as a beginner?
There’s no restriction to the beginners in entering the jam skating universe. It surely takes some sharp moves to jam skate.
But if a skater invests time and dedication to learn the basic footwork and balance, they’ll gradually up their game with more critical moves in future.
How to learn jam skating moves?
Today, it’s not difficult to find skating tutorials on the internet. So, you can surf online tutorial videos to learn jam skating at home. However, you can also join a skating class to learn the moves of jam skating. Do whatever suits your needs, but be patient to practice and master the moves.
Do you need any sophisticated skates for jam skating?
Quad roller skates are ideal for jam skating. Besides, if you want to buy roller skates for jam skating, pick a pair with low-cut roller skates and fat wheels. Get such skates to begin with and practice the moves, but you may invest in more special skates later on for more fluid performance.
EndNote
Jam skating isn’t’ just another skating style. It’s a vibrant expression of a skating enthusiast community that sports athleticism and creativity at the same time.
Moreover, it’s a joy to dance within a group that displays symmetrical moves and tricks to inspire awe in the audience. By doing this, you can be a part of a culture, a movement.
So, don’t be shy if you’re a beginner. Jam skating awaits you with a fabulous world of passion, talent, and long-evolved art.
