Your complete guide to riding JMKRide Freeskates. From first steps to rolling with confidence.
Start Learning →The Basics
Freeskates are two independent platforms with inline wheels. No bindings, no boots—you're simply standing on grip tape and controlling them with leg and ankle rotation.
Think surfing meets snowboarding meets rollerblading. The signature "flow" comes from JMKRide's rounded Proformance wheels that let you carve and pump smoothly.
Throw them in a backpack. No special shoes required. Step on, ride, step off. The freedom to skate anywhere smooth asphalt or concrete takes you.
With proper instruction: ~5 hours to ride downhill and flat ground. ~15 hours to conquer slight uphills. That's about 1-2 weeks of consistent practice.
Before You Roll
Location Matters
Concrete or asphalt. Avoid cracks, gravel, and debris. Parking garages on weekends are ideal.
You won't be able to propel yourself on Day 1. A gentle slope lets gravity do the work while you learn balance.
A fence, railing, wall, or a patient friend. You'll need support for your first attempts.
No traffic, pedestrians, or obstacles. You need room to wobble, fall, and try again.
The Method
Just like skateboarding and snowboarding, you're either "regular" (left foot forward) or "goofy" (right foot forward). Neither is better—it's about what feels natural to you.
Your body position is everything. Get this right and learning becomes dramatically easier.
Keeping your knees bent and legs spread in a stable stance makes it very likely you can simply step off the skates if you lose balance. The skates aren't attached to you!
Start with support. A fence, railing, or friend's hands make the first attempts safe and confidence-building.
Use gravity to learn balance. A gentle slope does the propulsion so you can focus entirely on staying stable.
If you start to lose balance, simply step off. The skates are small and you can easily jump clear. Don't try to save a bad run—step off, reset, try again.
Turning is controlled by pointing your toes. It's intuitive once you feel it.
Point toes to the left (outward/heelside)
Point toes to the right (inward/toeside)
Start with gentle, wide turns. Sharper turns come with practice and confidence.
Once you can ride downhill and on flat, it's time to generate your own speed. This is where freeskating gets fun.
Pumping is a back-and-forth motion with your feet that creates forward momentum. Think of it like a snake slithering—your feet trace a sinusoidal path.
"Double pumping" is when both feet move in phase together. This typically generates more power. Experiment with both styles.
What to Avoid
Standing with locked, straight knees
Keep knees bent at all times for stability and quick reactions
Feet close together, skates almost touching
Keep feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider for balance
Trying to learn pumping before you can balance
Use a gentle slope first—let gravity do the work while you learn balance
Trying to save every wobble and lose control
Step off early and reset. The skates aren't attached—use that to your advantage
Staring at your feet while riding
Look where you're going. Your body follows your eyes.
Expecting to ride perfectly in the first hour
Give it 5-15 hours. Nobody rides away on their first try.
What to Expect
Standing & Basic Balance
Rolling Downhill & Flat
Pumping & Slight Uphills
Confidence & Basic Tricks
This is faster than learning to juggle, unicycle, or ollie on a skateboard!
Join the 100 People Challenge. Follow along as complete beginners learn to freeskate from scratch.
Get Your Freeskates →