The Half Lemon is one of the most important foundational tricks in freestyle slalom skating. It's also often referred to as "Half Melon."

Despite its apparent simplicity, the Half Lemon is an essential trick that significantly improves your technique and movement coordination in slalom skating.

Execution of the Half Lemon:

Both inline skates remain in contact with the ground at all times.
With one skate, you glide in curved lines through a row of slalom cones.
The other skate moves parallel alongside the cone row.

Which side you choose for the slalom movement is up to you:
You can perform the trick with either your right or left leg.
Regular Side vs. Switch Side:

The side where the movement feels easiest for you is called your "regular side."
The opposite, less practiced side is referred to as the "switch side."

Tip:
For clean freestyle slalom skating, you should practice both sides equally.
Mastering both the regular and switch side gives you a big advantage for advanced tricks and adds more flexibility to your technique.

Why is the Half Lemon so important?

Even though it's considered a basic trick, the Half Lemon forms one of the most crucial foundations in inline freestyle slalom.

It trains:

• Balance and body posture
• Movement flow and control
• Coordination between both legs

The Half Lemon is a prerequisite for many other tricks and should be mastered with confidence.

For Freestyle Slalom Skating — and thus for learning the Half Lemon — you will need not only your inline skates and suitable protective gear but also some essential tools:

1. Slalom Cones (Pylons)

These cones are fundamental for practicing the Half Lemon and are set up according to official Freestyle Slalom rules.

Cone Setup According to Regulations:
For practicing the Half Lemon, we use two rows of cones, arranged as follows:

• First Row: 14 cones spaced 120 cm apart
  (represented in green in our illustrations)
• Second Row: 20 cones spaced 80 cm apart
  (represented in orange in our illustrations)

2. Additional Guidance with Chalk Lines

To make learning the Half Lemon easier, we add two auxiliary lines using chalk (e.g., sidewalk chalk):

• One line is drawn to the left of the cone row.
• Another line is drawn to the right of the cone row.

Both lines run parallel to the cone row and are positioned approximately 20 cm away from it.

Purpose of the Chalk Lines:
These guide lines help you control your skating path and maintain proper body alignment while practicing the Half Lemon.

To perform the Half Lemon safely and cleanly, the right body posture is essential. The correct starting position forms the foundation for learning the trick in a controlled and effective way.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Starting Position

For proper posture, you should pay attention to the following points:

1. Adopt a Scissor Stance
Stand on a flat surface and push one skate slightly forward so that you assume a stable scissor position.

2. Bend Your Knees Deeply
Bend your knees until they are positioned above your toes — or even slightly beyond.
This position provides stability and more control.

3. Lean Shoulders Slightly Forward
Tilt your upper body slightly forward, but not further than your knees.
This helps you balance your center of gravity optimally.

4. Keep Your Hips Above Your Heels
Ensure that your hips (pelvis) are directly above your heels.
Avoid leaning backward to prevent losing control.

5. Balance Training – The First Practice Step
Once you can hold this position securely, the next step is to consciously control your center of gravity.

To practice this, get into the starting position you just learned and begin alternately moving your left and right foot forward.

Switch between the leading foot (left and right) several times while standing still, until you master this movement sequence safely and stably.
This exercise is the ideal preparation for later transitioning into smooth slalom movements.

After covering the correct body posture, it's now time to practice the actual movement sequence of the Half Lemon.

How to Learn the Half Lemon Correctly

Go through the following steps one after the other to master the Half Lemon safely:

• Get into your familiar starting position.
• Rotate one skate 90° so that both heels touch each other.
• With the rotated skate, draw a half-circle forward.
  The goal: After this movement, your toes should be pointing towards each other instead of the heels.
• Then guide the skate back in a half-circle to return to the starting position.
  This exact half-circle is your Half Lemon.
• Gently push off from behind with the 90° rotated skate and repeat the movement.
  
  Important: The other skate remains on the ground at all times, pointing straight ahead in the direction of travel.

The Key Factor: Your Center of Gravity

If you struggle to perform the half-circle with one skate while the other remains stable and straight, it's usually due to an incorrect center of gravity.

Remember:

• Your main weight should always be on your standing leg — that is, the skate moving straight ahead.

Pro Tip:

• Make sure your chin (and thus your head) is positioned directly above your standing leg.
• The center of gravity should not be evenly distributed between both legs.

Re-aligning the Skates

Once your toes are facing each other, you'll need to reopen the skates and align them forward again.

• The best way to achieve this is by consciously shifting your weight away from the front wheels and towards your heels.
• This weight transfer will make it much easier to rotate your skates back to the starting position.

The final step in learning the Half Lemon is to perform the trick safely and in control through the cone rows. Now it’s time to practice, apply, and perfect.

How to Learn the Half Lemon Through the Cone Rows

Follow these steps in order:

• Start with the 120 cm Cone Row
  Begin with the wider cone row, where the distance between the cones is 120 cm.
• Skate Half Lemons next to the Cones
  Your supporting leg should always stay on one of the chalk lines (for example, to the right of the cone row).
  With the other skate, you perform the Half Lemons, passing the cones on the left side.
  
  Make sure that after every second cone, both of your skates are aligned next to each other.
  
• Increase the Frequency
  Now repeat the same exercise, but this time bring your skates together after passing each cone.
• Skate through the Cone Row in a Snake-like Motion
  Perform the Half Lemons in a flowing, snake-like movement, weaving directly through the cone row.

Increase Difficulty: From 120 cm to 80 cm Cone Rows

Once you can confidently skate through the 120 cm row, move on to the 80 cm cone row.

• The movement sequence stays the same.
• However, the smaller distance between the cones requires more precision, control, and focus.
• The closer the cones are and the faster you skate, the more the cones will “blur” visually. That’s why it’s crucial to control the pace and radius of your Half Lemons.

Exercises to Improve Your Half Lemon

To further refine your Half Lemon, the following drills will help:

• Perform the Half Lemon as slowly and controlled as possible.
• Start the trick from a stationary position without any momentum.
• Practice the Half Lemon with very shallow curves (to increase speed).
• Practice the Half Lemon with very steep curves (to improve control).

Practice Your Switch Side

In the final step, you should also practice the Half Lemon on your switch side.

This means: If you’ve been using your right leg as your supporting leg, now try performing the trick with your left leg as the support.

The ability to confidently skate with both your strong and weak sides, while maintaining control over speed and agility, is what defines a skilled Freestyle Slalom Skater.