Abstract: A braking system for an in-line roller skate includes a lever, a brake pad and a semi-rigid shaft mounted thereon. The lever is rotatably mounted on the rear wheel axle of the skate. The brake is activated by drawing the semi-rigid shaft upward, and de-activated by driving the semi-rigid shaft downward. The semi-rigid shaft can be adjusted in height to accommodate the user prior to adding a removably attached handle. As the semi-rigid shaft is drawn upward, the brake pad engages the skating surface retarding the motion of the skater. As the semi-rigid shaft is driven downward a rotation constraint provided keeps the lever from rotating into the skating surface. This rotation constraint also allows the brake to be applied using the common in-line braking method of raising the toe and pressing down on the heel. Frictional forces on the lever are sufficient to keep the brake in its disengaged position. The braking system can easily be added to most in-line skates without permanently altering the skate.