rec.sport.skating.inline Frequently Asked Questions (Part 1 of 20)
Tony Chen
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_r.s.s.inline FAQ: General Q and A_
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GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Frequently Asked Questions for Rec.sport.skating.inline
(last changed Monday, 19-Aug-96 09:44:30 MDT)
This Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) file is Copyright © 1995 by
Anthony D. Chen and is made available as a service to the Internet
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without the explicit, written permission of the copyright holder.
License is hereby granted to redistribute on electronic or other media
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Disclaimer: This file is presented with no warranties or guarantees of
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The author(s) of this material have attempted to verify correctness of
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use these documents, you do so at your own risk.
This FAQ may be cited as:
Chen, Anthony D. (1995) "rec.sport.skating.inline Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)" Usenet rec.sport.skating.inline, available via
anonymous WWW: http://www.skatefaq.com
_________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents:
* Q: What is the difference between in-line skating and
"rollerblading"?
* Q: What are the origins of in-line skates?
* Q: I'm interested in getting a pair of in-lines for outdoor
skating. I want to get decent stuff, but I'd rather not spend a
lot of money. What do I need to get?
* Q: Are buckles better than laces?
* Q: I want to get good in-lines, but I can only afford $150.
* Q: I'm considering getting used skates. What do I look for?
* Q: How do I stop on in-lines?
* Q: I've learned how to slow down. how do I go faster?
* Q: How do I learn to skate backwards?
* Q: What sort of maintenance do I have to do on my in-lines?
* Q: How do I handle dogs chasing me while skating?
* Q: What can I do to help prevent skating bans?
* Q: What other information is out there to help me with in-line
skating?
* Glossary of Inline Skating Terms
(Compiled and authored by Tony Chen, Phil Earnhardt, and George
Robbins.)
_Q: What is the difference between in-line skating and
"rollerblading"?_
_A_: In-line skating is the official term for the sport
commonly called "rollerblading" or simply "blading". The
commonly misused term of "rollerblading" is due to the company
called Rollerblade. Rollerblade wasn't the first to produce
in-lines, but managed to popularize in-lines faster and farther
than anyone previously (in the States anyway). Rollerblade was
the only company in the in-line market for a long while, so
they became the marekt leader. This lead to the generic use of
the term "rollerblade" to stand for all in-lines, even if made
by different companies. This is similar to the use of
"kleenex", "coke", "Q-tip", "xerox", and other products.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: What are the origins of in-line skates?_
_A_: (Merged paraphrased text from Wheel Excitement, The
Complete Blader, and Blazing Bladers)
The first in-line model was developed in the early 1700s by a
Dutchman who wanted to simulate ice skating in the summer by
nailing wooden spools to strips of wood and attaching them to
his shoes.
The next version appeared in 1760 when a London instrument
maker, Joseph Merlin, decided to make an entrance to a
masquerade party by skating in on metal-wheeled boots while
playing a violin. He ended up skating into a huge mirror at the
end of the ballroom, not having learned to stop or steer.
In 1823, Robert John Tyers of London designed a skate called a
"rolito" by placing five wheels in a row on the bottom of a
shoe. The rolito was not take seriously at the time.
In 1863, an American, James Plimpton, found a way to make a
workable skate. He came up with a four-wheel skate with two
pairs of wheels side by side, and so the modern four-wheel
roller skate was created. Roller skates allowed turns, and also
forwards and backwards skating. The invention of ball bearing
wheels in 1884 helped the sport even more.
Tyers' design did not go entirely unnoticed however. In the
Netherlands, after the canals had melted, "skeelers" (5's) were
used as a means of dry-land cross training, competition and
transportation for over two decades.
Finally, in 1980 when two brothers from Minneapolis were
rummaging through a pile of equipment at a sporting goods
store, they found an old in-line skate. Scott and Brennan Olson
were ice hockey players and so they realized the cross-training
potential of the in-line skate.
They redesigned the skate, using a hockey boot, polyurethane
wheels and adding a rubber heel brake, and found they could
skate as they did on ice. Soon after, they began selling skates
out of their home and eventually Rollerblade Inc. was born.
_(end paraphrased text)_
There were also some Soviet in-lines from around the same time.
These in-lines were being developed for Speed Skating dryland
training. Besides having inferior wheel material, they only had
a single bearing cartridge in each wheel.
The first mass-produced Rollerblade skates had two-part metal
runners. The smaller skates had more overlap between the two
metal parts; the large skates had less. The "bushings" were 4
plain vanilla washers per wheel; they were cumbersome to
assemble/remove and mechanically flawed: dirt/sand would get
between the inner washer and the bearing. Also, there was just
a washer's worth of clearance between the rail and the wheel:
it was very easy to trash a wheel by rubbing it against a rail.
The holes along the side of the runners were oval; the rock of
the skate was determined by how much you slid the bolt up or
down when you tightened it. Finally, the brakes were old roller
skate toe stops -- they were not very efficient.
The first massively successful Rollerblade skate was the
Lightning. It had a robust fiberglass runner for each size of
skate. The bushings fit into oval holes in the runners -- rock
was set by whether you put the bushing in up or down. The
linkage between the wheel and runner was far more mechanically
efficient and there was no way to rub wheels on the runners.
Wheel removal/insertion was far easier. And Rollerblade's
brake, while far smaller than the old "toe stop" brake, was
much more efficient and lasted longer.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: I'm interested in getting a pair of in-lines for outdoor skating.
I want to get decent stuff, but I'd rather not spend a lot of
money. What do I need to get?_
(See the Buying Guide for Inline Skates for more in-depth
tips.)
_A_: First off, your budget should include protection: knee
pads, wrist guards, and a helmet. Elbow pads are optional.
These "pads" should have a hard plastic shell -- they should
slide on the asphalt when you fall. Good brands of protection
are the Rollerblade TRS or the Dr. Bone Savers (DBS) set of
accesories. For helmets, any well-fitting ANSI/Snell approved
bicycle helmet should be fine.
The in-line industry is a lot like the bicycle industry --
specialty shops generally sell and support more expensive
functional skate brands and department stores generally sell
inexpensive lines that will never work well. Also, there's
usually a much greater chance of getting spare parts and
service from a specialty shop than a department store.
Rollerblade is the best-known brand of in-line skate; they make
a whole family of different in-line skates. Any skate in
Rollerblade's line at or above the Lightning skate should work
well and last a long time. Other reputable manufacturers are
Ultra Wheels, Bauer, Roces, and K2.
You may wish to rent a model of skates before buying. Some
shops will discount part of the rental from purchase price if
you buy skates later.
The fit should be comfortable but snug. Unlike hiking or
running shoes, it's OK for your toes to be loosely in contact
with the front of the boot.
Unless you have a background of speed skating, beginning
skaters should avoid the 5-wheel skates. The problem with isn't
the inherent speed of the skates, but since manueverability and
flexibility are sacrificed for the sake of racing performance,
so turns and other maneuvers require more commitment. The
5-wheelers are great fun, but master the fundamentals on a
shorter wheelbase first.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: Are buckles better than laces?_
_A_: If you're looking to buy skates nowadays, you'll notice a
wide variety of support systems: laces only, laces with one
buckle, one buckle (rear-entry style), two buckles, three
buckles, or maybe even a multitude of straps like in K2 skates.
Hockey skates are usually laces only. 5-wheelers come in
various types: laces only, lace and one buckle, or multiple
buckles (typically recreational 5-wheelers).
The issue of buckles vs. laces is still a fairly often debated
subject, and the bottom line is whatever works for you. Anyway,
here are some good and bad points of each support system
(recreational skates only).
Buckles:
o PROs
1. Faster to put on.
2. More durable.
3. Adjustable on the fly.
4. Allows for vented shells.
5. Maintain their hold, no loosening.
6. Possible to adjust support in separate areas.
o CONs
1. More expensive (in general).
2. Can cause too much pressure on parts of the foot.
Laces:
o PROs
1. Cheaper (in general)
2. Much less prone to point-loading pressure on
specific spots, pressure is distributed evenly.
o CONs
1. Slower to lace up than to buckle up.
2. Prone to breakage.
3. Cannot easily adjust tension without stopping and
re-doing the whole thing.
4. Laces don't allow for much venting in the shells.
5. They eventually loosen while you skate.
6. Not very easy to adjust support in sparate areas.
Laces & buckles:
o PROs
1. Support adjustment is easy (if you normally only
adjust the ankle).
o CONs
1. Laces don't allow for much venting in the shells.
o NEITHER
1. Mid-range pricing.
Buckles may seem like they've got a lot of good points going
for them, and they do. However, the two bad points can be big
ones. Cost is the most obvious factor. If you can't afford
buckle skates, you'll likely have to settle for laces only,
and/or add your own. The other factor is fit. If the skates
don't fit you quite right, the buckles can cause over-pressure
on certain parts of your feet. Fit is one of more important
aspects of choosing a skate, and while liners of most skates
eliminate this point- loading problem to a good extent, it may
not be enough for some people.
So what can you do if you've got lace-only skates and want to
have the convenience of buckles but can't afford to buy a new
pair? You might consider adding buckles. Either adding one
buckle at the ankle or doing away with laces altogether and
adding two or three buckles. Many ski shops will be willing to
do this for you. Or you can add your own.
To retrofit buckles onto your skates:
From: holr...@student.tc.umn.edu (James A Holroyd-1)
Need:
1) Buckles: can be obtained at ski shops, snowboarding shops, or
from an old pair of ski boots. I got mine from a snowboard shop,
sold as an extra buckle kit for snowboard binding ankle straps.
** NOTE ** Make *sure* the mounting surfaces of the buckle are only
slightly curved. Too much curvature in this area (the bit that
touches the boot) will pull your boot out of shape and be very
uncomfortable.
2) Drill with various bits.
3) Mounting hardware for buckles: you can rivet them, or use
T-bolts. I used T-bolts with loctite on the threads, and they stay
on well.
Step 1.
Put your skates on and figure out where you want to put
the buckles. I would recommend leaving the eyelets for
the laces accessible. This way, you can still lace up
your skates, then tighten the cuffs with your buckles The
laces sit behind the strap, and don't loosen up as much
as if you leave them tied off below the cuff. Remember to
place the buckles far enough apart so you can tighten
them, but not so far that you can't get the tongue into
the ratchet.
*** IMPORTANT *** The buckle levers go on the *outside*
of the skate :) This is very embarrassing when you get it
wrong (I did, first time), as every time your skates get
close together, they either catch on each other or
unlatch the lever, or some combination of the two. Not
pretty.
Step 2.
Mark where you will have to drill holes to mount the
buckles.
Step 3.
Take the liners out of the boots and drill the holes.
Start with a small, sharp bit (that boot plastic is
*tough*, it could take a while) and work up to the size
that accomodates the mounting hardware you're using.
Step 4.
Mount the buckles. If you are using the snowboard
buckles, the mounting hardware that came with them should
work. Just make sure that nothing sharp is sticking into
your liner, as it could chew up the liner and/or your
ankle. Don't forget the loctite (although it's really not
critical until you've got the placement right, or until
you're 10 miles from home :) )
This method works great with my lightnings. I got a pair
of skates that, IMHO, are as good as those costing a lot
more. However, I would not try this trick with any of the
skates with flimsier liners. The Zetra's are pretty
uncomfy after a while, as the edges of the cuff do tend
to dig in. I ended up putting extra foam padding
(ensolite) around the ankle area before I sold them to a
friend. He took it out, and apparently has no comfort
problems. Your mileage may vary.
Buckle add-on kits are now being sold in skate shops
specifically for in-lines. They run about $20 or so per
pair of buckles. Ask your local skate shop or call up one
of the mail-order shops in the FAQ.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: I want to get good in-lines, but I can only afford $150._ (See
also the Buying Guide for Inline Skates)
_A_: At this price point, you'll have to be pretty resourceful.
First, note that the in-line "season" begins somewhere around
the end of March. You'll probably find some good bargains in
stores in the Jan-Mar time frame. Like many sports, the in-line
market is style-oriented: you may find last year's style at a
huge discount.
Even at this price level, you should avoid "department store"
skates (unless you want to buy skates that you won't use).
You're far better off buying a pair of used Rollerblade
Lightning skates. If you don't see anyone selling your size,
consider putting an ad advertising that you want to buy skates.
Make sure to get pads too. Don't skimp on protection! A knee is
a terrible thing to waste. Used protection in good condition is
fine.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: I'm considering getting used skates. What do I look for?_
See the Buying Guide for Used Skates
__________________________________________________________
_Q: How do I stop on in-lines?_ (see also, the stopping file, for more
details)
_A_: Good question. You've taken the most important step --
realizing that there is a need to be able to slow down. The
rest is just practice.
There are several general techniques for stopping while
remaining on your skates: generating friction by dragging your
brake pad, generating friction by sliding your wheels laterally
against the ground, jumping onto grass and killing your speed
by running out, and pushing against a slower-moving or
stationary object with your hands.
I finally learned how to brake well when someone described this
image: your brake foot has just slipped on a banana peel.
Whoops! Your brake foot will be about a foot in front of your
body. The leg will have a slight bend. The rear wheel and the
brake will be in contact with the ground.
At first, your non-brake foot will be bearing almost all your
weight. That leg will be directly under your body, and the knee
will be bent. The amount of bend in your knee will determine
how much braking force you can apply.
Your feet should be very close to your centerline. This should
help keep you going straight forward when braking (pretty
important!).
There should be a slight forward bend in the waist. It may also
help to keep the hands at waist height or so. This keeps your
center of gravity lower. Try to keep your hands (and your whole
upper body) loose; clenched fists do not make the brakes work
any better! Relax.
After you've tried a dozen or so stops, add one more
refinement: drive your back knee into the back of the front
knee while braking. This creates a triangle with your lower
legs and the pavement between your skates. As all the
Buckminster Fuller fans out there know, triangles provide
structural stability. This triangle should enhance your braking
power and ability to run smooth, straight, and true while
stopping.
As you master braking, begin to shift more of your weight to
your front foot. The Masters of Speed Control can actually
decelerate while standing only on their front foot. Good trick,
that.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: I've learned how to slow down. how do I go faster?_
_A_: First off, keep learning how to slow down! Learn new
techniques; refine the ones you already know. Until you master
slowing down, your mind will limit how fast it will let you go
on skates.
Watch good skaters. Notice that they rarely have both skates on
the ground at the same time. This independent leg action is
something you'll master over time; you can practice by seeing
now long you can glide on a single skate. When you can glide on
a single skate for more than 30 seconds (both left and right
legs!), you're well on the way.
Notice that almost all of the side-to-side motion is happening
below the waist. Eliminate any twisting motion in your
shoulders -- keep your shoulders square to your direction of
travel. If you want to move your arms, move them forward and
back -- crossing patterns may have you twist your shoulders.
Relax the muscles in your lower back to allow your upper body
to remain quiet.
Watch your stride. Are you pushing more to the side or to the
back? Shift your stride to be pushing almost exclusively to the
side.
Where do you set your skate down at the start of your stride?
Shoulder width? Start setting your skate down on the centerline
of your body. After you're comfortable with that, start setting
your skate further in beyond your centerline.
Do you flick your toe at the end of your stride? If so, stop.
Instead, flick your heel -- drive your heel out at the end of
the stroke. This will feel very strange for the first 10,000 or
so times.
Relax. Then relax some more. Discover levels with levels of
relaxation. Travel fast while moving your skates slowly -- your
body is swimming through air. Consider beginning to practice
T'ai Chi Ch'aun postures daily. Relax some more.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: How do I learn to skate backwards?_
See part 2.1 of the FAQ
__________________________________________________________
_Q: What sort of maintenance do I have to do on my in-lines?_ (See
also: part 4 of the FAQ)
_A_: Things that need maintaining are the wheels, bearings, and
brakes.
Wheels sometimes need rotating to keep the wear on all the
wheels even. To rotate a set of wheels, you simply move wheels
to different positions. The swapping scheme you use it ups to
you. Some people have a set rotation they always do (wheel #1
-> #2, #2 -> #3, #3 -> #4, etc.) and some people just try and
place the wheels so that the wear is more evenly distributed.
Do what's best for you.
For your bearings, practice preventative maintenance: avoid
sand, dirt, and water as much as possible. These nasties are
what cause bearing failure. If you want bearings to last,
vacuum in/around your runners with an upholstery accessory
after every skating session. If you do want to (or have to)
skate in sand/dirt/water/mud, get a set of sealed bearings.
Buy a Rollerblade "Y" tool to remove bearings from spacers, or
buy one of the aftermarket bearing spacer kits. These make
bearing removal much easier.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: How do I handle dogs chasing me while skating?_
(From George Robbins)
On the physical side
Many people recommed a bicycle style water bottle, dogs
tend to be confused/diestressed by getting a spray of
water in the face. Since you can spray from a distance,
this is generally safe and the bottle is also useful for
you own refreshment.
On the psych-warfare side
Threaten back by either skating directly towards the dog
or making some kind of striking/throwing motion with your
arms, preferably with a stick or some kind other sort of
safety extension. Dogs generally thtreaten potential
territorial invaders and become more or less agressive
depending on the response.
On the chem-warfare front
Some people recommed mace or other chemical deterrents.
These will cause the animal severe pain, so be sure that
the dog is really threatenting and not just putting up a
noisey territorial display. Also don't rely on these
100%, since while skating you may miss or the dog may
attack anyway, so be prepared to strike and run. Some
folks also recommend ammonia in the water bottle, but
make sure you don't get confused and take a sip.
On the legal front
Take note of what property the dog seems to be defending
and it's description, especially collars or tags. If
you're in an area with an enforced leash law, don't
hestitate to report the animal. If not, you can still
report the dog to the police, sheriff or animal control
authorities, especially if it did physically attack
and/or bite you. This may or may not get a positive
response, but the owner *is* legally responsible for
keeping his animals under control and one that attacks
you today may attack child skater or cyclist tomorrow.
On the other side
Be prepared to sprint through or away from the dog's
territory. Motions or sounds will attrace the dogs
attention, but they usually won't chase seriously beyond
a predetermined territory. Keep your arms up/close to
your body, so that if the dog does try to bit it will
probably and up with a mouth full of boot. If the dog
does bite an break your skin, clean the wound immediately
and seek medical attention.
__________________________________________________________
_Q: What can I do to help prevent skating bans?_
Some Common Sense Approaches For Avoiding Skate Bans
A Letter For Skaters (from Dave Cooper at IISA) As more and
more in-liners take to the roads and paths of this great
country, encounters between skaters and the civilians (any
non-skater) become more likely. Cities, parks and educational
institutions are taking a second look at in-line skaters and
asking whether they can abide by wheeled beings plying their
pavement. In large measure, their decisions to give in-liners
the green light are formed by the image they have of the local
skate talent. Here are ten common sense things you can do to
get out in front of the restrictions in your community. By
presenting the image of a sane and reasonable collection of
carbon molecules you might avoid future unpleasantness:
1. _Skate Smart_ - Build the image of the in-line skater as a
safety conscious individual.
2. _Align With The Bicyclist_ - Bikers are pursuing a legitimate
sport, let this rub off.
3. _Sponsor Family Days_ - Any time Grandma and the kids do
something...it must be o.k.
4. _Skate With Community Leaders_ - Most have always "wanted to
try it" Educated them.
5. _Offer The Law Enforcement Community Help_ - Extra eyes for
the police, our friends.
6. _Sponsor Safety Clinics_ - Who knows, you might even get
paid.
7. _Attend Regulatory Meetings (Traffic, City, School)_ - Wear
your nice clothes.
8. _Sponsor A School Program_ - Get the educators behind the
movement.
9. _Visit The Rental Shop_ - Help them have safe customers.
10. _Police Yourself_ - Organize (or don't), but make sure
skaters obey the right laws at the right times.
Remember that the sport of in-line skating is very cool, very
fun and can be quite wacky, but as a role model for the
beginner we all have a responsibility to execute our stranger
and more dangerous maneuvers out of eye and camera shot. By all
means, push the sport, make the best of your skate, but also
Skate Smart, Skate Polite and, when appropriate, skate stealth.
For more information on specific programs that can help your
area - please contact the IISA,
http://www.sportsite.com/mac/allshop/sgma/iisa/html/iisa_hp.ht
ml.
Dave Cooper
International In-line Skating Association
Government Relations Committee
http://www.sportsite.com/mac/allshop/sgma/iisa/html/iisa_hp.htm
l
__________________________________________________________
_Q: What other information is out there to help me with in-line
skating?_
Here's a list of inline skating magazines out there: InLine
Subscriptions Dept.
P.O. Box 527
Mt. Morris, IL 61054
or call customer service at 1-800-877-5281
jw...@aol.com, Inline Magazine, Natalie Kurylko, editor
http://triadcom.com/inline/, Anne...@aol.com
Speedskating Times
2910 NE 11 Ave
Pompano Beach, FL 33064
(305) 782-5928
Daily Bread
280 Highland Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(714) 497-2636
Box Magazine
818 Lincoln Blvd.
Slab 103
Venice, CA 90291
Roller Hockey Magazine
12327 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 202
Los Angelas, CA 90025
phone 310-442-6660
fax 310-442-6663
9 per year @ $20
Inline Skater
4099 McEwen, suite 350
Dallas TX 75244-5039
E-Mail SKA...@FLC.MHS.COMPUSERVE.COM
6 per year @$17.95
Global Skate
PO Box 8400-361
Westminster, CA 92683
E-mail GLOB...@AOL.COM
4 per year @ $8
Inline Retailer
2025 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
303-440-5111
fax 303-440-3313 12 per year @ $30, or free to qualified
dealers
Inline Skater (http://www.xcscx.com/skater/) There are several videos
that are marginally good at training. One of these is the
Rollerblade/Ski Magazine Skate to Ski video. Your local Rollerblade
dealer should have training videos available for viewing in the store
and/or rental.
_________________________________________________________________
_Reading list:_ (mini-reviews by George Robbins)
See also George's Skating Book FAQ
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/ which covers books for all
types of skating (roller, ice, inline).
Blazing Bladers by Bill Gutman
A Tom Doherty Associates Book, 1992.
Cover price: $6.99 ($7.99 CAN)
ISBN 0-812-51939-6
One of the two easier to find books, this provides a reaonsable
overview of the sport, but suffers somewhat from "generic how-to"
publishing. The author tends to recite what "experts" have told him
without much conviction and some of the photographs don't fit well
with the text. Still has a good section on "street tricks".
The Complete Blader by Joel Rappelfeld
St. Martin's Press, NY, New York, 1992.
Cover price: $8.95
ISBN 0-312-06936-7
This book is nearly as good as _Inline Skating_, but is more oriented
towards fitness/health aspects. There seems to be as much space
allocated to stretching and conditioning as skating. One useful
section describes construction and use of a slide-board for off season
training.
The Complete Guide and Resource to In-line Skating
by Stephen Christopher Joyner
Betterway Books, Cincinnati OH - 1993
Trade Paperback, 176 pages, $12.95
ISBN 1-55870-289-X
As a resource guide, this is a useful book, the appendices list
Magazines, Manufacturers, Retailers, Organizations, Roller Hockey
Leagues, IISA certified instructors and also a rather eclectic
bibliography. The rest of the text is OK and has a few interesting
features, but either of the first two in-line books (The Complete
Blader and Inline Skating) mentioned above would be more useful,
especially for the beginning skater. Some Specific irritations are
only the briefest mention of roller hockey where I would exepect at
least an information presentation of rules, equipment and game play,
and a strong anti-quad bias including a history of skating which leaps
from Plimpton's error (a steerable truck quad skate) to Scott Olson's
Rollerblade as if no-one enjoyed skating in the interiem.
Inline Skating by Mark Powell & John Svenson
Human Kinetics Publising, 1993
Trade Paperback, 134 PP, $12.95
ISBN 0-87322-399-3
Of the recent rash of in-line skating "how to" books, this is probably
best and most balanced one. It has good coverage of equipment and
basic skating skills, mention of dance and fun skating, and doesn't
suffer from any fitness obsession.
Laura Stamm's Power Skating by Laura Stamm
Leisure Press, 1989
Cover price: $17.95
ISBN 0-88011-331-6
Wheel Excitement by Neil Feineman with Team Rollerblade(R)
Hearst Books, New York, NY 1991.
Cover price: $9.00
ISBN 0-688-10814-8
At one point, this was the only book on in-line skating and it still
serves as a decent introduction to the sport. Lots of pictures of
California kids having a good time. The actual text is a little thin
and any of the above books are better if you can find them in your
area.
_________________________________________________________________
INLINE SKATING GLOSSARY
_ABEC:_
Stands for Annular Bearing Engineer Council. The ABEC-1,
ABEC-3, ABEC-5 ratings you see for bearings are supposed to be
indications that the bearings meet the stated ABEC
specifications of a certain precision level. ABEC-5's are
supposed to be fastest but there is yet no hard evidence that
in real world situations that this is true.
_bearings:_
These are those metal things inside the hub of your wheels.
There's two per wheel. Inline skates currently use bearings
that were already standard in the bearings industry, before
inlines were popular. They are "608" bearings, indicating the
inner (6mm) and outer diamters (8 mm).
_bearing spacers:_
These are those small parts that go in between your bearings so
that the axles can go through your wheels. Most stock spacers
are plastic, some may be metal. Hop-up kits provide metal ones.
Some spacers may also be threaded (so that axles screw directly
into the spacers instead of just passing through).
_anti-rocker:_
This is a wheel configuration used by many rail-sliders which
has the larger wheels on the toe and heel positions, and the
smaller wheels (like Lil' Roxx or Midgets) in the middle to
allow the sliding to take place without the wheels being in the
way.
_bashing (stair bashing):_
A synonym for stair riding. Also sometimes called "stair
bumping".
_crossovers:_
Skating crossovers is simply skating along a curved path while
still stroking. To do this, you have to cross the outer skate
over the other one and hence the term "crossover". Done
properly, a crossover will not only let you maintain your speed
going into the turn, but also let you increase it to an extent.
The turns that ice speedskaters do during the Olympics are all
crossover turns. Figure skaters will often do backwards
crossovers during their routines, and hockey players do a
variety of both during games.
_durometer:_
Durometer is an industry hardness rating for polyurethane,
which is the primary wheel material. Ratings such as 78A or 85A
are usually seen on wheels. The higher the rating the harder
the wheel. 100 is the highest (although no skaters probably go
beyond 92 or 95).
_frame spacers:_
These are those small parts on your skates that go between your
wheels and the runners. Many skates have eccentric, oval shaped
frame spacers so that you can flip them 180 degrees to rocker
your skates.
_fakie:_
A prefix used for any trick done backwards, as in a "fakie
360".
_grind plates:_
These are flat metal or hard plastic plates that are bolted on
to runners for grinding and rail slides so that the original
runners won't get shredded to pieces.
_hop-up kits:_
Hop-up kits are simply upgrade kits that include frame spacers,
bearing spacers, and axels. They're made of aluminium or brass
or some other metal. Some incorporate threaded spacers too. The
advantage in using hop-up kits is that you can crank down real
hard on your wheels without compressing the spacers. The stock
plastic spacers on most skates will compress or even crack if
you do this a lot.
_monocoque:_
This means the entire skate (boot and runners) is
manufacturered in one solid piece. This can produce a lot more
stiffness in the skate, which may or may not be good, depending
on your skating style and purpose.
_rail slides:_
This is a skating trick where you slide along a rail in various
stances. Most often an anti-rocker or all-small-wheel setup is
used in order to let the runners slide along the rail. It wears
down plastic runners fairly quick so rail sliders usually put
on grind-plates on their runners.
_road rash:_
Any scrapes, gashes or other injuries incurred from wiping out
and sliding on pavement.
_rockering:_
Rockering your skates means to arrange the wheel heights to
approximate a curved (ice skate) blade. Normally this is done
by raising the front and rear wheels slightly by flipping the
frame spacers, or by lower the middle two wheels, or by doing
both. Rocker provides for much more responsive turning at the
cost of some stability.
_skitching:_
Skitching comes from "skate hitching". Skitching is simply
hanging on to some moving vehicle and letting it pull you
along. Potentially dangerous of course.
_stair riding:_
This is a common skating stunt where you literally ride down a
set of steps. It's bumpy, but with the proper stance and
balance it's pretty fun. Always use protective gear when doing
this!!!
_wheel rotation:_
Polyurethane wheels eventually wear down, but you can often
extend the life of your wheels by flipping and/or rotating your
wheels amongst themselves so that you can skate on the
less-worn areas of your wheels.
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part2
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Stopping, backwards skating, etc._
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
TECHNIQUES - STOPPING, BACKWARDS SKATING, ETC.
(last changed Monday, 03-Jun-96 07:22:58 MDT) Table of Contents:
* Stopping Techniques
* Skating Backwards
* Skating Downhills (and surviving)
_________________________________________________________________
The In-line Stopping Techniques File
(originally written February 1992)
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright notice
_________________________________________________________________
NOTE: This list is arranged in order of increasing difficulty as per
my experience. Your experiences WILL undoubtedly vary from mine. This
list does not purport to be the definitive list of stopping
techniques, but it does strive to be as complete and descriptive as
possible.
It is not expected that everyone will learn, or even want to learn,
all the methods discussed in this file. It is simply a catalog of
techniques to choose from. Some techniques require more flexibility,
some require more finesse, and some require more guts 8-)
Good luck, and skate smart.
_-Tony Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
_
_________________________________________________________________
List of stops:
Beginner level
* runouts
* wall stop
* windbraking
* the brake-pad
* V-stop/snowplow
Intermediate level
* advanced runouts
* (regular) spinout/lunge stop
* spread eagle spinout
* crossover stop
* slaloming/parallel turns
Advanced level
* T-stop (includes a picture tutorial)
* toe drag
* backwards T-stop
* Stepping stops
+ backward stepping stop
+ forward stepping stop
* reverse stop (forwards snow-plow)
* backwards heel drag
* toe-drag spinouts
* heel-drag spinouts
* curb ramming
* power stop/power slide (includes a picture tutorial)
* chop-stop
* New York stop
* "Wile E. Coyote" stops
Combination stops
Related topics:
* falling
* collisions with stationary objects
_________________________________________________________________
The basic repretoire of stopping techniques includes the brake-pad,
the T-stop, spinouts, and the power slide. This file should help you
learn those basics and more. The basics should always be learned
first, but once you progress beyond them, you'll likely want to learn
different and/or more advanced techniques. This compilation should
help guide you through this progression.
_________________________________________________________________
BEGINNER LEVEL
Most beginner skaters should be able to handle the following set of
stopping methods. These techniques keep both feet on the ground
throughout the stop, and don't require fully independent leg action.
_RUNOUTS:_
If the path you're skating on has grass or packed dirt you can
just skate off the path onto the grass/dirt. This will reduce
your speed somewhat but watch out for the sudden change in
speed! (hop-hop-hop-hop-hop). If you are truly out of control,
at least you'll tumble in the grass and not on the road.
_WALL STOP:_
To do this stop, simply skate towards a wall (or any reasonably
stationary object, really) and use your arms to absorb the
impact. At low speeds, this should be quite safe (make sure you
turn your head to the side so as not to smash your face).
You may or may not bang your skates, depending on your speed
and how you hit. The key is to use your arms as cushioning
springs (like doing a standing push-up.) One way to practice
this is to stand a few feet from a wall (with your skates on).
Now fall forward on your hands against the wall. You should be
able to bounce slightly, while still avoiding banging your
head. The faster your approach, the less bounce you can expect.
A variation on the wall stop is the billiard ball stop. Instead
of stopping against an object, use a fellow skater to push off
and transfer your momentum to them. To be safe, warn the
receiving person about your approach. It works well on flat
surfaces and at low to moderate speeds. It's not recommended at
high speeds and especially on people you don't know 8-)
See the collision section for more extreme cases.
_WIND-BRAKING:_
Wind-braking is more for speed-control than outright stopping
(although on windy days, wind-braking can stop you). Just stand
up, spread your arms out and catch the air like a sail. You'll
probably need to lean forwards slightly, to counter the force
of the wind.
_THE BRAKE-PAD:_
The brake-pad is subject to much debate amongst skaters. Many
people with ice skating and rollerskating backgrounds find the
brake in the way, in the wrong place, or simply ineffective.
However, for those of you who actually take the time to learn
it properly, the brake-pad becomes a very versatile piece of
equipment. Here are some of the benefits:
1. you can use it to stop, even at very high speeds
2. it allows you to keep both skates on the ground while
stopping (good for keeping your balance)
3. you can maintain a narrow profile (good for high traffic
areas where cars or bicycles might be passing you)
4. you can still steer
5. the sound of braking can often alert others to your presence
6. the brake-pad is the most cost-effective technique there is
so far for in-lines
To learn how to use the brake-pad, first coast with both skates
shoulder-width apart. As you coast, scissor your feet back and
forth a few times to get used to the weight shift. To apply the
brake, scissor your skate so that your braking skate is out in
front. Lift the toe of your brake skate and press with the heel
too. Your body weight is centered and even slightly on your
back skate when you're just learning it. The key is a straight
back and bent knees.
If you have trouble balancing or find your braking ankle a
little weak, you can try the following trick: form a triangle
with your legs (from the knee down to your skates) and the
ground. This means putting your back knee either right behind
or next to, the brake-foot knee to form that triangle.
Eventually you'll want to be able to stop at high speeds.
Basically, the more pressure you use on the brake pad the
faster you stop. Maximum stopping power is achieved by putting
your entire body weight onto the brake by lifting your back
foot, and leaning onto the brake. This takes some practice but
is very effective. It is possible to stop within 15-20 ft even
when going over 20 mph. You may still want to keep the other
skate on the ground for balance, however.
Note that the amount of leverage (the amount of stopping power
you have), is partially dependent on how worn your brake is. A
half-worn brake will provide better leverage than either a new
brake or a worn-out brake. Some people saw off part of the
bottom of new brakes to avoid the annoying breaking-in period.
One important point to keep in mind when using the brake-pad:
You can still steer while braking. Just keep the brake-pad on
the ground and pivot on your heel wheel slightly to go the
direction you want. This is very useful while going down a very
narrow and curvy path or while trying to avoid curbs,
pedestrians, parked cars, trees, and the like.
A brake-pad generally runs from $3 to $6 depending on what type
you buy. Compare this with wheels which are $5.50 or more each
and the freebie stops: runouts, wind-braking, billiard ball
stop (freebies since you're not wearing anything down). Wheels
are expensive, and the freebie stops are infrequently
available, if at all, for the large majority of skating
situations. The brake should be your standard stop, provided
that you learn it well. (see "Wile E. Coyote" stops for a
rather interesting variation)
_V-STOP/SNOWPLOW:_
For a low-speed rolling stop, point your heels inward (for
backwards) or your toes together (for forwards) and let your
skates bang into each other. This might throw you in the
direction you're going (depending on your speed), so take care
to be prepared to lean forward or backwards to compensate.
You can do a more exaggerated snowplow by spreading your legs
out past shoulder-width and pointing your skates inward or
outwards as before (and you won't bang your skates together.)
Here, use leg strength to press your inner edges against the
ground, and you'll slow down appreciably. This can work even at
very high speeds.
_________________________________________________________________
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
_ADVANCED RUNOUTS:_
Skating off pavement onto grass. You can weave from pavement to
grass and back to pavement to control your speed, especially
when going downhill. To stop completely just stay on the grass.
As you hit the grass, knees are kept bent, and one foot is
ahead of the other. Nearly all weight is distributed on the
foot that will hit the grass first, and you keep that leg real
stiff, as if plowing a path for the trailing leg to follow.
Very little weight is on the trailing leg. Muscles in the
trailing leg are relaxed. The only function of the trailing leg
is stability and balance. The leading leg does most of the
work.
Beginners are often intimidated by this procedure, but it is
really a very simple physical feat. The hard part, if any, is
simply understanding mentally what it is you are trying to do,
as I explained.
This is a lot of fun, too. I like to hit the grass full speed,
and then skate as far down a slope as possible before the grass
stops me.
One important requirement is that the ground should be dry. Wet
dirt or grass will clog your wheels and your skates will also
sink into mud (yuck).
_(REGULAR) SPINOUTS/LUNGE STOP:_
This is where you skate into a spin to transfer your linear
momentum into angular momentum. To do this, you sort of
stop-n-hold one skate at an angle to act as the pivot foot and
the other traces a circle around it (and you). It may help to
think of having each skate trace concentric circles, with the
pivot skate tracing the much smaller inner one. The pivot skate
will be turning on its outside edge, while the outer skate will
be on its inside edge.
_SPREAD EAGLE SPINOUTS:_
A spinout with your skates in a bent spread eagle position
(i.e., heels pointed towards each other, skates at slightly
less than 180 degrees). There is no pivot foot here, instead
both your skates trace the arc.
There are inside and outside spread eagles, where you skate on
both inside or both outside edges. The above paragraph
describes the inside spread eagle.
A sustained outside spread eagle is more of an artistic skating
move than a practical stop, although I use it occasionally to
stop on flat surfaces.
NOTE that all types of spinouts require a fair amount of room.
Your forward motion is quite suddenly changed to angular motion
so I'd recommend this mainly for low traffic areas where you
won't have people running into you from behind when you do the
spinout.
_CROSSOVER STOP:_
This stop works both forwards and backwards at higher speeds. I
call this the crossover stop because your feet are held in the
position of a spread-out crossover. In this stop, you're going
to be arcing to one side. The harder and sharper you turn, the
faster you stop. If you tend to trip on your skates, spread
your skates farther apart (forwards-backwards).
The braking pressure comes from the turn. The harder you press
with the outer edge of your back skate, the faster you stop. So
if you're turning left, your right skate is in front, the left
skate is almost right behind it (so that all your wheels are in
line). Press on the outer edge of your left skate (your back
skate) and on the inner edge of your right skate.
There is also the inverted crossover stop where your feet
positions are reversed: so you turn left with your left foot
forward and right foot back (and vice versa for right turns).
Watch ice hockey players just after play has stopped. More
often than not, the circle around in the inverted crossover
position.
Both crossover stops are good for high speed stops but make
sure you have plenty of open space.
_SLALOMING/PARALLEL TURNS:_
For skiers, this maps over very nicely. This is more of a speed
control technique rather than a stop, but it's very useful to
know. Explaining slalom turns can take an entire book in
itself, so I will merely suggest that you find a skier or a ski
book to show you how.
One way to practice this is to find a nice gentle slope with
plenty of space at the bottom, set up cones in a line, and
weave through the cones.
_________________________________________________________________
ADVANCED LEVEL
This next set of stops require good independent leg control. These
advanced stops will require you to be skating only one foot for some
portion of the technique.
_T-STOP:_
This stop uses your wheels as a source of friction. To do the
T-stop, place one skate behind you, nearly perpendicular to
your direction of travel. Bend a little in both knees to drag
your wheels. You should think more of dragging the heel than
the toe. Apply the braking pressure to your heel. If you drag
the toe too much, you will end up spinning around. Keep your
weight mainly on your skating (front) foot. As you learn to
stop at higher speeds you will apply more downward pressure to
the back skate (but your weight is still on the front skate).
If you have a World Wide Web (WWW) browser, Check out Scott's
picture tutorial on T-stops.
NOTE: One particular phenomenon to avoid in the T-stop, or any
wheel-dragging stop (such as the toe drag) is the "flats". If
you T- stop or toe drag such that the wheels do not roll as
your drag, you will end up with a flattened wheel which will
not roll smoothly at all. In effect, ruining your wheel(s).
_TOE DRAG:_
Similar to the T-stop except you drag only the toe wheel
instead of all four or five wheels. Unlike the T-stop it's not
critical to keep the skate perpendicular to your line of
travel. In fact, you're free to drag the wheel anywhere in a
180+ degree arc behind you. Also, your toe can be pointed into
the ground at pretty much any angle. (If you have old wheels,
the toe position is a good place to put them if you want to
avoid shredding your good wheels.)
The toe drag is better than the T-stop in that you wear down
only one wheel, and more importantly, you are also allowed much
better control over steering, since you can still stop
effectively even if the drag wheel rolls too much. The toe drag
can stop you even when at cruising speeds, although at
significantly longer breaking distance than the brake-pad or
the T-stop since you are dragging only one wheel.
_BACKWARDS T-STOP:_
This is a T-stop when you're rolling backwards. There are two
ways to perform this stop. The first way is to stop by dragging
the outside edge of your skate (i.e., toe pointed outward). The
harder way is to point your toe inward, much like a reverse New
York stop (see New York stop).
STEPPING STOPS
These three stepping stops are essentially advanced low-speed stops
("advanced" since they require good independent control over
each skate). They could also be called "pushing" stops, since
most of the braking action is done by pushing a skate against
your motion. Many advanced skaters will do this intuitively,
but I will detail them here for completeness.
_BACKWARD STEPPING STOP:_
This is like when someone pushes you from the front while you
are wearing shoes. One foot automatically steps back to keep
you from falling backwards. On skates then, while rolling
backwards, you simply put one skate behind you, 90 degrees to
the other skate, and hold it there so that your body doesn't
roll any further. This is basically a very low- speed power
stop/power slide, but without the sliding and scraping action
of the wheels (see the Power Stop).
The faster you are moving, the closer you are to doing a true
power stop. This may be a good method to learn the power stop,
gradually building up speed.
_FORWARD STEPPING STOP:_
A low-speed stop very similar to the backwards stepping stop
except you're rolling forwards. This time you plant your skate
90 degrees out in front of, or right next to the rolling skate.
Your front heel will be pointing inwards (it's probably easier
for most people to keep the toe pointed outward here). This is
especially useful at curbs, like just before you accidentally
roll into an intersection, in crowded indoor places, or if you
just want to get a little closer to people you're talking with.
This stop should halt you immediately. Once you plant your
foot, your body should stop moving forward. You may find it
easier if you bend slightly at the waist and knee to give your
skate a better angle to grab.
You can also use this stop in a sort of shuffling fashion:
stop, roll a little, stop, roll a little, etc., until you get
to precisely where you want to be.
_REVERSE STOP (FORWARDS SNOW-PLOW):_
While rolling, point and lift one skate inward, and set it back
down. Roll on it and push off slightly at the heel. Now lift
the other skate, and do the same.
Essentially you are skating backwards even though moving
forwards. Keep doing it and you will eventually start skating
backwards. This can be done even at high speeds.
_BACKWARDS HEEL DRAG:_
This is for rolling backwards. Similar to the toe drag except
you drag your heel wheel. If you find your drag skate rolling
sideways, apply more pressure to your heel wheel.
Now that you can do toe-drags, heel-drags and spinouts...
_TOE-DRAG SPINOUTS:_
This is a one-footed spinout with an accompanying toe-drag on
the other foot. The toe drag will be in the inside of the
spinout. So for a right-foot toe-drag spinout, you will be
carving a right turn. It takes a bit more balance and strength
and will shred your toe wheel a lot. The more pressure on the
toe, and the sharper/harder you carve your turn, the faster you
stop.
At maximum effectiveness, it can stop you very quickly. The
skating foot will be nearly doing a power slide (see Power
Stop) and the dragging foot will be doing a very hard
toe-drag. Done correctly at low to medium speeds, it takes up
at most a sidewalk's width. At downhill speeds, expect to take
up most of a car lane.
NOTE that hitting a crack or rock during this stop really bites
since you've got most of your weight on one skating foot. Look
for any debris or holes ahead of you and be prepared.
_HEEL-DRAG SPINOUTS:_
For this spinout, just plant one of your heel wheels on the
ground out in front of you and spin around it. The only tricky
part is that the pivot heel wheel may roll a little, so keep
some downward pressure on it. It probably helps to keep your
pivot leg straight and slightly locked to help stabilize the
pivot.
A variation on heel-drag spinouts is to use your brake-pad as
the pivot.
This stop looks pretty neat when going backwards, although you
should be careful to protect your knees if you have to abort.
To perform this backwards, start a heel-drag stop (you're
skating backwards), carve the skating foot behind and to the
inside, and you should spin around the heel wheel/brake.
_CURB RAMMING:_
You approach the curb at around 90 degrees (i.e., straight on)
and lift your toes enough to clear the curb. This should jam
your wheels and runners into the curb. You should be prepared
to compensate for the sudden change in your motion.
An alternative curb ramming stop is to do a spinout near the
curb and ram the back of your skate into the curb.
Both these techniques cause quite a bit of shock to your skates
(especially at high speeds) so if you really love your skates
you may not want to do this stop too often 8-)
_POWER STOP/POWER SLIDE:_
This is one of the most effective stops, and also one of the
hardest. To do this stop, you should be able to skate forwards
and backwards well, and also be able to flip front-to-back
quickly.
There appear different approaches to learning the power stop.
The end result should be the same, or nearly so, but both are
detailed below. It is left to the reader to decide which one is
easier to follow.
One way:
You can piece the power stop together by combining two things:
1. flip front to backward.
2. place one foot behind you and push the entire row of wheels
at a very sharp angle into the ground.
You can practice this by skating backwards, gliding, and then
with nearly all your weight on one foot, bring the other foot
behind you, perpendicular to your direction of travel (see the
Backward Stepping stop).
You should start out doing this while traveling slowly. Your
wheels should scrape a little. If they catch, you need to hold
your braking skate at a sharper angle. Once you get this down,
you can practice flipping front-to-back, coast a little, and
then stop. Eventually, the combination becomes one smooth move:
just get the braking leg extended as soon as you flip.
You can use any flip (mohawk, 3-turn, toe-pivot, etc.) for this
stop. This stop is good for hockey, and a good stop when going
backwards (especially at higher speeds). A power-stop using a
jump turn is called a chop stop (see following section).
The other way:
The second method involves one continuous motion instead of
two: Skate forward on an outside edge, while extending the free
leg to the side. All weight is on the skating leg. The free leg
is dragged along the ground. Now sharpen the turn on the
outside edge of the skating leg (with its knee greatly bent),
and swing the free leg in front. This continuous transition
causes the skating leg to turn, so it's now skating in reverse.
The key is to have all the weight on the skating leg. If you
place any weight on the free leg, you will go into a spin and
lose control.
Some prefer this method because you do not need to go into a
complete power slide to stop. At any point in the continuous
motion, you can abort if something is going wrong. Only at
higher speeds is it necessary to completely turn the skating
foot. There is less risk of catching the free leg on an uneven
surface because it is already extended and dragging before you
swing around.
If you have a WWW browser, check out Scott's power-sliding
picture tutorial.
_CHOP-STOP:_
For skating forward or backward at low to moderate speeds. This
is much like the hockey stops done on ice except, since you
can't shave asphalt, you need to jump and turn both skates and
hips perpendicular to the direction of travel. Land with the
skates at an angle (like in the power stop) and push your
wheels against the ground. To maintain balance you can keep one
skate mainly beneath you, while the other goes out forward to
stop you.
Most of the shredding will be done on the lead skate, where the
inside of your lead leg should make a sharp angle against the
ground.
Basically what this is, is a power stop using a jump turn.
The jump isn't so much for air time as for lifting your skates
off the ground so you can reposition them sideways. The lower
the jump you can get away with, the less off balance you should
be when you land. However, if you don't jump high enough you
may not be able to place your lead skate at a sufficient angle.
Caution should be used even more so in this stop than in
others.
The particulars of the jump aren't crucial. You can lead with
one foot followed by the other, and land in that order; or jump
and land with both feet at once. Pick whatever style you're
most comfortable with.
_NEW YORK STOP:_
Harder than even the power stop, the New York stop is mainly a
power stop but you don't turn your gliding foot! It doesn't
appear that just anyone can perform this stop, since it seems
to require quite a bit of knee flexibility. L = the track left
by the left skate, R = ditto by the right skate
------ direction of travel --- >
L---------------------- |
This stop requires your knee to be twisted inward (not a natural
position, by far), so if you can't do it, I wouldn't say it's a big loss
since it seems to have above average potential to cause injury if
done wrong.
_"WILE E. COYOTE" STOP:_
This stop requires brakes on both skates and is very reminiscent of
cartoon charaters, Wile E. Coyote in particular 8-), when they stop
on their heels after going very, very, VERY fast (meep meep! 8-).
_COMBINATION/SEQUENCE STOPS:_
Once you've got some stops perfected, the next thing you might want to
try is a sequence or combination of several stops. These are definitely
more fun and a bit more showy. These are some of the random combination
stops that I do. You can easily make up your own. (Sequences are denoted
with "->" and combos with "+")
S-stop
Crossover stop -> turn opposite direction -> toe-drag
spinout. So for example, you can crossover stop to the
left, ride your left skate and do a toe drag (right toe
pivot) while turning to the right to complete the
S-pattern.
Double crossover stop
crossover stop -> inverted crossover stop (or vice
versa). This also traces out an S-pattern.
Braking T-stop
T-stop with non-brake foot + brake with brake-pad
Braking toe-drag
Brake with brake-pad + toe-drag on other skate. The
braking toe-drag and the braking T-stop are the two of
the most effective ways to stop that I know of when
cruising.
Braking spread-eagle
Spread-eagle (follow w/ spinout optional) with braking
skate in front + braking with brake-pad
Braking glide stop
glide -> reverse feet positions -> brake-pad. The effect
is that of shuffling your feet quickly and stopping.
(Glide: a heel-toe glide, one skate out, and one skate
back; use only the back toe and front heel wheels. The
back skate should be the one with the brake since the
assembly gets in the way on the front skate)
_________________________________________________________________
Related Topics
FALLING:
Falling should be one of your last resort techniques, but everyone
falls some time, so it's a good and safe thing to know. Falling can be
practiced at low speeds to get used the idea that indeed, you can plop
on your guards and pads, and come away safe as houses.
1. One of the less graceful and more painful ways to stop is to
wipeout into a face plant or another nasty, bloody occurrence. I
daresay no one does this "stop" voluntarily. These stops work
vicariously: If you see someone else do it...you're likely to stop
or slow down too 8-)
2. At low speeds, a better (and less painful) falling-stop is to
collapse your body in a way so that the primary scraping areas are
the knee pads and your wrist guards/gloves. Bend your knees, fall
on your knee pads and follow by falling on your wrist guards. Keep
your wrists loose since there is still some risk of injury. See
the collision section below.
If you tend to fall backwards, your rear-end will probably be your
biggest cushion (just how big, depends on you 8-). You should try to
spread out the shock to your arms and over as much body area as
possible (in general)...the less directly on your wrists and elbows,
probably the better. NOTE however, that your tailbone is, after all,
located in your duff and a hard fall at too sharp an angle will either
bruise or fracture/break the tailbone.
At high speeds, when you desperately need to stop, an outright
collapse on your protection gear may not be enough. High speed falls
are best when you take the brunt of the force with the entire body,
save for the head (besides, you're wearing your helmet, right?)
Rolling with the fall is a key to reducing the force of impact. So if
you happen to be careening down a hill, if possible, turn sideways to
your direction of travel and fall uphill (to keep you from tumbling
further down the hill). When you hit, keep your body loose, with hands
up near your face or over your head. With luck, and no other dangers
eminent (such as approaching 18-wheelers or rolling off a cliff), you
should be able to stand up, thank your favorite deity, wipe yourself
off, and go take a lesson in skating safety and control.
COLLISIONS WITH STATIONARY OBJECTS: Hopefully you will never ever have
to use a collision as a means to stop, but if you ever do, keep your
limbs bent and your body relaxed. Act like a big shock-absorber and
cushion your contact with bending of the arms and legs. Locked limbs
will only increase the shock going into your joints causing likely
ligament/tendon tears or other damage.
Bottom line
Practically speaking, all the stops that require dragging the wheels
will put a bigger dent in your wallet since wheels cost a bundle. If
you don't use your brake-pad, harder wheels may slow down the wear on
your wheels.
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright notice
_________________________________________________________________
Skating Backwards
From: ph...@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Bungle)
Date: 9 Sep 1994 00:12:35 +0100
The easiest way to start, is _slowly_. Build up in stages.
Moving in this ----------------> direction
_Stage one:_
A simple roll backwards on flat ground, letting skates go apart, then
back to the middle. Don't try and lift feet of the ground at any time.
___..___ ___..___
Right foot ---'''' ````---..---'''' ````---..
Left foot ---....___ ___....---'`---....___ ___....---'`
`' `'
_Stage two:_
Keep one foot steady (if you are better at right-handed cross-overs,
this should probably be you left foot) and do more exaggerated shorter
movements with the other foot. Push the foot out quite hard (with toe
pointing inwards slightly) while putting most weight on the other
foot. I find it easier to use the front wheels on my pushing foot.
When pulling the foot back in, do not try to lift it, just pull it in
slowly. Don't try to create motion from the inward pull. Motion should
be from the out-push only.
,--... ,--... ,--...
Right foot ,' ```--...,' ```--...,' ```--...
left foot -----------------------------------------------
_Stage three:_
Swap feet over.
_Stage four:_
Push with alternate feet.
,--... ,--...
Right foot ,' ```--...............,' ```--.............
Left foot ''''''````````. ___--'''''''''```````. ___--
`--''' `--'''
_Stage five:_
Move feet at the same time
,--... ,--... ,--...
Right foot ,' ```--...,' ```--...,' ```--...,
Left foot ___--''`. ___--''`. ___--''`. ___
' `--''' `--''' `--'''
_Stage six:_
This is where you start trying hills, corners, crossovers, stairs, or
whatever else takes you fancy.
_________________________________________________________________
From: g...@crunch.commodore.com (George Robbins)
There are several different ideas on the best way to get started with
backwards skating, which means you tend to get a lot of responses, but
no agreement.
1) Start by pushing off a wall or fence, or turning from forward to
backward while rolling. Just coast until you feel secure with the
general idea. A helmet isn't a bad idea, by the way!
2) Get your posture/balance right - your body should be upright, with
your knees bent - if you lean forward while skating, this will seem
like leaning backwards. If you lean forward you'll find yourself
dancing on your toe wheels and then your nose.
3) Get your feet at a normal track width - not neccessarily clicking
heels, but less than shoulder width. Many folk spread out when the
feel insecure, but you can't "stroke" from that position.
4) At this point you can fool around a little - you can turn by
leaning or keep yourself moving with a "sculling" motion - moving both
feet out-in-out-in as if tracing coke-bottle curves.
5) Next, you need to get comfortable with rolling on one foot, so that
you can be pushing with the other. Just pick up one foot - half an
inch is fine - and roll on the other. This will require that you get
the rolling foot centered under your weight! (see 2 above). Practice
some one-foot gliding and turns.
6) Finally, you are ready to stroke - just push one leg out and to the
side while you roll on the other, then at the end of the stroke, pick
up that skate and set it back alongside the other. Alternate feet, and
as you get the hang of it, you'll find that you can maintain and build
speed.
7) Expect it to take a while for you to get comfortable, just try a
little backwards action each time you go out to skate. You also want
to get in the habit of looking over your shoulder to see where you're
going, looking only at where you've been leads to surprises.
8) There an alternate method of learning to stroke, which goes from
sculling with both feet to sculling with one at a time and then
getting a more powerful push with that foot. This may lead more
naturally to the Hockey wide-track "C-cut" backward stride, where you
roll/slide the foot back instead of picking it up, but that's more for
quick maneuvering, not speed/distance skating.
_________________________________________________________________
Skating Downhills
(and surviving!)
by Tony Chen For whatever reason that you're tackling downhill skating
(you want to cross-train for skiing, you like the speed, there's no
other way around, etc.), you should never take it for granted that you
can just "pick it up". Otherwise, the paramedics might be doing the
picking (pieces of you) up.
Note that skating downhill can easily exceed 30-35mph. Skaters have
been clocked at over 75mph, so skating downhill should NOT be treated
lightly.
Ancedote: Back in 1992, while I was still at Princeton, some of my
skating buddies and I rented skates for a whole group of our other
friends who didn't have skates. We went over to a short campus road
that was nice and flat so that everyone could get a hang of skating.
After maybe 15 minutes of zooming back and forth on that stretch of
asphalt, we decided to take the whole group down to the wide-open
backlot behind the gym.
One thing we forgot about: the only way to the gym was downhill on
the main campus road. As the group turned on the main road (some on
the sidewalk grass, others hanging on to the better skaters) one
skater started rolling down, ever so slowly. By the time she was
fully on the hill, she was already going fast enough to be beyond
her control level.
She continued accelerating for 20 or 30 yards, calling out for help.
The road went by a dorm, so there was no grassy areas nearby.
Nothing was nearby for grabbing. I saw what was happening and
sprinted to the main road and then down the hill after her. I had to
got her to grab my arm, and then I stomped on the brake. After a few
seconds of brake screeching, we finally stopped.
Okay, happy ending, no one hurt, and all that. The point is, it
doesn't take much to get out of control when you're going downhill.
My friend was probably only going 10 mph, but when you feel out of
control it SEEMS like 50mph.
Downhill skating should be attempted only after you've learned some of
the basic skating skills: turns, braking, and balance. Braking means
not only the heel brake, but alternative speed control methods like
the T-stop, slaloming, toe-drag, and others. If you don't know how to
control your speed, the ground hitting your face at 30mph will do it
for you, so take your pick 8-)
There are 6 main components for downhill skating:
1. Safety and your gear
2. Safety and the road
3. Safety in your mind
4. Braking ability and power
5. Speed control
6. Relax!
_Safety and your gear_
Although you should be wearing your helmet even for non-hill
skating, it goes double and triple for downhills. Wiping out at
even 15-20mph can cause major road rash and brain damage, so
wear those pads!
_Safety and the road_
All skating equipment in the world may not help if the hill
you're skating on is pothole-ridden, debris-covered, or just
downright bumpy. Make sure you scout a hill on foot so that you
know what to expect. If you're in a car, get out and walk. Your
car will make the road seem deceptively smooth. Your skate
wheels will feel every bump and crack, so take the time to know
what you're getting into.
_Safety and your mind_
Even if you've got great equipment and scouted the hill, it
won't make a difference if you go out and skate like a reckless
maniac. If you know that there is occasional car traffic, you
have to keep your eyes and ears open. If a car is about to pass
you, get narrow, near the curb, and let them know you see them.
Know where there are stop lights, intersections, and pedestrian
crossings so that you'll be prepared.
It helps if you've got other skaters watching out for traffic,
both down and up stream. Not that I'm advocating that you have
hordes of skaters on a hill, but if you're going to be skating
downhill with others, watch out for each other.
_Braking ability and power:_
First, I would suggest a lot of practice learning to stop
quickly using only your brake skate. _But before you try any of
this, you must be comfortable using the heel brake_. If you're
not, practice using the heel brake first, even if it takes a
few days or even a week.
Part I: flats
+ Find a good open area like a parking lot (no traffic, etc.)
+ Start at one side, skate as fast as you can towards the other
side
+ When you're halfway across, try to brake as fast as possible
+ Repeat until you can stop with all your weight on the brake.
You'll have to lift your back skate and press into your
braking heel.
Part II: hills
+ Find a reasonable hill that has little or no traffic
+ Start at the bottom and skate up to the point where you feel
comfortable skating down from
+ Coast down, braking as needed.
+ Repeat until you're comfortable with that heigh. Then do it
again, but from a bit higher up the hill.
The main thing to keep in mind is the leverage, with the pivot
at your braking heel. You want to apply all the pressure into
the brake. Also, make sure to lean back slightly, to counter
your forward motion.
_Speed control:_
You won't always want to stop completely as you coast downhill.
Most of the time you only want to keep your speed at a certain
level. To do this, you want to apply your brakes every 5-10
yards, or even more frequently if you need to. You can also
apply the brake continuously, but at only half-pressure. If
you've practiced your braking in step 1, then this should be no
problem. The principle is that if your speed stays within your
comfort zone, you'll be in better control.
_Relax:_
When you attain braking proficiency and speed control, then
being relaxed while you skate downhill should come fairly easy.
Being relaxed isn't just some Zen thing or a way to look cool.
Keeping relaxed is critical for unanticipated bumps or debris
on the road that could make you trip and wipe out. When you're
relaxed your body reflexes can respond better than when you're
all tense from fear of wiping out.
Hopefully, when all is said and done, you'll be a much more adept
skater when you've mastered downhill skating. Not only will you be a
better skater overall, since many of the skills will transfer to other
skating methods, but you'll be a much more confident skater.
Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part3
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Stairs, Grinds and Rails_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
TECHNIQUES - STAIRS, GRINDS AND RAILS
Friday, 31-May-96 17:59:34 MDT
Table of Contents
* Stair riding
* Curb grinds and wall stalls
* Rails
* Skitching (skate-hitching)
STAIR RIDING
From: ai...@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jim Aites)
I'm pretty comfortable riding stairs (frontwards and backwards), but
discovered something which in hindsight should have been obvious, and
might be worth mentioning to those who are looking for stairs to ride.
Simply put, there are stairs worth riding and the are stairs that
you'd be nuts to do anything but jump down/over.
Dangerous stairs: Ride-able stairs: Fun/easy stairs:
|__ |____ |______
| | |
|__ |____ |______
| | |
|__ |____ |______
Too obvious you say? Yeah, me too. I durn near nailed myself going
backwards down a dangerous set the other day. I guess I figured that
stairs were stairs. Wrong thinking is punishable...via PAIN!
From: rbu...@owlnet.rice.edu (Robert John Butera)
Tonight I finally did my first competent stair bashing, doing 6-8
stairs at the Party-on-the-Plaza in downtown Houston. I thought I'd
share some of what I learned with others, since this thread comes up a
lot.
* I was surprised how EASY is was - a lot of it is overcoming the
confidence factor and being relaxed.
* It really helps to watch someone. I decided to try it when I saw
someone that I KNEW was a much less experienced skater than me,
and decided, dammit I'm going to tackle this thing.
* The BIGGEST tip I have for getting started is to constantly remind
yourself to keep one foot in fron tof the other. The ride is a lot
smoother. After about an hour of doing it, I could get myself to
do it with my skates almost side-by-side, but your much more
likely to lose your balance.
* At first I kept on tripping on the bottom stair or two (yet
miraculously I never fell!). The guy who showed me how to do it
noticed that as I progressed down the stairs, my rear foot was
moving forward and becoming more "side-by-side" with my front foot
(see the previous note). The trick was to relax yet concentrate on
foot placement.
* When I got back to campus, I tried skating backward down some
wimpy 2-4 stair spread out stairs. The people here are right: I
think backwards stair crashing might actually be easier. I intend
to go downtown tomorrow night and try the backwards thing on some
larger stairs.
Overall, a great night for skating. I also found the "ideal parking
deck" with those two important prerequisites: no visible security and
a working elevator (its really steep, but has 6-7 levels). Such
parking decks are becoming few and far between around here as more
skaters start "invading" them, making the security dudes a lot more
testy.
From: @sedona.intel.com (Kenneth Creta)
In article , prok...@acf2.nyu.edu (Andrew) writes:
> I've been skating for about 3 month now, but still can't skate down-
> stairs. I tried to go up the stairs and it works well, very fast! I saw peop
le
> going upstairs and did not find it difficult at all. But looking down from th
e
> top of even 7 step stair scares the shit out of me.
Try a smaller set first. A wouldn't advise going straight to 7 stairs.
>I tried going down from the
> fourth step of a 15 step stair, but I ended up running downstairs, not skatin
g.
This will never work. You need some speed to prevent your skates from catching
on them. My friend and I (we do stairs all the time) have recently started
hit the stairs at a snail's pace. Not as easy when going slow.
> Do you have to keep the blades horisontally, when you go down, or at a 45 ang
le?
Although I don;t really think about it, I guess I'd have to say horizontal.
> It seems that if you keep the skates at an anlge, you end up running downstai
rs,but if you keep them horisontally, the brake would definitely get in the way
on
> almost any stairs, except very flat ones. Or you have to approach the stair a
t
> an angle, to make the path longer?
A good way to start. Stairs are much easier at an angle. The easier way is
if your front foot is opposite the angle your going. In other words, if
your back foot is your right (mine is) try angling right to left.
If you go slow, your brake will definitely be a concern. I don't bother with
one anyway. What could make someone want to stop anyway :)
Ken
From: ma...@unidata.ucar.edu (Matt Hicks)
I saw some street freestyle on Prime Sports Network (I think it was) a
few weeks ago and I noticed that the guys doing stairs seemed to be
just dragging the toe wheels of their trailing foot (feet?). All their
weight was on the leading foot and the trailing foot seemed to be just
a rudder or for balance only. Anyone had any experience with this
technique? See the worst ASCII drawing in the world below if this is
not clear.
/ /
/ / \
/ / \
O|---------- /\ \
| | / | |
O| ----------/ | |
______ O| / | |
| |__| |----|
|_O_______ | |
| | \__
|________ | \
| |________|
|___@ @ @ @_
|
|
--
From: kcr...@sedona.intel.com (Kenneth Creta)
Hi,
I've been stair bashing for a LONG time now. However, I've always
wondered about my form and whether I was doing it right because it has always
seemed that my ride was ALOT rougher and bumpier than others I've watched.
Last night proved that something was wrong. My friend and I were
taking our favorite set of stairs REALLY SLOW. This isn't so easy. Howver,
while my friend was able to do it OK, I found that my back (right) foot kept
on catching on the steps. My friend thinks I put too much weight on the back
foot and I think he might be be right because when I listen, he sounds like
CHUNK-KA CHUNK-KA where I sound like CHUNK CHUNK. You know what I mean.
Any of you find yourself in a similar situation?
Ken
--
From: so...@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
In article har...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu) writes:
>Jeff writes:
>
>Out of curiosity, do most skaters think 180's or 360's off stairs are easier?
>I'm trying to learn 360's, but I can't quite get the hang of it -- any
>suggestions? (These 360's are on flat ground for now, I don't have the full
>no fear mentality -- yet ;) )
I haven't quite gotten there either yet, so I'm going to say 180s :)
My typical approach to 180's:
Approach the stairs at a moderate speed and when I reach the first one, jump
up like I was going to do a curb jump. I usually land on the 3rd or 4th step
and stop there quite solidly and firmly. As soon as I'm sure of my purchase on
that step(about a second or so), I push back with my front wheels and turn
around to land facing forward.
is it much of a transition to make this a 270?
I think the reason I haven't done a 360 yet is that I'm not that comfortable
landing backwards. Although I am getting better with the heel-to-heels, so
I do feel more comfortablke landing and then spinning or doing wide circles.
(Thats the best I can manage with this so far...but they are getting WIDER! :)
)
ObTrick: Found another cool office over the weekend. TThis one not only has
a deep curb ramp, but also a long cement one running up to the front
door. I was catching some major air off this, almost enough to start
doing tricks in midair..
For those in the area,this is the Dept. of the Interior building over in
Sir Isaac Newton Square in Reston...they've got some pretty cool stairs too..
--
From: kcr...@sedona.intel.com (Kenneth Creta)
In article , cd...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Douglas J. Narby) writes:
> Stairs (this one not explained too well; and I haven't had the Testes to
> try it without some clues).
Remember to bend you knees and put more weight on the back foot than the
front. I put my left foot 1/2 a foot length ahead of my right (my right
leg is the stronger of the two) and bend my knees to absorb much of the
impact. When people get scared, they straighten up which winds up in a
wreck. Also, while going down, try to be light on your feet. I know that
sounds funny but picture it and "float" over the stairs. Use the force,
Luke :)
If you try backwards, put your stronger leg forward (uphill) and put your
(most of but not all) weight on your toes. Like forward, put most of the
weight on your stronger leg. Too much weight on your heels can result in
catching the foot throwing you on your back.
We have two flights of 6 steps with about 5 feet of flat in between and I
like to hit the first going forward and then switching backwards for the
next flight. Or going down the first set, and jumping into a 180 over
the second and so on.
> My best trick so far is jumping a flight of four stairs. Now I am trying
> to learn to do crossovers whilst skating backward.
I think backwards cross-overs is one of the best techniques that develops
overall skating ability. It really forces you to balance and takes quite
a bit of practice before you are really comfortable. BE SURE TO PRACTICE
BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT EQUALLY. I see alot of people who can go one way but
not the other.
New Tricks:
Work on 360 jumps off the ground (forward and backward). Once you
have those down, hit a jump and do it (again, forwards and backwards).
Try a "Dutchman". Jump off a ramp, grab both feet behind your back
while in the air and land (on your feet :)
--
From: co...@elec.canterbury.ac.nz (DAve.)
Subject: Re: Stair/Wall Jumps..
In article , ho...@netcom.com (Will Leland) writes:
> RE: how to ride down stairs
> SPEED! just get going a good clip, put your weaker foot in front of
> the other for more stability, and ride down with most of your weight
> on the back skate.
> I ran into an upper limit on stairs though. When I got up to 10 steps
> I ran out of speed (and balance) and did a major face plant. Do those
> hockey helmets come with face cages :)
Speed is nice - balance is better! :-)
Once again, though, you need to be able to skate more or less one foot in front
of the other. I like to push my front foot out, almost straight so that if
it gets caught on a step it 'springs' back in front really quickly.
Then place the trailing knee really close and almost behind the leading one.
This forces one to bend that trailing leg, which takes up a lot of the bumpines
s.
The more relaxed the back leg is, the smoother the ride goes.
I have managed 15 consecutive steps this way. The only reason that that is
the limit, is that I have not found more than 15 consecutive steps. :-)
It is real easy to lose your nerve after 12 or so. As soon as you stiffen or
straghten up the back leg, it is all over :-\
Anyways, this is *MY* method (MHOs only) - it is certainly not everyones.
I think one just needs to find what is most comfortable for oneself.
--
From: ki...@iat.com (Kimon Papahadjopulos)
First of all, like most everything else, this skill comes with practice,
and at first that is really hard to do since you don't know how to do
it yet.
The first thing you have to do is find is a good bunch of stairs to practice
on. On the Berkeley Campus there is an ideal sight: one of the buildings
is built on an incline so that the bottom floor is underground at the
top of the hill and completely exposed on the bottom.
Because of this, a stairway that runs the length of the building
"fades away", so that there are no stairs at one end, but it builds
up gradually to about twenty steps at the other end.
Besides being very wide, the the steps are also very long. If you
can find a set up like this, your halfway there already. This way
you can practice with one or two steps, and move up one at a time when
you get more confident.
>When skating down narrow stairs, is it easier to go straight down
>or is it easier to go at an angle? It seems like going at an
>angle might be easier because it would provide more opportunity
>to have both skates in contact simultaneously.
Can you really go down truly narrow stairs at an angle? On a wide
bunch of stairs, going down at an angle is much easier because you don't
go nearly as fast. This is essential when you are learning.
>How should your weight be distributed? Should it be equally
>distributed, shifted mostly to the leading leg, or shifted mostly
>to the trailing leg?
Almost all on the trailing leg. The front leg is mostly a guide.
>Does having a brake on one skate increase the risk of a fall?
>Since the brake extends beyond the rear of one skate, my concern
>is that it might get caught on the edge of a step. Therefore,
>should the skate with the brake lead, follow, or does it matter?
Learn how to t-stop before you learn stairs. The back break is a hazard
for any sort of trick, whether it be crossovers, skating backwards, or
going down stairs.
If you are interested in doing any of the above, it's well worth your
while to learn how to get by without the back brake. It will probably
save you a bunch of nasty falls.
IMO, anyone that is trying to learn stairs with a brake is just asking
for it. Generally, learning a t-stop is your first trick, since it's
easier to learn, and makes most other tricks easier.
It also kind of proves that you know what you are doing, and are ready
for the next level.
And you're right about the brake getting caught on the edge of
each step.
Also, when you are practicing, you often times are not in the best balance
when you finish a set of stairs. If you happen to catch your brake
when this happens, you are probaly going to end up on the pavement.
>Is there a safe, piecemeal way to learn skating down stairs, or
>should I necessarily expect to fall as part of the learning
>process?
Again, if you can find a nice set of stairs, you don't necessarily have
to murder yourself. Practive on two or three stairs and then move up.
But of course, wear full protective gear, and don't complain if your
skates break. Rollerblade Lightnings are very sturdy, and hold up fairly
well. I'm sure TRS's are good too, maybe even Macroblades and Aeroblades.
But don't use Zetra's or any skate with a metal blade. SwitchIts in my
experience are somewhat frigile for this sort of thing.
!*!*!
It should be understood that if you push beyond the level of your
abilities, and you happen to land on your head, even with a helmut,
you could kill yourself.
!*!*!
>Is stair skating always risky, even for those who have mastered
>it, or is it fairly safe once a skater understands how it is
>done?
I have not done a lot because I have concerns about my knees: going
down stairs really puts a lot of stress on your knees, as well as your
skates. From what I have done, I believe that skating stairs
becomes as easy as anything else after a while, as long as you know the
particular staircase that you are going down, and there is no one walking
up it.
From: ahe...@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Sean Ahern)
>IMO, anyone that is trying to learn stairs with a brake is just asking
>for it. Generally, learning a t-stop is your first trick, since it's
>easier to learn, and makes most other tricks easier.
No way....I learned you to skate down stairs by teaching myself to be
aware of the brake and what I was doing with it.
I have also taught other people how to do this as well.
I think leaving the brake on makes you more aware of what your skates are
doing.
>It also kind of proves that you know what you are doing, and are ready
>for the next level.
Exactly my point about leaving the brake on.
Now while I don't use the brake except when I have to do SUDDEN stops like
when a car pulls in front of me, I think it's a good thing to leave on for
safety's sake.
>And you're right about the brake getting caught on the edge of
>each step.
Well, not if you have enough speed. I have found that stairs are actually
harder at slow speeds. Going slowly, the edge of the stair will give a pivot
that can throw off your balance. If you are going moderately fast, you just
skate right down the stairs, almost as if they are one surface.
You MUST make sure that one skate is in front of the other and your knees are
bent deep. You also might crouch down a bit and lean forward. I have found
that this helps me keep my balance. Don't lean forward too far or you will
tumble forward. (not fun on stairs)
>Also, when you are practicing, you often times are not in the best balance
>when you finish a set of stairs. If you happen to catch your brake
>when this happens, you are probaly going to end up on the pavement.
Ahhhh, if you are not leaning backwards when you are going down, you shouldn't
be in a position to catch your brake anywhere.
>Again, if you can find a nice set of stairs, you don't necessarily have
>to murder yourself. Practive on two or three stairs and then move up.
Yes, this is very true. Start out on a wide set of stairs. If you can get
one stair (kinda like a curb), try to keep going and get the next one. If you
get pretty good at this, try doing them a little faster. You will learn the
basic techniques of stairs this way and will soon be able to move onto steeper
and steeper stairs.
>>Is stair skating always risky, even for those who have mastered
>>it, or is it fairly safe once a skater understands how it is
>>done?
>I have not done a lot because I have concerns about my knees: going
>down stairs really puts a lot of stress on your knees, as well as your
>skates. From what I have done, I believe that skating stairs
>becomes as easy as anything else after a while, as long as you know the
>particular staircase that you are going down, and there is no one walking
>up it.
It DOES get easy, after a while, but they are still challenging as every flight
of stairs has a different slope and width to them.
--
From: j...@lvld.hp.com (Jim Aites)
re: stair-riding (from an e-mail discussion...possible FAQ submital)
>For the intermediate skater who hasn't tried stairs yet, what would you
>say are the basic skills?
Practicing curbs is a good idea, specially if you 'drop off' instead of
'hop off'. The difference being one of jumping vs riding. A short set of
two or three easy stairs (with wide risers) would be the next step.
>...t-stops with either foot. Probably backwards skating, too?
180's and 380's are probably part of that as well. Not that these are
*needed* for stair bashing, but if someone is doing this level of stuff
then they could certainly handle stairs.
>Is there anything else that people should master before they begin?
No...not 'master', but there are a few things a person needs to know in
order to be relatively successful at handling stairs:
1) a 'reasonable' speed is required!
Contrary to common knowledge about the laws of physics, folks generally
lose speed when going down stairs. Backwards bashing however, will
actually cause one to GAIN speed. No, it's not 'magic'...
Many of us have started down a flight of stairs at a good speed, only to
slow to a crawl, and end up 'bailing out' before reaching the bottom. This
'leap of faith' (hoping you can reach a flat spot when you throw yourself
over the last few steps) is probably the most dangerous thing about riding
stairs. So, if going forward - hit them at speed!
The loss of speed is mostly due to that fact that folks tend to ride the
stairs 'flat', instead of leaning into it and angling the skates as though
on a hill. Riding 'flat' means that the slope isn't really affecting your
speed. While bashing backwards, however, EVERYONE lets their heels lead
the way and the foot naturally angles (er...toes up), thus restoring the
'slope' and gaining speed.
While flat-riding, it doesn't matter what style you use...but keeping
your weight on the trailing skate is relatively standard. Aggressive
bashers often use a wider front-to-back skate placement, but more
importantly, they LEAN into the slope to avoid losing speed.
Note: go easy on this folks...nobody wants to see you do a header down the
stairs.
2) they call it 'bashing' for a reason. Accept it!
Yup, bashing, bone jarring, bouncing, slamming, and in general, beating
yourself up (ok, your skates) while riding stairs is an expected part of
the game. A willingness to accept that it feels uglier than it looks is
needed. Hummm...some folks may argue that it 'looks as bad as it feels'
as well! Either way, you've got to go with it.
3) backwards *IS* easier. But more intimidating.
Honest! Because there is an extra 'shock absorber' (ie your ankle can flex
to your toes whereas your heel is pretty solid) and because your feet will
naturally angle down, the backwards ride is a heck of a lot smoother than
riding stairs frontwards. If you have trouble just 'going-for-it', then
start slow, and use a hand-rail. (normally this is NOT a good thing to do)
Keep a reasonable front-to-back stance and let everything flex!
Note: If you find that going backwards is NOT easier/smoother, then please
let me know. Not that anyone can help you at this point, but rather
because I'd be curious to hear about the 'exception to the rule'.
4) failure to wear a helmet ANYTIME you are rolling backwards or doing
stairs is (of course) enough to get you 'certified' (as insane) in most
states.
I was the first in our group to do 'killer' steps (4 flights of seven
stairs each) backwards. I started from a standing-start at the top while
clutching a hand-rail. The clutch turned into a light balancing guide
after the first three steps...and then I was free-wheeling down the rest.
From: shoo...@onramp.net (Shooshie)
Subject: Re: Stairs...
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 19:43:55 -0600
In article , sj...@Lehigh.EDU wrote:
|> What type of stairs would be the best to start on? Do I want long, flat
|> stairs, or short, steep ones? SHould I take them forwards, backwards, fast,
|> slow, should I lean forward or backwards? All info will be appreciated.
When I began attempting stairs backward, I found some shallow stairs
(long, flat ones) about six steps deep, with a handrail. I found that
using the handrail for security saved my rear end repeatedly. Had I used
the same combination when learning them forward, I might still have
complete use of my shoulder. So... find long, flat stairs and a handrail.
Or you can learn them as I did and fall a few times. Some of those falls
will send you tumbling down stairs and you'll learn what it is that stunt
men get paid for in movies, as well as why they retire young.
It doesn't hurt to go REALLL slow at first with a handrail, just to get
used to the idea, and to see that it really doesn't amount to much more
than straight level skating. But from then on, try it at a nice cruising
speed. Taking them too slow will just make you end up hanging a wheel on
the last step or two, and you'll fall... and grab the rail, of course.
Take it at a speed with which you could almost jump the stairs, and you'll
probably do fine. If I lean at all, it's forward, but I'm not aware of
leaning, so it would be ever-so-slight. Whatever you do, don't lean
backward... unless, of course, you want to practice dribbling your head on
concrete. Which brings up the standard thing that you should know by
now... Wear Your Helmet!
And one more thing: stagger your feet. Your heel of the leading foot
should be at least even with your toe of the trailing foot. That's not a
rule or anything, but it gives you much more security at first. Which
means you need to be sure you are a competent skater with your feet in
that position before you go bustin' down stairs with it. And because your
forward foot will be lower than your trailing foot, you need to bend your
knees and relax your stance as much as possible to let your hips and
ankles do the necessary cantilevering. There's nothing you really "do" to
go down stairs but relax and wait for the last one to come up, hoping that
you aren't in an awkward balance position in the meantime. That word,
"relax" is a killer though. It'll take about a hundred times before you
can relax. Then you've only learned ONE staircase. You have to find a
different kind then, and another, and another. Finally, you are confident
that you can do any staircase. I haven't tried fire escapes, escalators,
or anything like that, though. To be honest, I really like to stick to the
shallow ones. I'm not a slinky, you know.
There's probably more to tell, but I can't think of it. Someone else will,
though.
Shooshie
From: tb...@wam.umd.edu (Nelson)
Subject: Re: Stairs...
Date: 11 Apr 1995 10:29:23 GMT
sj...@Lehigh.EDU wrote:
: What type of stairs would be the best to start on? Do I want long, flat
: stairs, or short, steep ones? SHould I take them forwards, backwards, fast,
: slow, should I lean forward or backwards? All info will be appreciated.
Some of the basics...
* Don't attempt to go backwards if you can't skate backwards well....you'll
end up falling backwards and bash your skull.
* Go forward first...it's rougher, but easier to learn, and more natural.
* Forward stair riding.
- keep feet staggered.
- BEND KNEES!...Like you're about to tackle somebody.
get into that atheletic, and balanced position, and KEEP IT.
- More weight on back leg
- Front leg sort of like a out-rigger. Do Not put too much weight on
front leg. A fall on your butt, and elbows (WEAR PADS!) is better than
a face-plant-tumble down the stairs....I went to the hospital that
way for dislocated shoulder.
- Keep hands in _ready position_ ... ready for a fall. :-)
- Concentrate on keeping your back leg in position. Many beginner stair
riders concentrate so much on the steps they let their back leg get
limp. Then the back leg lags behind more and more, and you end up in a
bad position! If stairs are short, then you just end up catching your
back skate every time. If they are long, then be ready for face-plant.
- So, in my opinion, the biggest thing to remember when learning is to
CONCENTRATE ON KEEPING YOUR LEG POSTIONS (back leg!)
Wear pads, wear a helmet.
Curb Grinds And Wall Stalls
From: stcl...@aol.com (StClair4)
Date: 5 Jul 1995 13:10:33 -0400
Here is a basic guide to grinds.
1. Frontside and backside grinds:Many people think that these grinds
are easiest. I think that this is true on rails, but not on curbs.
Find a low rail (4-8") that is small enough to fit between your 2nd
and 3rd wheels. To start out, go directly AT the rail. Jump slightly,
and land with your FEET SPREAD with the rail between your 2nd and 3rd
wheels. Once you can do this consistantly, start approaching the rail
from less and less of an angle. The secret to frontsides on rails is
to keep your feet spread or you will end up on your ass.
2. Soul Grinds: Aaaah Soul Grinds. Soul grinds are definately the most
fun for me. You can soul grind just about anything (curb, planter,
rail). To learn how to soul, stand next to a curb 4 to 8 inches high.
Jump up onto the curb with the edge of the curb in between your 2nd
and 3rd wheel on your front foot and on the outside sole of your back
boot. If you can do this no problem, you are ready to grind. Find a
curb which is not on a set of stairs, and has enough space for you to
get some speed going parallel to it. (Got it?) Wax about ten feet of
that curb. If you can't find parrafin you can use bar soap. Wax all
around the edge of the curb and about three inches wide on the top.
Approach the curb riding almost parallel to it. Jump onto the curb in
the soul position with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. If
you are having trouble staying on the curb, then try looking down the
curb, This helps keep your front foot on the curb. (You will usually
come off the curb backwards when doing this)
3.Mizou grinds: A mizou grind is like a soul, except the foot that is
grinding on the sole of the boot is the front foot, and the back foot
is grinding in between the second and third wheel. Learn how to soul
before you learn how to Mizou. Do the same learning process that you
did for the soul (stand next the the curb and jump on it). Approach it
much like a soul. If your front foot is coming off the curb, then bend
your knee over the curb more. (crappy art)
knee[ ]
\ \
\ \
______________[ ]
From: so...@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
>har...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu) writes:
>>In an effort to revive the trick thread, I was wondering if anyone out there
>>in netland has performed a "front-side curb grind", as described in the lates
t
>>issue of InLine. They mentioned rubbing surfboard wax on the steps to get a
>>better grind, but I was also wondering if the trick can be performed without
>>waxing.
Saw it, haven't tried it...
On the subject of 180's though, I've been trying something new during lunch
at work the past couple days. Skate down/across a parking lot, 'till you get
to a median/island. Curb-jump, followed by a 180, landing backwards, then
do whatever...(I've also been working on heel-to-heels, so I've been going
into one of these after I land, partially to practice them, but also because
they can start from a backwards skate, so it looks pretty cool)
I've avoided curb grinds 'cause I'm not sure how well my rails would hold
up to something abrasive like your average concrete curb. I'd probably
try it on something like one thats been painted "No Parking" and more
or less sealed though. Wax? ---maybe, but modding the turf seems a little
bogus to me...
--
From: dma...@is.morgan.com (David Madeo)
In article har...@leland.Stanford.EDU (Lawrence Chr-Jr Liu) writes:
>In an effort to revive the trick thread, I was wondering if anyone out there
>in netland has performed a "front-side curb grind", as described in the late
st
>issue of InLine. They mentioned rubbing surfboard wax on the steps to get a
>better grind, but I was also wondering if the trick can be performed without
>waxing.
You'll definately want to put some wax on. Find out where the
skateboarders in your area wax the curbs and you'll be able to feel
the difference. Rub the wax all around the edge of the curb. I
suggest being precise where you start and stop the waxing. When first
learning you can do a left foot plant on non waxed curb and then bring
the right foot on to the wax, start sliding and bring the left foot
on. It's really important that you get used to skating up to a curb
and jumping onto and off of it at different speeds and angles. It
takes a while to get used to landing and balancing with a curb between
the 2nd and 3rd wheels.
A trick that people are just starting to do around here is to do a
plate/frame scrape and click into a curb grind.
Another much harder is to do a 180/360 to land on the curb for a curb
slide. Start by just trying to land, then move on to the slide.
Supposedly the "latest" is to do sole grinds, but I don't see any
great reason to try them. Stand next to a curb, put the outside edge
of your frame and the bottom of the boot (the sole) against the corner
of the curb. Put your whole weight on this, take the other foot and
out it in front in the traditional grind angle. Do this at high
speed.
I just learned how to do stairs at the courthouse. If you saw that
ABC show two weeks ago, it's the same stairs Aton tumbled on.
--
From: j...@kepler.unh.edu (Spectre)
The reason they suggest waxing, is because they don't suggest
taking off the 3rd wheel back. If you take off the 3rd wheel, you will
slide a lot better. I suggest that you make some type of a shield or plate
to protect your frame. If you look in the same issue of In-line, thereis
an article about people in New York. Look at the picture of the FR group's
skates...one has a shield to protect his frame, one doesn't. If you look
between the wheels on the skate that doesn't, you will see what will
happen if you do too many curb grinds without the shield (his frames are
chipped away between the 2ond and 3rd wheel, and the 3rd and 4th). When
you take off the wheel, you won't really need the wax...but it's easier
to learn with the wheel in, since your skates will 'lock' onto the stair
between the wheels, instead of having a free sliding space, and you'll
slide better with the wax. once you get good at angling your feet, you
will be able to slide on your frames without having to take off the wheel.
>Another question -- has anyone tried those smaller wheels for tricks, like
>"Little Roxs" (I think that's what they're called). Are they necessary for
>rail slides, or can one just remove the third wheel and either slide on one's
>frame or add a teflon plate?
I havn't tried the little wheels yet (actually I don't see myself
trying them at all, I don't really want the loss of speed, or the added
wear on my bearings...) Right now I have a sheet metal plate on my skate
where the 3rd wheel was, and I'm looking around for a hunk of plastic
(any suggestions in the eastern MA, southern NH area?) to make a more
sturdy and less makeshift slider.
>The one trick I'm thinking of learning next is the 180 into stairs and riding
>the rest of the stairs the rest of the way -- how important is it to land one'
s
>wheels on the stairs? Do I have to land both skates at the same time squarely
>on the steps, or is it just jump and land and ride?
It all depends how you bash. Do you have to keep your weight
distributed evenly, or can you pick up a skate when you are going down.
If you bash with even weight, then you will want to land pretty much im
the same position that you would be if you bashed to that point...if you
can pick up a foot, then you just need to land on the dominant foot, then
you can adjust yourself to a more comfortable position as you bash down.
One suggestion...work on just jumping into the stairt and going from there
before you start trying 180's into them....it will hurt alot less if you
screw up going forwards then going backwards (spines smacking cement stairs
isn't really my idea of a good time :)
--
From: holr...@student.tc.umn.edu (James A Holroyd-1)
Jeff, I noticed this, too. The frames look *really* hacked on.
Your shield sounds like a good idea, but it doesn't sound like metal would
either last too long or slide too well to be of any use... I recommend
that you use some skateboard rails (Powell-Peralta Gorilla Ribs were my
favorite, but I don't know if they still make them)... they last forever
and slide forever. Just cut one down so it fits between your wheels,
epoxy it to your shield, and slide on.
I've also been thinking about making a rail that fits between the
2nd and 3rd wheels on my skates... just a small piece of plastic that
would either clip or screw into the cross brace in my lightning should
work. Anbody seen anything like this? It would reduce the ground
clearance of the skate, but this shouldn't be a problem. I think it would
make it way easier (and less harsh on the frames) to rail-slide.
Steve: Yep, they're fun, aren't they? Haven't done them (180 jumps over
curbs) to a
heel-to-heel, but I have kept rotating and sort of spun around in a crouch
to a forward position again once I land... it's not that hard, and it
feels like a 360, 'cept you're only in the air for half of it. I still
haven't got the courage to try 360's over a curb yet.
--
From: kcr...@sedona.intel.com (Kenneth Creta)
In article , cd...@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Douglas J. Narby) writes:
>
> Sounds cool, Ken, but now we have three jargon terms:
>
> Stall, Curb Grind and Rail Slide.
>
> Anybody care to DEFINE them? Throw in any more us newbies are unlikely
Imagine standing in front of a wall about 3 ft high or so (on your feet).
Now imagine jumping up onto it with both feet, "stalling" there for a second,
and jumping back down. That idea except on blades is a stall. That is also
a VERY basic stall. Now try jumping off the wall to one or more other nearby
walls and doing a 360 in the air before landing. That's a cool stall. Keep
in mind that in order to land stable on the wall, you really have to land on
the corner such that the front two wheels are above the wall and the rear two
wheels are below: o
___o foot
|o
wall | o
I think a curb grind might be the same thing but on a curb instead.
A rail slide is just what it sounds like. Approach a low rail pretty much
parallel. Then jump up onto it as if you're stalling it but instead of jumping
onto it and stopping, you slide down it as far as you can. I can't seem to
find a railing that would lend itself to this (i.e., low enough).
From: so...@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
Well, after exchanging messages with some of our resident bladerats
here on the group, I went out and thought I'd try a few of the tricks
that have been described here with varying degrees of success...
The university here I usually blade around has some interesting structures,
so I used those for this.
Rail Slide: Didn't work so hot, but I think thats 'cause I'm too
worried about losing my balance, my hands won't let go of the rail,
or let me rest on my wristguards to let me slide down. A good
way to practice this is to find a "double" railing to do on.
Should look like this:
\
\ \ \ \ easier)
on this one| \ \
|\_/
__________________________________________________________________________
Rail Slides
From: j...@kepler.unh.edu (Spectre)
I don't know if we've gotten much into rail-slides, so I thought
I would be the one to bring it up.
For those who don't know rail-slides, they are sliding sideways along
a railing. They aren't the easiest things, unless you take off one of your
wheels. If you take the 3rd back (of the 4) out, and at least put the axle
back in for support on your frame. A lot of people have teflon or other
plates designed to go in place of the wheel so you slide on the plate rather
than the frame.
I was working on stair bashing this weekend and got a bit bored, so
I started doing rail-slides on the railings instead.
Jump up on the railing (You can stay the direction you are going,
but I like to do a 180 on the way up so I'm facing the way I'm gonna fall :)
With the wheel removed, you want to land on the gap, where the wheel was, then
you simply (Not quite :) just let your feet slide along the railing down the
stairs.
Best way to practice, find something like a railing that is about
3-12 inches off the ground, skate up, land on it, and slide as much as you
can. I don't recommend that you try it right off the bat going down a
stairway, since the sensation of sliding backwards is REALLY strange. The
skate park that I practice at has 2 railings that are about 6 inches off
the ground. One is a railing that was taking off of a wall, and the other is
just a 3 inch diameter pipe that is placed on some wood so that the pipe
sits in the wood structure with 1/2 above the wood.
__________________________________________________________________________
Rail Slides
From: j...@kepler.unh.edu (Spectre)
I don't know if we've gotten much into rail-slides, so I thought
I would be the one to bring it up.
For those who don't know rail-slides, they are sliding sideways along
a railing. They aren't the easiest things, unless you take off one of your
wheels. If you take the 3rd back (of the 4) out, and at least put the axle
back in for support on your frame. A lot of people have teflon or other
plates designed to go in place of the wheel so you slide on the plate rather
than the frame.
I was working on stair bashing this weekend and got a bit bored, so
I started doing rail-slides on the railings instead.
Jump up on the railing (You can stay the direction you are going,
but I like to do a 180 on the way up so I'm facing the way I'm gonna fall :)
With the wheel removed, you want to land on the gap, where the wheel was, then
you simply (Not quite :) just let your feet slide along the railing down the
stairs.
Best way to practice, find something like a railing that is about
3-12 inches off the ground, skate up, land on it, and slide as much as you
can. I don't recommend that you try it right off the bat going down a
stairway, since the sensation of sliding backwards is REALLY strange. The
skate park that I practice at has 2 railings that are about 6 inches off
the ground. One is a railing that was taking off of a wall, and the other is
just a 3 inch diameter pipe that is placed on some wood so that the pipe
sits in the wood structure with 1/2 above the wood.
__________________________________________________________________________
Skitching
From: dy...@mobius.mfg.sgi.com (Dyer Crouch)
Sender: ne...@odin.corp.sgi.com (Net News)
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 1995 00:28:53 GMT
First, don't grab a vehicle which is going a much different speed than you
are. Smaller cars and trucks can feel the slight momentum change and often
figure out what is going on and will hit the brakes or find the nearest
phone & call the cops on you. Both have happened to me. :(
Second, do it on streets which you are real familiar with and know have a
good surface. When you change grades of road or hit potholes at high speed
it sucks.
Third, look where the exhaust pipe is. Hooking city busses is my favorite,
but they make this HUGE plume of SMELLY dust when they first come out of a
stop. Stop signs/lights are also great places to wait for a vehicle to come
up to and stop, saddle up behind the puppy & hook on.
Fourth, the bigger the better. Larger vehicles change speed much less and
do it slower than cars, vans etc... Big trucks that ride real high are good
too since you can see under the truck.
Fifth, careful of the turns. You can get slingshoted if you are on the
outside edge of a vehicle on a turn. LOTS of fun when you do it in control,
but when you aren't, it is a major butt puckering ride.
Sixth, HAVE A SAFE EXIT AVENUE! If you are hanging on at high speeds, you
need to make sure you have someplace to go when you let go. If you are
being pulled into tight areas, get off and change directions and or brake.
It sucks getting checked into stationary objects.
And last but not least, how to hold on. Use both hands. One hand you will
hook under the bumper or around what ever you are grabbing on to, and the
other hand you want to use to brace yourself with in case the vehicle slows
or stops. I usually have my palm straight out against the vehicle's bumper
for this. Your best position to do this is in a crouch with your arms out
in front of you until you get good and can do things in whatever position
and grab you want.
Ooops... one more.
Don't do anything to anyone's vehicle while hooking on which you would not
want done to yours, and mind the pedestrians. They see you as a maniacle
eight wheeled missle, which you are. :)
From: post...@cs.uidaho.edu (DuckMan)
Subject: Re: [INL] Skitching?
Date: 10 Feb 1995 23:16:37 GMT
I've found that the best way to 'Skitch' is just to 'lay on hands'. The
best way to do this is to skate to the vehicel approaching it from behind
(note: you have to be going as fast or faster then the vehicle for this to
work) then just place one hand on the vehicle (ie. the trunk or bumper).
Do not grab the vehicle, the friction from your hand should be enogh to
keep you with the vehicle, but if the vehicle make any rash moves it will
shake you without ripping your arm off.
This only works on flats or downhills. To go uphill you have to hang on.
btw: Stitchin is still dangerous anyway you do it, if you don't have
a death wish don't try it. :)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
*This image is Copyrighted Š 1994-1996 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission
is granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as
this copyright notice is included as either an HTML comment alongside
the invokation (IMG SRC or HREF or otherwise) of the logo, or in the
visible text.
The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
__________________________________________________________________________
Index
FAQs
Glossary
Wheels/Bearings
Clubs/Orgs
Rollerhockey
Quotable rssi Posts
Stopping
Grinding
Vert/Jumps
Slaloms
Figure Skating
Racing
Buying Guide
Used Skates Guide
Companies/Shops
Skate Reviews
Other Reviews
Western
California
Central
Northeast
Southeast
Abroad
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part4
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Vert and Jumps_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
TECHNIQUES - VERT AND JUMPS
Friday, 31-May-96 17:59:40 MDT
Vert and Jumps
Table of Contents
* Jumps
* Pipes and ramps (links to ramp plans)
* Vert skater terms
_________________________________________________________________
Jumps
From: dc...@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Daryl S. Cain)
dbr...@Mr-Hyde.aoc.nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs) writes:
Suggestions for exercises on how to work towards a good 360? How
high should I be able to jump in order to have a reasonable shot at
finishing the 360 before landing. For that matter, how should my
feet be set on take off and landing?
The trick is to power your rotation from your torso and just carry
your legs along for the ride. It helps me to hold my arms out in an L
shape (one arm out to the front and one out to the side) and swing
them to get the rotation going. The best way to practice is in your
shoes on the grass (softer when you fall). It's my theory that if you
can't jump and do a 360 in your sneaks (wear heavy shoes to simulate
the weight of skates) then there's no way in hell that your going to
do one in skates. Its also my theory that the best positionl for your
feet is about six feet straight down from your head, I mean, the
hardest part about spinning (on land or in the air) is staying
vertical and balanced.
From: so...@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
holr...@student.tc.umn.edu (James A Holroyd-1) writes:
Steve: Yep, they're fun, aren't they? Haven't done them (180 jumps
over curbs) to a heel-to-heel, but I have kept rotating and sort of
spun around in a crouch to a forward position again once I land...
Well, its not really OVER the curb so much as it is using it as a
launchpad of sorts. But yes they are fun.... :)
Crummy ASCII art follows:
____ +--------Launch into 180 here...
/ \ | _
/ \ | / \
/ ___\|/__ \ curb hop
/ / \ \/---------- skating path
Land 180 here ^^^^^^^^^
curb/traffic island
From: j...@kepler.unh.edu (Spectre)
dbr...@Mr-Hyde.aoc.nrao.edu (Daniel Briggs) writes:
Suggestions for exercises on how to work towards a good 360? How
high should I be able to jump in order to have a reasonable shot at
finishing the 360 before landing. For that matter, how should my
feet be set on take off and landing?
Go back to basics. Take off your skates, stand in one place, jump up
and spin around. Concentrate on thinking on what you are doing, one
step at a time. Once you get to a point where you think you can
explain it to a crippled 12 year old, then put your skates on. Start
without moving. Just do the same thing, jump up, turn around (Pick a
bail of cotton if you really want to), and get the feel of what parts
of your body emphasize the speed and control of the spin. Then just
start rolling, and doing it. Once you get to the point where you can
do it with a good speed roll, then everything beyond (curbs, stairs,
etc) is just conquering fear...it's not any different wether you spin
over a perfectly smooth pavement, grass, stairs or a car. If you can
make the jump without any of the obsticals, you can do it with the
obsticals...just close your eyes at first and you won't kno the
difference :)
From: holr...@student.tc.umn.edu (James A Holroyd-1)
Regarding 360's:
I've almost got them now... I'm spinning most of the way round, but I
keep dropping one foot too soon, so I end up landing like this:
(apologies for the ascii art)
| ^
| <---right skate |
| | direction of travel
| |
------- <---left skate
(spinning clockwise)
This isn't really a problem, but it looks kind of stupid... I think I
need to get more of a "pop." I also need to keep my skates closer
together.
The physics behind the spin is actually pretty simple:
While you're still on the ground (the wind-up phase), you give
yourself angular momentum by turning your torso in the opposite
direction to the one you're going to be spinning in, then twisting
into the spin and jumping. Hopefully, you'll give yourself enough
momentum to make yourself go some multiple of 180 degrees when you're
in the air. You can make yourself spin faster by pulling everything in
closer to your axis of rotation. I saw a TV program on PBS once about
video/computer analysis of ice skaters doing jumps... they had one
skater who couldn't do a triple-something-or-other, and they diagnosed
her problem as leaving her arms too far away from her body. They had
her lift weights, which strengthened her arms, which let her pull them
closer in to her body, which helped her finish the jump. One
interesting thing to note about ice skaters is that they usually start
jumps with one leg at least partially extended away from their body.
When they pull the leg in, it reduces their polar moment of inertia,
which increases the rate of the spin (since angular momentum is
conserved, neglecting air resistance). Because most in-liners start
their jumps on 2 skates, we can't get the slingshot effect of bringing
the leg in, consequently we can't do triples on flat ground. Anybody
out there doing ice-style jumps on inlines? Any thoughts from you
ice-skaters out there?
From: mdic...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
cer...@ait.com (Joseph P. Cernada) wrote:
I still haven't figured out how to get any height while jumping in
this position. I get maybe 5 inches off the ground. Anybody have any
suggestions on how to jump higher from the heel-to-heel position?
It's leg strength. And the ability to raise your legs up like an
airplane's wheels retracting.
If you're in New York, check out the now-somewhat-talked-about Victor
- the master of side-surfing. Before he moved (from Boston), I've
_seen_ him jump a barrel (about 3' height & 1' radius) on it's side
while side-surfing, and have heard that he can do the same barrel
standing up!
What he does highly resembles retracting his legs as he goes up, and
dropping them back as he comes down. Quite impressive.
_________________________________________________________________
Pipes and Ramps
Ramp plans:
* Heckler Magazine plans: http://www.heckler.com/ramps.html
* IASC endorsed blueprints:
Ramp building FAQ: http://web.cps.msu.edu/~dunhamda/dw/ramp_faq.html
From: Spectre (j...@kepler.unh.edu)
Re: pipes
> I'd appreciate it if you could drop me a few pointers so that if I find one
> someday I won't kill myself on the first time out...
Pointers:
START FROM THE BOTTOM!!! Never start from the top until you get get
yourself to the top from skating, and not climbing. Even if it is a 3
foot quarter pipe...don't start from the top till you can skate up it,
turn around at the top, and come back down without falling. I was
teaching a friend of mine, he was fooling around on a 3 foot
quarter...I told him to work bottom to top. He skated up, up the ramp,
and stood on the top... the "dropped in" (Started from the top
standing up), fell backwards and sprained his wrist, now he doesn't
want to skate pipes anymore.
Work your way up, get used to the transition from flat to sloped..
it's a very strange sensation going up a curved incline vs. a flat
incline. Work on getting used to going up on the transition, turning
around, and coming back down, all fluid.
Once you get comfortable with the transition, you have to learn how to
pump. Pumping is what makes you gain speed when your in the pipe,
since gravity and friction will slow you down a little... I don't know
if I can explain this well but....as you come up to the transition,
bend your knees some...When you start up the transition push your feet
out...the result will just be you standing up...but pushing against
the centrifical (sp?) force will let you get a little more speed. When
you turn around at the "apex" of your ride up...do the same...turn
around, bend your knees a little, and extend against the pipe...you
will notice a BIG change in speed, since you will be getting more
speed than you would if you where just riding down the side of the
pipe. Repeat this for both sides...From the bottom, pump, up the
transition, turn around, pump, down the transition, across the flat,
pump, up the transition, turn around, pump, down the transition. If
there are skateboarders or other skaters there, watch them, expec.
their knees... You can ask them, but a lot of skateboarders don't even
realize they do it.
Pumping is the secret to riding...the better you can pump, the higher
you will go...with out pumping, you will never gain speed, and will
never get as high has you were when you turned around on the other
side.. (Simple physics)
Once you think you have control over that...say you can get to a point
where you can grab onto the top of the pipe and pull yourself up on
the platform, your almost ready to drop in. At this point, you want to
start by going in sitting down. Maybe the first time, sit on the edge
and slide down, just get used to the hight and the speed when you
slide... Then sitting down, put your hands on the coping (the metal
pipe that is on the edge of the pipe) and push yourself forward...you
have to go forward enough so when you stand up, your body will be
perpendicular with the pipe.. push off...and stand up...and go like
you did when you started from the bottom, except you already have some
speed. That part sound dificult, but after a couple of tries it gets
really easy.
Once you feel comfortable with that, you can either 1) drop in
standing up...(put first to wheels over edge..bend your knees and
touch your toes...you'll roll into the pipe, and your legs will be
perp with the pipe.. then you just need to stand up) 2) Start lifting
your feet some as you go in...lift yourself up on your hands, put your
feet behind you so that your feet are higher up with you go in
sitting./..that way you get more used to to the actual hight from the
top...keeping going till your comfortable with getting your feet all
the way to the coping before you push yourself in.
If there are any other skaters there, you can ask them for tips, but
do not "drop in" until you feel comfortable...I did that once...12
foot pipe 1 foot of vertical...dropped in...forgot to bend my
knees...face plant damn close to the flat....
Good luck...be careful....wear a helmet and knee pads at least.... let
me know if anything isn't clear.
From: sav...@csu.murdoch.edu.au (Duncan Savage)
Saw a neat trick that some guys (including one who looked about 13)
are doing in Sydney, Aus. Basically, they use a standard skate ramp,
skate into it, but instead of rolling up it, catch their toes (I don't
remember if it was with one or both feet) on the front of the ramp,
flipping themselves into a forward somersalt with their heads just
about scraping the ramp. They land on the other side of the ramp.
Needless to say they had a full complement of protective gear, and
given the protection even their stuff-ups didn't look too painful. I
don't think I'll try it just yet.
From: holr...@gold.tc.umn.edu (batty)
Charlie, I agree wholeheartedly with your construction technique, but
we found different geometry worked better for us when we built launch
ramps for skateboarding.
When you go off a launch ramp, you are launching so that you land away
from the ramp, so the top lip of the ramp doesn't have to be
perpendicular to the ground. If you build a ramp with a radius less
than 6 feet, it feels _really_ weird. We found that the ramps that
were easiest to launch off were the ones that we could go fastest on,
which gave us more air time. 8 foot radius worked well for us.. You
suggested building a ramp with a 2.5 foot radius. The distance from
your center of gravity (somewhere around your bellybutton) to the
bottom of your skates is about 2.5 feet (less if you're crouching).
When you hit a 2.5 foot radius ramp that goes to vertical, your skates
will go up the ramp, but your center of gravity will stay in one
place... you'll also go straight up in the air and either have to
launch to one side, or you'll have to land back on the ramp.
Here's some really bad ascii art showing my favorite launch ramp:
____
* |
* |
* |
* |
* |
*______________________________
The "launch angle" was a little more than 30 degrees, the whole ramp
was about 8 feet long, and it was about 2-3 feet tall. It was (as I
remember) about a 10 foot radius. it had a small platform at the top
(which, combined with the length of the ramp, made it very stable) We
could hit this ramp going *very* fast, and it sent us a long way. This
is what worked for us.
From: ai...@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jim Aites)
Hey, you SKATEBOARD'ers! Got any helpful hints for us fledgelings?
| found different geometry worked better for us when we built launch ramps
| 8 foot radius worked well for us.
Is it just me or are a lot of folks under the (obviously) mistaken
impression that some launch ramps use a parabolic curve? Ignoring the
fact that the previous poster indicatated that the ansi-art was poor,
this STILL looks like it isn't a radius type ramp.
____
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| * |
| *______________________________
Also, I've jumped ramps where the vertical part of the ramp was MUCH
closer to 90' than it was to 45'. I'm not saying that they were better
than the above, as a matter of fact, you *have* to go fast so you
don't stall at the top of the ramp...and dribble over the top lip.
<grin> Hang time (altitude) gets outragious pretty quickly, and all
without landing more than 10' from the ramp. Does this match with
anyone else?
From: j...@oin.unh.edu (Spectre)
Fakies are A half-pipe trick. It's actually a un-trick. You go up the
side of the pipe like you are going to do a trick, go in the air, and
do nothing...not even turn around. You then come back into the half
pipe skating backwards (Which isn't nearly as simple as street skating
backwards :)
> Work on 360 jumps off the ground (forward and backward). Once you
>have those down, hit a jump and do it (again, forwards and backwards).
My favorite: 360's clearing 6-8 stairs.
One that I've been playing with, if you find a long bench, or low
wall, or something at least 10-20 feet long. Jump onto it with a 180,
land backwards with one skate on the bench and the other scraping
along the side of the bench, then jump off with another 180. I'm
pretty sure in half-pipe lingo, it's a backwards rail grind, but I'm
not sure.
|____| - one skate
||
other skate -> |____||-------
|| | bench
From: adc...@cs.fsu.edu (Tony Chen)
j...@oin.unh.edu (Spectre) writes:
>
> |____| - one skate
> ||
>other skate -> |____||-------
> || | bench
A more flashy version of bench riding is to jump on top of the bench
(or some kind of edge) and into a spread-eagle (I guess this would be
a 90? 8-) Ride all the way to the end and jump off with a 180 so as to
land in another spread-eagle, but with your feet reversed.
Another variation, find stairs that are sectioned with flats in
between flights. Ride the steps sideways (spread-eagle) and flip 180
in the flats. You could also flip to backwards-bashing or whatever.
From: jnew...@ecst.csuchico.edu (Gadget)
Just to add the simple ones to the list, here goes...
* Front wheels of both skates
* Front wheels of both skates in parallel
* Back wheels of both skates
* Back wheels of both skates in parallel
* One wheel (front/back/left & right)
* Heel & toe
* Front/back/mixed wheels while spread eagle
Of course all these can be done backwards as well.
Oh, and as a great drill. Cross over backwards while going forwards
and cross over forwards when your going backwards....
From: so...@cyclone.mitre.org (Stephen J. Okay)
Subject: Stair/Wall Jumps..
In the ever continuing chronicle of attempts to break my neck, I
thought I'd share some thoughts on my stair and wall work that I did
last night.
I went over to a local high school that has some rather interesting
structures for thrashing on, so following a couple quick laps around
the parking lot, I set to work on the stairs, and while I have no
problem jumping up/over up to 4 steps at a time, or back down, I still
have absolutely _no_ clue as to how to actually ride the damn
things...any hints/ideas would be much appreciated, esp. from our two
resident thrashers on the group...
Aerials are a different story. I can now say with a good degree of
confidence, I can do a 180 (and sometimes a 270) from back off of up
to 4 steps. The trick seems to be in starting your turn when you
launch. I've always fallen when I've tried this until I realized that
its just too much to think about if I try to turn in mid-air, so its
better to just start right off doing it.
_Walls:_
Had moderate success hurdling, getting over a couple walls/barriers.
The idea is to use head straight for the wall and use it as a vault of
sorts to propel yourself into the air with. My biggest problem with
this is that I need to remember to lift my feet higher. I kept
scraping the wall and consequently losing control, making for a really
sloppy landing... I did get over clean once or twice, which probably
looks really cool, but who knows...I was the only one there...
Another cool thing I noticed in my warmup skate: Those sloped ramps
that are often built into curbs as bike or wheel chair ramps make cool
jumps. Dip down the side closest to you and then ride up the lip of
the opposite side and if you're going fast enough, you'll clear the
curb and catch some air(Just make sure no cars are coming,as this does
kind of definitely put you out in the street). So I did that a bunch
of times and liked it a lot...Kind of reminds me of one of my favorite
skiing maneuvers: dipping down into the gouges made by other skiers
and popping out into the air on them.
Oh, I also tried the dual braking thing again, but at higher speeds
than before. Balance is definitely the key to this one. Everything
above your waist should be pointing forward, and everything below
should be leaning back on your heels. Anything else throws your
balance too much, IMHO.
Helmets:I have a Protec skateboarding helmet, that has the 1-impact
foam core with a hard plastic outer shell(none of this wimpy
'microshell' stuff) that fits pretty well. Good side coverage of the
side of my head down past the ears, and covers down the back of my
head. I've gotten some skateboarding/music stickers for it, and it
looks cool. Yes, its the full combat style of helmet, but I definitely
would _not_ thrash without it.
From: IO0...@MAINE.MAINE.EDU
i've never seen "fakies" before. (well, i have a friend who will
occasionally "catch a fakie" but that is something _completely_
different, and not related to skating). the term comes from
skateboarding and means simply "backward". thus the usage would be "i
jumped 180 to fakie...", which tells you that the person started
facing forward. "fakie" preceding a trick name means that the person
was skating backward when the trick was started, i.e., a "fakie 540"
would be one and a half revolutions, starting from backward (and
landing facing forward, hopefully, for a 540 :).
you haven't mentioned anything about airs in your list. that is a
large area, and as far as i know there is no standard for skate airs
(regarding the airs that aren't duplicates of jumps performed in ice
skating, like grabs). well, one thing that could fit on the list of
"not airs" is skating crouched, with most of the weight on one skate,
the other leg being bent so that the knee is close to the ground
(several inches) and only the toe wheel is rolling on the pavement. if
you can't picture it, either see it on MTV sports or watch a man
proposing to a woman, same stance. anyway, it's known locally as a
crunch, as in, "gallivan to crunch".
From: a...@dsbc.icl.co.uk (Andy Wardley)
Last Saturday afternoon was a sheer joy for me. I spent nearly 4 hours
skating the half-pipes in my local park and seeing as it was my first
real (i.e. more than half an hour) session and I managed to get quite
good, I thought I'd share with you my trials and tribulations and tell
you about some of the interesting places I've got bruises.
The smallest of the pipes is about 2 foot high and absolutely bloody
useless because it is so small. The next is about 3 foot high and just
about skatable with inlines. (sorry, did I mention I was skating
inlines?) The 4 foot pipe was great - high enough to get some speed,
wide enough to give some maneuvre^H^H^H^H^H^Hmanoovre^H^H^H^H^H
movabilty room but not so big as to risk neck-breaking for the
uninitiated (me). Bloody good fun!
Whoever said in the FAQ that you shouldn't drop in straight away was
dead right! I skated about half an hour and pretty much got
comfortable with it before dropping in. The first two attempts,
however, resulted in me landing flat on my arse, causing the first
large bruise area and a severe jolt up the spine. Attempt three was
the success and when you've done it once, it's a piece of piss. You've
just got to throw all your weight forwards and get you body
perpendicular to the wall of the pipe. Bloody good fun!
Managing to keep my speed up was the next big task and I slowly got
the hang of it. The trick seems to be to bend your legs up towards you
as you go up into the curve and then extend them out again as you are
coming back down again. It's hard work, particularly on the stomach
muscles, as it requires a lot of trunk flexing. Bloody good fun
though!
Next step was to try a few rail grinds. Easy! Trying to slide along
the rails took a bit more confidence and after limited success, I
decided to leave that for next time. Bloody good fun!
I briefly tried the _big_ pipe. It's about 10 foot high and not to be
skated lightly, IMHO. I didn't drop in because they didn't have the
ladder out to get to the top platform and I didn't really fancy trying
to build my speed up to jump up onto the platform. Again, maybe next
time. The other thing was that there is a sign saying that full safety
kit should be worn on the big pipe. I didn't have a helmet and
thinking about it, I don't reckon it would have been a good idea to
try it without. Bloody good fun though!
On that note actually, I really wouldn't recommend skating pipes
without knee pads and wrist guards *at the very least*. I have bruises
on my knees, elbows, shins, ribs (I landed with my arm under my chest
- Ouch!) and backside and that was with knee pads, elbow pads and
wrist guards. Without those, I would undoubtedly have plaster on at
least one wrist and both knees. I think you can safely manage without
a helmet on all but the biggest pipe but your mileage may vary. It
does take a few bruises to get the hang of pipes, but after the first
couple of hours, the falls are fewer and further between and generally
much more controlled. Bloody good fun too!
If you haven't skated pipes and get the chance - try it! It is really
good fun and doesn't hurt much. I tend to be a bit reckless when
skating - more conservative skaters may well find the experience less
painful.
Anyway, I better go because this post has got very long. Just thought
I'd let you know about my skating experience. If you want to hear
more, I've got Megabytes more I can write about the afternoon :-)
More importantly, if anyone wants to make the trip to South London on
a Saturday or Sunday afternoon (I'm not sure if it's open during the
week) then I can let you know exactly where to find the place.
Similarly, if anyone knows of any other pipes or good skating places
in London, let me know. Apologies to all overseas readers - I realise
it's a bit far to come from the US or Oz or wherever, but if you ever
do find yourself over here....
From: mdic...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
Subject: Re: Pipe-Dreams
a...@dsbc.icl.co.uk (Andy Wardley) wrote:
> Last Saturday afternoon was a sheer joy for me. I spent nearly 4 hours
> skating the half-pipes in my local park [...]
Hmmmm. So did I - at the indoor skate park in Cambridge - MA that is.
And, yes, it was (& still is) bloody good fun.
Pipes there range from a couple feet with about a 6' radius, to 10'
with an 8' radius - ie: 2', 4', 6', 8', 10'. The half-pipe is 9' with
a 1' extension on one side, with a 8' radius. (I think the 8' radii
are correct; but are close enough for this discussion.)
> Whoever said in the FAQ that you shouldn't drop in straight away was dead
> right! I skated about half an hour and pretty much got comfortable with
> it before dropping in. The first two attempts, however, resulted in me
> landing flat on my arse, causing the first large bruise area and a severe
> jolt up the spine. Attempt three was the success and when you've done it
> once, it's a piece of piss. You've just got to throw all your weight
> forwards and get you body perpendicular to the wall of the pipe.
Agreed with the "don't drop in until you're comfortable" thing. I was
on the coping & doing fakies, forward & reverse 180's, and almost
stalls before I dropped in. I remember the first time I tried on _any_
pipe I fell on my arse as well. But once I got the feel down, I
immediatly went up a couple of levels.
> Managing to keep my speed up was the next big task and I slowly got the
> hang of it. The trick seems to be to bend your legs up towards you as
> you go up into the curve and then extend them out again as you are coming
> back down again. It's hard work, particularly on the stomach muscles, as
> it requires a lot of trunk flexing.
It's called "pump"ing. It's supposed to be bending the legs, not from
the waiste. But most everyone I know splits the task. As you drop in,
you start with legs bent, then "pop" them straight during the
transition. As you approach the pipe to go up, bend slightly, and
"pop" the legs again during the transition. This "pop"ing transfers
potential energy into kinetic energy & vice versa using centripetal
forces, sort of (I won't get into the physics here). So the better you
get at "pop"s, the faster & higher things will go.
> On that note actually, I really wouldn't recommend skating pipes without knee
> pads and wrist guards *at the very least*. I have bruises on my knees,
> elbows, shins, ribs (I landed with my arm under my chest - Ouch!) and
> backside and that was with knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. Without
> those, I would undoubtedly have plaster on at least one wrist and both
> knees. I think you can safely manage without a helmet on all but the
> biggest pipe but your mileage may vary. It does take a few bruises to
> get the hang of pipes, but after the first couple of hours, the falls are
> fewer and further between and generally much more controlled.
Definitely a good idea to wear _full_ armor. This might even include
"hip-clips" - pads that clip for hip & thigh protection. Helmets &
_big_ knee pads are a must. Wrist guards are good for sliding & such,
but you should be able to train yourself to fall onto your knees from
ANY position.
Last Saturday I was doing stalls on the 9' pipe - and on one occasion
I pushed off too hard. I knew I was _not_ going to make the whole
transition, so to save myself I pulled my legs up & fell directly onto
my knees. Hit the last foot or so of the transition & slid the rest of
the way down. Because I knew I wasn't going to make it, I
automatically (w/o thinking out it) fell onto my knees. The big cushy
knee pads saved my back again!!!
From: a...@dsbc.icl.co.uk (Andy Wardley)
Subject: "Pipe Dreams 2" presented in glorious Inline-O-Rama
Another weekend of hard-hitting half-pipe skating action was had by
myself, and in a spirit of uncharacteristicly unselfish generosity, I
thought I'd share my tales of woe and joy with all you loverly people
out there. Yes, you too can experience Inline-O-Rama from the safety
and comfort of your own homes....
For those of you who read last weeks issue of "Pipe Dreams", you'll
remember my adventures on the half-pipes at my local park. Since then
I've got quite high up on the gnarly scale and even quite "rad"
according to the local sk8boarders. I'm told this is a compliment :-)
Dropping in, turning, jumping out, these are all second nature now and
bruises are certainly fewer and further between. I also junked my old
Bauer knee pads and got some serious thick pads (not cheap at #25 UK
Quids) after realising quite how much my knees were suffering even
with the pads. The new ones are infinitely better.
I've got the hang of popping/pumping to get some speed up. This means
I can catch some serious air on my way out of the pipe, 180 and drop
back in with little trouble. I reckon a 360 would be fairly easy but I
haven't attempted that yet. My pumping isn't perfect and I found that
I still can't get up and out of the 10' pipe, but practice will no
doubt make perfect. Thanks to Michael for the tips - they helped a
lot. Can anyone actually tell me what the physics are involved in the
process?
Stalling on the rail is a fave of mine and easy for the novice. I
still can't get any decent slides along the coping - maybe I'm just
not going in with enough sideways velocity. Anyone got any
suggestions? I've also tried to stall, jump 180 to a forward stall in
prep to drop in forwards. Didn't work - will keep trying.
The basic fakie (i.e. don't turn and drop backwards) and the stall to
a fakie (i.e. stall on the rail and then drop backwards) are also
quite easy to master and seem to generally impress people who think it
looks inherently dangerous to skate a pipe backwards. Actually, it can
be because you have to be used to taking a transition backwards. You
can then reverse-fakie (is that the right name?) at the other side to
get going forwards again. I bit of a jump when you r-fakie can be
impressive but make sure that your skates land back inside the pipe.
One time, mine didn't, and my left skate caught the top, rolled
backwards onto the platform and I smacked my shin badly on the coping
and slid face-first into the pipe. Well-bruised my shin but it was
BLOODY GOOD FUN!
If anyone has any hints or can tell me about other good trix to try,
I'd love to hear about them. At present, I am the only inliner who
skates the pipes so I don't have anyone else to watch, discuss trix
with or get inspiration from. The sk8boarders are a good laugh and fun
to watch but I worry that I might start to sound like them, man....
:-)
From: j...@kepler.unh.edu (Spectre)
mdic...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens) writes:
>a...@dsbc.icl.co.uk (Andy Wardley)
>
>I think I'll go back and review my advanced calculus physics book to see
>what it said in the first place. After all, I never really _read_ the book
>for class - just did problems out of it to pass.
I sat down and calculated what exactly was going on about a year ago
and it is completely out of my brain now (face plants don't help
physics memory very much :). It has to to with the combination of the
centrifital force and the action/reaction principle. by pushing
against the centrifital force you are adding more force, and since the
half pipe can't break (you hope) the force has to be evened another
direction, sideways, which is influenced because of gravity, so the
result is an encrease of speed. Take a look at vectors and force.
I'll try to put in a little more thought on this and get back to
everyone.
_________________________________________________________________
Vert Skating Terms
(contributed by ags...@rev.net)
_Air Kedidi_
Get some air and then peddle your legs like on a bicylce.
_Armour_
Your pads
_Bacon in the pan_
After a hard fall you slide around like bacon in a pan
_Brainless_
a Back Flip with a 540 twist
_Coping_
The metal rod across the top of a ramp to grind or stall on.
_Double Ore-Ida_
an inverted 720
_Droping in_
Standing on a ramp and skating in
_Egg Plant_
A type of invert when you plant the outside hand
_Fakie_
Anything done facing backwards (i.e., a fakie 360 is rolling
backwards jumping doing a 360 landing backwards
_Handplant_
Same as invert
_Inverted_
When you're upside down, legs over your head
_Miller Flip_
A back flip with a 360 thrown in
_McTwist_
An inverted 540
_Sand Plant_
An invert in which both hands are used
_Spine Ramp_
Two Halfpipes placed directly beside each other
_Stall_
When you jump on the top of the ramp or on the coping, then
stop for a few seconds turn and drop back in (Can also be done
on curbs or any other stationary object.)
_Transition_
The part of the pipe in which it goes from horizontal to
vertical or vertical to horizontal
_________________________________________________________________
*This image is Copyrighted © 1994-1996 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission
is granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as
this copyright notice is included as either an HTML comment alongside
the invokation (IMG SRC or HREF or otherwise) of the logo, or in the
visible text.
The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part5
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Slalom_
_________________________________________________________________
TECHNIQUES - SLALOM
Last modified: Wednesday, 04-Sep-96 13:02:06 EDT
A Web page devoted to slalom skating was announced in October 1995.
It's called cones+wheels: the inline skating slalom page and can be
found at:
http://www.skatecity.com/C+W/
_________________________________________________________________
From: Jim Aites (j...@hpsmpk.lvld.hp.com)
Date: Unknown
The movement known as a 'slalom' is normally applied to the art of
dodging in and around a series of obstacles. Being pulled by a
ski-boat or weaving thru the poles on a ski slope are two well known
examples. This discussion will try to address some of the joys and
techniques used when effecting this move on in-line skates.
There is both a natural 'swing' and a physical 'compression' that come
into play while doing a slalom. The 'swing' is durn near natural, but
by understanding and making proper use of the 'compression' it is
possible to use this technique to slow your speed, maintain, or even
increase it.
_Note_: Although the slalom can be accomplished in a stylish manner by
almost any skater, the ability to use the technique to slow down
should _not_ be considered a replacement for any of the more standard
braking methods. Also, I believe that serious slaloming is well within
the scope of the intermediate skater. Although novice skaters have
more important things to learn before slaloming...like stopping...I
feel that is is something that any skater can/should do.
Before trying to address the mode used to change your speed, let's
talk about the simplicity of the move while coasting or going down a
very slight grade.
_Basics:_
The slalom movement is based on the transfer of weight during a
continuous series of serpentine turns. This linking of alternating
turns can be a slow-and-easy movement, or it can be as fast as skiing
a tight mogul field.
Although there is a 'classic' position for doing a slalom (crouched
with knees and feet together), it may be done with feet in an open
placement or even in the water-skiing (one foot in front) position.
The most important thing to keep in mind is your ability to handle
your steering and speed.
Generally speaking, a couple of standard down-hill skiing suggestions
come to mind. The most reasonable of these is the idea of keeping your
shoulders and head facing straight down the hill (or direction of
travel). Your upper body _can_ provide added stability and leverage to
manage the slalom movement itself. Giving yourself this extra
stability will help a lot in avoiding an 'over-rotation' which happens
when you just ride the turn, and then try to go the other way...only
to find that your momentum wants to carry you around even further!
_Steering:_
I mention this first because it is _critical_ that you be able to
steer your skates without lifting them. As a point in fact, you will
not be able to do a free swinging one-footed slalom without mastering
this type of steering in one form or another. The following is a basic
practice move suitable for anyone, including novices.
One-footed slalom: (suggested method - author)
One of the simplest moves and most important ideas in skating (imho)
is the ability to do small slalom movements while on one foot.
Steering with one foot is _basic_ for doing stable cross-overs,
free-style, surviving a one-footed recovery, or...doing slaloms.
While moving at a slow glide on one foot, simply shift your weight
comfortably onto your heel. _Hey_, easy there! Just lift your toes a
bit. No need to try heel-walking yet! Now, simply use your body and/or
free leg to help point your toes in the direction you want to go.
Weave.
Note: I know I said one-footed, but I meant either foot. Practice
_both_! This is _easy_, my 7 year old does it. She found that she
needed to practice it to help her do controlled T-stops.
The basics of slaloming hinge on your ability to steer in some manner
similar to this. PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
_Safety thought:_
The 'feet side-by-side' stance used often in slaloming is probably one
of the more dangerous (from a front-to-back balance perspective)
things about it. The one-foot forward water-skiing stance makes a
great deal of sense when moving between smooth/rough pavement. In
either event, beware sand and water! It is also suggested that your
first attempts at slowing while going downhill be done on a _wide_
road with _no_ traffic. (nice grassy shoulders next to the road might
be a good idea as well) If you find yourself picking up speed instead
of slowing down, just continue a turn till you are coasting back up
the hill.
_Changing speeds:_ (This is where it gets interesting.)
In the process of 'carving' a turn (with both feet), you will find
that there is a point of compression. Adding pressure before the
furthest swing of each turn will increase (or help maintain) your
speed. Letting yourself 'give' just after the point will slow you
down. (if this reminds you of changing speeds while on a child's swing
then you might have the idea ;')
When going down a hill, simply doing a slalom is _not_ a sure way to
slow you down. It will probably keep you from going as fast as a
straight run, but that doesn't mean that you won't pick up enough
speed to lose control. Making your turns wider or 'deeper' will help
shed more speed because you are spending more time going diagonal or
crossing than heading down the fall-line. It is important that you
find the give-point (after compression) and learn to take full
advantage of it.
While practicing your slaloms, you may be tempted to try 'shreading'
some of your speed during each turn by unweighting the outside foot
and then shoving your heel outward with a bit of extra force. This can
help in slowing, but it is awkward and dangerous in execution. There
is a tendency for the heel to 'catch'. Fair warning!
Other pseudo-slalom moves:
* Linked cross-overs with a slalom type one-footed glide.
* Outside leans...use the opposing foot. (counter-intuitive...looks
great!)
* Catch the give-point of the compression, and use it for a 'spring'
type action. Care to try 'popping' a 360' in the middle of a hill?
_Just for fun:_
After you've proven to yourself that you can maintain or increase your
speed by pumping a slalom, try heading _up_ a narrow sidewalk. Amaze
your friends or passing motorists.
_________________________________________________________________
From pbr...@math.berkeley.edu
Date: Sat Sep 4 19:47:25 1993
I have a few comments to add. My skating is currently cross-training
for veldrome racing (bicycles), but I also have experience racing
slalom and GS.
One of the things that you leave out is the necessity of keeping one's
weight forward. That is, imho, the main use of poles in skiing. The
pole shouldn't be planted next to you; it needs to be planted _in
front_ of you. To maintain control in a slalom and use the "swing"
properly, your weight needs to be forward. My suggestion for practice
is skating by carving turns with alternate feet. The more you flex
your boot, the more your rear wheels drag, and the more speed you lose
on each turn.
To practice pole planting, sit in a chair. Sit forward a little, and
move your feet back some, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Now,
reach out with your hand and lean forward. See how that feels? Now try
it on skis at 50 mph...
_________________________________________________________________
From: Hank Hughes (thi...@ccs.neu.edu)
Date: Unknown
Jim Aites (j...@hpsmpk.lvld.hp.com) wrote:
Note: I know I said one-footed, but I meant either foot. Practice
_both_! This is _easy_, my 7 year old does it. She found that she
needed to practice it to help her do controlled T-stops.
The basics of slaloming hinge on your ability to steer in some
manner similar to this. PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
Very _true_ ... but
Another approach may be too shift the weight forward (onto the ball of
your foot). Start on a patch of grass/carpet with your feet in a
v-stance. Then lunge like a classic fencing champion by mimicking a
stroke, but keep the weight on the balls of your feet. You're more
nimble with the weight on the balls of your feet. Then lift the
trailing leg slowly.
_Concentrating on the final stance:_
With a lot of flex into the tongue of boot and knee, try to drop a
perpendicular from behind the support leg's knee down to the space
between the 1st & 2nd wheel. Basically, if you look down you should
_not_ be able to see your foot because your knee is in the way. To
balance, press on your outside toes to turn in, or press on your
inside `BIG' toe to turn out
_In motion:_
To steer, point your knee into the direction you wish to turn. This
rolls your ankle & center edge into the appropriate inide/outside
edge. Now you can grind through turns (& hear the whoosh from breaking
traction).
_________________________________________________________________
From: Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)
Written: November 28, 1994
Revised: October 20, 1995
Having become a regular at New York City's Central Park slalom course,
I guess I'm qualified to throw in some comments on the topic:
_The Course:_
The slalom course lies in the recreational lane of the Central Park
loop, between Tavern on the Green and the Sheep Meadow. Just skate in
the West 67th St. entrance to the park on a sunny weekend afternoon
and you can't miss it. Due to its location, the course has a good
slope and you don't have to get up much speed before you start down.
Slightly disconerting is that the slope is steepest in the middle of
the course, so that it feels like there's a "break" at about the ninth
cone. Depending on the trick, the slope sometimes means that you have
to "slalom faster" near the bottom of the course because the cones are
coming up at you much faster. The course also has a slight curve to
the right, which has been known to disturb visiting slalom skaters
from other towns.
The standard Central Park slalom course is a series of 27 cones,
spaced six feet apart. However, the number of cones has varied on
occasion; when the National Slalom Championship was held here in
October 1994, the course was 30 cones long. I've heard that in other
towns, slalom courses are sometimes only about 15 cones long, but my
guess is that future competitions will use closer to 30 because it
provides more opportunity for video-genic combination stunts.
When measuring off an area for a slalom course, don't forget approach
and exit areas. The Central Park normally has a 60-foot approach, with
skaters starting anywhere within that distance, but when pedestrian
traffic is light, it may be extended to 200 feet. Depending on how
fast you're moving and how hard you can brake, you will also need from
5 to 100 feet to stop.
Occasionally, when the expert skaters want to demonstrate how good
they are relative to those who are merely advanced (i.e., separate the
men from the boys), or if they want to compete against each other
without anybody else getting in the way, they will set up a course
with the cones spaced at smaller intervals. Most frequently the
distance is decreased to four feet, but lately there's been a lot of
experimenting with three-foot separation and an occasional attempt at
a vicious two-foot separation. We call such tight courses "technical
courses". A clean run through a 30-cone course with three-foot spacing
is just about the finest thing I've seen done on a pair of skates, and
provides great satisfaction if you can do it yourself.
The cone themselves are 8 or nine inches tall and made out of orange
plastic. The original square bases have been amputated. Cones of this
size are available in different hardnesses, but the harder kind is
best. Softer cones are less apt to fly away when you hit one, and they
often bend around your skate in what seems like a deliberate attempt
to induce a case of road rash on your exposed flesh. You can usually
get cones at sporting goods stores like Herman's, at around $2-$3 per
cone.
When the Central Park slalom course is not open, I've seen desperate
cone skaters rummage for pop cans, paper cups, or Gatorade bottles and
use them for cones, perhaps filling them with water to keep them from
blowing away. However, the height of regular cones can be
disconcerting if you've practiced a lot using pop cans, so if you're
serious about slalom skating, get some real cones.
_The Tricks:_
One nice thing about learning to slalom skate is that everybody's
interests diverge after the couple tricks, and if you stick at it for
awhile, you may be doing tricks that the pros (or at least the
supposed experts) have never learned. One woman I know devoted herself
to learning every conceivable variant of the forward criss-cross (see
below) and was doing things after six months that guys who have been
skating cones for four years couldn't do.
One last comment before introducing types of tricks: You'll likely be
wasting your time if you make your first attempt at many of these
tricks on a real slalom course. For example, if you can't maintain
your balance on one skate for ten seconds as you skate down a smooth
empty street, you're not going to be able to do a forward one-foot.
Even after having mastered most of the basic tricks below and a few
major variants, I usually practice new ones away from the cones, or on
a short course that only has six or eight cones.
Dividing into categories, there are:
* _Forwards tricks_
_Parallel:_
The first trick all slalom skaters learn, and you don't
need a set of cones to do so. Just place your feet next
to each other, with one leading by perhaps an inch or so,
and alternate which one is leading, thus introducing a
serpentine motion into the line of your path. The posture
for the rest of the body is very much like that used by
downhill skiers, and whenever a newbie me asks how to do
a parallel, the first thing I ask is "Do you ski?"
Some other tips: 1) Remember that ski instructors are
always reminding newbies to bend their knees. 2) Keep
your hands out but not up (i.e., below shoulder level)
and somewhat in front of your shoulders. Avoid waving
them around a lot, but use small adjustments like a
tightrope walker. And 3) on your first few tries,
concentrate on a clean skate all the way down the course
and don't worry about skipping a cone or three if it
makes you feel safer.
I also found that I got the smoothest parallel if my
knees were practically glued to each other. I jettisoned
my knee pads in order to attain this, but you'll have to
evaluate that safety decision for yourself.
_Monoline:_
Exactly what it sounds like. The skates form a straight
line, with the heel of one just ahead of the toe of the
other. This is a good next-step trick to learn after the
parallel.
A variant of the monoline which one frequently sees is
usually called a "telemark" due to its similarity to the
cross-country skiing posture. Basically, the trailing
foot is tilted so that only its toe wheel is touching the
ground. Usually the skater is crouched low to the ground,
often with one knee almost scraping asphalt.
_One-foot:_
One of the first tricks attempted though not always one
of the first mastered (some people just can't balance on
one foot through a 150-foot slalom), the one-foot brings
out the greatest variety in different approaches to doing
it, all of them valid. It's simply skating down the
course with only one foot on the ground, but the variety
comes in when each skater decides what to do with his
extra foot. Some hold it out to the side, some hold it
behind, some in front. Some use the extra foot like a
rudder, some kick like a Rockette, and some hold it like
a dead fish on its way to the garbage can.
Perhaps the coolest variant is the "flying eagle", in
which the extra foot is held behind you and you get down
in so low a crouch that its wheels may actually be above
your head. This can be an extremely fast maneuver, and if
you're of short, stocky build, you'll move like a bullet
and excite applause.
_Criss-cross:_
Using a scissoring motion of the legs, you cause your
skates to pass each cone on opposite sides, with your
legs crossed at every other cone. To do this, you'll
likely need to cock your hips so that one foot is always
ahead of the other and so that your skates don't bump as
you cross and uncross your legs. (Learning the forward
monoline is an excellent way of getting your hips in the
right location.) If your leading foot also has a brake
mounted on the heel, you'll need even more clearance.
Even though the criss-cross is one of the first few
tricks a slalom skater may learn, it seems to be one
which you _always_ have to pay a lot of attention to what
you're doing, because when your legs are crossed, there's
little room for recovery if something goes wrong. I've
banged up my left knee pretty badly from this.
_Cutbacks:_
This looks a bit like a criss-cross, but the crossing
maneuver involves lifting one skate entirely off the
ground and swinging it around behind the other before
putting it back down. Unlike a criss-cross, though, your
legs should be crossed at every cone.
* _Sideways tricks_
Getting your hips to turn out properly to do sideways maneuvers
requires differing levels of stress depending on your personal
anatomy. Some people can do this almost naturally; some can't do
it at all, no matter how hard they try. It took me a couple weeks
of practice and stretching to work up to a sidesurf; in the
meantime, I had a couple skate sessions which ended with my left
knee feeling wrenched because I was twisting it rather than my hip
joint. But just recently (Aug 1995), I had one of the best
speedskaters on the planet ask me for any tips I could give him on
sidesurfing because he'd been trying to learn it for months.
An exercise that helps is lying on the floor in a frog-like
position. Turn your hips out and bend your knees so that the soles
of your feet are up against each other. Now try moving your feet
inward (towards your body).
_Sidesurf:_
Think of this as a sideways monoline, with your trailing
skate oriented so that its toe is pointing from whence
you came. Because of the position that this puts your
body in, some people may call it a spread-eagle. However,
there is some room for variety, as some sidesurfers will
skate with their heels almost touching, and others will
hold them a couple feet apart; some skate standing almost
straight and others crouched down with derriere sticking
out.
A lot of sidesurfers use a pumping motion in their
leading arm to get their bodies to swing around the
cones, but with practice, you can turn a sidesurf into a
very graceful maneuver which requires only a little
movement by your leg muscles.
_Parallel sidesurf:_
Instead of the wheels all being in a line, the skates are
side-by-side but still pointing in opposite directions.
If your skates are right next to each other, it can be
very difficult to turn doing this trick, but if they're a
few inches apart, it's much easier. Your feet may keep
trying to drift apart into a regular sidesurf, so this
can be difficult hold.
_Independent:_
Again, skates are pointed in opposite directions, but a
scissoring motion is introduced so that the skates pass
the cones on opposite sides. I found the most difficult
part of doing an indy was getting my trailing skate to
come around, as my leg sometimes seemed to lock into one
position. (This may be a symptom that you're relying on
one foot to do too much of the work. Try to even it out.)
Getting low to the ground, almost sitting on the cones,
seems to help.
While the other sideways maneuvers can be done fairly
gracefully, the independent is almost always raw action.
If you really push it, you can actually accelerate quite
rapidly, so that an indy becomes one of the fastest
slalom tricks there is.
_Wave:_
Seemingly uses the same posture as the sidesurf and a
similar sort of zig-zag motion, but rather than follow a
single line, the skates are spaced fairly widely and pass
each cone on opposite sides, like an independent. Because
of the latter, it's also called the "out-of-phase
independent". It's certainly easier to do than describe.
* _Backwards tricks_
In order to see where he is going, a backwards skater can either
look over or under one of his shoulders. My choice was to twist my
shoulders so that they're oriented just about in a line with
cones, and I hold my leading hand (a) low so that I can look over
the shoulder and (b) out a bit so that I look towards it and see
the cones coming up rather than watch what my feet are doing.
_Monoline:_
Perhaps the simplest travelling backwards trick, and
possibly the one I've most frequently seen. When learning
this I found that it helps if the toe of the leading foot
and the heel of the trailing foot are not really close to
each other but are separated by six inches or so. This
allows some slight independence in the motion of the two
feet. After you've got the basic motion down, you can
bring your feet closer together and synchronize their
motion.
_Parallel:_
Many skaters who attempt this keep slipping into a
backwards monoline. I believe this is because of a
feeling that they are losing control as they speed up,
and a monoline is easier to do at such a time. One reason
for this statement is that I see more children than
adults attempt _and_ succeed at this trick, and
children's skates are notorious for having wheels that
don't spin very fast. Alternatively, maybe kids just
don't know the trick is "hard" and that they ought to
learn something else first.
_One-foot:_
Slaloming backwards on one foot is a real crowd pleaser
and also personally satisfying, so it's a good trick to
learn.
Like the forward one-foot, there is some variation in
what skaters do with the lifted foot, but not as much and
there is often a reason for the posture adopted. For
example, skaters who assume a backward one-foot by
approaching the course sideways often hold the lifted
foot so that it's wheels are perpendicular to the cones,
while those who approach skating backwards will hold it
so that the wheels are in a line with the cones. The
former style is useful when you are first learning the
trick because it allows you to move the entire lifted leg
(along with your leading arm) in a sawing motion that
shifts your weight so that you zig-zag around the cones.
On the other hand, holding the lifted foot in line with
the cones allows you to more easily put it back down the
same way so that you can continue skating backwards,
perhaps while doing a combination trick (see below).
_Criss-cross:_
Many practitioners feel this is easier to do than a
forward criss-cross because you have to cock your hips
anyway so that you can turn your head to see where you're
going. However, this presumes you know how to skate
backwards in the first place. I will admit, though, that
it seems safer to do a _fast_ backwards criss-cross than
a forwards one.
The leg motion in a backwards criss-cross is very similar
to that of a monoline, so if you're having trouble
learning one of them, try practicing the other. Odds are
that if you can master one, you can get the other fairly
quickly.
_Out-of-phase criss-cross (or backwards wave):_
Another hard-to-describe trick, like its cousin the wave.
It is similar to the backwards criss-cross because the
legs are crossed at every other cone, but unlike that
trick, it has a more zig-zag motion like the backward
monoline.
_Cutback:_
Similar to the forward cutback, but the crossing motion
is done by lifting and swinging the skates around in
"front" of you, by which I mean the direction you came
from. The basic motion looks sort of like a series of
crossover turns, but you happen to be traveling
backwards.
* _Tilted-skate tricks_
This is an awkward name for a category of trick variants in which
at least one skate has been tilted so that only one of its wheels
is actually touching asphalt.
_Extended and double-extended tricks:_
The word "extended" simply means doing one of the usual
tricks with one skate (almost always the leading skate)
tilted so that only the heel wheel is touching the
ground. Most common are extended sideways tricks,
particularly the extended sidesurf.
Some of the extended maneuvers are surprisingly easy to
learn _if_ you have removed the brake(s) from your
skate(s); I was able to do a clean 27-cone extended
sidesurf on only my third attempt (of course, I'd known
how to do a regular sidesurf for three months by then).
With a "double-extended" sideways maneuver, both skates
are tilted so that only their heel wheels are on the
ground. A double-extended sidesurf is rarely seen done
with any speed, but crowds think it's cool because it
always looks difficult (it is to an extent; it took me a
couple months to build up my thigh/groin muscles so that
I could do it). I've seen people do a forward parallel
with only the two heel wheels on the ground, which I
presume also counts as a double-extended trick (note: in
order to maintain stability, their skates are usually
spaced more widely than in a simple parallel).
_One-toe-down tricks:_
The close cousin of the single-extended trick, just with
one skate tilted so that its toe wheel is down rather
than the heel wheel. The most frequent example is a
forward monoline with the trailing foot tilted, which if
done in a deep crouch is, as noted above, often called a
"telemark". Another example is the reverse of this, a
toe-down backward monoline, with the tilted skate leading
the way.
_Toe-and-toe tricks:_
The only tricks I've seen completed and/or seriously
attempted with only the two toe wheels touching asphalt
are a forward parallel and a forward criss-cross, and boy
do they look awkward. I've also seen a couple goofing
around with a toe-and-toe sidesurf, but they never make
it past the second cone. And there is one person I know
who might be working up to a toe-and-toe out-of-phase
forward criss-cross; it's hard to say because he looks
almost totally out-of-control.
_Heel-and-toe tricks:_
This time, one skate is on its heel wheel only and the
other is on toe wheel only. They can be done forwards,
backwards and sideways. A _very_ popular heel-and-toe
trick is the forward monoline, but it requires building
up some strength in the calf of the leading leg (I still
can't do it but know several folks who can). Other
heel-and-toe tricks I've seen are the forward crisscross
and the sidesurf, plus an unsuccessful (but amusing to
watch) backwards criss-cross.
_One-wheel-only_ tricks:
At the October 1994 slalom skating championship in
Central Park, a French skater went down the course with
only one (heel) wheel touching the ground. There's a
photo of him doing it in the February 1995 issue of
_Inline_ magazine. Control on such a trick is difficult,
to say the least, and what might have been a knock-out
competition trick was marred by the five or six cones
that got knocked aside.
* _Combinations:_
A combination trick is simply that, a combination of tricks done
in a sequence. How many different tricks you attempt to do in one
run depends on how long your cone course is, and how many cones
you do with each trick. (At the Central Park course, we usually
require at least four cones per trick for the trick to count.)
Very often combos are signature moves; one NYC skater is
well-known for a forward criss-cross down the top half of the
course, followed by a 180° leaping jump into a backwards
criss-cross.
Not all combos are that difficult (or impressive), though; e.g.,
it's fairly simple to slide from a sidesurf into an independent.
Better skaters may even disguise a bad slalom run by converting a
trick about to go awry into an easier trick. Heck, I've done this
in competition and the judges never realized it.
* _Alternating tricks:_
An alternating trick is much like a combination trick, except that
the transition between tricks is done once every cone or every two
cones _and_ the skater alternates between two particular tricks.
Perhaps the most common example is an alternating forward
criss-cross, in which you alternate which foot is in the lead.
Thus, your right foot crosses in front of the left, then you
uncross, and then your left crosses in front of your right, etc.
If done well, this is a subtle trick, and spectators may think
you're just doing a vanilla criss-cross unless they're paying very
close attention.
Other examples I've seen are an extended alternating forward
criss-cross (the skater alternated which of her feet was crossing
in front of the other, but whichever was in front got tilted
upwards as soon as it started swinging around to the front), an
alternating backward criss-cross, an alternating backward
monoline, and what I call the Swiss monoline (because of the
nationality of the first person I saw doing it), in which the
skater alternates between a forward and backward monoline.
* _"Unclassifiable" tricks:_
Some tricks just don't fall very easily into the classifications
above. One such that I've seen is the "half Remy", in which the
skater was basically spiraling down the slalom course, doing a
180-degree spin around each cone (this implies that a full Remy
involves a 360-degree spin around each cone!). I got dizzy just
watching, and the skater looked a little ill when he finished. In
any event, it wasn't really a forwards maneuver or a backwards
maneuver. I presume that there are other tricks that can't be
easily pigeon-holed.
* _Ballistics:_
A ballistic trick is simply one of the above tricks done at high
speed. At the Central Park course this is done by launching from
100-200 feet from the first cone rather than the usual 30-60. A
ballistic flying eagle really hauls, and a ballistic backwards
combo is guaranteed to blow spectators away. Just make sure that
you have spotters watching to be sure that nobody blunders into
the course during your approach (this is a common problem in
Central Park).
* _Grapevines:_
The term "grapevine" apparently has a number of different
definitions in the skating world. The one that is most frequently
used at the Central Park slalom course is any slalom maneuver
which is done traveling _uphill_.
Some sort of self propulsion is obviously necessary in order to
keep your speed from tapering off, so the most frequent maneuvers
I've seen done on a positive slop are the backwards criss-cross
and the independent. However, I've managed to do an uphill
sidesurf, and I've seen others do uphill one-foots and backwards
parallels. The backwards criss-cross and independent are useful
for impressing spectators because, if done right, you can build up
some serious speed when doing them.
A good way to practice grapevines is to set up a _flat_ slalom
course, but make sure that it's long enough that you're not just
coasting through on your initial momentum. If you can accelerate
through a flat slalom course, you're ready to try an uphill
course.
Also, equipment can play a large roll in a successful grapevine.
Clean bearings and larger wheels help, as do lighter skates. I've
found that a grapevine independent is _much_ easier in Aeroblades
than in Lightning TRSes.
* _Pairs:_
There's pairs figure skating, so why can't there be pairs slalom
skating? Basically, it just requires two people skating the course
together while holding one or both hands. A popular example is for
the leading skater to do a backwards criss-cross while the
trailing skater does a forward criss-cross (this is often done
when the leading skater is trying to learn how to do a backwards
criss-cross). Exceptionally cool, are pairs doing backwards
_combos_. Tres cool!
And lest you think that there's a limit of two skaters doing a
trick together, three of the best Central Park skaters will
occasionally do a ballistic independent together. And occasional
groups of four or more skaters will get together to attempt a mass
maneuver, but more often than not this results in cones strewn in
every direction.
There are presumably many more maneuvers, or variants on the above,
but the problem is that the names for them may also be regionalized
(e.g., I've discovered that what New Yorkers call a criss-cross,
Bostonians want to call a crossover). Even within one locale there may
be more than name, especially if a trick has a lot of variants (e.g.,
the flying eagle variant of the forward one-foot), and a name based on
a combination of the above terms may have a special, fancy name. For
example, I've heard a backwards monoline called a "rattlesnake" and a
double-extended wave (wow!) is a "tidal wave".
_________________________________________________________________
_-rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs maintained by Tony Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)_
_-"Techniques: Slalom" edited by Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)_
_________________________________________________________________
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Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part6
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Figure Skating_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
INLINE FIGURE SKATING
(Last changed May 31, 1995) by Jennifer Kretschmer (j...@rahul.net)
Here's the first group of "tricks" that I have been able to take from
ice figure skating and translating it to in-lines. I'll do one of each
rating. The ratings again are:
Beginner = *
Intermediate = **
Int/Advanced = ***
Advanced = ****
Tricks
* Swizzles *
* Spiral **
* 3 Turn ***
* Two-Foot Spin ****
* Waltz Jump ***
* Axels ****+
* Loop Jump ****
_Swizzles *:_
This is a move that can be used to skate forward or later to
skate backwards. (backwards requires your weight to be towards
the toe, and going forward requires weight toward the heels.)
It is good for building up groin muscles, and the inside of
your thighs. In swizzles, your feet do not leave the gound.
Start by gliding on two feet about 7-8 inches apart. Then allow
your feet to slide out while moving until they are about 24-28
inches apart. Here comes the harder part where your groin
muscles come in. Without lifting your feet off the ground,
glide and pull your feet back in until they are again 7-8
inches apart. Repeat the move over and over. You will soon gain
momentum, and the move will become easier to do with speed.
_Spiral **:_
This is a graceful move that you see figure skaters doing
often. This will be easier for more flexible people to do. It
requires good balance, so you should be able to skate on one
foot with ease before you try this. Gliding on one foot, point
your toe of your free skate and slowly lift your leg behind
you. Arch your back, and bend at the waist only. Don't throw
your body weight forward or you will loose your balance. You
shoud try to balance all of your weight on your skating leg. A
good spiral form is when you can get your free leg up higher
than your head.
_3 Turn ***:_
This is a move that allows you to turn backwards by skating on
one foot. This will require you to go almost onto one wheel
only for a split second. You will fall trying to learn this, so
be prepared. Once you get it, your friends will be impressed.
Use whatever foot you feel most comfortable skating on one
foot. Most people feel that this move is easiest if your
skating leg is your left one.
There are many types of 3 turns that deal with the "edge"
(direction), but right now I will just describe it generically.
Try holding onto something like a fence or bench when you first
try this, and watch your chin if you fall. I had a friend who
bumped her chin on a bench when she fell. Gliding on one foot,
allow your free foot to hang behind you. Swing the free leg
around slowly and shift your hips at the same time. Let your
foot rock up towards your toe, and swing it backwards at the
same time as your leg and hips go. You should now be skating
backwards on one foot.
_Two-foot Spin ****:_
This is so fun to do, but be prepared to get dizzy. This
requires you to be on only two wheels. You can do it on your
heels, on your toes, or the easiest on one toe and one heel.
Most people feel comfortable spinning counter-clockwise. This
is the common direction to spin in figure skating unless you
are left-handed and do everything in the opposite direction. I
will explain a right handed, toe-heel two foot spin like would
be done on ice.
You will be on the toe of your left foot and the heel of your
right and will spin counter-clockwise. Start with your arms out
to your side and feet slightly apart. "Wind up" by swinging
your arms 90degrees in the clockwise direction. This will turn
your body a little but don't let your feet move. All at the
same time, swing your arms back the other way and pop up onto
your toe heel position. Pull your arms into your body like your
are trying to hug yourself. This will make you spin faster. Let
your arms out to slow down and drop back to all your wheels.
_Waltz Jump ***:_
You should be able to do 180s before you try this one. I will
explain first how to do just the moves, with no grace attached.
However, this is a very graceful jump, and when done properly
almost gives the allusion of doing splits in the air. While
skating forward, glide on your left foot (if you are
left-handed or feel more comfortable skating on your right
foot, do the exact opposite as I describe). Begin rotating your
body counter clock-wise. Allow your free leg to come forward.
When your body is 90 degress and your foot is still forward,
jump off of your left skate. While in the air rotate you body
the last 90 degrees, change feet in the air and land on your
RIGHT skate backwards.
To add some more grace, let your right leg swing forward to
help you take off. Try this a few times holding onto a wall or
bench or couch, with your skates on or off. Getting your body
used to jumping off one leg and landing on the other is the
hard part of this trick. Once you get this jump down, then more
advanced figure skating jumps become easier to understand.
_Axels_
I've heard some poeple asking about axels on inline skates.
Although I mentioned before that I will only discuss those
figured skating moves that I can do on inlines properly, I will
talk about axels anyway. My main problem is landing on one
foot, so I two foot the landing. I tend to land with my weight
a little forward (an old habit I also had on ice) so that on
inlines, I roll up to my toe, and fall. I know that I can
correct if only I would keep my body straight, but old habits
die hard.
An AXEL is a ****+ maneuver on my scale. It requires excellent
balance, and a lot of strength to pull off on inlines. This
jump takes off forward off your left foot (outside edge),
rotates one and a half times (540 degrees), and lands on your
right foot (outside edge) going backwards. An important part of
the take off is usuing your free right leg to "kick" forward
helping you to take off. If you are new to trying this
maneuver, try doing it on carpet or grass without your skates
on. If you can't get the rotation without your skates on, you
won't be able to do it with the extra weight of your skates.
Another tip for the takeoff, is that most ice skaters like to
skate into the jump going backward, and then stepping forward
onto your left foot an immediately taking off. You can do it
this way, or from skating forward depending on your comfort. I
have noticed that most roller skaters do axels from a forward
skating position. Try both, and use the one that allows you to
get the most height and control.
_Loop Jump_
Here's a new figure skating maneuver it's called a loop jump. I
would consider this and advance jump to try. you must already
be able to do a 360 jump starting backwards and landing
backwards.
LOOP JUMP: is a jump where you take off backwards on two feet,
but land backwards on one foot. Skating backwards, scissor your
feet so that your left foot is slightly in front of your right.
Bend your knees deeply and glide in a counter clock-wise
circle. Take off on an outside edge on your right foot still
with your left foot trailing in front, and use your knee bend
to "pop" yourself into the air.
Turn your body in the air in a counter clock-wise direction and
pull your arms into your body (grabbing your left shoulder with
your right hand sometimes helps in the rotation). Also, while
taking off, lift your left leg up slightly higher than your
right ankle.
When you have completed the 360 rotation, land on your right
leg skating backwards on an outside edge, and allow your free
leg to extend behind you. (Like the way you see ice figure
skaters land) Remember to try this only when you can do a 360
in the counter clock-wise direction on two feet from backwards
skating to a backwards landing.
You will fall many times learning how to do this so please wear
protective gear including a helmet. The most common fall for
this jump is in the landing. If you lean forward, you will roll
up on your toe and do a face plant. Make sure that you bend
ONLY AT YOUR KNEES AND NOT AT YOUR WAIST! Keep your back
straight.
_________________________________________________________________
Other stuff
From: mi...@cnj.digex.net (timothy mizerak)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.inline
Subject: Re: Figure Skating on InLines!
Date: 3 May 1995 22:21:45 -0400
>|> *** 3 TURN: This is a move that allows you to turn backwards by skating
>|> on one foot. This will require you to go almost onto one wheel only for
>|> a split second. You will fall trying to learn this, so be prepared.
>|> Once you get it, your friends will be impressed. Use whatever foot you
>|> feel most comfortable skating on one foot. Most people feel that this
>|> move is easiest if your skating leg is your left one. There are many
Most people are right-handed and prefer to rotate counter-clockwise, so that
would make the left outside 3 turn the easiest. The direction of turn is
very critical with 3 turns. You'll want to find your strongest direction
and stick with it until you have that mastered, then start learning the other
way.
>|> types of 3 turns that deal with the "edge" (direction), but right now I wil
l
>|> just describe it generically. Try holding onto something like a fence or
What really made the difference to my three turn was to *really* stress the
edge. My first 3 turn was the right outside, and once I realized that was
what I was trying to do, it started to come much easier. I had always been
holding a straight line and finding it so difficult. So, think about drawing
that 3 when you do this move and it will help.
>|> friend who bumped her chin on a bench when she fell. Gliding on one
>|> foot, allow your free foot to hang behind you. Swing the free leg around
>|> slowly and shift your hips at the same time. Let your foot rock up
>|> towards your toe, and swing it backwards at the same time as your leg and
>|> hips go. You should now be skating backwards on one foot.
This is basically it, but I can picture a lot of over-rotated turns. The
key is to set your arms and shoulders first, then to let the rest of your body
and foot complete the turn. I wouldn't stress the swing on the free leg
either as it would also seem to over-rotate or pull the whole thing off
balance. It's in the shoulders first, the hips second, then the foot.
Shooshie's advice to practice these with two feet at first is very good.
If you realize it or not, you have actually taught yourself two 3 turns that
way, one outside and one inside!
Timothy Mizerak, mi...@cnj.digex.com
On Tue, 2 May 1995, Shooshie wrote:
> I'm still pretty lame on 3-turns, but I'm in no hurry, and I notice
> improvement all the time. I do have a question for you. Do you "snap" your
> body around, or just gracefully turn it and snap your foot at some point
> in the turn? Also, when doing it in reverse (from backward to forward), do
> you still do it on your toes, or do you use your heel? I have done both,
> but I suspect that the heel version probably goes by another name. I've
> been needing to ask someone this... maybe you would help.
>
Shooshie,
I tend to do the slow, "graceful" move with my body turning and at the
last second when my body is almost backwards I "snap" my foot. I use my
arms too, but that's mostly from my figure skating traing when I had a
coach yell at me to keep my head up and my arms out to the side. I even
position my hands the way she used to make me.
The backwards one, I always did with my weight towards the heel, even on
ice. I'm not sure how you mean when you say you use your toes. If you
can go from backwards to forwards going up on your toe, I believe that
you have invented a new turn. I'll check my handbook to see if I can
find it. If not then we should call it a "Shooshie Turn!" I like the
sound of that.
_________________________________________________________________
*This image is Copyrighted Š 1994-1996 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission
is granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as
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The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part7
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Techniques - Speedskating and Racing_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
TECHNIQUES - SPEEDKSATING AND RACING
Table of Contents:
* Road Rash
* Lacing
* Boots
* General Race stuff
* Skinsuits
* Other Speedskating sites
(last changed Friday, 31-May-96 18:00:02 MDT)
Road Rash
From: ah...@boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Not a cure, but lots of Neosporin will help keep the rash from getting
infected (a big problem with large-area road rash). Makes the scabs
look really nasty, 'tho - be prepared for some really grossed-out
looks if you don't gauze it over.
From: g...@cbmvax.cbm.commodore.com (George Robbins)
There is no "cure".
The traditional treatment is to wash the area, let it scab over and
wait for it to heal. If there is a lot of imbedded dirt, glass or
gravel you want to see a doctor for extra pain and cleansing.
The underground remedy (for small spots) is to use "Bag Balm", a
vetrinary product for soothing cows udders, found at your local farm
supply outlet. It provides a waterproof covering for the wound, which
apparently prevents the formation of a thick, inflexible scab.
Actually Vaseline does pretty much the same thing, with people asking
you what breed of cows you prefer.
In either case, the overall healing time is simlar, however the latter
may cause less interference with skating, scarring and hassles with
scabs cracking or being torn off.
Another possibility is to use a "Newskin" type product, the one I've
seen comes in a bottle, you put it one, the alcohol (sting!)
evaporates, leaving a thin, flexible membrane, which seems to work on
the same idea as above, but it's dry on the outside, not gooky.
Please treat such wounds with respect, infection, scarring or
prolonged healing periods are always a possibility, especially with
larger area's of damaged skin or contamination.
From: ma...@unidata.ucar.edu (Matt Hicks)
Well, I checked out what everyone else suggested and I didn't see this
one exactly, so here goes. I have a friend who is a (semi?) pro speed
skater and has taken some nasty spills at high speed. Last year he
ripped up his right thigh/buttock when he hit a wet spot in a turn--it
was uuugly. Anyway, he used either neosporin or a burn creme (road
rash is 90% burn anyway) and he covered the wound completely with
plastic wrap held on with medical tape. There was nothing special
about the wrap--just Saran Wrap or the equivalent. I've had a lot of
rash from bicycle racing and I've never seen anything heal as quickly
or as well as this lump of hamburger did. He never got a scab going;
the wound just got smaller and smaller until it was gone. The main
thing you need to do with this treatment is clean the wound really
well--I'm guessing he probably cleaned it thoroughly twice a day
(morning and evening). The next time I get scraped up I'm going to try
this treatment myself--if nothing else it will keep the wound from
oozing through my clothes--yuck!
From: gt3...@prism.gatech.edu (Steven Malcolm Nichols)
Finally, on the subject of road rash. I've heard people advocate both
covering the area to try to keep a scab from forming and airing it. I
have tried both and don't really have a preference. I believe that the
most important thing you can do is keep it clean (i.e. wash/clean it a
couple of times a day) and of course, keep it from getting infected.
3M makes a product called second skin, I think the original
application was for burn victims. Second skin is something like 96%
water & 4% miracle plastic that acts as a skin. A couple of people
mentioned Neosporin; I was told by a paramedic that Neosporin in large
quantities can be toxic -- he couldn't really be quantitative about
what this means, but just be aware. I have found antecdotally (and
maybe I even read this somewhere) that sunlight seems to encourage
pink shiny scar tissue (dang! I'll never be a swimsuit model now!), so
you might want to let the rash heal up before you go tanning at the
beach.
From: prat...@david.wheaton.edu (Adam Pratt)
I do not have any quick fixes for road rash, though I have had a lot!
I mean a lot! Nine days ago I launched off a 4 and a half foot ledge
from one parking lot to another. There is about 12-15 feet of mulch
and bushes slanting between the parking lot I jumped from and the
parking lot below I was jumping into. It was an awesome jump, but at
the bottom, I did not quite make the pavement. My skates hit soft
mulch at the botom, dug in an inch, and my 10+ mph threw by body on
the pavement. Most of the weight hit my wrist guards and the front of
my helmet. If I did not have wrist guards on, I would have shattered
by hands, wrists, and forearms. It was intense! I could not hold all
my weight aand slid out on my right elbow and right hip (OUCH on the
hip!)
Anyway, I just wanted to share my awesome spill with you friends. It
was one of the most intense spills I have seen. Now back to the road
rash part...
I already had a scar on my right hip from a previous spill. Now I have
a bigger one. The way to get rid of it is to COAT it with vitamin E
oil. Do not wait for it to heal, then use it. Scrub it hard, ointment
like crazy, let it scab, and then DON'T pick! As soon as it is starts
to get hard, keep vitamin E oil on it constantly!
I have had two major surgeries on each shin and the cut me alle the
way up and down. I did not use Vitamin E the first time and the scars
were nasty. I used it the second time and you can barely see them! I
really believe this stuff helps! You can buy it at GNC and other
health food stores.
From:
After my first crash, where the Fire Department guys had to clean me
up, I started to cary first aid supplies (each crach statistic is a
statistic in favor of baning inline skating). I have the following in
my bag:
Large bandaids (2 in.) Gauze pads (for covering wounds and for
cleaning wounds) Anticeptic wipes Neosporin ointment
I even found use for these at the ice rink this past winter, when I
cut my self on my blades. Yes, I have goten road rash from the ice
rink although, I think it was where the elastic underwear band abraded
my skin.
From: ai...@lvld.hp.com (Jim Aites)
: Anticeptic wipes : Neosporin ointment
DERMABLAST - a spray-on topical anesthetic. (smaller container
required)
How about something for the 'shockies'? I hate seeing black-n-white
(with stars)! I know, "sit down and put your head between your knees",
but I was thinking of something more along the line of Asperin, a shot
of scotch, or some other good analgesic. ;)
_________________________________________________________________
From: gins...@sun.lclark.edu (Mark Ginsberg)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.racing
Date: 12 May 1995 03:00:03 GMT
I race and fall off of bicycles far too often, and now to increase the
departure of my skin from my body I race skates too. so for road rash
there are a few things you can do.
1. Keep it clean, the day it happens take a bath in some
anti-bacterial soap (aka Laundry detergent -seriously!)
2. then thre are two theories I have seen:
2a. keep it dry. Let cuts air dry and scab up. yummy
2b. Moisture (buddy) keep covered with neosporin, or the like then
cover with saran wrap (sorry for all the name brands) and a big
bandage to soak up all the oozey stuff. Change dressing 2x a day or
more. I use both methods depending on where a cut is, I keep my hips
moist b/c they will heal faster that way, but be messier for the first
few days. my knees, they get to scab. keeps my mom upset 3000 miles
away!
Also to keep them moist you can by these product that look alot like
pre cut saran wrap with vetilation slits which you place over a cut
and leave on for 7 days, does the same thing, but looks a lot cooler,
so if chosing bandaging for looks check those out.
_________________________________________________________________
Lacing
From: Sir Erick (sire...@ix.netcom.com)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.inline
Subject: Re: speed skate laces
In ez00...@rocky.ucdavis.edu (Michael
Kin Wong) writes:
>
>Is there anyone out there who has a method
>of making laces slip less as you are tightening
>them up? I've heard of waxing the laces...does
>this work and more importantly how do you do it?
>Other suggestions welcome...
> -mike
I don't know if this is even relevant but, when you tie your skates at
the top, you know, the crossover tie before you make the little bow?
Well, instead of doing one crossover, do two. This is called a
surgeons knot and it will hold tight while you make the pretty little
bow at the top. Get it? I hope so because without this knot, I'd
still be asking people to "put your finger here while I tie this
please"...
From: grams...@aol.com (GRamsey887)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.inline
Subject: Re: speed skate laces
Date: 14 May 1995 21:50:20 -0400
>Is there anyone out there who has a method
>of making laces slip less as you are tightening
>them up? I've heard of waxing the laces...does
>this work and more importantly how do you do it?
>Other suggestions welcome...
-mike
While you might be able to wax laces, most people buy laces that are
pre-waxed. You won't find them at the mass merchants, but most of the
decent rinks or skate shops should have some.
From: ian...@ccnet.com
Subject: Re: speed skate laces
Date: 15 May 1995 07:26:20 GMT
Try the following lacing style if you haven't already.
top
-------o- +0++++++
\ +
+\
o++++++0
+
+ \
o------o
\+
+ \
o++++++0
+
+ \
o------o
\+
+ \
o++++++0
+\
+ \
o------0
bottom
Two points to keep in mind...
1. The diagonal laces are always underneath the laces going
straight across.
2. The laces that go straight across are always on the outside
of the lace holes.
+---------------+
======|== ==|======
----+ +----
To tighten, start at the bottom and pull each straight-across
lace tight working your way to the top. This pattern keeps
the tension on previous lace while you tighten the next.
The laces also tend not to come loose as easliy.
Hope this helps,
From: ma...@gladstone.uoregon.edu (R.Manes)
Subject: Re: speed skate laces
Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 08:55:04
I just wanted to second the notion of the waxed laces- my Raps boots came with
them, and they work. Another trick taught to me by the guy who sold me the
skates is to lace with the laces going down into the holes, rather than up
through them, as is conventional. This way you can adjust each lace crossing
to the tension you like, and it'll stay there since the down lacing sort of
locks it in place. Try it- you'll like it.
From: Glenn Rasmussen
Subject: Re: inline laces
Date: 15 May 1995 16:11:33 GMT
ez00...@rocky.ucdavis.edu (Michael Kin Wong) wrote:
> Is there anyone out there who has a method
> of making laces slip less as you are tightening
Try lacing your skates by putting the lace in the top of each eyelet. It
locks the lace down as you pull it tight. This is a trick I learn from
ice speedskating. I find it a very effective technique.
_________________________________________________________________
Boots
From: mr...@escape.com (Michael Rainone)
Subject: Re: Simmons Boot sources
Date: Sat, 13 May 1995 13:47:51 -0400
In article , dr...@athena.mit.edu
(Mark Drela) wrote:
> I'd like to get the Simmons boot, so...
>
> 1) Is there a local source near Boston?
>
> 2) Does anyone have the phone # for Simmons?
> I heard that you can order from them directly.
>
> 3) Is there a mail-order place that has them?
> I know you can get them from Team Paradise, but it's
> been over a month since I called for their catalog
> with no results.
Simmons fax # is 816.454.2668. I've heard that the Twister model is very
backordered. The most popular boot through Paradise is the Typhoon whic
is a lower cut, more like the Viking. I was lucky enough to have gotten
my Twisters last season. They are excellent boots, High Quality
materials and superb craftsmanship are Daves trademark. It's money well
spent.
From: ki...@iat.com (Kimon Papahadjopoulos)
Subject: Re: Viking Boots
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 1995 11:54:58 -0800
In article , ak...@cse.ucsc.edu (Adam Katz )
wrote:
> What are people's opinions of the Viking boots? The bont boot looks
> like it would give more ankle support, how much difference would this
> make? I would most likely get the non-moldable Viking boots, how should
> they fit?
I would definetly not recommend the Viking Marathon or Thermo for that matter
as a first racing boot because they really do have minimal ankle support.
This means that if you have never skated on racing skates before, it could
be a good long while before you will be able to skate faster than in your
four wheelers.
Also, because they have so little support and because they expand over
time, you should try to get the smallest size possible that will fit your
foot. Which means that unless you happen to have just the correct shape
of foot, the break-in time is both long and painful.
Furthermore, the Vikings use a variable distance mounting system which for
most sizes means that the frame you will buy will be incompatible with
other racing skates like the Bont. So the frame you buy for your Vikings
will probably not work for the next pair of skates you buy unless you buy
Vikings again.
On the plus side, Vikings are very well made and very precise skates. They
give you a lot of control (as long as your ankles don't get tired) and
because they have such low ankle support they will make you a better
skater, because you can't rely on the boot to hold your edge for you.
But even once you learn to use them, for most people they leave something
to be desired for the sprint (you know, the most important part of the
race) and in tight turns. I know several people who once they switched
away from Vikings say while they loved their Vikings, they are faster in
other boots.
In my opinion, Vikings are still useful as a training boots, but I think
you will see fewer and fewer Vikings on the starting line as boot building
know-how gets better. After all, Vikings are long track boots, and there
are finally some boot manufacturers that understand the subtle differences
that an inline boot requires.
For your first racing skate, I'd try the K2 Extreme Speed. It's being
sold in modular components, and the boot seems to sell for $200-$300 vs
>$400 for the Thermo. I saw several of them at the last race I went to
last week, including a friend of mine who was previously skating on the
Marathon. He likes them a lot, and had no trouble with them in the 27
mile race, and I think he got them last week. Now that's an
endorsement...
From: wonsu...@mail.utexas.edu (Wonsup Song)
Subject: Re: Viking Boots
Date: 5 Apr 1995 21:54:00 GMT
In article , icus...@teleport.com (Marc Abrams) says:
>
>Unless you are really going to be training 3 hour a day, I doubt
>whether you will develop enough ankle strength to skate competitively
>in Vikings. Look at the Fitness Fanatics Veloce or K2 Extreme Speed or
>2 Extreme boots. They fit much nicer than Bonts, are made better, and
>are less expensive. Give me a call if you have questions.
If you decide not to get Vikings because of the low-cut, I would not buy
2 Extreme boots either. 2 Extreme has no cuffs, and it took me for a while to
get use to it (I used to skate on Bont Hustler boots, now I use it for
In-doors). Go for Extreme Speed. They give you better lateral support than 2
Extreme (no support).
It is true (at least for me) that K2 fits better than Bont. But it does not
mean you should get K2. There are other fine boots such as Simmons(Great Boots)
.
Everyone's feet are different so some brand boots fit you better than others.
About the price of K2 2 Extreme, I paid $199(retail $339.95). It is the best
boots for that price range ($300-450 racing boots). I can buy Extreme Speed for
$189. So shop around.
From: ay...@yfn.ysu.edu (Martin Sripan)
Subject: Re: [INL] Narrow Feet
Date: 11 Apr 1995 13:07:28 GMT
When I bought my ski boots (later returning them) the specialists
at the shop told me that they could expand or contract the plastic
in the boot, specifically fitting it to my needs. When I bought
my Roces CDG '94 the booklet that came with it gave information
on a RPF [Roces Personal Fit] which is essentially a system to
inject silicon(e) into the boot liner, which later hardens.
There is also the ThermoFlex which can be used in some boot shells,
but it costs about $150.
_________________________________________________________________
Racing Frames
From: me
Some people have asked what the difference is between the various
types of racing frames. Here's all I know (which may not be 100%
correct). The frames tend to be made in three ways:
* _Stamped and folded:_ A flat piece of metal is stamped out and
then folded to make the frame (cheapest)
* _Extruded:_ the metal is extruded into some sort of molding
(moderately expensive)
* _Machined:_ the frame is cut directly from a block of metal (most
expensive)
Most of the mid/high-end frames out there tend to be extruded. As far
as I can tell most of the pros use extruded frames, so they ought to
be fine for most anyone. You may see the term "triple-extrusion". I'm
not sure what this means. Maybe they have some sort of 3-step process
to extrude the frame.
_________________________________________________________________
General Race Stuff
From: sim...@eeel.nist.gov (Eric Simmon)
Subject: Re: [INL] Race question..
Date: 6 Apr 95 20:25:01 GMT
eig...@uiuc.edu (Amy Ryan) writes:
>I have only participated in traditional distance races, but they are
>going to sponsor a criterion (sp????) locally. They say its 25 minutes
>and then 2 laps... I read an article about a similar race at the PanAm
>games.. can someone explain exactly how these races work?
A criterium is (originally) a type of bicycle race.
The course is usually .6 to 1.5 miles long (ie. short)
with sharp corners (usually around a city block or two).
The races are usually fast paced, with a lot of body contact.
There can also be preems (sp) (premiums) which are prizes given at
different points in the race to whoever is first at that
moment (usually given at the halfway point). they are
great spectator races because the cyclists come around once
every couple of minutes instead of once (as in a road race).
As far as the 25 min + 2 laps goes, this just means you race
for twenty five minutes, at which point you have two laps to
finish.
Strategy:
Stay near the front of the pack drafting as much as you can, while
keeping the leaders close by. If one or two people make a breakaway,
let them go (unless you KNOW they are strong enough to stay out front
the rest of the race). If a larger group makes a breakaway, and
you feel good, jump on it, just be prepared to do your share of pulling
(skating in front so others can draft). Try to conserve strength
as much as you can. Criteriums usually come down to a sprint finish,
so your best chance of winning is to stay fresh and be in good
position for the finish. Unless you feel strong enough to just
break away and leave everyone in your dust. One other thing: turning
is key! I was in a inline race where the eventual winner was a beginner
ice track skater (the rest of us where distance skaters). He got out front
near the beginning of the race and because his speed was greater in the
corners (and he didn't have to watch out for people around him) his
lead just got greater through every corner.
_________________________________________________________________
Skinsuits
From: wonsu...@mail.utexas.edu (Wonsup Song)
Subject: [INL][SPEED] Skin Suits for In-line skating?
Date: 18 Apr 1995 05:06:04 GMT
I have been speed skating for a while but, I was never concerned about what I
wear. I usually wear a Lycra/Nylon tight shorts and a bycicle jersey (I bike
too). It worked fine for me so far. My friend Dean who races for Team K2 wears
this cool purple skin suit. He told me it was made especially for K2 racers by
Pearl Izume. He said that, what you wear makes a big difference in air
resistance and dragging.
Out of curiosity, how many non-profesional skaters out there wears skin suit?
O.K. what do you speedsters wear? I know all these professional skaters from
team Rollerblade, K2, Hyper, etc all wear these skin suits. I heard it reduces
about 5% of the air-resistence than normal tight clothes. Does it make a big
difference? or would it give me about same effects as wearing Lycra tight
shorts and bike jersey?
Where do people get one? I am talking about skin suit especially made for
In-line skating because these bike skin-suits have pads in the middle and I
don't like it. How much do they cost? I know bike ones cost about $99. Who
makes one?
Do they have back pockets like bike jersey, to put watter bottles, keys and
stuff? One thing that I don't like about bike jersey is that I can't put my
water bottle in the pocket. Everytime I go up hills or speed up(swinging both
of my arms), the bottle in my back pocket would swing left and right and
through me off rhythm (because it moves left when I move right, and right when
I move left). So I ended up holding the bottle in my hands all the time. Does
skin suit has same problem or they hold stuff better? (All the skin suit that
I have seen didn't have back pockets though)
Where do professional skaters put their watter bottles? ( I guess for long
distances such as N.Y. 100K and Athens to Atlanta 85miles,etc ) Or maybe they
don't carry ones around? I saw Eddy Matzger holding these watter bottles in
his hands and racing for pretty long distance/time.
From: eh...@fwi.uva.nl (Erik de Haas)
Subject: Re: [INL][SPEED] Skin Suits for In-line skating?
Date: 18 Apr 1995 14:21:50 +0200
> Out of curiosity, how many non-profesional skaters out there wears skin
suit?
>O.K. what do you speedsters wear? I know all these professional skaters from
>team Rollerblade, K2, Hyper, etc all wear these skin suits. I heard it reduces
about
>5% of the air-resistence than normal tight clothes. Does it make a big differe
nce? or
>would it give me about same effects as wearing Lycra tight shorts and bike jer
sey?
>
Hi,
Here all (even remotely) serious ice speed skaters wear skin suits, at
least in the races. For marathon
and very long distance there are even skin suits that have pockects at the
back (approximately in the place where the pockects are on cycling clothes).
In summer, with nice wheather, on inlines, these suits are a little too warm,
I would think. That is where those skinsuits you mentioned come in handy
(short sleeves and legs). Here (in Holland) I only saw those suits at
races. But almost all the racers wear them, (we do not have any proffesionals
here, only some good inline skaters get sponsors for cloathing and
equipment). When on ICE I changed from 'tight' cloating to a skin suit, I
instantaniously smashed my personal records. It does make a difference.
In summer, on 5-wheelers, I never squeezed myself into a skin suit. But then
I do not race on my inlines; I only use them in summer for training, for
remembering how it should be done on ice in winter.
Erik de Haas
Dept. of Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Amsterdam
The Netherlands
http://carol.fwi.uva.nl/~ehaas/
From: stick...@aol.com (SticksSk8s)
Subject: Re: [INL][SPEED] Skin Suits for In-line skating?
Date: 19 Apr 1995 00:09:31 -0400
Skin suits are alot more comfy that bike shorts! Also, they DO keep you
cool in the summer, since your sweat will evaporate off the lycra pretty
quick. Most custom made suits can be made with a pocket in the back for a
water bottle. I've gotten suits made by a place called Young
Originals...517-688-4860. Call them and they'll send you a catalogue, all
you need to do is pick out a design (one of theirs or one of your own),
the colors, and send them your measurements. An inline suit with short
sleeves and legs cost from $50-70 depending on the designs. Right now I
get them made by a woman in the area who also makes artistic skating
outfits, you might want to check out local skate rinks to see if they have
anybody who does the same. Good luck!!
--karen
From: "K. S. Manning"
Subject: Re: [INL][SPEED] Skin Suits for In-line skating?
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 1995 19:56:55 GMT
Don't steer clear of cycling clothing entirely. I'm coming
off a long period of bike racing, so I have lot's of shorts.
I have found it little trouble to take the chamois (the "pad")
out of the shorts using a seam-ripper (available at any fabric/
sewing shop).
I now wait for Performance to have a clearance sale, get a pair
of cheap cycling shorts or a skinsuit, and take the chamois out.
BikeNashbar's sales seem better but less frequent.
Performance 800-727-2433
Nashbar 800-NASHBAR
Other Speedskating sites:
* http://www.ph.tn.tudelft.nl/~aarnoud/speed
* http://www.pair.com/manning/
* Athens-2-Atlanta Home Page
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part9
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Marketplace - Manufacturers and Mail-order Shops_
_________________________________________________________________
Click for $3 wheels! [LINK]
MARKETPLACE - MANUFACTURERS AND MAIL-ORDER SHOPS
Companies and Organizations
* Inline skating organizations
* Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
* Bearing companies (Tuesday, 16-Jul-96 15:25:47 MDT)
* Wheel companies (Sunday, 04-Aug-96 22:35:29 MDT)
* Protective Gear
* Accessories and Stuff
* Magazines
Mail-order Shops and Instructors
* General mail-order shops (Wednesday, 31-Jul-96 08:43:48 MDT)
* Hockey mail-order shops (Monday, 12-Aug-96 09:30:12 MDT)
* Racing shops
* Inline Instructors (Thursday, 06-Jun-96 16:12:31 MDT)
_________________________________________________________________
(last changed Wednesday, 04-Sep-96 07:05:18 MDT)
Inline Skating Organizations
_INTERNATIONAL IN-LINE SKATING ASSOCIATION_
5101 Shady Oak Road
Minnetonka, MN 55343
800-FOR-IISA
(this could be an incorrect address, as of January 1994, I had heard
they were moving to Atlanta)
_ROLLER HOCKEY INTERNATIONAL_
[Day-to-day office]
5182 Katella Ave., Suite 106
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
310 430 2423
310 431 2928 fax
[Executive office]
13070 Fawn Hill Drive
Grass Valley, CA 95945
916 274 0923
916 274 1115 fax
_NATIONAL INLINE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION (NIHA)_
See the complete NIHA info in the rollerhockey section (part 7).
Canada, 1-800-668-NIHA or (403)455-6442 (Edmonton)
United States, 1-800-358-NIHA
FAX: 305 358 0046
See also the list of NIHA sponsors.
_WORLD ROLLER HOCKEY LEAGUE_
6358 N. College Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46220
317 283 2900
_________________________________________________________________
SKATE MANUFACTURERS
_BAUER_
Canstar Sports USA Inc.
50 Jonergin Drive
Swanton, VT 05488
800 750 1713 in VT
800 362 3146
800 451 5120
802 868 2711
802 868 4713 fax
Canstar Sports Group, Inc.
6500 Millcreek Drive
Mississauga, ON L5N 2W6
905 821 4600
905 821 1860 fax
Canstar Sports AG
Talgut-Zentrum 19
CH-3060 Ittigen
Switzerland/Suisse/Schweiz
+41 585886/585887
+41 31 586375 fax (this number is suspicious, but I'm reporting it
verbatim)
_CCM_
Maska U.S. Inc.
Box 381
Pierson Industrial Park
Bradford, VT 05033
Sport Maska Inc.
7405 Trans-Canada Highway, Suite 300
St.-Laurent, QC H4T 1Z2
514 331 5150
514 331 7061
_ROCES_
Exel Marketing, Inc.
1 Second Street
Peabody, MA 01960
800-770-8750
800-521-2011 (Store Locator Service)
508 532 2226
508 532 3728 fax
Exel Marketing, Ltd.
56 Churchill Drive
Barrie, ON L4M 6E7
705 739 7690
705 739 7684 fax
[also the following]
9 rue Plateau
Pointe Claire, QC H9R 5W1
514 694 1077
514 694 3284 fax
Roces srl
Via G. Ferraris 36
31044 Montebelluna
Italia
+39 423 609974 r.a. (r.a. means automatic searching of a free line
(when there are multiple lines with the same number)
+39 423 303193 fax
Email: ro...@riv.nl
WWW: http://www.riv.nl/roces/, _ROLLERBLADE_
Rollerblade, Inc.
5101 Shady Oak Road
Minnetonka, MN 55343
800 232 ROLL
800 68 BLADE (?)
612 930 7000
612 930 7030 fax
WWW: http://www.rollerblade.com/, http://www.rollerblade.ca/
(Rollerblade Canada)
Benetton Sportsystem Inc.
3520 Alphonse-Gariepy
Lachine, QC H8T 3M2
800 661 ROLL
514 631 6331
514 631 1005
_K2_
K2 Corp. - (800)345-2754
Email: gens...@k2sports.com
WWW: http://www.k2sports.com
_Mojo_
8335 Nieman Rd.
Lenexa, KS 66214
Voice: 913-438-MOJO (6656)
Fax: 913-438-4749
Email: moj...@tyrell.net
WWW: http://www.tyrell.net/~mojousa/
_OXYGEN_
Atomic for Sport (Atomic Ski USA)
9 Columbia Drive
Amherst, NH 03031
800 258 5020
603 880 6143
603 880 6099 fax
Email: ato...@globalsports.com
WWW: http://www.Globalsports.com/oxygen/inline.html
Atomic Ski Canada
Somewhere in Mississauga, ON
905 569 2300
(U.S. 800 number works in Canada)
_ULTRA-WHEELS_
First Team Sports, Inc.
2274 Woodale Drive
Mounds View, MN 55112-4900
800 458 2250
612 780 4454
612 780 8908 fax
Email: ultr...@ix.netcom.com
WWW: http://www.ultrawheels.com/
_Riedell_
612-388-8616
_V-line_
Phone: 800-511-0054
Email: vline...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.shadow.net/~si/vline.html
_FireSkates_
Email: ska...@europeonline.com
WWW: http://www-city.europeonline.com/cyberhome/skates/
Pads:
* Rector: 800 248 5633
* Boneless: 801 627 3292
* Pro Designed: 713 957 0341
Grind plates:
* CDS Detroit - 1-313-331-7371
* A.T. Soul Plate, 15 Camelback Ct., Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, WWW:
http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~stead/, Email: ast...@ucla.edu
Videos:
* Anywhere Sports: 1-310-825-5464 (NISS '94 video)
* Mar Productions: 1-800-775-5507
* Video Groove Productions: 1-800-960-8486
* Video Action Sports: 1-800-727-6689
* _pimpin' Sports Action Video_
367 North Acacia Ave.
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(800) 484-6011 ext.1648
fax (619) 794-1648
http://www.pimpin.com
Accessories:
_Sonic Sports_
10753 W. Pico Blvd., Suite 283
Los Angeles, CA 90064
phone: 310-216-4027
fax: 310-216-4028
Email: BES...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.sonicsports.com
_STREET LINE_ (accessories)
Charlie Parcells
313 331 7371
Char...@Delphi.com
_Rollerbands_ (skate carrier), by Spaztech Designs
2583 River Plaza Dr No.154
Sacramento, CA 95833
Tel: 1-916-641-6034
http://coe-info.cen.uiuc.edu/international/plackmann/spaztech.html
_Earhuggers_ (earphones designed for active sports)
mailto:Earhu...@aol.com
Chris Henry
_Ramptech Design and Construction_
7015 Westmoreland Road
Falls Church, VA 22042
703-573-RAMP
703-560-VERT fax
_Blade Blox_ (wheel covers to let you walk on your skates)
http://www.t-mark.com/t-mark/Blade_Blox/blox.html
Blad...@aol.com
_Border Patrol_ (portable rollerhockey rink perimeter) In-Line
Sport Systems, Inc.
821 Marquette Ave., Suite 2300
Minneapolis, MN 55402
800-809-RINK
612-342-2337
612-338-2302 fax
_Paragon Racing_ (lubricants, bearing guards, accessories):
1-800-328-4827 ext.4656
Email: par...@cosmos.de
WWW: http://www.cosmos.de/paragon/
_SKIDS_: (toe brakes) 1-800-766-9146
INLINE SKATING MAGAZINES
(last changed 07-30-1996, 15:15)
_1st In-line Magazine_
Editor : benj...@dircon.co.uk
WWW: http://www.demon.co.uk/nbcs/first.html
_Daily Bread_
280 Highland Rd., Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: 714-497-2636
_Grommits_
Editor : ke...@telepath.com
WWW: http://www.telepath.com/kelly/grommits
_Inline Retailer_
2025 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: 303-440-5111
Fax: 303-440-3313
_Inline Skater_
4099 McEwen, suite 350, Dallas TX 75244-5039
Editor : ilskat...@xcscx.com
Subscriptions : ilskat...@xcscx.com
WWW: http://www.xcscx.com/skater/
_Inline: The Skate Magazine_
PO Box 527, Mt. Morris, IL 61054 U.S.A.
Phone: 800-877-5281
Fax: 303-440-3313
Editor : nat...@aol.com
Subscriptions : nat...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.inlinemagazine.com
_Roller Hockey Magazine_
12327 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 202, Los Angelas, CA 90025
Phone: 310-442-6660
Fax: 310-442-6663
Editor : in...@rhockey.com
Subscriptions : in...@rhockey.com
WWW: http://www.rhockey.com
_Skatermag_
Phone: 01993 811181
Fax: 01993 811481
Editor : 10051...@compuserve.com
WWW: http://www.demon.co.uk/nbcs/skatermag.html
_Speedskating Times_
2401 N.E. 15th Terrace, Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Phone: 954-782-5928
Editor : speed...@aol.com
Subscriptions : speed...@aol.com
_Stealth Rail_
Editor : sch...@elysian.net
WWW: http://wwwhome.elysian.net/~schmeee/skate.htm
_________________________________________________________________
$3 wheels!
-->
_________________________________________________________________
GENERAL MAIL ORDER SHOPS
(last changed 07-31-1996, 8:43)
(Only companies with Web sites and/or email addresses are listed)
_1888WWSports_
1888WWSPORTS, Route 1 , North Hampton, NH 03862
Phone: 1888wwsports
Fax: 1-888-SPORTS99
Email: sa...@1888wwsports.com
WWW: http://www.1888wwsports.com
_Alliance Inline_
Phone: 1-888-SK8DEAL
Email: web...@worldnet.att.net
WWW: http://www.sk8deal.com/
_Awesome Inline Shop_
Phone: 800-460-1218
Email: awei...@sccsi.com
WWW: http://www.webvertising.com/Inline/
_B In-line_
1908 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Ky 40205
Phone: 502-456-9785
Email: chr...@ntr.net
WWW: http://www.binline.com/
_Big Deal_
1822 N. 12th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006
Phone: 800-406-3325
Email: inl...@bigdeal.com
WWW: http://www.bigdeal.com/inline
_Campus Skate Co._
605 East 13th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon 97401
Phone: (541) 683-3516, 1-800-452-3516
Fax: (541) 343-9277
Email: to...@efn.org
WWW: http://www.efn.org/~tonys/skateshop.html
_Corner 24 Surf Shop_
211 24th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Phone: 804-458-3389
Email: dwdk...@norfolk.infi.net
WWW: http://www.dyntec.com/surfshop/
_Cutting Edge Sports_
Charleston, SC
Phone: 803-571-4333
Email: cuted...@aol.com
_Edge Sports_
2840 Harrisburg Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80922
Phone: 719-597-5176
WWW: http://206.100.86.2/edge/
_Fast Forward_
Phone: 800-557-7655, 608-271-6222
Email: ska...@fast-forward.com
WWW: http://www.fast-forward.com
_Freedom Sports_
412 S. Main, Grapevine, Texas 76051
Phone: 817-488-7914
Fax: 817-481-2880
Email: fre...@fs3.com
WWW: http://www.fs3.com/freedom/
_Inline Skate Source_
5711 Holiday Road, Buford GA 30518-1520
Phone: 888-532-3483
Fax: 770-822-0580
Email: ska...@lanier-dive-center.com
WWW: http://www.mindspring.com/~ldc/SKATES/
_International Roller Sports_
2823-A Watson Blvd. Suite 219, Warner Robins, GA 31093
Phone: (912) 953-5444
Email: 7244...@CompuServe.COM
_Island Skates_
13th Street Beach Haven, NJ 08008
Phone: 800-92Blade
Email: skate...@aol.com
_NYC SKATE_
128 Chambers St., New York, NY 10007
Phone: (800) NYC-SKATE
Fax: (212) 964-5548
Email: nycs...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.nycskate.com/
_NetSkate_
239 Prairie Drive, Madison, AL 35758
Phone: 800-595-8560
WWW: http://www.netskate.com/
_Obsession Watersports_
222 N. Federal Highway, Dania, Florida 33004
Phone: 305-921-5802
Fax: 305-921-5803
Email: big...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.gate.net/~webpro/obsession/sports.htm
_On The Beach Surf Shop_
652 Redwood Drive, Sand City, CA 93955
Phone: 408-899-9283
Email: dam...@redshift.com
in...@carmelnet.com
WWW: http://www.carmelnet.com/otb/
_Palo Alto Sport Shop & Toy World _
526 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: 415-328-8555
Fax: 415-328-4429
Email: pass...@hooked.net
WWW: http://www.thirdplanet.com/PASSTW/pass.html
_Performance Bicycle_
Phone: 1-800-727-2433
WWW: http://www.performanceinc.com/PerfBicycle.html
_Planet Mars_
18459 Pines Boulevard, Suite #174, Pembroke Pines, Florida, 33029
Email: plnt...@ix.netcom.com
WWW: http://www.gateintl.com/PlanetMARS/
_Power Play Inline_
Phone: 805-543-5154, 805-473-0282
WWW: http://www.itsonthenet.com/powerplay/
_Pro Look Sports_
1350-1356 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica CA 90401 (LA and Long
Beach too)
Phone: (310) 657-7091, 395-9055, 983-7670
WWW: http://www.thirdst.com/pro-look
_ReRun Sports_
Atascadero, CA 93422
Phone: 1-800-555-3936
Email: re...@comptec.com
WWW: http://www.comptec.com/~rerun/
_Rocky Mountain Bikes and Blades_
Star Ranch Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: 800-720-2055
Email: rm...@rmii.com
WWW: http://www.rmii.com/rmbb/
_Roller Warehouse_
7236 Owensmouth Ave, Bldg A, Canoga Park, CA 91303
Phone: 800-772-2502
Fax: 818-348-3281
Email: sk8...@ix.netcom.com
WWW: http://www.rollerwarehouse.com
_Skates Away_
Phone: 800-416-2565
Email: g...@dnai.com
WWW: http://www.dnai.com/gui/skatesproductinfo.html
_Skates on Haight_
P.O. Box 170010, San Francisco, CA 94117-0010
Phone: (800) 554-1235, (415) 244-9800
Fax: 415 873 0200
Email: lee...@aimnet.com
WWW: http://www.skates.com
_Snow N Skate_
133 South Livermore St. Livermore, CA 94550
Phone: 510-294-4001
Email: de...@interramp.com
WWW: http://www.snownskate.com
_Snowshoe Ski Haus_
410 Mineral Ave., Libby, Montana 59923
Phone: 1-800-293-3895, 406-293-3890
Email: ski...@libby.org
WWW: http://www.libby.org/skihaus/inline.html
_SportWerks_
P.O. Box 26755, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55426, U.S.A.
Phone: 612-922-5478
Fax: 612-922-2911
Email: rsak...@sportwerks.com
WWW: http://www.sportwerks.com/info/
_SportsFlex_
Phone: (514) 426-4701
Fax: (514) 332-7736
Email: I...@Sportsflex.com
WWW: http://WWW.Sportsflex.Com/
_Sportsnut Bike and Skate_
Phone: 800-237-6635
Fax: 808-486-6494
Email: spo...@aloha.net
WWW: http://planet-hawaii.com/sportsnut/
_Sportworks / ICU Skate_
421 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97205
Phone: 800-362-3434
WWW: http://www.sportworks.com/~sportworks
_St Moritz Ski and Sport_
1166 Kenny Center Mall, Columbus, OH 43220
Phone: 614-451-0081
Email: j...@infinet.com
WWW: http://www.infinet.com/~jan/skate.html
_Team Paradise_
Phone: 800-756-5629
Email: tmpr...@ix.netcom.com
tmpr...@pacbell.net
WWW: http://www.teamparadise.com
_The Cheapskater_
Phone: (800) 419-6646, (212) 226-6566
Fax: (212) 489-7235
Email: webm...@cheapskate.com
WWW: http://www.cheapskate.com
_The House_
Phone: 1-800-992-7245
Email: ran...@proteon.inet-serv.com
_The Wright Life_
200 Linden, Ft. Collins, CO 80524
Phone: 800-321-8833, 970-484-6932
Fax: 970-484-6932
Email: bwr...@wrightlife.com
WWW: http://www.wrightlife.com/
_Vertical Inline_
2124 West End Ave., Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 800-401-7661
Fax: 615-327-0357
Email: ree...@nashville.net
WWW: http://www.nashville.net/~visual/inline.html
_Wright Life_
200 Linden Street, Fort Collins, CO 80524
Phone: 970-484-6932, 800-321-8833
Fax: 970-484-6932
Email: bwr...@wrightlife.com
WWW: http://www.wrightlife.com/
_Your World Sports_
Beachwalk on Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA
Phone: 619-755-7882
Email: yws...@sd.znet.com
WWW: http://pm.znet.com/ywskate/
_________________________________________________________________
HOCKEY COMPANIES AND SHOPS
(last changed 08-12-1996, 9:30) _Boston Hockey Company_
161 Portland Avenue, Dover, NH 03820
Phone: 1800-FACE-OFF
WWW: http://www.1800faceoff.com/
_Cyclone Taylor Sports_
6575 Oak Street,Vancouver, BC, CANADA V6P 5M9
Phone: 800-665-2188
Fax: 604-266-3301
Email: cyc...@webdirect.ca
WWW: http://www.cyclonetaylor.com
_Delaware Valley Hockey Supply_
431 Valley Forge Road,King of Prussia, PA 19406
Phone: 800-852-6143
Email: mi...@interstat.net
WWW: http://www.delvalhockey.com/
_Falcon Sports_
Phone: 715-235-8830
Fax: 715-235-8875
Email: Fal...@PlanetSports.com
WWW: http://planetsports.com/hockeyworld/FalconSports/
_Fast Action Sports_
Playland Parkway Rye, New York 10580
Phone: 800-282-0680
Fax: 914-921-2370
Email: comm...@fastaction.com
ord...@fastaction.com
WWW: http://www.fastaction.com/
_Itech_
Email: it...@globalsports.com
WWW: http://www.globalsports.com/itech/
_Mostly Hockey Barrie_
Phone: 800-580-9929
WWW: http://WWW.barint.on.ca/mostly/hockey.html
_Ocean Hockey Supply_
197 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick, NJ 08723-34892
Phone: 800-631-2159
Fax: 908-477-1167
_Ozone racing frames_
Email: syah...@indosat.net.id
WWW: http://hasana.pair.com/
_Power Play Inline_
Phone: 805-543-5154, 805-473-0282
WWW: http://www.itsonthenet.com/powerplay/
_Rock Roller Hockey_
Phone: 801-393-4883,801-394-2021
Email: Coac...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.xmission.com/~netrage/rock/rock.html
_South Windsor Arena_
585 John Fitch Blvd., South Windsor, CT 06074
Phone: 800-hockey1
_Sun Hockey_
Phone: 800-933-PUCK
Fax: 612-935-9142
WWW: http://www.planetsports.com/hockeyworld/SunHockey/
_Sure Grip Hockey_
Email: ly...@suregrip.com
WWW: http://www.suregrip.com/
_Winning Sports_
400 South Second Street, Hudson WI 54016
Phone: 800-279-8553
Fax: 715-386-3688
Email: win...@PlanetSports.com
WWW: http://planetsports.com/hockeyworld/WinningSports/
_________________________________________________________________
RACING SHOPS
_Built for Speed_:
(315) 492-6620
_SMR Sports_:
(708) 387-0283
_Competition Skates_
(205) 854-9617
c/o John Skelton
501 Springville Cr.
Birmingham AL 35215
_Trailways Skate Rental_
(813) 461-9736
c/o Tom Sehlhorst
611 Palm Bluff
Clearwater FL 33515
_Montrose Skate_
(713) 528-6102
c/o John McKay
1406 Stanford
Houston TX 77019
_Skate Escape_
(404) 892-1292
c/o Janice Phillips
1086 Piedmont Ave
Atlanta GA 30309
_________________________________________________________________
BEARING COMPANIES
(last changed 07-16-1996, 15:25) _Blackhole_
Phone: 800-327-9393
_Boca_
7040 N. Palmetto Park Rd. #2304, Boca Raton, Fl. 33433
Email: bea...@gate.net
WWW: http://www.bocabearings.com/
_Boss_
Phone: 714-890-7236
_Grizzly Gear_
Phone: 1-612-535-2035
_Powell Swiss_
Phone: 1-805-964-1330
_Terminator Bearings_
Email: bear...@tulsa.com
WWW: http://www.terminatorbearings.com
_X-treme Bearings_
Phone: 205-837-2735
Fax: 205-830-2086
Email: mba...@hiwaay.net
WWW: http://www.x-treme.com
WHEEL COMPANIES
(last changed 08-04-1996, 22:35) _Bolderblaze_
410 West Coast Highway, Suite K., Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone: 714-722-9285
Fax: 714-722-8582
Email: Logan...@msn.com
WWW: http://gus.sdic.net/zgo/bolder/
_CORE Speed wheels_
2544 Lincoln Blvd., Suite #244 Venice, CA 90291
Phone: 800.987.4450, 310-330-2989
Fax: 310-330-2985
Email: core...@ix.netcom.com
_Cyko_
Phone: 1-800-438-2956
_FR Progressors_
Suite 4a, 700 Washington Street, New York, NY 10014
Phone: 1-212-691-1237
Email: wal...@frprogressors.com
WWW: http://www.frprogressors.com
_Hammer Wheels_
310 N. 21st St., Purcellville, VA 22132
Phone: 800-343-6591
WWW: http://www.hammerwheels.com
_Heavy Skate Works_
WWW: http://www.heavy.com
_Hyper_
15241 Transistor Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Phone: 714-373-3300
Fax: 713-373-2525
Email: hype...@aol.com
WWW: http://s2.com/inline/inline95/ads/hyper/hyper.html
_Kryptonics_
5660 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: 800 766 9146, 303 665 5353
Fax: 303 665 1318
Email: krypton...@kryptonics.com
WWW: http://www.kryptonics.com
_Meatz_
16 N. La Brea #139, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: 800-667-0587, 310-412-7424
Fax: 310-412-7426
Email: me...@well.com
WWW: http://www.meatz.com/
_Round & Round_
P.O. Box 1761, Nederland, CO 80466
Phone: 800-358-3833, 303-263-3299
_Schääts USA_
2201 SW 356 St. Suite B, Federal Way, WA 98023
Phone: 206-952-6330
Fax: 206-952-6307
_T.he W.heel F.ederation_
Phone: 1-800-488-7144
_Volcanix Wheels_
P.O. Box 2094, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: 800-215-4376
Email: poly...@aol.com
WWW: http://www.volcanix.com/
_________________________________________________________________
Inline Skating Instructors (on the Net)
Regions:
* Alberta
* California
* Florida
* Massachusetts
* Maryland
* New Jersey
* New York
* Ontario
* Texas
_________________________________________________________________
Alberta
_Name:_ Alien In-Line
_Address:_ #304-328 Cedar Cr SW,Calgary,AlbertaCanada T3C 2Y8
_Email:_ psel...@canuck.com
_Teaching Since:_ for 4 years
_Type of Instruction:_ Beginner, Intermed, Speed & Fitness, Tours.
_References:_
Instructors are all NCCP (Nat'l Coaching Cert Program - Canada)
certified coaches in either speed skating or skiing (no
Canadian certification is available yet for in-line skating) -
all are at least level 1, some up to level 4
_Comments:_
Calgary's only in-line skate school - featuring world class and
Olympic athletes as instructors.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
California
_Name:_ Anna Stubbs
_Address:_ ,San Francisco,CA
_Phone:_ 415-221-4317
_Email:_ ki...@iat.com
_Type of Instruction:_ Beginner to advanced, Street skating and racing
_Comments:_
Specializing in private instruction. I have been skating on
inlines for over five years, focusing primarily on inline
racing. I am currently ranked in the top ten nationally
(National Points Challenge), and am the only woman to
participate in the Inline descent at the 1995 ESPN Extreme
Games. Whether you are just starting out, or want to refine
your skills, I can help you become a smoother, more complete,
and more efficent skater.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ David G. Miles Jr.
_Address:_ 777-5th Avenue #3,San Francisco,CA 94118
_Phone:_ 415-752-1967
_Fax:_ 415-SKATE97
_Email:_ CAbl...@ix.netcom.com
_Teaching Since:_ for 17 years
_Type of Instruction:_ David teaches all levels of skating, inline or
conventional, beginner, intermediate and advanced, speed, tricks,
slalom and dance youth and adult.
_References:_
Supervisor Terrance Hallinan, Supervisor Angela Alito,
Superrvisor Willie B. Kennedy, Joel Robinson, S.F. Supertindent
of Recreation, Don Smith, Exploring Executive, Boy Scouts of
America, Ike Elliot, Daly City Recreation and Parks Dept. Mike
Sullivan, San Francisco Police Dept.
_Comments:_
David Miles is a IISA certified instructor and teaches
regularly for the Learning Annex in San Francisco. Please refer
to our web page at: http://www.cora.org .
Background David Miles is known as the "Godfather of Skating"
of the San Francisco skating scene. He has skated from San
Francisco six (6) times in the "Skate Against Violence". David
is President of the California Outdoor Rollerskating
Association that has over 300 members and Coordinator of the
Golden Gate Park Skate Patrol. This group helps injured skaters
and other park users in Golden Gate Park on Sundays when the
park is closed to car traffic. David is also leader of the
Midnight Rollers "Friday Night Skate". This group averages
between 400 and 500 skaters that meet every Friday to skate a
12 mile route through San Francisco city streets at night. This
is the largest group of it's kind in the world.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Kelly McCown
_Address:_ 1271 11th Avenue, #2,San Francisco,CA 94122-2202
_Phone:_ (415) 665-0336
_Email:_ sk8...@hooked.net
_Teaching Since:_ for 3 years
_Type of Instruction:_ All levels, beginning to advanced. Street
skating, hill mechanics, and speedskating technique. Private or group
lessons.
_Comments:_
1996 will be my third year racing nationally on a pro women's
speedskating team. I am an endurance junkie, and the 1995
winner of the Athens to Atlanta 85-mile ultramarathon. I am
also an immigration attorney (when I have time). I am one of
the founders of Roller Divas, a women's skating club, and teach
the club's beginning and intermediate skating clinics.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Liz Miller
_Address:_ 32108 Alvarado Blvd. Suite 189,Union City,CAUSA 94587
_Phone:_ (510) 471-4102
_Email:_ get...@zoom.com
_Teaching Since:_ 3
_Certifications:_ IISA Level 1
_References:_
Specialty is beginner adults, but also building on students'
current recreational skills as much as time allows. Can teach
slalom skating as an expert skier (but not Level III-certified
for slalom.)
_Comments:_
1) Marci Adams, East Bay Regional Parks, Recreation Director,
(510) 635-0135, 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA
94605-0381; 2) Clifford Pagan, Recreation Supervisor, (510)
471-6877, Union City Leisure Services Department, 31600
Alvarado Blvd., Union City, CA 94587; 3) Todd Trimble,
Recreation Director, City of Pleasanton, (510) 484-8291, 200
Old Bernal Avenue, Pleasanton, CA 94566.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
Florida
_Name:_ Caroline Ginn
_Address:_ ,St. Petersburg,FL
_Phone:_ 813-822-9028
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Cozette Painter
_Address:_ ,Tarpon Springs,FL
_Phone:_ 813-937-0028
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Darry Jackson
_Address:_ Bill Jackson's Shop for Adventure,Pinellas Park,FL
_Phone:_ 813-576-4169
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Gary Pilkington
_Address:_ ,Ocala,FL
_Phone:_ 904-365-9996
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Greg Hatch
_Address:_ ,St Pete Beach,FL
_Phone:_ 800-555-9469
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Jeff Camp
_Address:_ ,Ocala,FL
_Phone:_ 904-622-1122
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Jodie Pack
_Address:_ ,Clearwater,FL
_Phone:_ 813-796-8508
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Michael Schenker
_Address:_ ,Clearwater,FL
_Phone:_ 813-442-1065
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Michael Williams
_Address:_ ,Indialantic,FL
_Phone:_ 407-726-8548
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Rick Fason
_Address:_ ,Safety Harbor,FL
_Phone:_ 813-726-7743
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Thomas Doehleman
_Address:_ ,Safety Harbor,FL
_Phone:_ (813)724-0398
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
Massachusetts
_Name:_ Lesli Woodruff
_Address:_ 120 W. Concord St. #3,Boston,MA 02118
_Phone:_ 617-424-7883
_Email:_ LRWoo...@aol.com
_Teaching Since:_ 2nd season
_Certifications:_ Basic Technique (i.e. Beginner/Intermediate rec
skating)
_References:_
Camp Rollerblade NY/Boston, 1994 Eric Flaim's Motion Sports
InLine Club of Boston (Clinics Director),
Boston/Cambridge/Brookline Center for Adult Ed Ski Market
_Comments:_
I have my own skate school: "Skate Boston", IISA Certified
Level 2, Do Clinics, privates, groups. Teach in Boston, but
will travel outside city for big enough clinics. Have access to
rental skates and demo van(s) InLine Club of Boston VP of
Events.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
Maryland
_Name:_ Joe Lembo
_Address:_ 5614 Lansing Drive,Camp Springs,MD 20748
_Phone:_ (301) 449-3086
_Email:_ jle...@wam.umd.edu
_Teaching Since:_ Ice Hockey, Powerstoking, Ice Skating - 6 yrs.,
Certified Associate member of ISIA - 1 yr. Rollerblading - 3 yrs.
_Type of Instruction:_ all levels, great with kids, specialize in
hockey, have contacts if interested in trick
_References:_
Maryland National Capital Park and Planning, Teresa Arias -
(301) 248-3124 Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA), (708)
808-SKATE Terripan Inline Skating Club (TISC), John Gunn -
(301) 314-xxxx (Please call me first, be willing to give his
number, after getting his approval)
_Comments:_
Love working with kids, kids love working with me, I make
skating fun and interactive, play many self-developed skill
enhancing games; Speciality in hockey - ice hockey national
semi-finalist as youth; Points, Goals, and Assists leader for
Maryland Street & Roller Hockey Association last year, have
attended many skating schools including Ridley College in St.
Catherine's, Canada; Willing to work with groups and teams,
have experience with this! Willing to work in Washington Metro
Area., including parts of Southern Maryland.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
New Jersey
_Name:_ Timothy Mizerak
_Address:_ 145 Front Street,Dunellen,NJ 08812
_Email:_ mi...@cnj.digex.com
_Type of Instruction:_ Ready to teach beginner, intermediate and an
intro to figure skating
_Comments:_
Available in central and Northern New Jersey. IISA Certified
Level I (just this past April 1995) I have been hired to teach
skating at Rutgers University for their recreation classes.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
New York
_Name:_ Alan Gerber
_Address:_ ,New York,NY 10023
_Phone:_ 212-581-2994
_Email:_ ger...@panix.com
_Certifications:_ IISA Level 1 certification
_Type of Instruction:_ Beginner to intermediate; individuals and small
groups
_Comments:_
On the instructional staff at the Chelsea Piers Roller Rinks.
Will teach at Chelsea Piers, Central Park, or any other
convenient location.
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
Ontario
_Name:_ Keith O. Gare
_Address:_ ,London,OntarioCanada
_Phone:_ (519) 679-0428
_Email:_ den...@julian.uwo.ca
_Teaching Since:_ for 1.5 years
_Certifications:_ IISA Level 2 certified
_Comments:_
Teach privately and with a skate school "The London Rollers".
Have my own skate club "The Forest City Rollers". Stress
SAFETY, FUN and LEARNING. ALL GEAR IS REQUIRED FOR LESSONS and
can be supplied if needed.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Ross Halpin
_Address:_ 157A Fulton Avenue,Toronto,OntarioCanada M4K 1Y2
_Phone:_ 416.463.8524
_Fax:_ 416.463.7684
_Email:_ ro...@toronto.ark.com
_Teaching Since:_ for years
_Certifications:_ Level II IISA, Level III CIIA (Canadian Inline
Instructors Association)
_Type of Instruction:_ Beg/Inter/Adv. (children/adult), Fitness,
Aggressive, Ski Crosstraining. Privates, Groups, Corporation. Safety
Programming for Schools
_Comments:_
I am a certified Ski Instructor - Level III Canadian Ski
Instructors' Alliance (CSIA), Level II Canadian Ski Coaching
Federation (CSCF), Level III National Coaching Certification
Program (NCCP)in Sport Theory. I am also a Level II IISA
Instructor and have spent 3 years developing
(writting/testing/teaching/certifying) a curriculum under the
Canadian Inline Instructors Association (CIIA) banner. With its
three levels, I am a Level III Instructor/Examiner. During this
time, I worked as Technical Director/Head Instructor at a
Toronto inline school. I and two others have broken away to
form our own school, namely reaktiv inline. The information for
the Web Site is: http://toronto.ark.com/~reaktiv
--------------------------------
_________________________________________________________________
Texas
_Name:_ David
_Address:_ ,Dallas, Arlington, Irving, Ft. Worth ,TX
_Phone:_ (214) 247-3682
_Email:_ webe...@dallas.net
_Teaching Since:_ certified -1 year
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
_Type of Instruction:_ beginner, intermediate
_Comments:_
I love to skate and to teach skating. I have skated ramps,
Stairs, play hockey, and trail skate for fittness. Skate hard,
fast, safe.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Laura Winters
_Address:_ ,Richardson,TX
_Phone:_ 214-690-5220
_Email:_ llwi...@aol.com
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified Instructor. Level 1
_Type of Instruction:_ Level 1 & 2: beginners/intermediates (adults &
kids)
_References:_
Gordon Sanders, IISA Level 2/Examiner
_Comments:_
I am an IISA Certified Instructor. Level 1 consists of learning
the basics: balance, stride, stopping (heel, spin and grass
stops), turning (A-Frame and parallel turns). I mainly teach in
the North Dallas, Richardson, Plano area. Protective gear
required. If you don't own your own equipment, ask me about
rental information.
--------------------------------
_Name:_ Shooshie
_Address:_ ,Dallas,TX
_Phone:_ 214-324-2456
_Email:_ Shoo...@onramp.net
_Teaching Since:_ professionally - 20; skating - 1
_Certifications:_ IISA Certified
_Comments:_
Central, North, and East Dallas, also available in Phoenix and
Scottsdale, AZ
--------------------------------
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part11
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Marketplace - Other Product Reviews_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
MARKETPLACE - OTHER PRODUCT REVIEWS
(last changed Tuesday, 17-Sep-96 18:39:06 MDT)
Disclaimer: while these reviews include many facts and first-hand
experiences, much of the text here is necessarily opinion. Also
realize that the in-line market is changing rapidly, so prices and
specifications may be out of date. If you have a forms-capable web
browser, feel free to use the product review form for your
convenience. For you others, the plaintext review sheet is at the end
of this file.
_________________________________________________________________
Table of contents
_accessory reviews_
* J&J Titan Aluminum Rockers
* Jofa ISD Speed Puck
* Jofa Jofa Speed Puck
* Lazzy Legs arch and ankle tighteners
* Lazzy Legs Speed Demons hopup kit
* Lazzy Legs X-treme Pro hopup kit
* Lazzy Legs heel tightener
* Paragon bearing guards
* Rollerblade Power-strap
* Transpack Pro
_bearing reviews_
* Black Hole ABEC 3s
* Black Hole Rocks
* GMN ABEC-3, greased, tin-shielded
* Powell Swiss ABEC-1 "Bones"
* YAK ABEC-3
* boss abec 5
_grind plate reviews_
* CDS Detroit 3/8 slot style
* CDS Detroit Boot grind plates, Size: 4 plates, 1x3 inches
* CDS Detroit Street Line Frame Grind Plates
* CDS Detroit Woodies
* Commit LowBoy (wraparound)
* Lazzy Legs Steel Bridge Grind Plate
_hopup kit reviews_
* Cyko HurricanZ
* Hyper hopup kit
* Hyper hopup kit
_safety gear reviews_
* Bell Image helmet
* Boneless Boneless Knee (Street)
* Lazzy Legs Protector WRist guards
* Rector Fat Boy knees
* Rector Fat Boys
* Rollerblade Advanced wrist
* Rollerblade Standard Pads (knee/elbow/wrist)
_wheel reviews_
* Black Hole Sport
* Black Hole Sport
* Cyko HurricanZ 1993, 72mm, 82A-Flat 22
* FR Progressors 60mm/88A
* Hyper X-360 Cross Trainer
* Kryptonics 72mm/82A Rampage Full Radius, tri spoke core.
* Kryptonics 76mm Rampage 78A and 82A
* Kryptonics Mini Roxx (aggressive middle wheels)
* Kryptonics PowerPlay 72mm/82A w/ Krypto hockey radius, tri spoke
core
* Kryptonics VR Series 72mm/78A Narrow radius, tri spoke core.
* Kryptonics pebbels [older ones]
* Labeda Bad Boyz/Trick core 72mm/82A
_________________________________________________________________
accessory reviews
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ J&J Titan
_Model:_ Aluminum Rockers
_Purchase Price:_ $20 for all 8 wheels (16 rockers)
_Store:_ some mail-order house (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
Aluminum rockers won't crack or warp like plastic ones will.
They may increase your speed a little, especially if you have
plastic ones that are already broken or warped because they
touch the bearing more preciley and won't rub up against it.
_Cons:_
$20 is a little expensive for 16 little pieces of aluminum but
they're pretty much the only place that I could find that makes
these things.
_Comments:_
I'm not sure what skates these things fit. I'm pretty sure
they're made for the Rollerblade line. I know Roces makes their
own aluminum rockers, specifically for their skates. I would
recommend consulting your dealer to make sure that they'll fit
on your skates.
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoleod.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Jofa
_Model:_ ISD Speed Puck
_Purchase Price:_ $10.95
_Store:_ Tam-O-Shanter (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Sylvania,Ohio,
_Purchase Date:_ 08/1994
_Used for how long:_ Since August 7, 1994
_Pros:_
Puck comes installed with 12 (6 per side) nylon runners for
textured surfaces. Also includes 12 runners for smooth
surfaces. I have only tried the puck on parking lot type
surfaces, were it works really well. Feels like puck, handles
like a puck, etc..
_Cons:_
It doesn't get on the edge too often, but when it does, it
doesn't like to lay back down. The runners are not easy to
remove.
_Comments:_
The puck is wieghted around the edges and is spoked in the
center, it is completely made of rubber with the exception of
the runners. This is the puck used by the RHI.
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Chris Fourgnaud (inl...@mountnet.com)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Jofa
_Model:_ Jofa Speed Puck
_Purchase Price:_ $14.99 cdn
_Store:_ Sports Experts (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Mic Mac Mall, Dartmouth, ???-????
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1996
_Used for how long:_ Approx 1 month
_Pros:_
It's the best puck on the market, but that doesn't mean too
much.
_Cons:_
The pucks cost a lot and when running an Inline Hockey league
the are always being lost or stolen. the pucks are not heavy
enough, runners constantly break and after the replacement
runners are gone it's very hard to find a place that sells them
the pucks have even cracked after hard shots. The puck won't
stay flat it is always rolling on its side.
_Comments:_
There needs to be some improvments, if anyone knows where to
get replacment runners let me know
_Rating:_ 5.1
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ arch and ankle tighteners
_Purchase Price:_ $20
_Store:_ Blades (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Manhattan,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
They really give you a lot more support. Nice price. Durable.
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
These aren't really meant to tighten your boot more around your
foot. They're meant to hold your foot in place. The arch
tighteners can be used as a replacement for laces but I would
recommend leaving your laces on.
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ Speed Demons hopup kit
_Purchase Price:_ $21
_Store:_ Play It Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 05/1994
_Used for how long:_ 1-1/2 Months
_Pros:_
Comes with: 8 Aluminum threaded bearing spaces with hex locks.
16 Normal length small headed axel bolts 2 Brake wheel lenght
small headed axel bolts. 1 Hex tool
_Cons:_
Easy to strip the threaded spacers. The axel bolts would
actually loosen up and fall out during normal skating sessions.
_Comments:_
I was not impressed with these. All three sets that myself and
friends have owned have had the bolt loosening problem.
_Rating:_ 3
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ X-treme Pro hopup kit
_Purchase Price:_ $25.90 for 8 wheels
_Store:_ forgot (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 03/1994
_Used for how long:_ 5 months
_Pros:_
Most hop-up kits are made of aluminum. Steel is a lot more
durable.
_Cons:_
Steel is a little heavier than aluminum but the weight
difference isn't even noticable so I wouldn't worry about it.
_Comments:_
If you're looking to upgrade your skates, a hop-up kit is
probably the best place to start. You will certainly see a
speed increase, it will cost you a little over twenty bucks,
and it's a one-time cost. Once you install it, you won't have
to worry about it again. The Lazzy Legs X-treme Pro is the
Cadillac of hop-up kits.
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: Martin Sripan (ay...@yfn.ysu.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ heel tightener
_Purchase Price:_ $12.99
_Store:_ Performance Bicycle (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 1 month
_Pros:_
*Great for: reducing road vibration at high speeds *Reducing
heel lift due to weak instep area *Tightening boot fit
*Protecting side of boot from crash-not intended use though
_Cons:_
*Mainly useless on unflexible boots such as plastics
_Comments:_
It seems to be more intended for racing, to prevent heel lift,
but for some reason I look in Inline magazine issues, and many
extreme skaters are wearing it.
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Paragon
_Model:_ bearing guards
_Purchase Price:_ $4.99 for 20 guards
_Store:_ Paragon Products, Inc. (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ 690 Industrial Circle S., Shakopee, MN 55379, (612)
496-0091
_Purchase Date:_ 03/1994
_Used for how long:_ 1 month
_Pros:_
They DO keep the grit out and off of your bearings, and they're
plenty cheap.
_Cons:_
The guards do their job well, but the way the work requires
that they rub slightly against the wheel hub. This makes for
very, very slow skating, compared to w/out them.
_Comments:_
Description: these guards are small plastic discs a little
wider than your bearings. They have a hole in them to thread
your axles through them. What you do is put them over your
wheels at the bearings, on both sides, and thread the axles
through everything.
_Rating:_ 8, if you don't mind the large rolling friction caused. A
rating of 1 if you do! 8-)
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Rollerblade
_Model:_ Power-strap
_Purchase Price:_ $8
_Store:_ Herman's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 12/1993
_Used for how long:_ 8 months
_Pros:_
Give you a lot of support. Inexpensive. Very durable.
_Cons:_
They come with a little patch of velcro that you are supposed
to attach to the heel of your skate. When you put them on, a
piece of velcro on the heel strap sticks to that to help it
stay secure, under your heel. I just thought that was a nifty
idea so I mentioned it. I used a hot glue gun to keep that
little patch on. The Lazzy Legs heel straps look a little
thicker and they look like they might be a little more secure
so you might want to check those out before purchasing these.
But, on the other hand, for $8, you can't really go wrong.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: Ben (Be...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ accessory
_Brand:_ Transpack
_Model:_ Pro
_Purchase Price:_ $60
_Store:_ Blades (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ a half dozen outings
_Pros:_
Durable Holds skates well Keeps water out, even in heavy rain
Secure design
_Cons:_
Needs more accessory pouches Top loading drawstring top can be
cumbersome for loading large things
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 8.5
bearing reviews
Reviewer: Jim Stein (ste...@osu.edu)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ Black Hole
_Model:_ ABEC 3s
_Purchase Price:_ $26.00 for 16
_Store:_ Columbus Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ?, ?
_Purchase Date:_ 05/1996
_Used for how long:_ A month
_Pros:_
Good, durable ABEC 3s. Fast (of course.)
_Cons:_
Not as "serviceable" as they claim to be. It's almost
impossible to get the shields off! Noisy; need to be cleaned
very often (they shed grease very quickly.)
_Comments:_
Go buy some other brand. The extra price attached to these
"serviceable" bearings is wasted if you can't get the shields
off without damaging the casing!
_Rating:_ 6
Reviewer: Rob Remus (rwr...@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ Black Hole
_Model:_ Rocks
_Purchase Price:_ $21.95 for 16
_Store:_ Wildcountry (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Normal, IL,
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1994
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
The bearings are faster (better) than the ones that came in my
Macro EQ's. That however is the only thing about them that is
better.
_Cons:_
The bearings get dirty VERY quickly. The bearings came lubed
with grease and within one day of skating they were dirty
enough to start making noise. I then replaced the grease with
oil, which made them even worse.
_Comments:_
Spend a little more money and get some good bearings.
_Rating:_ 5
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ GMN
_Model:_ ABEC-3, greased, tin-shielded
_Purchase Price:_ $1.25/bearing
_Store:_ some mailorder place (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
Very inexpensive.
_Cons:_
Shields aren't removable so you have to pry them open to clean
them. They pretty much felt like my old ABEC-1s to me.
_Comments:_
I bought these because they were inexpensive but I'm sorry I
did. They didn't do much for me. If I could go back, I would
have probably spent a little extra money on a better set of
bearings. If you're looking for a cheap set of bearings to
replace a set of ABEC-1s and aren't really looking for a speed
improvement then these will suit you fine.
_Rating:_ 4
Reviewer: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ Powell Swiss
_Model:_ ABEC-1 "Bones"
_Purchase Price:_ $2/bearing
_Store:_ Skates Off Haight (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 09/1991
_Used for how long:_ 3 years
_Pros:_
For a long time the Bones bearings were rumored to be ABEC-5
quality, but in the end the company said they were only
ABEC-1's. Doesn't matter. These bearings spin very well. They
are one-sided bearings, with only a plastic snap-cage to secure
the ball bearings. The ones I ordered were in sets of 8 and
came with a small plastic pouch of Bones speed cream.
In an extreme case of laziness and negligence, up until last
week I had only relubed 2 out of the 16 since I first bought
them 3 years ago. My main laziness stemmed from the fact that
they still spun like crazy, and still sounded clean. I have
since cleaned and relubed all of them, out of guilt 8-) but
they're all in amazing shape still.
In terms of maintanence, the Bones are very easy to clean and
handle because they have only two parts: the bearing and the
snap-cage. With most of the two-sided bearings (like Yaks,
TwinCams, etc.) you have to pry off the C-ring on each side and
you end up with 2 rings, 2 shields, and the bearing.
Also, when you take the snap-ring off, the balls inside aren't
constrained by a brace of any kind, so you can really clean out
the whole inside pretty well. This also means you can apply
your lube easily as well, since the balls are in full view.
Putting the snap-cage usually takes longer than putting a
C-ring and shield back on (on the other bearings), but it's
still pretty simple for the most part.
In any case, I have noticed ABEC-5 rated Bones for sale in some
mail-order places now. 1 or 5, I don't think you can go too
wrong with Bones bearings.
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
ABEC-1s are fast, but tend to have slightly more vibration
overall than some ABEC-5 bearings like Boss or TwinCam. If you
want ultra smooth rolling, you might have to go for the Bones
ABEC-5's or other ABEC-5's.
_Rating:_ 9.7-10
Reviewer: William Bradley (wbra...@thor.ece.uc.edu)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ YAK
_Model:_ ABEC-3
_Purchase Price:_ $2 per (normally) $1 per (on sale)
_Store:_ Inline USA (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
o Removable Shields, Very nice bearing, no wobble
_Cons:_
+ Greased (you might be able to order oiled sets)
+ Having to listen to "DA YAKMAN" rant about them :-)
_Comments:_
Some people gripe that these aren't much better than ABEC-1s. I
noticed a marked difference, though.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: chad renshaw (gu...@sprynet.com)
_Product Type:_ bearing
_Brand:_ boss
_Model:_ abec 5
_Purchase Price:_ $15.00
_Store:_ play it again (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ?????, ???????
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1995
_Used for how long:_ 1-1/2 years
_Pros:_
spun better than my original bearings. I believe they were zz
bearings. Oiled.
_Cons:_
The boss abec 5 spun good I thought. I bought new Roces Street
skates which rule. They came equipted with abec 1 bearings.
Surprisingly and to my dissapointment they spun and were
smoother than my boss abec 5 .
_Comments:_
I'm buying Swiss Powell Bones now. I've read many articles on
these bearings including ones at this site. All say that they
kik. I can't wait for them to come in.
_Rating:_ 3.5
grind plate reviews
Reviewer: Ben (Be...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ CDS Detroit
_Model:_ 3/8 slot style
_Purchase Price:_ $8
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ long enough
_Pros:_
Good price, nice groove, hard (no need to make bigger groove
quickly), recessed flush area for axles , Easy installation,
good on curbs
_Cons:_
a bit thick less good on rails none I can really think of
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 6.5 to 8
Reviewer: Martin Sripan (ay...@yfn.ysu.edu)
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ CDS Detroit
_Model:_ Boot grind plates, Size: 4 plates, 1x3 inches
_Purchase Price:_ $9.99 or so for a set of 4
_Store:_ Millennium In-Line (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 2 weeks
_Pros:_
Great if you can get it to work-helps with power stops, other
boot grinding maneuvers *Very versatile-use for other stuff
_Cons:_
Hard to attach velcro lanyards, for me at least.
_Comments:_
Works better on CLEAN surfaces; unscathed ones recommended. All
CDS products are probably good when used correctly, but I
didn't really need the boot plates-my boot was screwed from the
start. It works best on boots of the leather type probably.
_Rating:_ 3 if you don't apply correctly, 10 if you do
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ CDS Detroit
_Model:_ Street Line Frame Grind Plates
_Purchase Price:_ $5.99 for two.
_Store:_ some mailorder shop (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 10 minutes
_Pros:_
They're made of plastic and plastic slides a lot better than
steel does because there's a lot less friction. Inexpensive.
_Cons:_
When I power-slide, I slide on the grind plate because it
sticks out so much and since it's so smooth, I keep on sliding.
Sometimes, I'll even do a split. When I cut sharp turns, I will
sometimes hit the grind plate on the ground and since it's so
smooth, my legs just slip out.
_Comments:_
They are a good idea. They'll protect your frame and they'll
slide better than any metal grind plate could ever dream. But I
just couldn't sacrifice maneuverability and power-slides for
it.
_Rating:_ 5
Reviewer: Matt Brock (val...@ktc.com)
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ CDS Detroit
_Model:_ Woodies
_Purchase Price:_ 10.00 + tax
_Store:_ team paradise (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ Huntington Beach, California,
_Purchase Date:_ 01/1996
_Used for how long:_ a couple weeks
_Pros:_
Slides real fast on rails which improves my balance, slides
nicely on curbs, although not as good as on rails
_Cons:_
There really isnt anything wrong with this grind plate
_Comments:_
CDS DETROIT IS THE BEST!!
_Rating:_ 1000000000000
Reviewer: Chris Wilson ()
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ Commit
_Model:_ LowBoy (wraparound)
_Purchase Price:_ $12
_Store:_ Sportfix (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ , don't remember
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
Slicker than hell on rails.
_Cons:_
cant grind curbs.scrapes on ground when you turn.
_Comments:_
ONLY WORKS WITH 57mm WHEELS!!!!!!!!!
_Rating:_ 5
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ grind plate
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ Steel Bridge Grind Plate
_Purchase Price:_ $20
_Store:_ random mail-order house (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
It's made of steel so it's strong. It's thick so it will last a
while.
_Cons:_
The largest wheel size you will be able to fit on a skate with
a bridge grind plate is around 65mm.
_Comments:_
If you put a steel grind plate on your skate, it will slide
nicely on metal but grinding a curb is a little more difficult
because there's a lot of friction. There are many different
ways you can outfit your skate for grinding. With this plate,
you can skate with all small wheels or you can skate
anti-rocker. I still haven't discovered the perfect grinding
combo.
_Rating:_ 8
hopup kit reviews
Reviewer: Martin Sripan (ay...@yfn.ysu.edu)
_Product Type:_ hopup kit
_Brand:_ Cyko
_Model:_ HurricanZ
_Purchase Price:_ $20 for 8 wheels
_Store:_ Millennium In-line (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 08/1993
_Used for how long:_ 4 months; 1993, Discontinued
_Pros:_
+ Aluminum-speedy
+ Threaded
+ Hex lock
+ Comes with instructions-really no need
_Cons:_
+ No frame spacers
+ Aluminum-bad for extreme
+ Threads are lost after time
+ Bolts too big-huge profile
+ Bolts slide like CDS Detroit Grind Plates, but in this case,
it is a disadvantage-gives new meaning to power slide
+ Bolts get scuffed and flattened easily
+ No tools provided, though a Torx T25 helps, as I prefer
handled hex wrenches over hex keys
+ Brake bolts aren't big enough for my brake
_Comments:_
The guy who sold me these practically forced me into these over
the Blading Edge-should've bought the Hyper, it sounds/looks
good. It's better than plastic, but seems like any other,
Roces, Hyper, Mogema, Sure Grip, and other race frames are
better
_Rating:_ 3
Reviewer: William Bradley (wbra...@thor.ece.uc.edu)
_Product Type:_ hopup kit
_Brand:_ Hyper
_Model:_ hopup kit
_Purchase Price:_ $20
_Store:_ Local sports chain (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 05/1993
_Used for how long:_ 1 year +
_Pros:_
o Aluminum spacers *do* have internal hex hole for axle removal
o Includes two slightly longer axles to account for brake
mounting (Rollerblade, for example) o Each axle has a loctite
patch for safety o Kit also includes washers, if you need them
_Cons:_
o Aluminum spacers...supposedly these deform easier during
extreme skating (I wouldn't know) o Loctite...no star washers,
if that's your bag...
_Comments:_
I've had no problems with these
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ hopup kit
_Brand:_ Hyper
_Model:_ hopup kit
_Purchase Price:_ $25
_Store:_ ISA (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ since June 1995
_Pros:_
- Comes with: 8 Red aluminun threaded spacers w/ hex lock. 16
Regular length, small headed axel bolts. 16 Washers 2 Brake
wheel length small headed axel bolts. 2 Hex tools.
_Cons:_
None to report.
_Comments:_
I would recommend these over the Lazzy Legs Speed Demons.
_Rating:_ 9
safety gear reviews
Reviewer: William Bradley (wbra...@thor.ece.uc.edu)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Bell
_Model:_ Image helmet
_Purchase Price:_ $80 (normally) $40 (on sale)
_Store:_ Bike Nashbar (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 2 months
_Pros:_
o Well-vented o Light (sub-8 oz.) o Easy to fit (adjustable
pads/straps) o Microshell (compromise between hardshell and
foam)
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: Ben (Be...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Boneless
_Model:_ Boneless Knee (Street)
_Purchase Price:_ $80
_Store:_ Blades (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ 73rd and second, too lazy to check
_Purchase Date:_ 05/1996
_Used for how long:_ weeks
_Pros:_
Big Great padding Comfortable for large size No wraparound
strap to tear below the plate Neoprene tube Replaceable plate
_Cons:_
Big Difficult to get on/off EXPEN$IVE!!!
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 9 for aggressive, 7, everything else
Reviewer: FRanK (LiEW)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Lazzy Legs
_Model:_ Protector WRist guards
_Purchase Price:_ $40
_Store:_ SPit FIrE (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 01/1995
_Used for how long:_ 1 and a half years
_Pros:_
looks nice. with the leather, REALLY popular amongst agg.
sk8ers, not that restraining.... excellent choice.
_Cons:_
the plastic that protex you doesn't look it could stand up to a
big fall.. (it looks like a honeycomb)
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: FranK Liew (hc...@pcnet.co.nz)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Rector
_Model:_ Fat Boy knees
_Purchase Price:_ 30-50 dollas
_Store:_ SPiTFiRe (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 02/1996
_Used for how long:_ approx. 4 months
_Pros:_
REAL nice padding..... i think its one inch thick, pretty
cheap, good alternative to the Boneless if ya can't afford
dem.... if u sk8 street, dese padz are one of da best... could
be good for ramps though (i don't sk8 pipes)
_Cons:_
could use a tube, more secure, may slip if ya wear it too
long.... also, if you sk8 in a tropics Country, say singapore,
watch out, baby coz dese thangs are BOILING hot after a coupla
hours....
_Comments:_
i reccomend dese to everybody..pros, grommies alike..
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Rector
_Model:_ Fat Boys
_Purchase Price:_ $50
_Store:_ Skates Off Haight (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1994
_Used for how long:_ 4 months
_Pros:_
Nice and big with about an inch of padding between the plate
and your knee. Your knees will survive any fall. Instead of a
tube, it has four thick straps. These straps work as well
(perhaps better) than any tube and you don't have to take off
your sneakers or skates to get them off. Cheaper than Boneless
Knee Pads. When you fall, the plates are made to slide across
the ground instead of sticking. I found that some pads like the
standard ones that Rollerblade, Inc. makes stick to the ground
when you fall so all that momentum you have forces you to roll
on the ground. With these pads, when you hit the ground, you
just slide on your knees for a few feet instead of rolling.
Does that make sense? Goes well with any wardrobe.
_Cons:_
You may find that your knees don't bend as well as they might
with a smaller knee pad but as far as "extreme" pads go, these
are the least cumbersome. You'll get used to them very quickly.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: BK (klig...@msn.com)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Rollerblade
_Model:_ Advanced wrist
_Purchase Price:_ $30
_Store:_ Gymnasium (NYC) (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ 42 st.,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ year
_Pros:_
Comfy Good idea Cool, good airflow
_Cons:_
Everything else Leather rips Beads wear down quickly Stitching
of poor quality Plastic reinforcement on top bends and
eventually breaks Not very protective
_Comments:_
These things are terrible. They rip, they smash they tear
apart, and they don't even protect your fingers. The ideal user
would be some kind of racer who only falls once or twice. They
are not for agressive skating or anything where you "expect" to
fall.
_Rating:_ 1 to 3 (depends on use)
Reviewer: William Bradley (wbra...@thor.ece.uc.edu)
_Product Type:_ safety gear
_Brand:_ Rollerblade
_Model:_ Standard Pads (knee/elbow/wrist)
_Purchase Price:_ $15-$25 per set
_Store:_ local shop (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 1 year +
_Pros:_
o They work very well o Wrist guards have velcro pocket near
right thumb
_Cons:_
o They're somewhat bulky, sometimes get in the way o Velcro
pocket won't hold car key
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 6
wheel reviews
Reviewer: Mark Berman ()
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Black Hole
_Model:_ Sport
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ Donehower's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Lewisburg, PA,
_Purchase Date:_ 05/1995
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
76 mm.,fast,hard,turns quickly.
_Cons:_
Plastic deforms after about a month causing bearings to
wobble.Ride crappy when worn down.
_Comments:_
These come with the new macros'. I don't know if they sell them
any other way.
_Rating:_ 9 for the first month then a 3.
Reviewer: D. James Stein (ste...@osu.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Black Hole
_Model:_ Sport
_Purchase Price:_ $24.95 for four wheels
_Store:_ Koenig's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ?, ?
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1996
_Used for how long:_ A week
_Pros:_
Good speed, look sharp
_Cons:_
Wear quickly (even with 74A rating), scratch easily
_Comments:_
Good wheels, but don't buy 'em if you can't afford replacing
them in a couple of months.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Martin Sripan (ay...@yfn.ysu.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Cyko
_Model:_ HurricanZ 1993, 72mm, 82A-Flat 22
_Purchase Price:_ $20. for 8-$2.5 each (on MI-L sale), usually $40.
for 8
_Store:_ Millennium In-Line (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 2 days
_Pros:_
*Reinforced fan-blade core makes it fast and light-hard wheel-
nice wear, nice cooling *Black color is nice, no prints or
other obstructive stuff
_Cons:_
*Real bad on hard surfaces and on any extreme skates *Dull
wheel-no laminated gloss surface (tread, sidewall)
_Comments:_
In my opinion, it's just like any other wheel but it's fast and
cool.
_Rating:_ 5
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ FR Progressors
_Model:_ 60mm/88A
_Purchase Price:_ $7/wheel
_Store:_ forgot (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1994
_Used for how long:_ 1 month
_Pros:_
Nice size/hardness for street skating. Solid core.
_Cons:_
Difficult to find. I expected them to be a little flatter on
the bottom (a la Hyper Midgets) but they were shaped a lot like
your generic wheel, only smaller.
_Comments:_
For 88A, they seem to be a little soft. It seems that Hyper's
version of an 88A wheel is harder.
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: Will Decker ()
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Hyper
_Model:_ X-360 Cross Trainer
_Purchase Price:_ $62.00 Full Set (8)
_Store:_ Oshman's (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ?, ?
_Purchase Date:_ 12/1995
_Used for how long:_ 8 1/2 months
_Pros:_
Good wear. They have not shown much wear. Good wet traction (as
far as skate wheels go). Reasonable cost. Fairly low flex in
rough turns. Also has good bearing to hub fit.
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ 72mm/82A Rampage Full Radius, tri spoke core.
_Purchase Price:_ $32 for 8
_Store:_ ISA (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ Since June 13, 1994
_Pros:_
Nice wide radius, nice for turning and such. Good even wear
(with proper rotation).
_Cons:_
Hubs do not have a nice tight fit around the bearings, which
causes the wheels to wobble from time to time.
_Comments:_
These are good wheels, I am not sure if the bearing problem
above is a problem with just my set or found with all Rampages.
_Rating:_ 8.5
Reviewer: Kenneth Wong (Art4...@leonis.nus.sg)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ 76mm Rampage 78A and 82A
_Purchase Price:_ $35
_Store:_ Gallen Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 11/1994
_Used for how long:_ 5 months
_Pros:_
Durable, Good for street
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
These are very durable wheels and are pretty good for
roadskating but don't try skitching on them coz they'd probably
melt. Good grip and are stable.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Ben (Be...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ Mini Roxx (aggressive middle wheels)
_Purchase Price:_ $25/4 ($6? each)
_Store:_ Paragon (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Broadway/ 18th,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
Same as most other little wheels 52mm is a nice size for paring
to larger outer wheels like 62+ mm Good hardness Rounded, but
does not slip on grinds
_Cons:_
Same a other little wheels Rounded profile
_Comments:_
Unextroardanary
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ PowerPlay 72mm/82A w/ Krypto hockey radius, tri spoke core
_Purchase Price:_ Came stock with skates (CCM RH555 Tacks)
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1994
_Used for how long:_ Since July 31, 1994
_Pros:_
Nice even wear, even with heavy usage. Great stability at high
speeds. Can really hold tight turns, I have yet to have them
slip out on me while turning.
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
My favorite wheel by far
_Rating:_ 9.5
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ VR Series 72mm/78A Narrow radius, tri spoke core.
_Purchase Price:_ $40
_Store:_ Play it Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ Since June 28, 1994
_Pros:_
Hub fits the bearings tightly.
_Cons:_
Not made for quick turns.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: da...@locke.ccil.org (da...@locke.ccil.org)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Kryptonics
_Model:_ pebbels [older ones]
_Purchase Price:_ under $27.50
_Store:_ wheel federation (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ week or so
_Pros:_
hard, VERY VERY VERY hard. the r scale [in which they are
measured] is used for metals and stuff. i am pretty sure 50r is
about 120a or somehting close to that. out of all 47mm
wheels... pebbels are gods.
_Cons:_
well they could make em in smaller sizes, but i think 47mm is
ok.
_Comments:_
the best 47mm wheel out there.
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: Eric B. Thomas (eth...@dpc.com)
_Product Type:_ wheel
_Brand:_ Labeda
_Model:_ Bad Boyz/Trick core 72mm/82A
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ Play It Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 10/1995
_Used for how long:_ 3 Months
_Pros:_
Smooth rolling, grabs street good, hubs fit bearings tight.
_Cons:_
I have to rotate & flip about every one hour of street usage.
Glass cuts wheel, & they seem to be wearing down fast.
_Comments:_
These are my third set of wheels & they feel smooth, but maybe
a bit too soft for me. I got a lot of little cuts from road
objects (like glass), but they still feel OK. I'm tired of
rotating & flipping them so often, but this might by my style
of blading, which is constantly slaloming around things & lines
on the road... Boots used: Roces LAX w/ ABEC 3 bearings.
_Rating:_ 7
_________________________________________________________________
In-line Product Review Sheet
Fill out each question as completely as possible. There's no rush to
turn these things in, so if you have to wait a couple days, couple
weeks, a month, whatever, then take your time. The goal here is to
provide as much information and informed opinions as possible. Thanks.
If you're reviewing a skate, please try and cover all features, like
wheels, bearings, braking systems, wheel-rockering systems, liners,
fasteners (laces, buckles, combo), chassis (the shell and runners),
plus any other neat/adjustable features.
1. Review by:
2. Product type: _(skate, safety gear, wheel, hopup kit, grind plate,
bearing, clothing, accessory*)_
3. Brandname:
4. Model name/number:
5. Purchase price:
6. From local store or mail order: _(name the store too, with the
address and phone number if it's a local store, otherwise just
name the mail-order shop)_
7. Date purchased:
8. How long have you used it:
9. Pros: _(list good features)_
10. Cons: _(list not-so-good features and possible improvements it
could use)_
11. Additional comments:
12. My personal rating: 1 to 10 _(10 being the best)_
*use accessories as the catch-all, when it's none of the other types
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part12
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Wheels, Bearings and Hop-up Kits_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
WHEELS, BEARINGS AND HOP-UP KITS
Table of Contents
* Inline Wheels
* The Bearing Maintenance File
* Hop Up Kits (axle upgrades)
_________________________________________________________________
Inline Wheels Files
(written May 17, 1992)
(last changed June 11, 1995)
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright notice
_________________________________________________________________
Technical Info
Most standard inline wheels are made mainly of polyurethane. Some
wheels are designed for sliding and use use a mix of different
durometers (like the RollerEdge wheels), or plastic rings (like the
BrakeWheel). Wheels are classified on diameter, hardness, rebound,
profile and core. Some are even classified by weight. However, most
often you will see only the diameter and hardness printed on the
wheels (e.g. 76mm 78A or 70mm 82A, etc.). The profile and core you can
tell by visual inspection.
Diameter
The diameter of the wheel means simply how tall the wheel is. The
usual diameters range from 43mm to 80mm. Most common sizes you'll come
across for recreational skating are 72 and 76mm. Skaters wanting speed
tend to use 80mm wheels, although 76mm's are used too, depending on
the skates and racing course and distance. Vert/ramp skaters use short
wheels with a high durometer to do rail slides. These range from 43 to
76mm, depending on the skating situation (vert, ramp, rails, etc.).
Generally, racing skates will fit up to 80mm wheels, high-end skates
up to 77mm (sometimes 80 now), and the rest of the models up to 72mm.
Although these are the designated max-sizes, skates can often take
slightly taller wheels than the official specifications. For instance,
in the old Bauer XF/3's, with the front and heel wheel spacers moved
in (for a shortened wheelbase), can use 76mm wheels for all four
positions. Extension modification (i.e., scraping down) of skates are
need for wheels much larger than the intended size.
In general, taller wheels will let you cruise faster but take longer
to spin up. Taller wheels also tend to be less manueverable than
shorter wheels. Shorter wheels are cheaper, but in general don't last
as long since they have less material to wear down overall, given the
same durometer. However since many of the small wheels are for stunts,
they all tend to be sold in higher durometers anyway (they slide
better), so they won't necessarily wear out that quickly.
70mm 72mm 76mm 80mm
Average speed____________________________________________Fast
Quick Turns______________________________________Slower Turns
Durometer (hardness)
Durometer is a relative hardness measure frequently used for rubber
and plastic products. There are several scales, with the "A" scale
(hence the 78A, etc.) used for wheels. The number is the rating from
0-100, with 0 being no resistance and 100 being very hard plastic.
Note: there is a Rockwell scale which is used for steel. Only one
wheel uses it now, Pebbles by Kryptonics, with a rating of 50R
Recreational wheels generally run from 74A to 82A. For outdoors, the
softer the wheel, the better the shock absorption. The trade-off is
that softer wheels wear out faster. Harder wheels, since they have
less drag, are preferred on indoor surfaces which are usually very
smooth (e.g. hockey).
Some skaters vary their wheel durometer depending on the temperature
outside. Cold weather will mean the ground is harder so soft wheels
are more suitable. In really warm weather the road might start
literally melting, in which case a high durometer setup would be more
preferrable.
74A 78A 82A 85A
Average Wear_________________________________Longest Wear
High Grip____________________________________Average Grip
High Rebound______________________________Average Rebound
Low Body Weight__________________________High Body Weight
Smooth Ride_____________________________________Hard Ride
Rebound
A higher rebound will provide more response on each stroke. The only
reference to a rebound scale in the inline industry now is the Bashore
Rebound, used by Roller Edge. Otherwise, rebound is referred to as
low, medium or high. The rebound labeling seems to have been phased
out as not many people seem to compare wheels based on this feature.
Profile
The profile of a wheel is defined by the cross-section of the wheel
where it meets the ground. All wheels are 24mm thick as an industry
standard, but the variation in a wheel's "footprint" is what provides
different functionality. The larger the footprint, the greater the
traction and stability. Many made-for-hockey wheels tend to have a
wide footprint for those sharp turns. Racing wheels on the other hand,
tend to be more tapered near the edges. More recently, FR Progressors
has developed an asymmetrically-profiled wheel, to help align on curbs
or rails.
Wide/fat Normal profile Narrow (race)
Best Cornering___________________________________Less Stable
Slow____________________________________________________Fast
Hubs/Cores
The hubs or cores (either term is okay) are very important to the
overall performance of the wheel. The core is everything other than
the wheel material. The core holds the bearings and connects to the
wheel material. Some wheels are open core (spokes showing), closed
core (spokes covered), or no cores (real small wheels don't really
need cores.) If the bearing core is slightly too large (as it often is
for shoddy wheels), it will not hold the bearings tightly enough. This
can allow the wheel to become "cocked" so that it rubs against the
frame. Only one wheel needs to be out of alignment to mess things up.
Misalignment is a serious problem, not only because it causes drag,
but because it heats up the wheel. This will soon cause it to seperate
from the hub and expand, and eventually destroy the wheel.
The first sign is that the wheels creak as you switch your weight on
the skate. If you remove the wheel from the frame, you can see an arc
clear of dirt and dust where the wheel was rubbing. If you notice
this, put your hands on your wheels after a long fast skate and see if
any of them are much warmer than the others. If so, they are probably
rubbing.
This can happen a lot easier on frames like the Mogema and the
Darkstar that have very close tolerences and the side of the frame is
close to the side of the wheel. I'm not sure if is as big as a problem
(or a problem at all) for recreational skates like the Aeroblade. The
creaking is bothersome in any event.
Closed Core Tri Spoke Core Racing Core
High Wheel Weight_________________________________Low Wheel Weight
Longest Wear__________________________________________Average Wear
Axle Kits
Another important aspect of your wheels is the axles. There are
several axle replacement/upgrade kits (such as the Hyper Hop-up Kit
and the Blading Edge Kit) designed to let your wheels roll much faster
than your stock axles will allow. These kits are usually made of
aluminium or steel. What they consist of is two axle bolts per wheel,
each screwing into the threaded spacer in the wheel (the part that is
sandwiched between the bearings). This prevents overtightening, which
is common with regular axle systems, and will allow your
wheels/bearings to spin freely. When putting your wheels back, make
sure the wheels are just snug enough so they don't move around.
Anything more just increases the friction on your bearings.
Maintenance
Wheels of any durometer will wear out, given enough mileage. There's
only so much polyurethane on your wheels, while there's thousands of
miles of asphalt out there. Much less wearage occurs for indoor
skating, however.
In general, your wheels are due for maintenance when your skates are
much slower and not rolling as smoothly as when new. The inside edges
will wear more quickly, which you will eventually notice:
For those of you without the benefit of a graphics-ready computer:
| | | |
inside | | outside inside \ | outside
edge | | edge edge \ | edge
\____/ \__/
new wheel worn wheel
There are two things you can do to get the most from your wheels:
rotate and flip. Rotating your wheels means to switch the positions of
the wheels. Different positions (like the heel or toe wheels) receive
varying amounts of wear. By rotating the wheels, you can even out the
wear on each wheel.
Flipping your wheels means to turn each wheel so that the worn edge
now faces the outside. This lets you wear down the other edge of the
wheels.
There are several patterns for wheel rotation. The one you use isn't
crucial, since there's no "magic" rotation formula that works for all
situations. The main point is to maintain an even wear on your wheels.
Often times you may find yourself swapping wheels at random until you
get a good wearage distribution on your skates.
Some common rotation patterns:
The front wheel is "1" and the back wheel is either "4" or "5".
For 3-wheel skates: 3->2, 2->1, 1->3
For 4-wheel skates: 42, 31 OR 4->3 3->2 2->1 1->4
For 5-wheel skates: 5->3, 4->2, 3->1, 2->5, 1->4
OR 5->3, 4->5, 3->2, 2->4
Whiled you're rotating and flipping your wheels, you might as well
wipe off your skates, rails, wheels and bearings with a damp cloth.
Some people wipe down their skates everytime they go out, even if they
don't do any rotation, but I recommend you do it at least everytime
you rotate your wheels. This keeps the amount of dirt on your skates
and wheels to a minimum, which helps keeps grit out of your bearings.
Rockering Your Skates
Having skates non-rockered means the axles and wheels are all at the
same height. This is the way the skates come when you buy then
(usually). What many skates allow you to do is to change the height of
some or all of the axles, to provide a different "blade" to skate on.
Rockered skates then, have the middle two wheels lower relative to the
front and heel wheels. This is accomplished by having oval spacers
with an offset axle-hole; each spacer can have an up or down position.
Racing skates are also adjustable, but only in the horizontal
direction, allowing for a longer or shorter wheelbase.
Although subject to some disagreement, many skaters find rockering
provides much more maneuverability due to the curved "blade" of the
wheels. Whether you rocker or not is really up to you. Many hockey
players prefer to have their skates rockered for sharper turns on the
court, while racers keep their blades flat for more stability at high
speeds (rockers at high speed will produce speed wobble). Artisitic
skaters may also prefer rockered, while extreme skaters may opt to
keep them flat.
Depending on your skates, there are various rockering configurations
possible. If your skates can adjust the height of only the middle two
wheels, you can have your skates flat or rockered:
Flat : ==frame==
1 2 3 4
Rockered: ==frame==
1 4
2 3
If your skates can adjust the height of all four wheels then you have
the positions of
short even rocker: ==frame== (wheels closer to boot, for more
control)
1 4
2 3
tall even rocker: ==frame== (taller, for sharper turns)
1 4
2 3
front-lift rocker: ==frame== (a little more stable than regular
rocker)
1
2 3 4
front-lift, : ==frame== (tilts skates forward)
rear-down, rocker 1
2 3
4
Wheels run from $3.00 to $10.00, depending on the 5 criteria referred
to at the beginning of this section. There are many inline wheel
manufacturers out there: Hyper, Kryptonics, FR Progressors, Senate,
Labeda, UFO, Cyko, Cozmo, Grizzly Gear, Kuzak, RollerEdge,
BrakerWheel, Ultimate, Bullzeye, Chaos, Core, Heavy, Kopp, Square,
Sims and probably several others.
_________________________________________________________________
The Bearing Maintenance File
(written May 2, 1992)
(last changed Jan 6, 1995)
_________________________________________________________________
Copyright notice
_________________________________________________________________
Contents:
* General Info
* Sealed or Shielded?
* Bearing ratings
* How to maintain your bearings
+ 1st method : If you don't mind taking off the seals.
+ 2nd method : If you don't want to pry off the seals.
General Info
Inline skates all use 608 bearings. The "608" means that the bearings
are from the 600 series, with a 8mm inner diameter (the width of the
hole, i.e., internal bore). The "6" appears to be for the 6mm
difference between the inner and outer radii (from the outside edge to
the edge of the hole).
608 bearings are also the standard size for skateboard bearings. Quad
skates use either type 608 (8mm internal bore) or type 627 (7mm
internal bore). The 608's for quads are the outdoor bearings. If your
bearings have letters following the "608" (like "S", "Z", or even "ZZ"
or "SS") it is the manufacturer's way of denoting sealed or perhaps
double shielded bearings. An "RS" label means shielded but that the
shields are removeable (i.e., serviceable bearings). To make sure what
they mean you should probably check with the manufacturer, since it
can vary from company to company.
A little cross-reference on part numbers for bearings, the 7MM ones
are for quality indoor skates, the 8MM ones are used for in-lines,
other indoor skates and skateboards.
Double Shielded:
NTN Fafnir MRC ND SKF HCH YW
7MM 627-ZZ 37KDD 37FF 77037 R7-2Z 627Z 60027
8MM 608-ZZ 38KDD 38FF 77038 R8-2Z
Double Sealed (neoprene rubber):
NTN Fafnir MRC ND SKF
7MM 627-LL 37PP 37ZZ 99037 R7-2RS
8MM 608-LL 38PP 38ZZ 99038 R8-2RS
Single shielded/sealed bearings usually delete one of the doubled
prefix/suffix characters. (Thanks go to George for the above chart).
Bearings for recreational use generally come grease filled. Some
bearings like GMNs are sold either greased or oiled (but usually
greased).
Some of the bearing manufacturers are: Black Hole, Boca, Boss, Cyko,
DF, Fafnir, FKD, Get Your Bearings, GMBH, GMN, Grizzly, Hyper,
Kryptonics (Russian), M&A Smith Stealth, NHBB, NMB, Powell Swiss
"Bones", RPM, Sonic, Terminator, Twincam and Yak. (The NMB's are
common as a stock ABEC-1 bearing in production skates, but they also
make ABEC-5's). There are many brands of bearings out on the market
now, although you should know that some are just bearings from the
same factory, just labeled differently. Some brands are NMB, Powell
Swiss (commonly called Bones bearings), GMN, Fafnirs, Black-Hole,
YAKs, Twin-cam, M&A Smith Stealth, (Super) Sonic, Terminator, Hyper
(Boss & RPM), FKD, NHBB, GMBH, DF, Grizzly.
Sealed or Shielded?
There are basically two types of bearings: shielded vs sealed. Very
likely you will have shielded bearings, which all stock skates come
with (as far as I know). Shields make it hard for dirt and grime to
get in, but they certainly aren't dust or watertight. For superior
protection against the elemnts, you need sealed bearings.
There are three kinds of shielded bearings: 1) two shields (metal), 2)
one metal shield & one pop-out cap for maintanence, 3) two pop-out
caps. If you have types 2 or 3, you'll have an easier time re-lubing
your bearings (see below)
Sealed bearings have a teflon or rubber lip seal that actually touches
the race and come packed with a fairly heavy grease. These are quite
impervious to dust or water. Rollerblade sells sealed bearings under
the name Max Trainers. You may find other brands as well. The
advantage is that they should last a long time without any maintenance
at all. The trade-off is that these bearings generally cost more and
you also encounter a much higher rolling resistance. Slower bearings
are not necessarily bad, since many people like the added resistance
for a better workout.
Bearing Ratings
Bearings are rated on the ABEC ("Annular Bearing Engineering Council",
_annular_ means circular) scale. The higher the ABEC number, the
greater the manufactured bearing precision. There are no required
materials to meet the ABEC specifications. The bearings simply have to
be made to a certain precision.
You may find cheaper skates with bearings not even rated on the ABEC
scale (primarily on "toy" in-lines and real low-end/kids skates).
These will often be labeled as semi-precision bearings.
In non-skating applications (like in industrial machinery) using
higher ABEC-rated bearings lets machines meet particular mechanical
tolerance or vibration levels, so they can operate at a high speed.
This is not because there is less rolling resistance, but rather
because the precision is better.
Whether ABEC-5 bearings will let you skate faster than ABEC-1 bearings
is still largely debatable. The higher precision may not make a
significant difference when you're at 10-20mph. Compare that with
typical machinery that may run at 10,000 rpm (~80 mph), where the
smallest change in precision can make a difference. Also, the higher
precision will eventually deteriorate down to ABEC-3 or 1 due to dust,
dirt and regular wear and tear. Cutting down wind-resistance and
improving your technique is probably much more effective at increasing
your skating speed.
However, all this is not to say that there is no reason to buy ABEC-3
or ABEC-5 bearings. Most ABEC-3 and 5 rated bearings are serviceable,
while ABEC-1's typically are not. So although you may not be buying
more speed, you will be getting more convenience in maintanence.
When to Clean and Re-lubricate Your Bearings
Exposure to dirt and water are the main reason that your bearings slow
down. Bad bearings will be ones which don't let your wheels spin for a
respectable amount of time (the definition of "respectable" depends on
on your type of bearings). If you hear or feel the vibrations of metal
rubbing on metal, chances are your bearings are in need of some
maintenance.
If some of the balls or bearing surfaces have become roughened,
there's basically nothing you can do. They won't get any better, but
they may last a long time anyway. You can always replace your bearings
a few at a time.
Take care of your bearings by cleaning and preping them as needed.
Assuming normal usage, they should last through several sets of
wheels, depending on how much skating you do.
Replacing Your Bearings
You probably want to replace some of your bearings if (1) any of them
them have somehow stopped spinning well, despite all the cleaning you
do or (2) you want to change to different types of bearings (racing or
sealed or whatever).
How to Take Care of Your Bearings
1st Method: Taking the shields off
1. Remove your wheels from the skates, and push the bearings out with
a spare bushing (the plastic/metal part that goes between the
bearings) or one of the several types of bearing tools available
on the market.
2. Now there's three types of situations you'll be in: a) If you have
shielded bearings with pop-out caps (Powell Swiss or Black Hole
brands), simply pry/pop out the plastic cap on each bearing.
b) If you have other serviceable bearings like Twin-cams or YAKs
you need to pop out the snap rings (C-rings) before you take off
the shields (use a small screwdriver to snap out the snap rings).
Shown below are a close-up of the C-ring and shield when you take
them out. Notice that the C-ring has a diagonal edge at either
end. There's really only one end that you can pry the ring out
with (i.e., the end with the pointed edge towards the inside). In
the picture, it would be the end at the top of the image. (Click
on either image to see an enlarged version).
c-ring image shield image
c) For non-serviceable bearings like NMBs, GMNs (Germans), or
sealed bearings, _FIRST_ make this decision: do you want to take
the shields off?
Some people tell you to never pry off a shield/seal, some say it's
okay. It's really up to you. In general, if you think you will be
doing a lot of maintainence on your bearings, you are much better
off taking the shields off. Whatever you do, the new lubrication
always helps.
NOTE: if you have sealed bearings you might not want to pop the
covers since you could ruin the seal integrity a little, which is
what you're paying extra for in the first place. Still, I have some
people say they put their bearings back together with no harm, so it
is possible. For more nitty-gritty on maintaining sealed bearings,
look at http://www.svi.org/~nates/bearing.html.
If you decide _no_ then skip down to the section marked 2nd
Method.
If you decide _yes_ then carefully puncture or pry off the shield
(or seal) on one side. Use a very small screwdriver, and pry along
the edge of the shield until you can get under it and pop it off.
If this is difficult, you can always push the screwdriver into the
shield (or tap it through (lightly!) with a hammer or heavier
tool). You don't need a whole lot of force since the shields
aren't all that thick or hard.
When removing the covers of entire sets of bearings at once, be
careful to only take off one cover per bearing. Otherwise you'll
be left with a shieldless/sealless bearing (which won't last long
against outdoor conditions).
Once you have the cover off, you should be able to see the ball
bearings inside, held in place by a retainer (click on the image
for a close-up).
[LINK]
You won't need the old metal covers anymore so you can throw them
away (assuming you're using non-serviceable bearings). They're no
good anymore anyway since they're probably bent and warped from
the removal.
In Bones bearings the cap is ALSO the brace, so you won't see a
brace, but just 7 bearings rolling around. Bones users should
obviously keep the plastic cap when reassembling their bearings.
NOTE: You don't want to take the ball bearings out since they
aren't meant to be removed and replaced. Besides, you'll scuff the
bearings and they won't roll well anymore.
3. Soak the bearings (c-rings and shields too if you've got
serviceable bearings) in Simple Green or some other biodegradeable
detergent. DON'T dilute with water! Use it straight from the
bottle. The detergents are very cheap and you don't need a whole
lot anyway (just enough to cover the bearings). If you want to
speed things up a little, put your cleaning container in a larger
container. Fill the area around the cleaning container with warm
or hot water but not enough to spill over into the cleaning
container.
The choice of cleaner/solvent isn't crucial so long as you can get
all the dirt and old grease cleaned out. However, I'd highly
suggest using one of the biodegradeable cleaners. They're cheaper,
safer, easy to dispose of (just let it go down the sink) and good
for other cleanup tasks as well.
If you do insist on using solvents, avoid low-flash point solvents
like gasoline, xylene, lacquer thinner, etc. which are dangerously
flammable. Also wear latex/chem lab gloves if possible when
handling these chemicals. Solvents are no fun to ingest or absorb
through your skin. An alternative is to use a pair of tongs or
tweezers to handle your bearings.
_Soaking the bearings_
How long you soak depends on how dirty and dried out your bearings
have gotten. Previously maintained bearings won't need to soak
very long. Bearings that have gone dry and have lots of grit in
them may need to soak overnight, or even several days.
If necessary use a brush or swirl your bearings around in your
container to make sure everything breaks loose. Small coffee cans,
peanut jars, or even those little black film canisters, all make
decent containers. Dave Woodall (woo...@adrs1.dseg.ti.com) has
his own way of swirling. He uses a battery operated drink mixer
and spins his bearings to cleanliness. He says it works really
fast, so if you like, try it out 8-)
You don't really need large amounts of cleaner or solvent. Just
enough to immerse your bearings. You also don't need to refill
with clean solvent with each bearing unless the solvent you were
using has gotten really dirty. The essential thing is that the
dirt and grease is broken up. Step 4 will remove most of the gunk.
WD-40 is generally not recommended as a cleaner since it leaves a
sticky, dust attracting film on the bearings. Note, however, that
some people swear by WD-40. It has become somewhat of a
heavily-debated topic, so experiment with it if you'd like.
Ultrasonic cleaners are ideal for cleaning bearings. If you have
access to one, you can clean your bearings en mass and avoid
getting your hands dirty.
4. Now rinse out your bearings with hot, soapy water to make sure you
clear out all the solvent. You now have some clean bearings. If
they're truly clean they ought to spin real fast.
5. Use a hair dryer to make sure that all traces of water are gone.
6. Now lubricate with your favorite lubricant. Lubricant choice
always seem to be somewhat preferential. Lots of people find one
lube that works for them and they just stick with it. It's hard to
try out multiple lubricants and get a thoroughly accurate
comparison throughout all types of skating conditions. 1) people
don't always have the extra money to do so, 2) to change lubes you
need to clean and relube (unless you have an extra set of
bearings) and 3) there's still no real good way to measure how
well a lube helps speed up or slow down your skating. A no-load
"finger-flick" spin test doesn't really cut it since it doesn't
entirely translate into the equivalent rolling resistance with
your weight on it.
Ideally, you'd have an indoor incline and/or flat surface,
multiple sets of identical bearings for each lube, and you'd see
which one gave you the most glide. Of course, this still doesn't
take into account how fast the lube dries or bleeds from the
bearings, or how easily it collects or repels dust/grime/water,
and on and on.
In the end, it doesn't make a huge difference unless you're into
serious racing. Your main choice will be choosing between oil,
cream/grease, telfon based lubes, (bicycle) wax/paraffin, and
whatever else is out there. Most people end up using grease or
oil. Oiled bearings have slightly less resistance, but need to be
maintained more often (as often as once a week). It is very
helpful to have a little hypodermic style oiler with a long needle
to let you put the oil right where you want it.
Grease works well because after a while most of it gets shoved out
of contact with the balls and only a little bit smears onto the
workings. However, newly greased bearings, will take a while to
expel any extra grease and move the rest out of the way.
For oils, although you can use stuff like sewing machine oil, or
5W-20 motor oil, household oils (3-in-one, etc) may gum up after a
while. In any case, most mail-order shops sell their own brand of
lubricant, as do many of the bearing manufacturers (e.g., Bones
and BlackHole). Although it's not proven these "special" formulas
are all that better, it's usually only a few bucks for a nice
little bottle of lube that should last you for a long time. Some
brands also come in a very handy hypodermic-style dispenser which
is perfect for putting a drop exactly where you want it.
NOTE: Use only a few drops of oil per bearing! Overlubing will not
only waste your lube, but you'll also make the bearings more
sticky and more prone to attracting dust and grime, which is
exactly what you don't want. Spin the bearing to spread the oil
around inside.
Let the bearings sit for an hour, and wipe them off.
7. Put one bearing back into the wheel, with the open face towards
the inside of the wheel. Insert the bushing and then put on the
second bearing (with the open face towards the inside again). It
is pretty hard for contaminants to get into the bearings from the
inside.
2nd Method: Keeping the shields on
First do Step 1 (from 1st Method).
If your bearings are permanently sealed (or you don't want to remove
the seals) you can still soak in solvent (see step 3) for several
hours or as long as you feel necessary. Enough solvent should soak
through to remove some of the grease.
Then you can lubricate the seams and/or press some in with your
fingers. Enough oil should seep through to lubricate your bearings
(see step 6).
_-Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)_
_________________________________________________________________
Hop-up Kits
Hop-up kits are simply upgrade kits that include frame spacers,
bearing spacers, and axels. They're made of aluminium or brass or some
other metal. Some incorporate threaded spacers too. The advantage in
using hop-up kits is that you can crank down real hard on your bolts
without compressing the spacers. The stock plastic spacers on most
skates will compress or even crack if you do this a lot. (more to come
in this section)
If you want, look at the hop-up kit reviews in section 3.4.
_________________________________________________________________
*This image is Copyrighted © 1994-1996 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission
is granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as
this copyright notice is included as either an HTML comment alongside
the invokation (IMG SRC or HREF or otherwise) of the logo, or in the
visible text.
The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part15
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Central North America_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - CENTRAL NORTH AMERICA
Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996
Recent changes include:
* Added Chicago, IL skating Web link (7/2)
* Added Toronto, ON info from Orlando C. Fernando (8/16)
Table of Contents
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Ontario
* Texas
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* Western North America
+ California
* Northeastern North America
* Southeastern North America
* Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.
_________________________________________________________________
Illinois
* Chicago
* Urbana/Champaign
Chicago
Web sites for Austria info:
* Skate! Chicago:
http://www.skaters.com/
From: RRAT...@vma.cc.nd.edu
Date: Unknown
There are cycle paths which go both north and south of the "loop" (the
downtown), along Lake Michigan. I have skated up north, starting at
Lincoln Park. I have also skated through the downtown both on
sidewalks and the streets, although, not during the business day (too
many cars). From downtown, a nice skate is up Clark Street north to
Wrigley Field. This is an interesting area, with used book/CD stores,
etc. You can judge distance based on address numbers: 800/mile. For
more information on where to skate (and not too), call the folks at
Londo Mondo (sorry, but I can not remember the address). Remember,
Chicago does have some really bad neighborhoods. For example, I would
not go west of Wells, in the area around Division Street.
From: tho...@tt726.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Tom Depke)
Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 17:21:22 GMT
[...] is there anywhere REALLY cool to skate around Chicago? I've
read the FAQ about places to skate in Chicago but didn't see
anything really outstanding...is there?
It depends on the type of skating you are looking for. Is it speed,
tricks, or scenary? I like the lakefront down by the Shedd Aquarium
and Adler Planetarium for tricks and further north for scenary. The
problem is that it gets too crowded in peak hours and you can not get
a good workout in. So for that I go to Busse woods 53 & Golf. There is
a smooth bike path which goes for 8 miles and never seems to get too
crowded.
From: sny...@ssd.comm.mot.com (Fred Snyder)
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 22:07:28 GMT
Having recently moved to Schaumburg, IL, I have discoverd the Busse
Woods bike path, in Rolling Meadows. Best accessible from Higgins just
east of 290, it's a 7.8 mile loop through surprisingly scenic terrain
with a good surface, not too crowded, frequent water pumps, everything
I could ask for except perhaps getting rid of the bicycles. It's no
Lake Shore Drive, but now that I've moved to the 'burbs, it will do
quite nicely. It still irks me that I have to _drive_ somewhere to
skate.
From: lang...@prairienet.org (Ana G. Langlois)
Date: 24 Oct 1994 01:40:16 GMT
First of all, Chicago is a huge metro area. So if you mean downtown
Chicago I'll tell you that one of the hottest places is along the lake
shore. My wife and I were there today. We had a little skate. It was a
lot of fun. It was real windy. Good work out. Thousands of people
enjoy walking, soccor. rugby, running, bike riding, softball, kite
flying, etc., etc., etc.
Park and skate. If you come in from the south, park around the Field
Museum or the Shedd Aquarium and skate north along the lake. From the
north parking may be easier. There are parks everywhere that have
parking. The multi use trail is good, but not perfect.
In the northwest burbs there is a vert park. I forgot the name. I
think it's in Hoffman Estates.
Pick up a copy of _Windy City Sports_ (free news magazine) you can get
it at any sport shop in the downtown area. On Clark Street, north of
the loop, there are a bunch of good stores: City Sweats, Londo Mondo,
Rainbo. They can tell you where the inline scene really is. Londo
Mondo (not on Clark actually) meets once or twice a week for fun
skates, outside. Winter will _probably_ put an end to that though.
I hope that helps a little. The thing is that if you are in the
northwest burbs (for example) you may not want to fight traffic to go
downtown. So call a shop in the area you plan to be (or are) in and
ask them for help. If they don't know anything try Londo Mondo, City
Sweats or Rainbo.
From: VIS...@minna.acc.iit.edu (W. Viseskosin)
Date: 20 Jul 1995 18:45:12 GMT
I skate at North Branch Trail 4-5 times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat &
Sun). The trail starts at Whealan Pool Forest Preserve (near the
intersection of Devon and Milwaukee) and ends at Chicago Botanic
Gardens. The trail distance is 20.1 miles. It's not overcrowded even
during the weekends (the park might be crowded, but the trail is
not.). I usually park my car at Linns Woods (about 1/2 mile east of
Dempster and Waukegan in Morton Grove) because it's near my house. I
like to skate from there to the Chicago Botanic Gardens.
Please check "Chicagoland Trail Guide by Elleen Kelly" out. It's a
great book about Trails in Chicagoland.
From: tjma...@prospero.er.anl.gov (Timothy Martin)
Date: 9 Jul 1995 00:19:00 GMT
SCRAP (Skateboards Cycles Rollerblades Action Park)
It is in Hoffman Estates, and is part of the Poplar Creek Sports
Center complex.
2350 Hassell Rd. (708)-884-0945
Take I-90 Exit at Barrington Road. Go south briefly, then turn left at
Hassell Road. Go only one block to a White Hen Pantry on left. Turn
left into a parking lot behind the White Hen that serves the sports
complex.
Monday closed.
Tuesday thru Friday : One session 5pm to 9pm.
Saturday: Two sessions 1 to 5pm and 5:30 to 9:30pm.
Sunday: Two sessions 11:30 to 3:30pm and 4 to 8pm.
Entrance fee is $5 per session. Some modest package deal also that I
forget about now. To use two of the big half-pipes you need to buy a
one year "membership" for $20 in addition to entrance fees.
A general mix of freestyle bikers, bladers, and boarders.
Urbana/Champaign
From: jms4...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Clueless)
Date: Unknown
The [UIUC] Quad is a good place to do laps and play tag. (a group of
us play almost every night starting between 9 and 9:30)
The north quad has some nice stairs and a couple fountains to skate
over when the water is turned off. Assembly hall parking lot and most
of the other parking garages are good if you're looking for smooth
pavement. (The later are also nice if it's raining :) We've been
playing hockey in Assembly Hall parking lot, but there are problems
with the sewars swallowing the ball. If anyone knows a better place
where a lot of people can play (we had 13 tonight) hockey, please
tell.
There's a trail out near Windsor Road made for bikes and blades which
is a good place to go if you want to skate distance.
From: yes...@uiuc.edu (Eric Adams)
Date: 26 Apr 1995 03:54:35 GMT
There are several other places to skate around UIUC.
1. parking garages are always fun
2. the philo-Windsor trail/sidewalks
3. the Champaign city bike trails (to get to these, go south to St.
Mary's road, go west, across Neil, hop on the Boulware Trail, then
at the end, pick up Devonshire road for a ways until you come upon
a trail that goes up through a bunch of Condos, this trail then
crosses Mattis and continues west along a creek for quite a ways
and ends up at a big park.) I haven't gotten around to finding a
way around Devonshire (it is a little bumpy in sections).
_________________________________________________________________
Indiana
Indianapolis
From: Fred Pfenninger (pfen...@indy.net)
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 95 20:20:53 -0700
In Indianapolis there is a skatepark called TA (Travel Alternatives).
It is presently located at 25th and Arlington, but in October [1995]
it will be moving about a mile from there. They have an 8 foot pipe,
two 6's with a spine, a quarter pipe, and a wedge. In Oct. they will
be getting a lot more stuff. The cost to skate is $5.00 for the day.
Check it out!
From: GSch...@Indyvax.IUPUI.edu (Gary Schmitt)
Date: Unknown
Anyone wishing to skate during some bad winter weather is invited to
Indianapolis to skate at the RCA Dome. For those not familar with the
dome-type skating thing, it's done indoors on the concourse (the
circumferential hallway behind the stands). This makes for a smooth,
1/3 mile circuit, with just a few relatively mild expansion joints for
excitement.
There are usually a fair number of beginers within the group of rec
skaters and there are always speed skaters training as well. The Indy
Inliners have club night on Wednesdays, 5-9 p.m., whenever the Dome is
open on Wednesdays. This season, most Wednesdays are skate dates, but
call (317)824-DOME beforehand. There are also many other skating dates
on the schedule, so call to check.
_________________________________________________________________
Iowa
* Ames
* Iowa City
Ames
From: nw...@iastate.edu
Date: Thu, 25 May 1995 09:24:00 -0500
_Iowa State University, Ames, IA_
The campus area in Ames is really the only decent place to skate in
Ames. Head to the library and Durham center area and you'll probably
see a bunch of us hanging out jumping off of the ledges there. During
the summer the parking lots of the dorm parking lots are nice also.
Towers and Maple- Willow-Larch are mostly empty in the summer. A new
skateshop just opened on Lincoln Way in campus town(Skatesport) which
is nice to have.
Skate West in Des Moines has Inline Hockey leagues several nights a
week.
Iowa City
From: Jason D. Lycke (jdl...@wrdmail.er.usgs.gov)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 09:09:18 -0500
For those that are into recreational/distance/excercise skating, check
out City Park on the north end of town. It's got a lot of good paths
right next to the beautful (sort of) Iowa River. If you're into
street/extreme skating, the U of Iowa campus isn't a bad place to go.
Check out the IMU (Iowa Memorial Union) and the Pentacrest, and skate
through the ped mall once just for fun. Also, I've heard that some
people skate in front of Currier Residence Hall, but I've never been
there myself.
_________________________________________________________________
Michigan
Detroit
From: dia...@cbi.com (Dianne Marsh)
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 13:29:31 GMT
It really depends on where you are going in Detroit. I recommend the
"metro" parks in the suburbs. If you are staying in the city, the
closest metro park will (probably) be Metro Beach, ... nice because
the path briefly goes along the water, but flat. One of my favorite
metro parks is Stony Creek (trail: 6 miles), which is about 30 miles
north of the city near Rochester/Utica. If you are visiting farther to
the west, Kensington Metro Park (near Milford/Brighton) has 8 miles of
very hilly paved trails. Both Stony and Kensington encircle small
lakes.
If you visit one of the metro parks, you can pick up a map (free)
which describes all of them. The map describes which parks have paved
trails and includes probably the best street map of the metro Detroit
area.
I believe that the entry fee is $3 daily or $15 for an annual pass.
The pass allows entry to any of the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks. I think
that Tuesday is "free" day.
For more information on the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks, call
1-313-227-2757. The phone book also lists 2 toll free numbers, but
they are under "Metropark Golf Courses". Try them if you like:
800-234-6534, 800-477-2757.
From: SNL...@aol.com (Larry Sylvain)
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 1996 14:10:33 -0500
I didn't see a mention of Indian Springs metropark in White Lake, MI
in any of the "where to go" listings. Indian Springs has an eight mile
ashphalt bike trail (approx. 4 feet wide) that runs through the woods
in a river headwaters area. It costs $3.00/day or $15.00/year for
entry, which includes entry to all other Detroit area metroparks. The
surface is smoth to moderate with very few wide cracks and is cleaned
regularly. There is an approximate 1/2 mile gradual hill at the course
start/end making for a nice, fast start and a good workout on the way
back. Be sure to wear sunglasses as the trail goes through the woods
and there are bugs! There is ample parking and, as a bonus, a way-cool
playground area near the parking area for the kids and a set of nature
trails about a half-mile away from the parking area (a nice, romantic
walk to cool down after blading). Indian Springs is my personal
favorite as a roller blade site.
From: THEC...@aol.com
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 17:07:23 -0400
There are two indoor rinks for inline skating in the detroit metro
area. The first is U.S. Blades located in West Bloomfield (810)
661-4200 which has many times in which you can skate along with being
able to play hockey, get instructions on how to skate and your also
able to rent the rink for private functions. The second is Joe Dumars
field house located in Shelby Township (810) 731-3080. This facility
is used for inline hockey along with housing other sports such as
basketball and beach volleyball. Your able to rent the rink out for
hockey only.
_________________________________________________________________
Minnesota
Minneapolis
If you want a _really_ great place to rollerblade, Minneapolis opens
up the Metrodome to rollerbladers _only_ (I'm not sure about during
the summer, but they do this all winter). It's about a half-mile (I
think) circle of the smoothest concrete you've ever been on. There are
two separate levels, one for serious rollerbladers and one for "the
family." A "must-blade" if you're ever in the area.
From: phil dudero (pdu...@ATK.COM)
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 95 00:06:15 -0500
I [...] was shocked to see that the Metrodome was the only mention for
skating in Minnesota! This is really only true when the Twins aren't
playing baseball (assuming the activity they are engaged in presently
can be called that ;-). And as far as that goes it's around $5 dollars
for a skate (extra for equipment rental), 1/4-mile of smooth concourse
for one circuit (if I remember correctly), with two levels, the upper
level for faster skaters. Unless you've got someone to talk to I find
it boring after a short while, but what else are you going to do on a
cold winter night? Don't answer that!
When the snow isn't on the ground the place to skate in Minneapolis is
around the chain of lakes southwest of downtown. During the summer
Lake Calhoun
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part17
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Southeastern North America_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - SOUTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Last modified: Monday, 16-Sep-96 22:49:33 EDT
Recent changes include:
* Added Lynchburg, VA info from Elizabeth Fischer
Table of Contents
* Alabama
* Bahama Islands
* Washington, D.C.
* Florida
* Georgia
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maryland
* North Carolina
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Virginia
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* Western North America
+ California
* Central North America
* Northeastern North America
* Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.
_________________________________________________________________
Alabama
From: Linda Kerr (ke...@Forestry.Auburn.EDU)
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 15:49:15 -0700
Our group of 8-10 skaters go to what we call "Fort God," which is
actually a huge Baptist church (Lakeview Baptist) on the corner of
Glenn & E. University in Auburn, Alabama. Very big parking lot, some
hills, no cars, smooth pavement, no gravel, lights for nighttime
skating.
_________________________________________________________________
Bahama Islands
From: SCHR...@PROCESS.COM (Jeff Schreiber)
Date: 9 Nov 1994 17:50:48 -0000
I was in the Bahamas in August for my honeymoon. The skateability of
Nassau _greatly_ depends on where you are thinking of. If you are
talking about Downtown, I wouldn't recommend it (too crowded).
Otherwise the streets might be ok (but they drive like morons! _and
I'm from Massachusetts_ :). Sidewalks are out, they are mostly all
broken up, they disappear randomly, and overall, wouldn't be any fun.
If you're thinking about the Carnival's Crystal Palace, or The
Radisson Cable Beach (or anything on Cable Beach), I would say bring
them. I did see one guy out on skates at the hotel. There are some
nice cement courtyards and paths in the larger hotels on Cable Beach.
As far as your comment about "as if that mattered" referring to the
police. I realize you said that as a joke, but I just wanted to say
that you should be careful. The police are pretty nice down there,
although some are corrupt. I would _not_ suggest pissing them off
though. The Bahamas are nice, but if you go Downtown, I want you to
try to picture what one of the jail cells are like. It _is_ a foreign
country, and I for one don't know all their laws, so I wasn't planning
on pushing the police if they warned me. Don't forget what happened to
that kid in Singapore!
From: dcoo...@aol.com (DCooper2)
Date: 5 Mar 1995 21:02:10 -0500
Freeport, Bahamas. Stay at the Princess Hotel. Roads are nearly empty.
Beach is three miles away. Cars on left side of road a bit of an
adjustment.
_________________________________________________________________
Washington, D.C.
See also the Arlington, VA, section for info about some trails near
DC.
From: r...@skatecity.com (Robert Schmunk)
Date: 23 May 1995
Here are some comments and observations about skating DC, based on two
trips there in the last seven months:
Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave. at 14th St. NW) long held a
reputation as a great place to grind and stair bash, plus practice
various maneuvers on the wide-open flat marble. Not that the quality
of the skating there has changed, but the legality of it has. Sometime
in the spring of 1995, skating of all types was banned from Freedom
Plaza, apparently as a result of the defacement of the plaza by wheel
and brake marks _plus_ physical damage like chipped steps resulting
from grinding skateboards and skates. Skaters can bitch all they want
about the ban, but they do need to realize that marking up a prominent
city landmark across the street from city govt offices will draw a
harsh reaction in any town.
I have heard that some/much of the skating activity has shifted from
Freedom Plaza down Penn. Ave to Indiana Plaza, but the one time I went
by there, I didn't see any skaters and wasn't that impressed by the
plaza. I've been also told by one DC skater that the ban at Freedom
Plaza isn't too strongly enforced, but any truth to that could change
in an instant on a politician's whim.
Elsewhere in central DC, one place that seemed favored by the skaters
is the statue by the reflecting pool at the base of Capitol Hill. The
primary reason for this is that it is flanked by flights of about 10
steps, spaced just right for some fun stair bashing. I've done this in
broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon, which leads me to suspect that
authorities aren't too worried about such behavior. But again, that
could change if they think the monument is being damaged or if a
tourist should get hurt by a careless skater.
About Capitol Hill itself, I've heard that it's a violation of umpteen
different federal regulations to skate there, so watch out! That being
said, I'll note that the parking lot on the east side of the Capitol
is gigantic and often totally empty when Congress is not in session.
In West Potomac Park, Ohio Dr., the road leading from the Lincoln
Memorial down to the Jefferson Memorial, has apparently been recently
(sometime in 1994?) re-surfaced and makes for some smooth blading.
I've no idea about the condition of the road south of the Jefferson
Memorial.
On May 20, 1995, the section of Pennsylvania Ave. adjacent to the
White House was blocked off to auto traffic for security reasons.
Skaters immediately realized the potential of this action and were out
skating this inadvertent outdoor roller rink that very day. (I was
there the following day :-) However, while this street is wide, it is
also wide open to the sun, and I expect that the asphalt could be too
soft to skate during the summer. Also, word is that the street will be
ripped up and turned into a plaza of some sort, so the open skating
there may not last long.
Many of the other streets and avenues near the Mall are in extremely
good shape and make for some fun group skating, especially at night
when traffic has thinned out. This is especially true near federal
office buildings that are not near tourist landmarks. The flip side of
this is that although street skating is apparently not illegal in DC,
the cops will give you some grief if they think you're obstructing
traffic or if they're just bored. On one night skate of about 75
people, we had a cop turn on his patrol car PA system and yell, "Get
off the street," but another cop we passed 10 minutes later didn't
even react to our presence.
Just as cops don't quite seem to know how to react to group skates
passing by them on the streets of DC, the general populace also seems
to have not caught up with the 1990s. Lots of cars will honk excitedly
when they see a cluster of skaters go by.
From: geo...@eng.umd.edu (George B. Clark)
Date: Unknown
na...@eng.umd.edu (Naruhisa Takashima) writes:
For those in the D.C. area, I have skated on Rock Creek Park which
is real nice path for joggers and slow bicyclist, but I'm not so
sure if it's suited for Bladers. The path is narrow, damp in many
places, and ocassionally very steep which makes it very difficult
for speed control, which in turn leads to bail out or wipe out.
Most parts of Rock Creek Park's bike path are OK to skate, except for
one real steep place that even bike riders have trouble with.
Since the path goes through the woods, keep in mind that wet leaves on
the pavement are very slippery to skate over.
It's also fun to leave the bike path, and skate about the nice
neighbor streets adjacent to it.
From: sim...@eeel.nist.gov (Eric Simmon)
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 17:33:51 GMT
_Rock Creek Park:_
from behind the Lincoln Memorial to Rt 28 in MD. Parts of the path is
decent pavement, parts suck. Be prepared to share the path with bikers
joggers and walkers. Sections of Beach Dr. are closed on the weekend,
which provides a good surface to skate on (but each section isn't very
long)
_Capitol Crescent Trail:_
Take K street west underneath the Whitehearst freeway, where the road
ends, the path begins. This is a new path with wide, smooth pavement.
It is only about 3.5 miles long right now, but will eventually go all
the way to Bethesda.
_Downtown:_
Plenty of good skate terrain downtown, just watch out for traffic and
bad surfaces (the mall has pavement with pebbles in it which is _very_
nasty, but doable). The asphalt can be hazardous in the summer because
it gets so hot your wheels just sink in.
From: tem...@usuhsb.usuhs.mil (Mitch Temoche)
Date: 17 Oct 1994 17:14:15 GMT
I went skating behind the Capitol once late at night. Lots of wide
open space, it was great and security didn't say anything. Liberty
Plaza on Pennsylvania Ave. is pretty nice and we also went up and down
F Street NW. Rock Creek Park has an excellent bike-trail for skating.
Recently I skated the parking lots on Research Blvd in Gaithersburg on
Sunday when it was empty. There's a lake in Germantown, MD on Waring
Station road that I've skated. I haven't tried Mt. Vernon bike trail
in VA yet but, I hear it's very crowded. You also might try Avenel in
Potomac MD there are some bike trails. Coastal highway in north of
Ocean City MD is very good too.
_________________________________________________________________
Florida
* Miami/Lauderdale
* Orlando
* Tampa/St. Petersburg
* Tallahassee
Miami/Lauderdale
From: thd...@isye.gatech.edu (Mark Tabladillo)
Date: 9 Sep 1994 17:43:23 GMT
Ft. Lauderdale has lots of flat places to skate. The path by the ocean
has just been changed to interlaced red brick, but it's still good for
skating.
South Miami, in my opinion, was a better place to skate. Theres a flat
concrete boardwalk that runs along the beach, though it's further from
the water than the Ft. Lauderdale boardwalk. At the southmost end of
the beach, there are paint marks for cones. Also, at the center of the
beach, there is building which has a square courtyard for skating,
which has a cone in the center, and music coming from large speakers.
Across the street, there are a number of small cafes, restaurants and
bars. I saw better and more skaters in South Miami compared with Ft.
Lauderdale. Both are great, and there are many places in South Florida
for skating (BTW, roller hockey is big, and there are plans to build a
large rink in Broward County).
From: car...@aol.com (CarlHK)
Date: 14 Sep 1994 18:29:05 -0400
Here in Miami Beach we've got a great boardwalk next to the beach
(Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th streets) where on any given day
you're bound to find tons of skaters. During the weekend we set up a
slalom course near 5th and Ocean (the dots are painted on the ground)
and skate at insane speeds. Sometimes a ramp is also out near 5th and
Ocean. Monday nights about 100 skaters get together around 7:30 pm at
Penrod's bar on 1st street and Ocean Drive for a skate around the Art
Deco district. We end up at Penrod's afterwards where the bar gives us
2 for 1 drinks. Good way to work out, meet folks and get buzzed. Nice,
eh? Tuesday and Thursday nights about 150 skaters get together with
the New River Rollers in Ft. Lauderdale for a 12 mile skate around the
intracoastal waterway and the canals up there. Beautiful scenery and
fantastic work out. Those skates end at the New River Saloon, for,
yep, more drinks.
Orlando
From: James Waldron (wal...@interport.net)
Date: 27 Apr 1995 17:13:00 GMT
There is an excellent skatepark just north of Orlando in Altamonte
Springs called "Badlands." Nice ramps and an excellent street course.
From: lines...@aol.com (Lineskater)
Date: 27 Jun 1995 10:48:39 -0400
I just came back from a family vacation in Orlando. Before I went I
consulted the Orlando Sentinel about trails, and I just have to share
info about the West Orange Trail west of Winter Green (nw of Orlando).
First of all, I thought it was a road because it's 10 feet wide! The
surface is incredible - like a newly paved parking lot! Right now it's
only 4.5 miles long, but plans are to extend it this year. It's the
best trail skating I've ever done. Hope this helps somebody else who
wants to combine the $ vacations in Orlando with skating.
From: ci...@news.gate.net (Chad Irby)
Date: 27 Jun 1995 18:12:40 -0400
Yeah- the West Orange is a great place to skate. (It's west of Winter
_Garden_, though) When they finish it, it's supposed to be about 30
miles (I've heard 27 to 33), and I want to try and organize a race
when they finish it.
The other good skate here is the Cady Trail, next to Fashion Square
Mall. 3.5 miles each way, with benches at regular intervals and water
fountains every half mile (and in the Florida summer, that's a Good
Thing).
From: na...@rice.edu (Alex Chapman)
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 17:59:11 -0600
Hmm. Orlando. Home saccharinney sweet home. As far as I know, there is
no longer any truly good public place to skate legally. That's sort of
what happens when you have a city with vast suburban sprawl and the
lovely teen curfew writing city government decides that it not only
doesn't want late-night young hooligans, it doesn't wan young
hooligans on wheels downtown either. Since Orlando is essentially a
tourist town, they decided that it would be bad for business for the
tourists to see scary young people doing dangerous things on sidewalks
and little tiny stair sets downtown.
I suggest you skate downtown until you get busted, they'll just tell
you to go home. Or, you could become politically active... this is the
result of a mute young populace in a city that wants it both ways--to
be glittery and big but be cozy and safe and suburban. As a result,
they do stupid things that effectively ruin the city for anyone
willing to use it. Oh well. Maybe their new extra-tall courthouse will
fix things by virtue of its being big and expensive and shiny.
Regardless, downtown skating is illegal.
A shame; the Anderson Street bridge downtown really was a good cheap
thrill, best pseudohill in town... up to the top of the bridge, wait
until all the lights are good and the traffic's light, skate down and
wait for the shimmy in your skates to start, give it a little brake...
at the bottom veer right into the OUC parking lot, watch out for the
grates and speed bumps. My friends really didn't like it when I did
that. Remember, I didn't tell you that, when all your skin is spread
across the road or your skull dashed on the pavement a few feet
downhill from the speedbumps.
Most of what's left is unskatable car-congested stripmall terrain and
wide dull flat suburbia. Sorry.
University of Central Florida is okay, especially for beginners.
Better skaters will find it a bit flat, though they may find a little
entertainment in the benches and steps... it's sorta interesting in
that the whole campus is very skateable... and there's some truly
excellent blacktop for evening games of tag or just gliding about some
night.
Tampa/St. Petersburg
Web sites with Tampa/St. Pete info:
* Eric Santman's "Tampa Bay Area Recreation Skating Guide":
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Eric_Santman/
From: Eric Santman (72530...@CompuServe.COM)
Date: 21 Jul 1995 16:10:15 GMT
I am proud to announce that on July 20th, 1995, the City Council of
Tampa 'decriminalized' the act of skating on all City streets of a
speed 30 mph or less. This is effective immediately.
This does not affect:
* Current ban on downtown sidewalks during business hours
* City Streets faster than 30 mph
* County or State maintained streets, even in the City limits
In addition, a Task Force has been named to review:
* 30 MPH streets that may be inappropriate for skating (too
commercial)
* Faster-than-30 mph streets that may be appropriate for skating
* Relationships with other non-auto road users, like cyclists
* Ways of promoting positive skate vibes throughout the Community
From: mie...@sunset.eng.usf.edu (Bradley Mierau (CH))
Date: 26 Feb 1995 16:43:59 GMT
TotallyJon (total...@aol.com) wrote:
Tampa- Bayshore Blvd. Right on the water. Nice spot.
Friday and Saturday nights Ybor city meet 9pm Platt St and Bayshore.
If you want to skate St. Pete Monday and Thursday at the Thunderdome
parking lot 8pm-10pm.
Ft. Desoto Park probably the nicest spot around. 4 1/2 miles in a
county park. The best around.
The Pinellas trail 47 miles and nice too.
Another good place is Flatwoods County Park, 5 miles west of I75 on
Fletcher in Tampa. About 13 miles of trail... no motor vehicles...
almost no stop signs. _Very_ secluded, maby not a good place for
female skaters by themselves.
Tallahassee
From: dc...@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Daryl S. Cain)
Date: Unknown
A great place to skate! Its got it all--hills, flatlands, gentle
slopes, the works. Tallahassee is the capital of Florida and home to
both Florida State University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University. Skating is a relatively new sport in Tallahassee. There
are few places to buy skates and none where decent accessories or
compentent help is consistently available. The law is tolerant (play
it cool) but some private properly owners can be pains.
The best place for flatlanders is the St. Marks Trail south of
Tallahassee. This is a paved railroad right of way with the trailhead
located on Highway 363 (Woodville Highway) just south of State Road
319 (Capital Circle SE). Plenty of parking is available, however,
space does get sparce on the weekends.
The trail streches 16 miles from Tallahassee to St. Marks--a small
fishing village famed for its manatee population. The pavement is high
quality with few rough spots. Traffic is light on the weekdays, heavy
on the weekends. Most walkers quit after 1-2 miles and skaters after
2-3 miles. From there on down its smooth sailing except for the
bikers. The people are generally polite and accidents are rare. There
is a combination bike/skate shop at the north end of the trail. They
rent skates (Roces) and bikes for reasonable rates there.
In the spring the trail is beautiful. Flowers and shrubs are in bloom
and the lucky can generally find a good blackberry bush to pick.
However, snakes also like sun themselves on the warm trail so beware
the occassional rattler when you wander. Florida is a hot place so
pack plenty of water.
Speedsters will find that Tallahassee is quite hilly. Most hills are
located on the East or North sides of town. Pavement is of very high
quality, it's asphalt with a fine gravel base, but beware the
ocassional patch of shell rock. By far the best hill (in my
experience) is located on Morningside Drive just north of Highway 27
off Richview Drive on the east side. My wife has clocked my friend and
I at 45 mph near the bottom. The hill is about 1500 yards long,
straight, with a baby hill going up the other side to slow down on.
For more radical skating work, the place to go is the Florida State
University campus. There is no telling how the campus cops would react
to skaters but mountain bikers generally get away with murder. The
place is a cornicupia of stairs, ramps, hills, sidewalks, speedbumps
and parking lots. The campus is huge and almost every type of terrain
except for mountain switchbacks are available. The only cavat is that
when classes let out during the semester the place becomes packed with
pedestrians. The best times to skate there are at night, on weekends,
and during the summer semester.
For the freestylist, parking lots are in great abundance in
Tallahassee. Most places are cool, but the rent-a-cops at the
Governers Square Mall are a pain in the ass. Its a real pity to, the
parking lot covers about ten acres and was just repaved about five
months ago with the smoothest asphalt you've ever laid eyes on. A
suitable alternative is the Kroger Center, located on the east side of
town between Highway 27 and Capital Circle.
Pick-up hockey games are held at Skate Inn East, 2563 Capital Circle
N.E. on Sunday - 7:00 pm and Wednesday - 9:30 pm. For more information
contact Steve Bohl at (904)656-2056. You gotta have your own stuff.
Be forewarned that there are few experienced skaters in Tallahassee.
For that reason there are no real "skater" hangouts. Most people have
a steady skate partner that they skate with but organized affiliations
haven't developed to any real extent yet.
There are many outdoor events in Tallahassee, such as bike-a-thons and
the like, and they're just now warming up to the idea of skaters
joining their ranks. Hopefully skaters will get off on the right foot
here and become a legitimate part of the exercise/fitness community.
So if your in town and maybe want to skate a few miles, drop me a
line.
_________________________________________________________________
Georgia
Atlanta
From: g...@terminus.gatech.edu (toM o. genesE)
Date: Unknown
Well, I'm not quite sure what your looking for in a place to skate,
but if you are ever in Atlanta (well, it is on the East coast after
all) be sure to go to Piedmont Park. The park itself is home to quite
a few skaters, and no one minds their presence. Directly across the
street from the park is Skate Escape, the rec/speed skate shop
mentioned in the rec.skate FAQ.
Every Monday evening, there is an introductory skate through the
midtown area, starting at a shopping center near the park. Even though
the trip is labeled as introductory, when the skaters (80+) gather in
the parking lot, you can meet advanced skaters and pick up some tips,
see some tricks, etc. If you are into speedskating, Skate Escape has a
distance skate every Wednesday night.
There is also a local skate club, the Atlanta Peachtree Road Rollers.
These are the people who put on the Monday night skate, as well as
provide introductory skate lessons.
I can get more info on the club and these events if there is some
interest.
From rbu...@owlnet.rice.edu
Date: Unknown
_Great_ skating city; lots of hills and really scenic. Piedmont Park
is really popular with beginners and pros alike. Go to the entrance
near Piedmont and 12th street. There's a skate shop on that corner
(Skate Escape). They can tell you whatever you want about other
skating events in the city, regular weekly skates with the Peachtree
Rollers, etc.
Cops don't seem to mind skaters as long as you stay out of everyone's
way (i.e. use common sense).
The Georgia Tech Campus is another great place, especially for
freestyle types. Lots of stairs (the ones by the student center are
ideal for stair-riding) and ramps, great hills, and a few parking
decks to boot.
_________________________________________________________________
Kentucky
Louisville
From: steve...@aol.com (SteveS1222)
Date: 7 Sep 1994 12:07:06 -0400
Seneca Park has a walking path that is rather narrow with many
walkers. Cherokee Park has a 2.3 mile loop-road that is now one-way
with the inside lane reserved for bikes, walkers, and skaters. It's
much better than Seneca.
Another area I've started skating around is along the river downtown.
There is a walk path, narrow but little traffic because it's new, that
runs for a mile or two along the river. There is a free parking lot at
the end of 10th street and the path is right there. If you go east
past the construction, you can skate around the Belle of Louisville
dock also.
I've heard that a number of people skate on the Belvadere. It is the
open area above the construction near the Belle. I've not skated there
yet though, so I can't give you an opinion.
_________________________________________________________________
Louisiana
* New Orleans
* Covington
New Orleans
From: BEL...@lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 95 13:12:33 CST
The most popular place to skate is Audobon Park (next to Audobon Zoo)
in uptown New Orleans. It is a circular track about a mile long with
bladers, bikers, and joggers. There used to be 3-hour street skates
around the city on Thursday nights and Saturday afternoons. I am not
sure if they are still going on. Call Park SK8 (504-891-7055) in N.O.
for more info.I would not try skating around the French Quarter - it's
wall to wall people and cars and the roads are atrocious.
From: br...@larry.cc.emory.edu (Brian B. Reid)
Date: 31 Jan 1995 06:30:19 GMT
I took a trip to N.O. a few months ago and skated the Quarter a bit.
If you go at a resonable hour (pre 1 p.m.) and keep your eyes open,
it'll be an interesting skate... nice scenery, anyway...
From: SCH...@aol.com
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 16:53:14 -0400
Lafreniere Park in Metairie is the best place to skate in the metro
New Orleans area. There is a lagoon to skate around . It also has
bridges and stairs and rails. You can skate up until 10 P.M. The city
of New Orleans is trying to make it illegal to skate in the French
Quarter and on the public streets. Audubon Park is one long circle no
challenge for an aggressive skater.
Covington
From: kdl...@ucs.usl.edu (Landry Kimberly D)
Date: 12 Apr 1995 00:31:48 GMT
I recently skated the Tammany Trace which is a rails-to-trails (i.e.
linear park) which extends 8.3 miles from Abita Springs to Covington.
It will eventually be a 30 mile park. We skated the trail then skated
to lunch at a cafe and then skated through the abita springs beer
brewery on a tour. Abita Springs is a beautiful town with very
attractive features around the trail. It was a great day and fully
recommend it.
_________________________________________________________________
Maryland
Baltimore
From: ha...@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu (Marty Hall)
Date: Unknown
1. Loch Raven Reservoir. A 1.5 mile or so stretch of smooth pavement
on the east side is closed to traffic weekends from 10AM to 5PM.
Go up Dulaney Valley Rd. along west and north sides of reservoir.
Stay along the reservoir (ie bear right) when the main road bears
left at the restaurant. The next road is where skating starts.
Moderately crowded with walkers, skaters, and bicyclers on nice
days, esp after lunch. But shaded and cool.
2. Baltimore Street Skater's Club. They meet 1st and 3rd Thursday's
of the month in the Light Rail parking lot on Deereco Rd. This
runs parallel to I83 between I83 and York Rd, halfway between
Timonium and Padonia Rds. They meet 7:30-9:30 with clinics (from
raw beginners to moderately advanced) going from 8:00-9:00. They
recommend "joining" for about 20 bucks, but it is not required.
Joining also gets you a T-shirt. They also have hockey some other
night. Call Hal Ashman at Baltimore Boardsailing (666-WIND) for
more info. 60+ people on a typical night. If you can crossover
backwards, do a few jumps, and do basic slaloms around cones
(backwards, 1-foot, crossing legs forwards), then you are already
as good as all but their best instructors, but can still mess
around with the better skaters. The more advanced groups generally
take off into the surrounding industrial parks.
Cancelled if there is a home Orioles game that night.
3. Patapsco State Park. Just S of I195 off of Rt 1, near the UMBC
campus. It costs to get in, but skaters can park in the
residential area outside the park (go past the entrance up the
hill), and skate in for free. It is about 1 mile into the main
park, then there is a 2 mile stretch of river to skate along,
ending in a hanging bridge over the river. One side of the river
is a road (no cars allowed most of the way), the other is a bike
path.
4. Camden Yards stadium. Huge parking lots and smooth sidewalks south
of stadium and around it. Obviously avoid game days. Guards will
not let you skate between the warehouses (inside the large gates)
but will let you skate elsewhere. On a weekday or early AM
weekend, you can also skate over to the Inner Harbor for a nice
cruise.
5. Baltimore Annapolis Trail. Nice smooth bike trail running from
Glen Burnie to Annapolis. I've never ridden it all the way into
Annapolis, and suspect that to ride into downtown Annapolis would
be hard, since I _think_ you would have to cross one major bridge
after the trail ends. Anybody know?
_________________________________________________________________
North Carolina
* Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill
* Nag's Head
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill
From: mco...@bnr.ca (Matt Cohen)
Date: 24 Apr 1995 17:10:49 GMT
The best place to skate in the area is probably the Research Triangle
Park - miles of trails and wide open, smooth roads with little hills
or traffic. NC State and UNC have some good roads. Downtown Raleigh is
good and well lit. The Triangle Skating Club [(919) 460-0964] has four
organized group skates each week, Saturday at 10am, Sunday at 1pm, and
Tue/Thu eves at 6pm, leaving from the park & ride next to the
governor's inn, exit 280 off I40.
From: b...@hyperfine.caltech.edu (Brian C. Broom)
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 11:19:56 -1812
I used to skate a trail at shelly lake (raleigh around Millbrook rd ?)
2-3 Mi path. One direction has really steep downhill, and some other
paths were steep, so scout ahead. I usually went counterclockwise
around the lake.
I also heard people going to the Lake/Park around Athens Drive (again
in Raleigh)
Nag's Head
From: Rodney Patterson (Rodney.P...@NorfolkVA.ATTGIS.COM)
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 22:10:00 GMT
A concrete path has been built on Beach Road in South Nags Head (app
MP 16?). If you are not familiar with South Nags Head, take 158
business South until you see signs for the split to Manteo or
Hatteras. 158 goes to Manteo, you have to veer left to get on NC 12
like you are headed to Hatteras, but you want to take the left at the
KFC and then right down Beach Road. Parallel to this sidewalk (?)
there are side streets on which I used to blade. The combination is
enough to get some distance.
_________________________________________________________________
South Carolina
* Columbia
* Charleston
* Hilton Head Island
* Clemson
Columbia
From: David Doughty (dou...@ena-east.ericsson.se)
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 14:08:56 -0400
Riverfront Park, down beside the old Correctional Facility along just
below the confluence of the rivers into the Congaree: Smooth paved
trail about 1/2 mile long, not great for distance, but nice to stretch
the legs. I've skated from there along the sidewalks to the campus of
"The USC" (The University of South Carolina), which has some good
parking lots, stairs, etc, but you'd better be ready to deal with some
serious hills if you want to go far!
DO NOT try to skate INSIDE Dutch Square Mall!!
Charleston
From: David Doughty (dou...@ena-east.ericsson.se)
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 14:08:56 -0400
Downtown/Battery/College of Charleston - it's flat and it's paved,
what else do you need to know?!? Just watch out for cobblestone
streets and horse-droppings!
Hilton Head Island
From: David Doughty (dou...@ena-east.ericsson.se)
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 14:08:56 -0400
Sea Pines Plantation has paved bike trails everywhere! Some are in bad
repair, there is sand/water/etc on some, but most are great for
skating. Narrow, but no hills - do watch for tourists on rent-a-bikes.
There are also trails popping up around the rest of the Island, too.
There is one along 278 from the Mall south, and then east to the
Holiday Inn and on to Sea Pines. And if you forget your blades, you
can rent some at fairly reasonable prices at...well it used to be the
awesome Beach Factory, but Mr. Wingo changed the name, but it's
located 270 degrees around the traffic circle from Holiday Inn, as you
go back toward 278. It's on the right, just past the Exxon, next to
Sharkey's Pizza, across the streed from a miniature golf place.
Warning! DO NOT try to skate on the golf-cart paths. They do NOT
appreciate it!
Clemson
From: David Doughty (dou...@ena-east.ericsson.se)
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 14:08:56 -0400
Some great skating!! Plenty of sidewalks, parking lots, stairs,
benches, etc. There is nothing else there but the University, so
they're used to "pedestrian" traffic, and have plenty of paved areas
with little/no cars. Just lots of people for about 15 minutes every
hour :-) Plenty of hills, but if you navigate carefully you can catch
the easier slopes.
The sidewalks above (and on top of!) Strom Thurmond Institute
(underground building behind Cooper library) are nice, flat, often
people meet here before heading out to the rest of campus. Small
slopes coming down from Library and east-campus side are good for
beginners.
Loading dock behind Olin hall (West campus between Brackett and Riggs)
has great ramp for getting air (5 - 8 feet above ground level!), just
make sure you launch at an angle or you'll hit the wall!
The hill going up to East Beach and the Crew sheds above the Rubgy
fields is some intense downhill with more than enough flat run-out at
the bottom. Just leave one person at the bottom of the hill to stop
cars! (which are few and far between, unless they're starting crew
practice).
The absolute best day I've ever had skating was the day we simply
rolled right in the main gate to Death Valley, Clemson's stadium!
Tearing around on the smooth asphalt under the stands, down The Hill
(steep grass with asphalt at the top to start from, and a big dip
half-way down: serious air, land with a tumble, head-over-heels down
the rest of the slope! Excellent, and no road-rash, just grass
stains!!), and down the grass slope between the West and South stands
(Jump the wall and the sidewalk!)
Inside: Skateland in Anderson allows blades with no-mark brakes (or no
brakes!) Skateland in Easley is a great rink, but I haven't been there
since I got my blades, so I don't know about that.
_________________________________________________________________
Tennessee
* Nashville
* Oak Ridge
Nashville
Web sites with Nashville info:
* Nashville Net Inline Skating Page:
http://www.nashville.net/~inline/
Oak Ridge
From: mldi...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
Date: Unknown
I'm not sure if inlines are allowed, but there was an indoor skating
rink on the east side of town (Oak Ridge), on the Turnpike.
OR does have some nice _BIG_ parking lots to cruise around; mainly the
newly renovated Downtown (Indoor) Mall. I'd probably stick to the
Wal-Mart side because the pavement is better (and newer). There's
always the Kroger's, K-Mart, and Family Rec parking lots.
I'm from OR, but I've never tried skaing around town. I think it is
do-able, as biking was quite possibly in town. I wouldn't recommend
blading out to the 'Labs, because the road is _way_ too narrow (as of
last year, at least. Maybe they finally got their act together ∧
did something about it!--it had no shoulder, and had room for 2 cars
and a bike). During the summer, there are _lots_ of runners and
bikers. And also _lots_ of traffic.
I'm also of the opinion that blading might not pass over too well with
the natives (of OR at least). Skate boards were (and I think still
are) pretty rad.
Virginia
* Arlington
* Falls Church
* Blacksburg
* Lynchburg
Arlington
From: Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)
Date: May 23, 1995
Along the Potomac River, there is a nice bike/jog/skate path
paralleling the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It's just hilly
enough to offer a pleasant workout, but not so hilly that it will wear
you out. I have skated it from the Key Bridge connecting Arlington to
the Georgetown section of DC all the way down to Alexandria Old Town,
and I have seen a map which indicates that it can be taken as far
south as Mt. Vernon. The distance from Key Bridge to Mt. Vernon is
about 17 miles.
While the GW Parkway is _very_ scenic, offering some fine views of DC,
it does have some problems. The biggest is that it is somewhat narrow
and very popular. This means that the potential for conflict between
bikers and skaters is high and you must be prepared to extend the
usual courtesies of the trail if you want to co-exist in peace. Thus,
stay right except when passing someone, be sure to warn people when
you pass them, etc. Another big problem with this trail is the
relative lack of places to stop for water and/or Gatorade; between the
Key Bridge and Alexandria Old Town, the only such place that I know of
is the Washington Sailing Marina. Finally, the trail temporarily
dissipates while in Old Town, so you may have to look around carefully
to find where it continues on the other side of town.
From the Key Bridge area, there is supposed to be another major trail
extending westward into Virginia about 42 miles. Ask around at local
bike/skate shops for info.
Right by the Key Bridge is the Arlington Gateway Park. This has some
nice sloping ramps and stairways for general larking about and perhaps
some grinding and bashing. It seems to be pretty much deserted in the
evenings and weekends.
Falls Church
From: mca...@netrail.net (Mark Casey)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 95 13:35 EDT
The Prosperity Business Park near DunLoring Metro in Falls Church is a
great place to skate evenings and weekends. There are several two
level concrete gargages (lighted and empty at night), ramps, stairs,
rails, and objects to jump over/off along the 1/2 mi stretch. It's
usually very quiet -- an out of the way place for the budding street
skater or the beginner looking for a smooth rink to practice the
basics. I've also heard the Fairfax County Government Center is a
great place to skate but I haven't been there yet.
Blacksburg
From: "Joshua B. Chapel" (jch...@csugrad.cs.vt.edu)
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 10:27:47 -0400
About the only place I know of is here at VA Tech, but it is _great_.
There are stairs _everywhere_ and all sorts of stuff to grind, slide,
jump, whatever.
Lynchburg
From: David Doughty (dou...@ena-east.ericsson.se)
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 95 14:08:56 -0400
Liberty University has some nice sidewalks, stairs, good rails!, etc.
Almost no car-traffic, most of that on the main drag. If you can get
up the hill from there to Ericsson (manufacturing plant) after hours,
you'll find more asphalt than you'll know what to do with. They've
recently repaved the parking lot, and considering it was built for
~1500 people, it ain't small. Just don't try to skate in the
strip-mall across the street - the gaurds there don't like it!
Blackwater Creek Natural Area has some small bike/hike trails that are
ok, about 7 miles long, not too bad for there and back again, one bad
hill/curve just below the old train-tressle bridge with gravel at the
bottom! Have to watch out for pedestrians and bikers, and it is in the
woods, so sand, sticks, wet leaves, etc.
Oh, and it IS ILLEGAL to skate on the streets in the city limits of
Lynchburg! (Campus doesn't count, I don't think...)
Inside: Fun Quest on Graves Mill Road across from the armory allows
blades with no exposed metal bolts. They used to sell the plastic nuts
to use on the bolts (I have original Lightnings), they probably have a
few if you need them, just ask. They also rent blades (for use in the
rink), they're not the best, but cheaper than renting for a day at a
time if you're trying to get someone started. (They also have a tiny
laser-tag arena - sorry, no skates!)
From: Elizabeth Fischer (EEFI...@intergate.dot.gov)
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 17:46:39 -0500
There's something about the HILLs in the Hill City that make for a
good skate -- going both down and up. I have never been stopped by the
local constabulary for skating (as a matter of fact, I did not even
know that it was illegal to street skate there until recently) on
skates along Boonsboro Road to the west end of Peakland Place and on
to the eastern intersection of Rivermont and Bedford Avenues. Skate
smart, obey traffic rules for bikes and pedestrians, stay cool.
_________________________________________________________________
_-rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs maintained by Tony Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)_
_-"Where to Skate" edited by Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)_
_________________________________________________________________
_General Info_ _Techniques_ _Marketplace_ _Where to Skate_ Index
FAQs
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Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
Win FREE skating equipment!
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part13
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Western North America_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - WESTERN NORTH AMERICA
Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996
Recent changes include:
* Added Vancouver, BC info from Flatline (7/2)
Table of Contents
* Alaska
* Arizona
* British Columbia
* Colorado
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Montana
* Nevada
* Utah
* Washington
* Wyoming
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* California
* Central North America
* Northeastern North America
* Southeastern North America
* Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.
From: kh...@primenet.com (Kathy Hand)
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 1995 01:01:01 GMT
Re: 500 Great Rail Trails
I ordered this book a couple weeks ago (from Book Stacks Unlimited,
online) and it finally came. It is published by the Rails to Trails
Conservancy, a non-profit group devoted to converted abandoned
railroads and the like to trails for various sporting activities.
The book lists trails by states. For each entry, they list the
beginning and ending of the trail, the type of terrain (dirt, asphalt,
concrete, etc.), the type of activities for which it is appropriate,
the county where the trail is located, and the length. Each section
has a map of the state with the trails listed by number. They also
tell you who to call for more information on each trail.
I would have liked better directions or a more detailed map (or both),
and it also would have been nice (for us out-of-shape beginners) to
read whether the terrain is flat or hilly. But all in all, it is well
worth the $9.95 price, particularly if you travel and are always
looking for a safe place to bike, skate, run, etc. (Shipping is $3.50,
regardless of how many copies you order, apparently.)
You can order it online by pointing your Web browser to:
http://melville.books.com
You can also call 1-800-888-7747 ext. 11 to order by phone (MC or
VISA) or send a check to:
Rail-to-Trails Conservancy
Shipping Department
P.O. Box 295
Federalsburg, MD 21632-0295
From: g...@tharsis.com (George Robbins)
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 1995 17:10:07 GMT
Re: National Parks
The park service has a _national policy_ that give individual park
directors the option of allowing only those activities that are "safe
and compatible with the goal/character of the park", and most then
play it safe by forbidding skating. The best action you can take,
aside from sending a nice letter to the park director, is to send some
money to the IISA [International In-Line Skating Association] and
encourage them to attack this policy at the national level and aim for
one that allows skating to be prohibited only when demonstrably unsafe
or seriously inappropriate.
_________________________________________________________________
Alaska
Anchorage
From: witz...@corcomsv.corcom.com (Gil Kruschwitz)
Date: Sun, 28 May 1995 13:41:43 -0500
I think anyone coming to Anchorage should be sure to bring their
blades. We have miles and miles of bike trails (groomed for diagonal
and skate skiing in the winter) including 20 paved miles along Chester
Creek and Cook Inlet, connecting the University, Downtown (hotels,
etc.) and Kincaid Park). The trail has cracks in some areas and short
sight distances in a few places but is generally smooth and in good
condition. There are several tunnels and a few bridges but no road
crossings and relativley little foot traffic out of the immediate
downtown area. There are several hills but they are gentle enough to
run with little or no braking, unless the wind is blowing downhill.
Skate season is generally late April/early May to the end of October.
Much of the trail is through natural areas and it is unusual to not
see moose. Eagles and beluga whales are often in the inlet right below
a portion of the trail. For the last five years, I've skated the trail
from a point a few blocks from my office to Kincaid and back (about 9
miles each way) after work almost every day that weather has allowed
and can't imagine getting tired of the terrain and scenery.
_________________________________________________________________
Arizona
* Phoenix/Scottsdale
* Tucson
Phoenix/Scottsdale
From: shoo...@onramp.net (Shooshie)
Date: 15 Sep 1994 09:36:22 GMT
I travel a lot in my work as a music director/arranger, and I take my
Aeroblades with me wherever I go. I am in the Phoenix area a lot, so
when I discovered the trail on Hayden Blvd. in Scottsdale, I was in
blade heaven. There are over 20 miles of interconnected trails, and
lots more if you consider all the skate-friendly sidewalks and
streets. Some of the under-street tunnels flood right after a rain, so
you have to be prepared to stop, turn around and go over the streets
if the weather has been bad during the past week. I just got back from
a two-week stay there while making a video at the Phoenix Symphony
Hall. I spent every spare minute on that trail, and discovered some
great things I had not even noticed before. For anyone who might be
interested, here's the scoop.
There is a recreation center on Indian School and Hayden. It is called
the Indian Bend Wash Visitor Center. Large parking lot, big plaza,
lots of concrete, stairs of every configuration, walls, jumpable chain
fences, concrete-surrounded palm trees at regular intervals for slalom
fun, skatable restrooms and water. Up behind it was a big surprise - a
small skating rink, about the size of a tennis court, and square.
Smooth concrete, with ramped sidewalks all around, stepped edges
growing out of an incline from zero to three steps, and a nice view to
boot. Skate down from the rink onto the plaza (be careful - the
concrete joints radiate outward... you _will_ drop a skate in one now
and then) and you will find a trail leading between volleyball courts
and baseball diamond, and it leads you to a tunnel under Hayden which
connects with the aforementioned trails. The main trail is superb,
from rolling to moderately steep hills, but none so terribly long as
to be painful. It winds around through parklands, around ponds, next
to streams, behind golf courses, and goes under most of the streets.
One street crossing is at an arched pedestrian bridge which gives a
nice boost going down the other side.
But the best part of the trail is... "the Wedge!" It's about a 15 or
20 minute skate from the visitor center along the trail. At any time
of day or night you are liable to find the experienced skaters here
showing their stuff, and it's pretty impressive. You hear about it
from street skaters who speak of it reverently, although most of them
have not been there and seem to register a certain awe or fear of
actually finding it. The Wedge is a long (about 60 yards?) concrete
dam right next to a huge concrete plaza (with wooden expansion joints
- nothing's perfect) underneath a wide street bridge. The bridge
provides merciful shade from the desert heat, and the wedge provides
the site for some great jumping. At one end of the wedge is a stream
which is normally benign, but which briefly floods during the late
summer monsoons. That is the Wedge's raison d'etre. But the engineers
almost certainly had us in mind when they designed and built it. It's
just too perfect. The dam is about five feet high at its highest
point, and the entire length of it is wedge shaped such that its sides
slope upward at 55-60 degree angles. The top is broad, flat, and
smooth; I'd guess 15 feet or more across the top, and as I said
earlier, about 60 yards long. A side trail comes down from street
level, down the ravine, crosses a short bridge, right to the base of
the wedge.
You can reach quickly just about any speed you want going down the
trail. Then... you hit the incline in a crouched position, rise,
spring and shoot off the top - the sky is the limit. An expert few
manage to go clear over and across the top, airborne, (definitely not
for the faint of heart or weak of ankle) and come down the slope on
the other side. 180's, 360's, obstacles, grinds, you name it... you'll
see it all there. An aluminum picnic table provides two levels for
grinds, and barrels provide good jumping material. At night, the dark
shadows under the bridge bring out a new dimension. One side of the
wedge is visible, the other is in darkness... you learn to trust your
feet. The chatter around the Wedge is generally about competition, and
a number of the regulars travel to compete in meets. Apparently, some
of them are doing well, too. Average age appears to be about 18. I
made the mistake of using the "when I was your age" line once and
offended a guy who, at 20, was pretty much one of the elders of the
wedge community. I explained that I was nearly 40, but I don't think
he believed me; maybe it was my ponytail. Something about the wedge
knocks a few years off your age... a 15 year-old asked me if I was old
enough to buy him cigarettes.
Near the Wedge is another "made for skaters" plaza with all kinds of
stairs, walls, and such for various kinds of practice. The whole
experience of the trail and its extras is almost too good to be true.
If you get to the Phoenix area, go nextdoor to Scottsdale and find the
trail along Hayden road. The Wedge is in the southern part of the
trail, between Thomas and Roosevelt, beneath the MacDowell Street
bridge (I think... I never went up to confirm that). Let the rest of
the family go see the Grand Canyon. Go to the Wedge. It's enough to
make you want to move to the desert.
Now... if the flood control engineers of Arizona could just find it
within their needs to install a 10 foot high, 60 yard-long half-pipe
beneath the other side of the bridge...
From: R22...@waccvm.corp.mot.com (Renee Ramirez)
Date: 30 Mar 1995 08:35:27 MST
[...] in the N. Scottsdale area is the Scottsdale Airpark. It's a
large business park adjacent to the Scottsdale Airport. It's at about
75th Street and Greenway. You'll find a lot of business parks in the
Phoenix area, and a lot of them are dead on the weekends. Since the
traffic flow on a daily basis through them is light, the pavement is
still in good shape.
From: Ronald Williams (wil...@pr.erau.edu)
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 1995 08:04:44 -0700
Pecos Road - It's a straight skate until you'll hit a dead end turn
around at 5.8 miles. This route gives you a chance to alternately duck
walk up rolling hills and get into the tuck position on the downhill.
In total, this route offers approximately 11 miles of skating with no
stops, no traffic nor any restrooms. Be prepared and bring your own
water.
Getting there - Take I-10 towards Tucson, exit Chandler to 40th ST.
(south). 40th St. deadends at Pecos Rd. Park along the road.
Perimeter Center - This route traverses an undevelooped commercial
center with very somooth pavement, plenty of right and left turns but,
again, no bathrooms. Be prepared and bring your own water. This route
offers slight incliness to work on muscle building but keep your eyes
open for traffic. Getting There - Go North on Pima Rd. from Frank
Lloyd Wright. Turn left on Bell Rd. (approximately 3/4). Look for the
Fleischer Museum. Park along the street or cul de sacs, not in the
museum parking lot.
Tucson
From: mcb...@PrimeNet.Com (Budd Turner:N7EOJ)
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 13:46:34 -0700
_Rillito Pathway_
6 1/2 miles of two lane, multiuse, asphalt pathway along the North
bank of the Rillito ("Little River"), connecting several city parks.
Surface varies from very smooth to slightly coarse, level to slight
inclines. Accessed off River Road with parking lots at each major
North/South Intersection, and in the two City Parks midway between N/S
intersections. The path underpasses each N/S road bridge. Water
fountains are located on one or both sides of each N/S intersection,
and in the City Parks. Being multiuse makes it get busy at times,
especially mid-summer, when 100+ degree days will concentrate usage to
early morning and sundown. The pathway is closed during hours of
darkness.
_Santa Cruz Pathway_
Shorter, less used than the Rillito, 5 miles , two lane, multiuse,
asphalt pathway along both banks of the Santa Cruz River connecting
several city parks. The path underpasses each E/W road bridge. Surface
varies from very smooth to coarse, level to slight inclines. No
fountains.
_University of Arizona campus_
Lots of sidewalks, non-vehicular streets, fountains, stairs, ramps,
rails, curbs and skaters.
_Pima Community College campus (East, West, Downtown)_
Lots of sidewalks, fountains, stairs, ramps, rails, curbs and skaters.
_________________________________________________________________
British Columbia
Vancouver
From: r...@skatecity.com (Robert B. Schmunk)
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 14:29:39 -0500
During a recent trip to Seattle, I also had a chance to visit
Vancouver, BC. While I didn't have my skates with me that day, I did
spot what seemed to be the locals' favorite skate-path. The place I'm
referring to is the trail which follows the perimeter of Stanley Park,
just NW of downtown. Being right on the waterfront, it doesn't offer
much challenging topography, but it did seem smoothly paved and wide
enough that bike/ped/skate conflicts shouldn't be too much of a
problem. My visit was during a weekday, and during the daytime there
were a fair number of teenagers (particularly junior high school age)
out and about. In the early evening, I noticed several cars pull into
the parking lot and disgorge a young adult or two with a set of blades
over his/her shoulders. One potential problem with this path is the
high concentration of geese in the area, suggesting that one may have
to be careful about cleaning off wheels and bearings after a skate.
From: fmcq...@atlas.cs.upei.ca (Fiona McQuarrie)
Date: 6 Sep 1994 17:07:51 -0400
As a veteran of the Stanley Park Seawall path which Robert correctly
identifies as a prime inline skating area, I want to add to his
posting:
This path is indeed wide in most parts but in some places it is
extremely _narrow_, and as such users should be careful to follow the
clearly marked bike/pedestrian divisions. I'm not sure which side
inliners should go on, come to think of it (only having run on the
path, which is clearly a pedestrian function :), but I would say look
at others and follow what they are doing. Also there are some parts of
the path where users on bikes are asked to dismount and walk. This is
because the path is too narrow to have bikes bombing through crowds of
pedestrians....so inliners should be careful too.
From: "Kennith A. Mellquist" (ke...@angio.com)
Date: Sat, 02 Sep 95 07:38:29 -700
As a frequent user of the track in Stanley Park, there are a couple of
other matters of interest for visitors to the Vancouver area. First,
the trail on the water in Stanley Park is one mostly for recreational
or sight seeing. The traffic in the summertime is very busy and rthere
are places where you must slow down to a crawl. An alternative is to
skate in the morning or to use the road that rings the park. Second,
the Seawall at Stanley Park also extends around False Creek (the south
side of the downtown area) and the area around False Creek is less
travelled , wider and smoother. Third, for those who are into a
straight skate, just off of the Sceond Narrows Bridge in North
Vancouver is an area called the Seymour Demonstration Forest. I
believe this is a provincial park and every weekend in the summer the
road in the Park is closed off to vehicle traffic. I believe the road
extends for about 10 miles and is very wide and quite smooth.
From: flat...@portal.ca (Flatline)
Date: 29 May 1996 06:30:30 GMT
A while ago, skaters were banned from the seawall except for a certain
area of the bikepath designated for skaters... but it was never
enforced and skaters skated it still (I know I did it alot) then peds
complained, so there were rumors (last summer I think) that they were
gonna start enforcing the rule, but instead they enforce the
"Rollerbladers on Bike Path" rule... and since they've spent the time
and money painting little rollerblade man symbols along the path, I
doubt they'll close it now
_________________________________________________________________
Colorado
* Glenwood Canyon
* Breckenridge-Vail
* Fort Collins
* Boulder
* Denver
Glenwood Canyon
From: p...@indra.com (Philip A Earnhardt)
Date: Sun, 2 Jul 1995 20:17:09 GMT
About 170 miles west of Denver on I-70 is the town of Glenwood
Springs. The last 13 or so miles of this trip run through Glenwood
Canyon. As of two years ago, it is a full-blown 4-lane stretch of
Interstate highway. It is beautiful: the highway was terraced along
the north side of the Colorado River. In this section of highway,
there are four rest stops; each is a work of art. Once you view this
section of highway, you may have the same reaction I did: you will be
proud that this is something your tax dollars helped create!
Along the same stretch highway for 16.3 miles lies the Glenwood Canyon
Trail. This is one of the nicest trails I've ever skated. The four
rest areas on the path are a welcome relief from the normal lack of
facilities. Traveling at slower-than-automobile speeds gives one an
opportunity to see the natural and man-made beauty in the Canyon in
detail. Over most of the length of the path, the Colorado River is
literally a dozen feet away. In short, it's a totally awesome skating
trip not to be missed!
The trailhead is immediately east of the Hot Springs Pool and the
Vapor Caves in Glenwood Springs. For the first 2.5 miles, the trail
uses pre-existing asphalt that is pretty low-grade. At the first rest
stop, the No Name Rest Area, you pick up high-grade concrete trail for
the remainder of the trip. The No Name rest area is about 150 feet
above the river -- you will have both the steepest climb and descent
going through No Name.
Once east of No Name, you will be very close to the Colorado for the
duration of the path. At No Name, the Colorado has an elevation of
5780 feet; at Mile 10 of the trail -- the lake at the Shoshone Dam --
the elevation is 6100 feet. From there to the Mile 16, there's
probably less than another 100 feet of elevation gain. This is not a
beginner's trail, but it's not Extreme Games material, either.
The Grizzly Creek rest area comes a bit after Mile 5. The No Name
facility is not visible from the trail, but this one is. These are
awesome facilities! There is a trailhead that goes north up the
Grizzly Creek path. Don't be fooled by the fact that it starts out
paved; that peters out after about 1/4 of a mile.
The stretch between Grizzly Creek and the Shoshone Power Plant is a
major stretch of some Class III - IV rapids. If you go during the
summer, you'll see a fair number of kayakers and raft outfitters
through here.
The only features at the Shoshone Power Plant (Mile 7) exit are a big
building a parking lot, and a boat launch. The highway interchange is
interesting: while you can only exit from I-70 in the Eastbound
direction, you can enter the highway only in the Westbound direction.
The interchange at the Hanging Lake Rest Area is set up the same way.
Lack of space -- and minimization of impact to the Canyon -- forced
these restrictions.
You will find no boaters between the Power Plant and the Shoshone Dam
(Mile 10): this section of the river has a pair of Class VI (i.e.,
unpassable) rapids. This section also has the greatest climb -- about
200 feet -- for the whole trip. Immediately before the Dam, you will
cross underneath the highway. Note the individual maintenance catwalks
underneath the bridge for each lane of traffic.
You are now at the Dam and the Hanging Lake Rest Area. The two-lane
road used to go along the lake; I-70 now goes through the Hanging Lake
Tunnels. Part of the construction was to completely remove all traces
of the old highway before putting in the concrete trail and
landscaping. Again, this rest area is a work of art! As with all of
the rest stops, watch out for peds wandering on and off and across the
trail; they may not realize that they are on a thoroughfare!
From here, the trail is relatively uneventful to its end. When skating
the trail over the Memorial Day weekend (5/29/95), my friend and I
encountered a large puddle in one of the tunnels under the highway. We
wound up "borrowing" several bales of hay that the highway department
had left nearby, creating a series of steps over the water hazard.
The eastern end of the trail (Mile 16.3) is a mile or so into Eagle
County. There's a small parking facility here.
Despite the proximity of the Interstate highway, the trail is overall
fairly quiet: most of the way, the path is about 10 feet lower than
the highway. There is also a wall and ledge separating you from the
traffic.
The main annoyance is the presence of 50-100 drainage grates
periodically spaced along the path. While climbing up the path, they
pose no problem -- the spacing is too narrow to catch your wheels. You
can play a game of avoiding the gaps in the grating by precisely
setting down your skate.
On the trip down, they are a bit more of an annoyance. There are
sections of the path when you may be going quite fast and don't want
to risk anything getting caught. I recommend using very subtle
mini-jumps over the grates. If you time them right, you don't even
have to have your wheels off of the ground -- you just need to have
your skates unweighted.
Other than the grates, the main issue is your fellow trail users. As
noted above, drop your pace while cruising through the rest areas.
Many people who are wandering around the area may even recognize that
they're crossing a trail. There will be some inexperienced
cyclists/skaters/walkers on the path. Be particularly careful between
the Dam and the Power Station both when passing and being passed.
Navigation on the trail is quite simple; a map is not necessary.
Because of the rest areas, it's unnecessary to carry much water with
you. However, you should take some munchies for the trip.
I recommend doing the entire 33-mile round trip. If this is too much,
the first place to cut would be to begin and end your journey at the
No Name rest stop. This will remove about 6 miles and all of the
low-grade pavement out of the trip. A good 10-mile mini-excursion
would be to start at Grizzly Creek and skate up to the Shoshone Dam
and back. Finally, the mini-mini trip would be a round trip between
the Shoshone Power Station and the Dam.
Note: the Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs have been specially
engineered to help tired skaters quickly recover from their efforts in
the Canyon.
Safety notes: The Colorado sun is intense. Please apply a bunch of
waterproof sunscreen before starting. For your face, I recommend the
Neutrogena Sunblock Stick. This stuff won't run into your eyes even if
you sweat a lot. Helmets are mandatory for this trip. Check your brake
pads before you start -- you may want to put a fresh one on before you
do the downhills. Watch the weather forecasts: afternoon showers are
typical over the summer. You may want to start the skate early in the
day and/or have a contingency plan in place in case of an unexpected
shower.
There is a 32-page picture booklet, _A Guide to Glenwood Canyon_ (ISBN
0-9634382-1-2), that provides detailed information about the canyon:
river elevations, detailed highway and path drawings, plants and
animals through the canyon, history, geology, etc. I used it as a
reference for preparing this posting. If your local bookstore can't
order the book, Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore (800.833.9327) can.
Breckenridge-Vail
From: p...@blackcat.stortek.com (Phil Earnhardt)
Date: Unknown
This is a fairly old trail; it was even re-surfaced a year or two ago.
It's an asphalt trail that runs from Breckenridge, CO to Vail, CO --
somewhere around 25 miles in each direction.
The section from Breckenridge to Frisco is fairly mundane. The section
from Frisco to Copper Mountain climbs about 600 feet in 6 miles -- a
fairly steep grade. If you are experienced in braking, the descent on
this trail is absolutely fabulous. If you're an efficient climber, the
climb is pretty fun, too -- you'll be passing a lot of tourists using
their Mountain Bikes in a fairly inefficient manor.
The section from Frisco to the top of Vail Pass climbs about 1000 feet
in 5 miles. Pretty steep stuff. It's a neat path -- winding
switch-backs in a "wilderness" area between the split-apart sections
of I-70. There's a rest stop at the top, so you don't have to lug lots
of water with you.
The section from the top of Vail Pass to Vail drops about 2000 feet in
7 miles. This is pretty mondo steep. Some sections of the trail are
just off the EB side of I-70 and the air is filled with the smell of
almost-melting truck brakes. Not fun. Also, you _must_ be a skilled
braker to navigate this steep, narrow trail. Dual brakes may be a
necessity -- _I_ wouldn't try it with just one. Also, I wore out 6
brakes the last time I did this, and _still_ wasn't in town.
If you're unclear if you qualify as a skilled braker, here's my test:
how many brakes have you worn out and replaced? If it's over a dozen,
you'll probably be OK on this trail. Less than 3 is a No Pass
(literally!).
Fort Collins
From: mcki...@me.umn.edu (Peter J. McKinney)
Date: Unknown
IMHO, The best in-line skating in Ft. Fun is along the Poudre River
and Spring Creek trails. They're paved nicely and are shared by
bicyclists, inline skaters, and pedestrians. There's at least 10 or 12
miles of trail and you should be able to pick up a map at any Ft.
Collins bike store.
Boulder
From: ai...@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Jim Aites)
Date: Unknown
I would like to take this time to submit my nomination for
"blade-capital" of the the world. (what do ya' mean you didn't know we
were voting?)
The city is Boulder, Colorado.
Last week-end I drove 50 miles (each way) to visit this famed area. It
is as good as the rumors have indicated. Every major road around town
has a 'greenway' containing a 6 foot wide contrete bikepath on _both_
sides of the road, and even the roads without 'greenways' still have
the wide walkways.
The prettiest/best run in town is the Boulder Creek Bikepath. This
path starts (at the top) about 2 hundred yards up the mouth of the
Boulder Creek Canyon, and windes for about 7 miles along the creek to
the far east side of town. It's all contrete, mostly shaded by trees,
about 5 bridges over the creek allowing travel on both sides of the
creek, and has at least 4 parks along the way.
I didn't take the time to check out all the intersecting paths which
lead off to other parts of town. (next time!) I saw a blades hockey
game in progress, about 5 beginers (practicing in near by parking
lots), almost as many Bladers as bicyclists on the path itself, and
even found some other folks who had commuted (from Denver) to check
out the turf as I was doing.
From: p...@teal.csn.org (Phil Earnhardt)
Date: Unknown
Boulder Creek trail is swell. Between 1st and 30th street is really
intermediate terrain, but there are a lot of beginners there. Between
1st and fourmile canyon turnoff is an expert trail: quite steep with
no turnouts. From 30th to 60th (or so) is a very mellow, very pretty
trail. When you come back to the west, you can see the entire
Continental Divide. There are a lot of other good trails in town.
Both Boulder and Denver have bike maps. The Boulder one shows
road/path grades (and direction). The Denver one doesn't, but there
are a lot more trails down there. REI sells the Denver map.
From: msha...@aol.com (M Shafran)
Date: 17 Jan 1995 14:02:33 -0500
Well, there aren't any trails really conducive to speed in Boulder, so
most of us tend to do our long skates out on the Diagonal (especially
now that both sides are smoothly paved). My speed club, Quicksilver,
and the Roller Express USAC club, also do a lot of training around
Celestial Seasonings' headquarters - it's smooth and almost a perfect
1K loop. [...] If you have any other questions, just give me a buzz at
InLine Retailer at (303) 440-5111, ext. 703.
Denver
From: p...@teal.csn.org (Phil Earnhardt)
Date: Unknown
Cherry Creek -- from the dam to the South Platte River -- is a pretty
neat playground. The trail along the South Platte goes for many miles.
Remember the magic rule: go upstream first, so you won't run out of
gas on the return trip.
C-470 -- the 1/4 beltway -- has a bike path along about 80% of its
distance. Here, substitute "wind" for "stream" in the magic rule.
Check with Grand West Outfitters for info on hockey and more
structured activities. They're at Broadway and 6th -- right off of the
Cherry Creek Trail.
My recollection is that there are several shops listed under skating
equipment listed in the phone book. One of them was adjacent to a
park, (the one with the Zoo or Washington park, not sure), which
might be the place for public skating. Calling or visiting these
shops would be a good source of info.
Wash Park is pretty busy and the trails are not the best.
Both Boulder and Denver have bike maps. The Boulder one shows
road/path grades (and direction). The Denver one doesn't, but there
are a lot more trails down there. REI sells the Denver map.
I'm going to try the moby long Denver viaduct sometime this summer....
_________________________________________________________________
Hawaii
* Oahu
* Elsewhere
Oahu
From: tes...@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Date: Tue Nov 30 04:05:22 1993
[...] Oahu is _not_ conducive to non-auto traffic. While you see a
fair amount of bicycles and mopeds, you are at the mercy of the cars
when you're out on the road. Worse, there are painfully few bicycle
trails on the island--a lack of land and planning both. Worse, drivers
are not friendly toward cyclists and skaters. They will turn right
without blinking _or_ looking, assuming that there's no traffic to
their right because they're in the right lane--or they will parallel
park on the road and the drivers will open their doors right onto the
middle lane. I have had some friends of mine French kiss some car door
interiors this way--ouch!
The safest and most popular spot to rollerblade on the entire island
is Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island. Magic Island is a little
area at one end of Ala Moana Beach Park that was filled in many years
ago by the Ilikai Hotel when they realized that their customers
couldn't see Diamond Head anymore because of all the development. Ala
Moana Beach Park itself is outside of Waikiki, across the street from
the large Ala Moana Shopping Center. You'll encounter all kinds--kids
learning, adults learning, kids whirling around adults learning,
adults doing laps around a loop, etc. Basically, these "loops" around
Magic Island are wide enough to accommodate joggers and skaters both.
Nice view of Diamond Head, too.
The other (and more closer site to Waikiki) would be Kapiolani Park,
at the Diamond Head of Waikiki by the Honolulu Zoo. They have a 2.5
mile jogging loop around it that you can use--except at parts it's
cracked and not too wide--so that's a caveat.
From: "Earl J. Kim" (ek...@pixi.com)
Date: Sun, 03 Sep 95 01:18:00 1000
Here's some info about the do's and don't's for bladers. First the
don't's: it is illegal to skate in a business district, i.e., downtown
Honolulu. It is also illegal to skate in the Waikiki "special use
district," which includes the long straight sidewalk next to the Ala
Wai Canal. Though they do not enforce the law consistently, we got
cited for skating on that sidewalk ($25 fine) after skating there. We
have also been chased out of the Kapiolani community college parking
lot in Diamond Head, the University of Hawaii quarry parking lot, the
City and County downtown parking lot. Everyone is so paranoid about
liability! I see people skating in these areas, so take your chances
whether they are enforcing the law on that day.
You can skate on the bikepath on the other side of the Ala Wai Canal;
start at the Ala Wai Clubhouse (real bumpy parking area, but the path
is nice) at the corner of McCully Street and Kapiolani Boulevard. It
meets up with Kapahulu Avenue and goes down towards Waikiki. When you
meet the Ala Wai Boulevard, go left and you can head to Kapiolani
Park, circle that (narrow sidewalk on the ocean side though) and
return the same way. That would be about a 45-60 minute cruise
depending on your speed.
As mentioned, the Magic Island section of Ala Moana Park (oceanside of
Ala Moana Shopping Center) is nice, but small and crowded with tiny
kids who don't care about others. You can now skate the edge of Ala
Moana Park (start on the Magic Island side) as they have a new
sidewalk that parallels Ala Moana Boulevard though there are a couple
of sections that have not been finished yet. At the end of the park,
you can skate into the Kewalo Basin Park and go to the end to the
concrete finger by the basin harbor opening. Return to Ala Moana
Boulevard, continue onwards past the basin for another three blocks.
Head oceanside by the Cutter Ford car dealer and you will reach the
Kakaako Waterfront Park. This park has some nice hills, a bumpy-tiled
oceanfront straight, a small amphitheater for newbies to practice
going downhill, and a big parking lot that's sloped--not too many
cars, good place to practice stroking and crossovers. Return to Magic
Island the same way for another 45-60 minute workout.
The Nimitz highway bikepath is not the most screnic, but is less
crowded and longer. Find the Nimitz highway-Puuloa Road intersection
(near the airport, ask the locals where the "Kelleys" restaurant is)
and park on a sidestreet. The path parallels the highway, a lot of
shade because you are under the airport freeway. Mostly good surface,
some traffice noise. You continue past the Moanalua Shopping Center
and the trail then hits an intersection (Radford Drive?). Head down
the hill towards Pearl Harbor (a grade 3-4 hill) and follow the bike
path lane (next to the highway) on the ocean side. This will take you
to the Arizona Memorial; keeping going and there's a joggers water
fountain (thank you Navy). When you hit the boathouse where the
asphalt is really rough, you can turn around and return for a 1-1.5
hour skate.
If you hobble over that rough section, you can continue on the bike
path along Pearl Harbor, behind the Pearl Kai Shopping Center (by the
Pearlridge shopping center), past Blaisdell Park and the electric
power plant and end up in Pearl City where the trail ends. This would
add about another 4 miles or so
I commute to work (only about a mile one way), and have already been
hit by a car as I crossed in a marked crosswalk. I now wear a bright
orange vest and carry a bike-style strobe light too. As others of
mentioned, the drivers look left for traffic as they make a right
turn--they have no regard for pedestrians, bikers, or skaters entering
the crosswalk! When in Honolulu traffic, be careful and SKATE SAFE!
From: rab...@cris.com (Rabbett)
Date: Unknown
Should you come to Oahu, do yourself a favor and skate Kailua town on
the windward side... miles and miles of flat and low rise asphalt...
most of it in primo condition. Trade winds, blue skies, quiet
neighborhoods and a mere couple blocks from the beach. Also, further
into Kailua..is Lanikai...about 3.7 miles around, it is an oceanside
residential loop with staggering beauty and colorful homes and people.
From: mi...@sun.lclark.edu (Mike Muronaka)
Date: 11 Nov 1994 12:55:08 -0800
I haven't skated much there, but the following areas have potential:
General cruising - Residential Kailua/Lanikai is mostly flat and has
little traffic. There's supposedly something resembling a waterfront
outside of downtown Honolulu, but I never got there. Remember that
skating isn't allowed in Waikiki (who'd want to go there anyway?) If
anyone tells you Magic Island is a good place, they're either lying or
not very skilled skaters (nice scenery, too small).
Downhills - Since Oahu is mostly a giant mountain range, it's easy to
find a spot to test how well your brake works. Go to Tantalus for
curves. There's this one hill (sorry, can't remember specifically
where) where I had to throw my car in first going down and still rode
the brakes : ). Keep your eyes peeled.
Street - Schools. The University has loads of terrain toys. There's a
large concrete bowl (skate park?) in Honolulu, but everytime I've gone
by there, it's chained off. There's a quarter pipe at the Kailua
Intermediate playground. I've actually seen skateboarders on it, but
again, it's mostly chained off.
Be aware that Hawaii drivers for the most part don't understand the
concept of bicycles on the road, so inlining should be no exception.
Stay on the sidewalk in high traffic areas. I've been told that
inlining is also getting more popular (i.e. seen on people above the
age of 5 who aren't tourists), so you might not get as many stares as
I did : ).
Elsewhere
From: g...@tharsis.com (George Robbins)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 16:03:40 GMT
The general layout of the islands is that there is one main road that
runs around the fairly level shore plateau area, with a few cross
cuts. Most of the secondary roads cut inward to farm or residences and
are often unpaved and/or private. The trend of the main road is flat,
but since you are on the skirts of a volcanic mountain, there will
frequent spots where the road drops down into a ravine to cross a
bridge, then back up again. Since there's only one road, traffic can
be heavy during the going back and forth parts of the day. If you like
distance skating you should be ok, but it'll probably always be
there-and-back along the same road. You need to plan your trips to
insure that you've got adequate water and that there are places where
you can stop, eat and chill out in the shade, it can be a long way
between convenience stores or gas stations!
This is based mainly on Kaaui, the most rustic of the islands, but
time spent in the Waikaki area suggests the basic idea holds for all
of the islands, as soon as you get out of the "city".
One final warning is that while the people are generally friendly,
there are quite a few folks trying to live in paradise without visible
means of support, which can engender a gypsy like attitude towards
visitors and their possesions. Hawaii (the big island) has also had
problems with more organized car burglary/assaults at scenic spots,
but this may be ancient history.
_________________________________________________________________
Idaho
The In-Line Idaho Web page, which includes information about Boise and
Idaho Falls, is located at the URL:
http://www.idbsu.edu/ilskate/.
* Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls
* Boise
* Sun Valley
Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls
From: ah...@boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 1994 18:10:48 GMT
The Centennial Bike Trail is a long, wide asphalt trail that extends
between Riverside State Park (NW of Spokane) and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
I was coming from the Idaho side, so I first started on the eastern
end of the trail (near the Coeur d'Alene resort). Only went a couple
of miles before turning around - lots of busy street crossings, a
railroad crossing (at the bottom of a steep embankment) that had to be
walked, and then devolution into a dirty, marked-off "bike lane" at
the eastern side of Post Falls. Blech!
After retracing my route, I drove to the western side of Post Falls (I
believe it is Post Falls Park). I skated up a short hill to the east,
and got back on the trail, heading west toward the state line (a bit
over 4 miles away). This was a much nicer section - very wide and
smooth, pretty clean, and hardly used (I was skating about 10AM on a
Saturday; probably saw a dozen people at most for the entire trip).
There were a few rural street crossings that could be rolled through,
and one nasty crossing (lot of road debris and traffic) at the Post
Falls Outlet Mall, approx. 1 mile from the state line. Probably the
worst feature of the trail is that it parallels I-90 for much of its
length, so there's a lot of traffic noise (too bad they couldn't have
put the trail along the Spokane River - that would be a real pretty
pathway). Once past the Outlet Mall, there were no more street
crossings. The bridge over the Spokane River at the state line was
pretty neat. After crossing the river, there is a sharp turn to the
right, and a somewhat steep downhill before crossing under I-90. After
this, I only went a couple of more miles before turning around. Mostly
gentle hills, with a couple of slightly steeper spots - nothing that
an experienced skater couldn't handle.
In summary, this is an excellent skating trail, if you get on at the
right place. I'd probably recommend parking at the Outlet Mall, and
heading west from there, although my route starting at Post Falls Park
wasn't particularly bad. Next time I'm up that direction, I'll try to
check out other sections of the trail - if I remember correctly, it's
about 40 miles end-to-end.
Boise
From: Bogi...@aol.com
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 22:53:31 -0400
_Best long skate:_
The Boise River Greenbelt from Municipal Park east to Lucky Peak
Reservoir. Round trip: about 18 miles. Description: Mostly flat, three
fun little hills, lovely scenery along the Boise River Valley. Notes:
This stretch of the Greenbelt is mostly used by serious bikers and
skaters. Best time of day: early morning before the crowds mount and
the temps rise. Not much shade, no water till you get to the park at
the dam so bring plenty. Crowded on weekends, deserted during the
week.
_Best recreational skate:_
The campus of Boise State University. Lots of stairs, ramps,
obstacles, stadium parking lots, and slick sidewalks. This is a
weekend-only skate not to be attempted during classes. Campus police
will gladly bust your ass. The Greenbelt is accessible from the campus
but this stretch is super crowded with geeks and newbies: No fun for
the experienced skater.
_Best aggro experience:_
Eluding the cops downtown. On any evening the streets are nearly
deserted. Plenty of night spots with blade-friendly attitudes. Coffee
shops, newsstands, bars, etc. Most of the industrial and corporate
buildings have security guards that will gladly try to have you
busted. Don't try to skate around the state capitol building.
_Best vert experience:_
Rhoades Skate Park, 15th and Grove streets, downtown. Named after the
man who built the place single-handed, there's a hockey rink, a couple
of quarter pipes, and some rails. (Hey, this is Boise!)
_Best rink:_
Twenty minute drive to Nampa, Idaho, and the Rollerdrome. Old wooden
floor, curved benches. The rink in Boise, Skateworld, is a pit.
Sun Valley
From: ah...@boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Date: Unknown
Just got back from a work/play boondoggle in Sun Valley, Idaho. If you
ever have a chance to come through this area in the
spring/summer/fall, check out the Wood River & Sun Valley trails.
The Wood River trail is a very recent rails-to-trails conversion. It's
21 miles long (42 round trip), extremely smooth, and not much climb.
It's a cross-country ski trail in the winter (there was still quite a
bit of snow on either side of the trail this week).
The Sun Valley trail is about a 20 mile loop around Dollar mountain.
Not quite as smooth, and has some road intersections that are a bit
gravelly. Quite a bit more climb than the Wood River trail (with some
screaming downhill sections). Bring a spare brake!
_________________________________________________________________
Montana
Custer Battlefield
From: eig...@uiuc.edu (Amy Ryan)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 09:29:49 -0500
Little Big Horn in Montana has a small walking trail, to tell you
about the battles that occurred and the fall of custer. The trail is
at the far end of the 5 mile drive. This is along the road that
connects Eastern Montana to Cheyenne Wyoming. It provides for a scenic
break during a long drive and is a historic site as well. It's
completely free. Warning: there is a very steep hill, major T-stops or
brakes required.
_________________________________________________________________
Nevada
Las Vegas
From: pa...@terminus.intermind.net (Paul Phillabaum)
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 17:01:20 -0800
Although it might seem a little strange, a great place to skate in Las
Vegas is UNLV. The campus use grass and trees instead of 'desert
landscaping' which is popular here, giving it a nice comfortable
backyard feeling. Lots of wide, smooth concrete sidewalks, with
emergency turnouts (grass 8-) ) liberally spread all over campus. The
campus is pretty empty during the evenings, and weekends. On an
average weekend, you'll probably see 3 or 4 groups of skaters, and
campus police seem to be skater-friendly. Best of all, during the
Africa hot summers, the campus seems 10 degrees cooler because of all
the grass. It's comfortable to skate around 6:30 pm, and you can get a
few hours a skating in relative comfort.
From: wa...@ptigris.win.net (Wayne)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 18:19:15 GMT
I found the back streets easy to skate. They parallel the strip and
the traffic is not to bad. I stayed at Circus Circus and the security
guard caught me skating on C.C. property and told me it was not
allowed. I had to walk to the street carrying my skates and put them
on at the side walk. The water slide (Wet & Wild) parking lot is
large, smooth and if not to full can be used also. The day I was there
it was closed. The whole time in Vegas I only saw two other skaters on
the street.
_________________________________________________________________
Utah
Park City
From: kl...@captain-crunch.ai.mit.edu (Klaus B. Biggers)
Date: Unknown
My favorite skate is Royal Street in Park City, UT. It's a road that
goes about half to two-thirds of the way up Deer Valley Ski Resort.
Lots of turns and _lots_ of new pavement. It's probably about 500
meters (~1600 ft.) vertical and an absolute blast. There is little
traffic and the police are very mellow about the whole thing (the town
does depend on tourism you know). You can either bomb down it risking
the tarmac (sp?) tickle or get thousands of turns (literally). Its
really great in the summer since the temperature is rarely over 78
degrees F or so. Also, in the winter, a bus runs up to the top on a
regular schedule and doesn't cost a dime. I kind of like the grunt up.
It is kind of strange though watching a blader skate by a "Watch for
Ice" hazard sign..
_________________________________________________________________
Washington
* Seattle
* Spokane
Seattle
From: fhan...@netcom.com (Frank Hansche)
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 22:56:02 GMT
There's a book called "Rolling Around Seattle" which tells of all the
good places to skate here. The author has personally skated every one
of the places in his book. You can find it at ski/skate shops and
probably at REI.
From: Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)
Date: 30 Jun 1995
A recent article in _InLine_ magazine stated that skating on the
streets of downtown Seattle was illegal under the usual "playing in
the streets" law, but was okay elsewhere. Supposedly the police are
pretty cool about not enforcing it, but don't go out of your way to
test their tolerance.
From: r...@skatecity.com (Robert B. Schmunk)
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 1994 14:22:13 -0500
Seattle is not really a skating town. The problem is likely due to the
fact that the hills of Seattle make it somewhat difficult to skate
from point A to point B unless you have strong calf muscles.
Additionally, many of the streets are paved in a somewhat rough tarmac
that tends to give your feet the old washboard massage and wears
brakes down pretty quickly. Thus, during a 10-day stay in Seattle I
saw only one skater other than myself who was on the _streets_ of the
city.
Nevertheless, there are places in Seattle to skate, as the city
government has been kind enough to provide lots of bike/ped paths that
are _physically separate_ from the streets. The three paths I sampled
all had very gentle terrain as they were located on/near the shores of
one of the bodies of water in/around Seattle. A side benefit of being
near the water is that some of these paths have truly splendid scenery
to look at while you're rolling along.
1. Green Lake: A couple people suggested to me that the 2.9-mile
trail around this lake NW of the Univ. of Washington might be _the_
place to skate in Seattle, but they're sadly disillusioned. The
basic problem is that this trail gets a _lot_ of pedestrian
traffic, and the lane for bikes/skaters is never more than 3 ft
wide. Thus, for beginners this is not a good place because of the
possibility of colliding with a pedestrian, and the more advanced
skaters will be frustrated by the slow skaters/pedestrians
blocking the trail ahead.
2. Elliot Bay Trail: This trail starts just slightly north of Pier 70
and follows the shore of Puget Sound to just beyond the grain
terminal at Pier 86. After that it takes a big swerve inland to go
around the auto off-loading facility at Terminal 91, and then
comes back out to the Sound and terminates at Smith Cove. Besides
Pier 70, you can access the trail from a couple of streets just
north of Terminal 91. Between Piers 70 and 86, the pedestrian and
wheel (bike/skater) portions of the path are physically separated,
and peds will growl if you take the wrong path. This separateness
does make the trail somewhat more interesting to advanced skaters
looking for a place to work out, and the flat topography is
balanced by the wonderful view.
3. Waterfront: This may actually count as a southern extension of the
Elliot Bay trail, but a large gap between them suggests that it
might be otherwise. Anyway, the various tourist piers along the
shore immediately downhill from downtown are located along Alaskan
Way. On the city side of the road is a trolley track for the
tourists, and immediately adjacent to it is a bike/ped path that
stretches from about a half mile south of Pier 70 down to a point
about even with the Kingdome.
4. Burke-Gilman Trail: Of the places I skated in Seattle, this was by
far the best. I'm not quite sure where the western end of the
trail is located, but the easiest place to find it is where it
crosses Fremont Ave. right on the north side of the Fremont Bridge
over the Washington Canal. (At this point it's only a bike lane
marked on the road.) From here it heads eastward along the canal,
along the north side of Lake Union, and past Husky Stadium on the
UW campus. Beyond there it begins to wend its way a little inland,
but breaks back out to follow the NW edge of Lake Washington just
beyond Magnuson Park. This was about as far as I followed the
trail, but it is supposed to continue further north along the
lake, and then turn eastward to go through Bothell, and eventually
terminate after something like 30 miles near the Ste. Michelle
winery in Woodinville. This trail has many good views, a little
bit of topography, and what I considered a surprisingly low level
of traffic. It was also the only place in Seattle that I ever saw
a blader on five-wheel racing skates. The only real problem with
this trail is that although it crosses residential streets
somewhat frequently, it doesn't often get near a 7-11 where I
could grab a Gatorade.
BTW, if you're in the downtown area, it's easy to get to the BG
trail by just following Dexter Ave. north. This road has bike
lanes on both sides and the slope of the hill provides a good but
not murderous workout.
5. UW campus: Although there aren't any official skating routes (that
I noticed) on campus, this is a pleasant place. There's lots of
topography, some flats (Red Square!) and streets which all seemed
to have been recently paved.
6. Other trails: There are several other official bike/ped paths in
Seattle, and skaters would be well-advised to purchase a street
map which has them marked. One trail I plan to try the next time
I'm in town runs along the west side of Lake Washington south of
Lake Union. It looks to be pretty long, and also offers access to
a bike/skating lane on the floating bridge to Mercer Island.
Summation: On a scale of 1 to 5, skating Seattle was about a 3.
From: mat...@sierra.com (Mathew Hendrickson WAS Seattle)
Date: 10 Oct 1994 22:52:07 GMT
Three places that I know of:
1. Burke-Gilman trail: It starts at Gasworks park (north end of Lake
Union), goes northeast through the south and east side of the UW
campus, then heads north to the north end of Lake Washington (Log
Boom park, about 12 miles from Gasworks park), where it connects
with:
2. Sammamish Slough trail: It starts at Marymore park and heads north
along the Sammamish Slough trail to the north end of Lake
Washington, where it connects with the Burke-Gilman trail. From
Marymore park to Gasworks park is about 25 miles.
3. Greenlake: This is _not_ a place to get a workout; there are too
many people walking on the trail during daylight hours. It is only
for easy blading unless you plan to go at 3 am (some people do).
There are also various parking lots (the NOAA parking lot at Sand
Point is a good one).
From: fhan...@netcom.com (Frank Hansche)
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 1994 14:28:23 GMT
Jann E VanOver (je...@chinook.halcyon.com) wrote:
[...] there's a couple good trails in the South End, near the South
Center Shopping Mall. Just east of S. Center, along the west side of
the Green River, there's a nice trail. It has rather a lot of
walkers at lunch time (being near many office complexes) but is
nearly empty in the afternoon. Smooth pavement, relatively scenic.
And, about 1/4 mile west of there, under a powerline, is the
Interurban trail. Many many miles of nearly unused trail.
The Green River Trail starts in Tukwila, runs south to Kent and ends
at the Riverbend Golf Course. It's a good trail but parts of it are on
little used roads. So, you may have to share it with cars.
The Interurban Trail runs south through the Kent Valley to Pacific. I
have not yet skated it, but have seen many skaters on it. It is very
underused and looks to be a great place to skate.
The Soos Creek Trail is east of Kent and is great if you like hills. I
have biked this trail but not skated it. Go east up Smith to 256th and
continue east until 148th. Turn left until you see a small county
park. You can access the trail from there.
From: Amy Ryan (eig...@uiuc.edu)
Date: Mar 22 1995
In Seattle Washington, there is a small extreme park that is pretty
much indoors.. The park is covered, but has fenced sides. It does stay
dry during rain though. The park is called Bellevue Skate Park and it
on 40th and Bellevue-Redmond in Bellevue. The park has a variety of
quarter pipes and grind boxes and is being remodelled to incorporate a
half pipe. The club is on the very bottom of the big log-cabinish
health club. It's next door to the YMCA. If you can't find the club,
try calling Gravity Sports in Renton for directions..
Spokane
See Coeur d'Alene, ID for information about the Centennial Bike Trail
which extends east from Riverside State Park.
_________________________________________________________________
Wyoming
Cheyenne
From: eig...@uiuc.edu (Amy Ryan)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 1995 09:29:49 -0500
Wyoming is not a hotbed of skating activity. As a matter of fact when
I skated in Cheyenne, i got some pretty strange looks as if they
hadn't seen inlines before. In Cheyenne there is a park with a trail
across from the airport. I forget its name, but its the one with the
buffalo and antelope zoo.. ask anyone in town and they can most likely
point you to it.
Downtown Cheyenne has some nice sidewalks and small stairs near the
capital building.. just don't skate on the sidewalks by the new
library, they don't like that too much. Indoors there is a roller rink
next door to the pizza hut and bingo hall. I can't remember the name
of it, but from the airport, take dell range road to the mcdonalds and
turn right. go down that street for 3-7 blocks and it will be on the
right hand side.
_________________________________________________________________
_-rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs maintained by Tony Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)_
_-"Where to Skate" edited by Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)_
_________________________________________________________________
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Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part10
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Marketplace - Skate Reviews_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
MARKETPLACE - SKATE REVIEWS
(last changed Tuesday, 17-Sep-96 18:39:06 MDT)
NOTE: While these reviews include many facts and first-hand experience,
much of the text here is necessarily opinion. Additionally the in-line
market is changing rapidly, so prices and specifications may be out of
date.
Also, many of these skate models are older skates. Reviews for newer models
are added when they become available.
Feel free to use the product review form for your convenience.
Table of contents
_skate reviews_
* Bauer
* Bauer
* Bauer F/3 1996
* Bauer F2
* Bauer F2
* Bauer F3
* Bauer F3 (Force Mult. brake)
* Bauer F40
* Bauer H3 (Hockey 3)
* Bauer Hx/s 1996
* Bauer Pro Comps 1996
* Bauer XS5 (street skates)
* Bauer f3
* CCM 95 Sears Special
* CCM RH555 Tacks
* K2 Extreme Workout
* K2 Fatty
* K2 VO2 Max
* K2 fatty
* K2 k2 fatty/1996
* Oxygen 1995 KR .05
* Oxygen AR 3.1
* Oxygen Kr 1.1 1996
* Oxygen XE Jr.
* Oxygen Xenon 1.1
* Pro-Tec Aggresive Helmet
* Roces FCO Jr. (Rome Jr.)
* Roces MOW (Moscow)
* Roces Street
* Roces Street
* Roces Street
* Roces Street (96)
* Roces Street (96)
* Roller Derby BX 5000
* Rollerblade 1994 Aeroblade w/ABT
* Rollerblade 1995 Macroblade
* Rollerblade Boxcar '95 or'96
* Rollerblade Bravoblade GL (93?)
* Rollerblade Bravoblade GL 96
* Rollerblade Bravoblade GL 96
* Rollerblade Bravoblade GLX (96)
* Rollerblade CoolBlade
* Rollerblade Fusion
* Rollerblade Lightning
* Rollerblade Lightning TRS
* Rollerblade Macroblade Equipes
* Rollerblade Powerblade 1994
* Rollerblade Racerblade
* Rollerblade Spiritblade 1996
* Rollerblade TarMac CE '96
* Rollerblade Tarmac /CE '95
* Rollerblade VTX 5000
* Spoga Turbine
* Ultra Wheels Millenium 96
* tecnica
Reviews of real old skates
_________________________________________________________________
skate reviews
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ none/none
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Brian Yuen (by...@ofc.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F/3 1996
_Purchase Price:_ $139.99
_Store:_ Shenk and Tittle (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Carlisle Plaza Mall, (717)258-0520
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1996
_Used for how long:_ Couple of Months
_Pros:_
Good Suport O.K. Price Rockering Feature Lace and buckle
_Cons:_
Wheels Rattle (left and right). Faulty wheel hub design.
_Comments:_
The skates are pretty decent, but the employees at the shop
where I got it did not know much about skates. I recommend
FUNTASTIKS at Mechanisburg location.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Todd Robertson (Brt...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F2
_Purchase Price:_ $100
_Store:_ Lechmere (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1995
_Used for how long:_ a year
_Pros:_
Comfortable, good price, nice airflow, and a strong design. But
grind plates are a pain to put on, wheels that come on it bite,
only buckles, and spacers fall out!!! Don't buy these unless
your a rec skater not fit for the abuse of aggro skating!
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Crispin Cornect (demo...@fox.nstn.ca)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F2
_Purchase Price:_ 100
_Store:_ Cleve's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ n/i, n/i
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1996
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
I bought my F2s without the slightest idea of how to skate and
I must say they are easy for the begginner. They have a two
buckle, molded plastic frame with a comfortable liner. the
frame is rockerable (you can also shorten/lengthen the wheel
base) and comes with nylon spacers. The 72mm, 78A wheels give a
smooth ride and can span most minor road hazards. the ABEC 1
bearings and heel brake finish it off. I thought it was a good,
low entry skate.
_Cons:_
For what it is, its good. I learned how to skate with it and I
found it user friendly, but it isn't something you can
cross-upgrade. the frame is sculpted and won't accept
aftermarket grind plates, The boot is molded platic with too
much ventilation for me to try putting on soul plates. Lace
instead of a buckle on the bottom would have been great - you
would have much more support for street.
_Comments:_
If you're recreational to the core, then this is a great skate,
but that is all it is - a great recreational skate.
_Rating:_ rec: 8.5 street: 2.5
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F3
_Purchase Price:_ 99.99
_Store:_ oshmans (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ none/none
_Used for how long:_ 6 months
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Paul Leong (cd...@torfree.net)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F3 (Force Mult. brake)
_Purchase Price:_ CDN$130 Tax
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1995
_Used for how long:_ 1 year
_Pros:_
The brake is relatively easy to use with the "Force Multiplier"
system. Decent components with ABEC-1 bearings and wheel
compound suitable for road use (for the recreational/beginner
skater)
_Cons:_
The brake hinge can be become loose after a few skates - not
enough to be a problem but annoying as it rattles when skating.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 6
Reviewer: Bob Reed ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ F40
_Purchase Price:_ $130
_Store:_ Dick's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Southland Shopping Center Middleburg Hts. OH 44130,
(216) 886-2600
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1996
_Used for how long:_ about 2 months
_Pros:_
Good, strong supported fit with the ASYM CUFF. I like the
removeable liner and the two buckle/one strap closure.
_Cons:_
Wheel size is fixed. These skates come with a 72 mm wheel and
will not hold anything larger. Obviously, this is not a bad
thing if you intend to put smaller wheels on your skates.
_Comments:_
Skates also come with a standard brake (which I find to be a
Pro) and ABEC-1 bearings. So far the Bauer F40 has met my needs
for exercise/recreational skating.
_Rating:_ 8 because of wheel size issue and ABEC-1 bearings
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledu.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ H3 (Hockey 3)
_Purchase Price:_ $149.99
_Store:_ Play it Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1994
_Used for how long:_ 3-4 months
_Pros:_
- All laces, nice fitting boot, includes toe guards, rockerable
chasis, solid feeling while skating, nice beginner skates (was
for me anyhow). Stock equipment: Narrow radius, vented core,
72mm/78A wheels. ABEC-1 Bearings (China) Aluminum Threaded
Spaces Big headed axel bolts. Bauer Super-Light Chasis
_Cons:_
The stock wheels are narrow radius, and cheap. The wheels
started to seperate from the hubs after 2 months of everyday
usage. The wear on the wheels was ok. The chasis is easily
deformed by over tightening of the axels, and the bearing
spacers fit too tightly into the bearings, to the point that
they are hard (or in two cases impossible) to seperate. The
chasis only accepts 72mm wheels.
_Comments:_
Other than the problems with the frame and the stock equipment
I really like this skate. I used these to learn how to skate
in, so thy have taken quite a bit of punishment from falling
and such, but have held up well. I would recommend these to
someone looking for an all-purpose mid-range skate. Look to
upgrade the wheels and axels sooner than later.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Dominic ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ Hx/s 1996
_Purchase Price:_ A$399
_Store:_ BladeWorx (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 4 months
_Pros:_
Really comfy liner (Clarino), sturdy frame, good for hockey,
tucks away the laces and stick-out part of the buckle thing
nicely
_Cons:_
Terrible for grinding. Could do with better stock wheels, and
more ankle support
_Comments:_
good if you like hockey but don't want a stiched leather boot,
so you can use it on ramps.
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Bieu (bi...@express.ca)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ Pro Comps 1996
_Purchase Price:_ $369 CDN
_Store:_ SportMart (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ National Chain, 604-
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1996
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
The '96 version of the Pro Comp in Canada was released with
TwinCam ABEC-5 bearings, and 76mm wheels. Excellent fitting
hockey skate, very responsive with aluminum chasis. Better than
my CCM 555 Pumps
_Cons:_
Very stiff with Carbon fibre reenforcing, took a little longer
to break in. Not cheap.
_Comments:_
If you have the bucks to spare these really are the best roller
hockey skates that I have used, and I have tried many different
pairs. They are a little more expensive than most skates, but
when you check out the feature set, ABEC-5, 76mm Hyper wheels,
7000 aluminum chasis, they are well worth the price.
_Rating:_ 9.5 - 10
Reviewer: Amy Ryan (ry...@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ XS5 (street skates)
_Purchase Price:_ $129.99 first new pair, $ 30.00 second used pair
_Store:_ Johnston's Sporting Goods / Pelican Ski and Pool Shop (local
store)
_Location/Phone:_ University Ave., Champaign IL / Route 22 , East
Brunswick, NJ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1993
_Used for how long:_ Just over a year
_Pros:_
made in small sizes** in the 1993 line decent wheels (hypers
72mm 78A dur.) rockerability (3 wheel model.. front and back
move horizontally, middle goes up and down) brake foot is
swappable for lefties and righties comes with 72 mm wheel, can
hold upto 76 mm with the rockers adjusted
_Cons:_
1994 line doesn't come in very small sizes NMB bearings.. not
exactly quick slow skates. all laces new bauer brakes wear out
easily
_Comments:_
I added a top buckle for ~$25 dollars. this was a tremendous
improvement on the skate. I also added a hopup kit, speed
increase was incredible the smaller sizes (atleast I purchased
a second pair of these skates because the chassis of the first
pair cracked by the front wheel. Although, the first skates
broke, I still feel confident in Bauer and bought an identical
pair. I am sending the first pair in to be looked at by Bauer.
They said they may be able to replace the broken chassis. If
you are buying ANY skates, please look carefully at the chassis
before purchasing it. Remember you need a stronger chassis for
grinds, slides and jumps than you do for casual skating. My
rating for these skates hasn't changed because of this problem.
_Rating:_ 8 for regular skates, 9 for small feeted persons
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Bauer
_Model:_ f3
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ none/none
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Dave Warfield (dwar...@ea.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ CCM
_Model:_ 95 Sears Special
_Purchase Price:_ $59 (cdn)
_Store:_ Sears (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Metrotown, Burnaby,
_Purchase Date:_ 12/1995
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
It was cheap and got me started, didn't have to rent or borrow
anymore. They will look good when I trade them in.
_Cons:_
The rivets through the bottom of the boot were uncomfortable as
hell, and I had to make a special foam insert to stand in them
for more than 10 minutes. The cheap (not even rated) Bearings
are already blown, even in the first few weeks I slowed down
going down a hill. The wheels mount to plastic, and it feels
like it flexes when turning sharp.
_Comments:_
Uses bearings that have a spacer as part of the bearing, so to
replace them with ABEC bearings, you have to buy a new axle
kit.
_Rating:_ 4
Reviewer: Jim Kiraly (kir...@cse.utoledo.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ CCM
_Model:_ RH555 Tacks
_Purchase Price:_ $260
_Store:_ Tam-O-Shanter (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Sylvania, Ohio,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1994
_Used for how long:_ since July 31, 1994
_Pros:_
Reebok Insta-Pump, provides a nice firm fit around the ankle.
All lace. Stock Equipment: Kryptonics Tri-Spoked core, 72mm/82A
Powerplay Wheels German GMN ABEC-3 bearings Non-threaded
aluminum spacers. Small headed axel bolts. Aluminum frame
spacers. Slightly rockered frame nylon/glass-reinforced frame.
The frame is easily removable for easy maintanence. Frames will
take 82mm wheels.
_Cons:_
Axle holes in the frame will not allow for axel kits such as
the Hyper Hop Up Kit to be used. The frame is non-adjustable
(rockered/unrockered).
_Comments:_
I like these a lot. I would recommend these skates for anyone
looking into rec/hockey skates.
_Rating:_ 9.5
Reviewer: Marty Gold (mg...@smtplink.mssm.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ K2
_Model:_ Extreme Workout
_Purchase Price:_ $300
_Store:_ Emilio's Ski Shops (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ 112-32 Queens Blvd., Flushing, NY, 718-544-0404
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1994
_Used for how long:_ 6 weeks/200+ miles
_Pros:_
1 - A reasonably priced entry-level racing skate with the
addition of the 5th wheel. 2 - Can be used with only 4 wheels
which is helpful when getting used to the longer frame (5th
wheel can be added later). 3 - The sneaker-like construction
(no liner, padding and boot are one piece) provides added
comfort especially when utilized as a cross-training skate. Yet
solid construction provides greater ankle support than other
racing skates. 4 - Combined laces and upper buckle closure
allows greater adjustability. 5 - Heel brake can be worn on
either left or right skate by moving bracket. 6 - Axle is the
screw type which prevents over-tightening.
_Cons:_
1 - Skate is on the heavy side, especially with the addition of
the fifth wheel (wheel, axle, spacers and bearings. 2 - The
heel brake and bracket are long and can be clumsy when
attempting cross-overs. 3 - The brake is extremely soft and
requires frequent replacement. My first replacement was
necessary after approx. 5 weeks. When speaking with K2 they
informed me that the break was designed soft to provide extra
stopping power. 4 - The bearings were ABEC-1, for the price one
would expect 3's 5 - The buckles/laces have a tendency to
loosen up once in a while. skating. (Laces are unwaxed-nylon
and can be replaced with waxed to hold better) 6 - The axles
are removed via an allen/hex key (provided) but while
attempting to reposition the wheels to accommodate the fifth
wheel the key caused the screw-head to round out requiring a
new axle.
_Comments:_
At the time of this writing, replacement parts had not yet been
shipped to local dealers due to backlog, but K2 was very
accommodating about mailing the replacement parts directly to
me. I would like to stress the comfort aspect of this skate. I
have been preparing for a long-distance marathon, skating on
average of 20 miles a day/6 days a week and have found the
skates to be extremely comfortable and provide strong ankle
support. Although, I have been considering the addition of
ankle straps since road workouts are stressful on the ankles
(potholes, traffic, etc.).
Description: mid-cuff 4 wheel skate convertible to 5 wheels
with the purchase of additional axle and wheel assembly.
Wheels: Hyper Wheels: Cross-Trainers X-360 [77.5MM], Durometer
78-A Bearings: Twincam ABEC-1, Serviceable Spacers: Aluminum
Frame: Glass composite
_Rating:_ 8
Reviewer: Nick Bargnesi (nbar...@zoo.uvm.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ K2
_Model:_ Fatty
_Purchase Price:_ $240
_Store:_ Skirack (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Main Street Burlington, VT 05405,
_Purchase Date:_ 11/1996
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_THESE ARE THE BEST AGGRESSIVE SKATES I'VE EVER USED. IN
COMPARISON TO ARGON (OXYGEN) OR FRONTSIDES (BAUER) THERE
LITEWEIGHT AND SO PHUN TO HAVE ON YOUR FEET...
Cons:_
$240.00 IS A BIT EXPENSIVE...
_Comments:_
BUY THESE!
_Rating:_ 9.7
Reviewer: Evan Ludeman (lud...@gate.net)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ K2
_Model:_ VO2 Max
_Purchase Price:_ $249
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1996
_Used for how long:_ one week (~55 miles)
_Pros:_
These skates are comfortable, fast and quiet. The quality of
components and materials is quite good, as expected in this
price range. Mid height boot/cuff allows more freedom of
movement than most rec skates, but still provides adequate
ankle support for intermediate skaters. Traditional heel brake
works well (and quietly), although the early indications are
that K2 brakes won't last as well as RB. Standard equipment
includes Hyper cross fit 77.5mm/78A wheels and Twin Cam abec 3
bearings with detachable shields.
_Cons:_
These skates really deserve a better name!! The wheelbase could
also stand to be about 1/2" longer for extra stability at the
speeds these skates so willingly provide. The reduced ankle
support of this skate compared to most rec skates may expose
weaknesses in your form initially.
_Comments:_
The K2 soft boot is an interesting alternative to more
traditional hard shell skates. They work really well for
certain people and applications, but as usual, your mileage may
vary.
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ K2
_Model:_ fatty
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: andy berg (dons8...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ K2
_Model:_ k2 fatty/1996
_Purchase Price:_ $269.00
_Store:_ boulder ski deals (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ pearl street in boulder CO, (303)-???-????
_Purchase Date:_ /1996
_Used for how long:_ 2 1/2 months
_Pros:_
verry COMFORTABLE good bearings big soul spot VERRY
comfortable!
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Bill Smith (mug...@magicnet.net)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Oxygen
_Model:_ 1995 KR .05
_Purchase Price:_ 169.00
_Store:_ University Surf & Skate (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 02/1996
_Used for how long:_ 4 months
_Pros:_
Great intermediate level skate. For the novice skater, it
provides a higher level of control and more feel of the wheels
than an entry level skate without demanding expert balance and
technique. The buckles work very well. With the addition of a
high quality spacer, they have been quite quick, even with the
stock 72mm78As. Replacing the stock wheels with Adrenaline 78As
has really helped, too, both in speed and maneuverability.
_Cons:_
The PBS (Power Braking System) is not all that effective and
takes up a lot of space at the back of the skate. The braking
system is also far noisier than any other I've used, which can
be good or bad, depending if you need to warn people you're
coming. The shells hold the ankle and foot nicely, but I did
have quite a few blisters from the liner at first, particularly
at the top just above the strap. I wrapped my lower leg in an
Ace bandage, and it was no problem after that. I've also had
problems with my big toes pressing the liner through the
airvent, resulting in some unpleasant sore spots.
_Comments:_
I like these skates a lot, although they are not what I would
call comfortable. I wouldn't want to go on 20 mile skate trips
in them, but for 5-6 miles they're great. Compared to the
others I've tried in the same price range, they've been
terrific.
_Rating:_ 6-7
Reviewer: mAd HaTtEr ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Oxygen
_Model:_ AR 3.1
_Purchase Price:_ 199.99
_Store:_ Go Skate (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 01/1996
_Used for how long:_ 7 months
_Pros:_
Very durable shell,it comes with soul and regular grind plates
it is one of the best aggersive inline skates i have ever used
(which is alot at least two pairs a year. I have been using
mine for 7 months and still in great condition.als it comes
with Kryptonoic Boulders and abec 3 bearings. Also very
cofromtible
_Cons:_
NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 11
Reviewer: Ron Jovellanos ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Oxygen
_Model:_ Kr 1.1 1996
_Purchase Price:_ $230
_Store:_ Chris T Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Philippines,
_Purchase Date:_ 04/1996
_Used for how long:_ 5 months
_Pros:_
Everything was great with this skate. Looks great, works great,
feels great. Even though I bought a pair which was two sizes
bigger than my shoe size ('coz it was the only pair available
in the store and perhaps in this country for that matter), it
never felt uncomfortably large for me. The ventilation and the
liner has been the most comfortable I've ever tried. Equipped
with 78mm 78A Hyper Shocks and NMB ABEC-5 bearings with
aluminum spacers -- perfect equipment. I skate from 2 to as
much as 5 hours on this without my feet feeling tired or hot.
AutoRock option also a plus, and so is the removable aluminum
frame. Nice titanium gray color -- looks menacingly serious. It
sets the skate apart from the multicolored recreational and
cross-training skates in the industry. MAKE MINE OXYGEN.
_Cons:_
Power Braking System is noisy.
_Comments:_
Mr. Skerbinjek did excellent in this design. And the Customer
Service Dept. of Koflach Austria has been very approachable.
_Rating:_ 9.5
Reviewer: Keith Smith (ksm...@unix3.netaxs.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Oxygen
_Model:_ XE Jr.
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 01/1996
_Used for how long:_ 1 month
_Pros:_
The XE Jr, as the name implies, is a "junior" skate that comes
with 64mm standard-thickness junior wheels. It also has the
"power braking system" as do the adult skates made by Oxygen,
and also has a well-designed "memory closure system" with
latching buckles. This is a one piece frame/body design. It is
a very sporty looking skate. It is black with a blue-and-black
liner and red spoked wheels and red and yellow accents. The
size 21.5 skate, which is what I purchased, comes with two sets
of liners so in American sizes the boot is good for size 2 thru
3-1/2.
My overall impression is that this is a very well thought out
childrens' skate..... the best that I have seen so far. It is a
four wheel skate and due to its "unibody" design it is quite
low-slung, but will accept an unusually large wheel for a
kiddie skate. With the PBS brake removed, this skate will
accept a 72mm wheel with no problem. With the PBS brake in
place, the skate will accept a 68mm wheel w/o modification.
_Cons:_
The only downside that I can see to this otherwise wonderful
childrens' skate is the choice of bearings and bearing
alignment inserts (see drawing) chosen by the manufacturer. The
bearings are so-called precision bearings and have a larger
inside diameter than the typical abec-1's or abec-3's that you
are likely to want to replace them with. The problem is
compounded by the fact that the bearing alignment inserts are
sized to fit this larger-than-standard inside diameter.
_Comments:_
The short story here is if you wish to upgrade the bearings,
then you must replace the inserts too b/c the factory inserts
will not fit your replacement bearings. The good news is that
there are skates that use abec-rated bearings and have the same
spacer-and-insert wheel mounting system as the XE Jr. The CCM
Eagle and the Performance Attack are two examples that come to
mind. The bearing alignment inserts from either of these skates
are just the ticket when it is time to upgrade the XE Jr. with
better bearings. These inserts are available from Performance
Bicycle Shop for $0.50 each. I suspect that you can also get
them from a CCM dealer for a similar price. In my case, I used
the inserts from an old pair of Roller Derby Chargers. These
inserts make for a very snug fit in a set of Boss abec-3's, but
they do fit. I swapped the Oxygen bearings and inserts into the
Chargers (after cutting down the inserts with a utility knife
so they would fit the narrower wheels, of course).
crummy ascii drawing
++ +--------------+ ++
||---------+ | | +---------||
|| | | | | || bearing alignment
|| | | | | || insert (2)
||---------+ | | +---------||
++ +--------------+ ++
"floating" bearing
spacer
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Jack Mardack (mar...@inch.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Oxygen
_Model:_ Xenon 1.1
_Purchase Price:_ $155
_Store:_ (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ 6th Avenue & 8th St. in the Village, NYC,
_Purchase Date:_ 06/1996
_Used for how long:_ 1 month
_Pros:_
Pretty decent value, though I've seen it retail for as much as
$180. Good-looking skate. Highly adjustable fit. PBS brake
works fairly well.
_Cons:_
Boot is not articulated, so no ankle pivot is possible. Hard to
squat. Wheels wore out REAL fast,too fast evebn for 78's. Axle
nuts are held in place by nylon bushings which strip easily.
The brake/axle assembly is especially troublesome in this
regard. Strap clips have a tendency to fall out of the boot.
_Comments:_
Perhaps a good skate for the very occassional skater on a
budget. If Oxygen remedied the axle nut problem (which is
present in their entire line), I would rate the skate 2 points
higher.
_Rating:_ 5
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Pro-Tec
_Model:_ Aggresive Helmet
_Purchase Price:_ $49.00
_Store:_ Got it from a friend (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 11/1995
_Used for how long:_ 7 months
_Pros:_
This helmet is great, Im sure i could get get on the ground
bang my head at least 100 times on the concrete without any
injuries except whiplash and a tired neck
_Cons:_
NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONENONE
NONE NONE
_Comments:_
This helmet is great for aggro skating
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: Amy Ryan (eig...@uiuc.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ FCO Jr. (Rome Jr.)
_Purchase Price:_ $80-100
_Store:_ Campus Skate Company (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ , 503-683-3516
_Purchase Date:_ 02/1995
_Used for how long:_ 3 Months
_Pros:_
made in small sizes one of the few small skates that hold 72mm
wheels with 4 wheels durable boot one buckle / lace setup
_Cons:_
Just plain lousy wheels to start (64mm 85A). Slow bearings
(unrated??) Not rockerable. slow skates.
_Comments:_
Though the wheels are bearings are slow and lousy to start on,
that can easily be fixed with new wheels, bearings, and a hopup
kit. this puts the skates closer to the $150 range. Not bad for
a small skate. Probably the best you can do in the 1995 line of
skates for small feet. (note i said small, not growing)
_Rating:_
Reviewer: Sergey Levin (sle...@telico.bioc.aecom.yu.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ MOW (Moscow)
_Purchase Price:_ $125
_Store:_ Roller King (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Canal St X 6Ave, NY, NY,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1994
_Used for how long:_ 1 year
_Pros:_
Very strong frame, very jumpy.
_Cons:_
Heavy. Could use better wheels
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ With original wheels-7 with new wheels 8
Reviewer: Matt Brock (val...@ktc.com)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ Street
_Purchase Price:_ $119.oo
_Store:_ Sun N' Ski Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 02/1996
_Used for how long:_ 6 weeks
_Pros:_
This skate is slightly heavy, comes with nice wheelss (Hyper
Dwarfs)) with upgrading it should be a pretty good skate
_Cons:_
It doesn't come with any rivet protection, for soul grinding,
although a soul grind plate can be bought for about 7$. The
frame seems to wear away when missing the grind plate and
lading on the front and middle wheels.
_Comments:_
This skate is a pretty good skate with some goog featurs and
bad features
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: Neural (neu...@cafesurf.co.uk)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ Street
_Purchase Price:_ £150.00 Uk
_Store:_ DAI lesuire (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ .., ..
_Purchase Date:_ 01/1996
_Used for how long:_ 6 months
_Pros:_
Cool wheels... Decent Sock... Don't crack when you land so you
don't go OshitOshitOshit... there goes another 150 :(
_Cons:_
Could do with a decent lightness, and be lower to the ground.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_ 7
Reviewer: J T ()
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ Street
_Purchase Price:_ 65$
_Store:_ Scheels (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ /
_Used for how long:_ 3 months
_Pros:_
There light confortable and easy to grind with
_Cons:_
There is none other than there a little heavy but you have to
be a man and jump higher
_Comments:_
THERE THE BEST SKATES YOU CAN BY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROCES ARE
NUMBER ONE
_Rating:_ 10
Reviewer: Phil Tooley (dto...@cbcc.bcwan.net)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ Street (96)
_Purchase Price:_ $179.95
_Store:_ Rollerwarehouse (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1996
_Used for how long:_ 3 weeks
_Pros:_
This skate is fairly cheap, has a pretty good soul size, and is
a great skate for ramps and rails.
_Cons:_
The grind plates are not that good, middle wheels are too big.
_Comments:_
If you buy these skates I suggest that you get Randy
"roadhouse" Spizer wheels for the middle and Senate metal
wrenches grind plates.
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Phil Tooley (dto...@cbcc.bcwan.net)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roces
_Model:_ Street (96)
_Purchase Price:_ $179.95
_Store:_ Rollerwarehouse (mail-order)
_Location/Phone:_ ,
_Purchase Date:_ 07/1996
_Used for how long:_ 3 weeks
_Pros:_
This skate has a fairly cheap price, a pretty good soul size,
and is a great skate for ramps and rails.
_Cons:_
The grind plates are not that good, and the middle wheels are
too big for grinding good.
_Comments:_
If you buy this skate I would suggest that you get Randy
"roadhouse" Spizer 47mm wheels for the middle and Senate metal
wrenches grind plates. (this is what i've got for them).
_Rating:_ 9
Reviewer: Ana & Rick Langlois (ric...@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu)
_Product Type:_ skate
_Brand:_ Roller Derby
_Model:_ BX 5000
_Purchase Price:_ $149.00 + tax, (U.S.)
_Store:_ MC Mages Sporting goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_ Chicago, IL,
_Purchase Date:_ 03/1994
_Used for how long:_ 12 weeks
_Pros:_
Comfortable fit, quality construction and components. Large
brake, good styling, fast, GREAT price.
_Cons:_
Boot shell not hinged. Some may not like the black w/pink color
scheme.
_Comments:_
Very, very good skate for the price.
*BOOT*
\ ______ /
\ \____/
_Rating:_
9
Reviewer: Robert Schmunk (pc...@nasagiss.giss.nasa.gov)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
1994 Aeroblade w/ABT
_Purchase Price:_
$299 - 10% NYRSA discount + 8.25% NYC sales tax
_Store:_
Blades Second Ave. (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
New York, NY.,
_Purchase Date:_
12/1994
_Used for how long:_
1 month, avg 3 times per week
_Pros:_
Compared to my 1993 Lightning TRSes, lighter in weight, vented,
and holds larger wheels. All of this means that the Aeros are a
*lot* faster, and even when I'm standing still, I almost feel
like dancing around.
The three-buckle system allows quicker entry and exit, handy
during shopping or other intermittent non-skate activity. I now
consider myself an advocate of buckles in the buckles-vs-laces
argument, provided one is not engaged in radical skating activity
which might destroy the buckles.
The pump used to inflate the liner for a snugger fit around the
heel seems fairly useful, although once I'm out on the road, I
don't particularly notice whether I "pumped up" or not.
_Cons:_
I removed the ABT brake before I took the skates out for the first
time, so I can't comment on how (non)useful it might be. However, just
trying the skates out in the store, the ABT mounting got in the way
when I tried some forward/sideways/backwards transitions. I skate
brakeless, but two friends of mine who also got Aeros in the past
month, have replaced the ABTs with the brakes from their older
Rollerblades. (Give Rollerblade credit for not re-designing this
capability out of the skate.) New skaters probably won't even
realize that there's a "problem".
The frames aren't as rigid as on my TRSes and seem to be putting a
little sideways pressure on the axle of the second wheel (from the
front) so that those the axles put up a small fight when you're
trying to remove them for wheel rotation.
After the second day of skating on the new skates, I had one bearing
start to lock up on me. I had skated for about five blocks on a
slightly moist street on that second day, but all the other bearings
were okay, so I can't quite decide if it was a bad bearing from the
get-go or just bad luck.
The Aeros are definitely narrower than my old TRSes, so that people
with wide feet may find them unwearable. (Macroblades seem to be
even narrower, but I understand that Bravoblades are a bit wider.)
I've had a little trouble around the bottom of the rear half of my
feet, but this seems to come and go depending on if I've been dinking
around with the liner.
After one month of mixed slalom and street skating (no stair bashing
or curb grinding), one of the stock (77mm/78A) wheels is showing
signs it will come apart *very* soon and I have ordered my first of
replacement wheels (80mm/82A).
_Comments:_
An excellent skate for slalom skating and for tooling about town,
especially group skate activities, in which I found they make a
noticeable difference in whether you're at the front or back of
the pack. Also a good exercise skate for those who have not moved
up to 5-wheel or long-frame 4-wheel skates.
There are a few features which suggest that they could not handle
serious abuse (note my comment above about the non-rigid frame),
but they can apparently sustain quite a bit, as I have one friend
who does occasional stair bashing and curb grinding in his 1992
or 1993 version of this model.
Be sure to test out the pump system thorughly when purchasing a
pair, as one friend who purchased a pair found that one local
store had several pairs with one or both pumps somehow screwed up.
My rating below would be a 9/10 if I hadn't had to replace a
bearing and my wheels so soon.
Two months after writing the above review, I would like to note
that I have grown to increasingly depend on the pump heel-
retention feature. These days, my heels feel naked and the skates
feel just a little sloppy unless I have given each side 3 pumps
before I hit the road. I've heard complaints about other heel-
retention systems, but this this one. So upgrade my rating from
8 to 9.
_Rating:_
8
Reviewer: Jeff Gebler (DX2...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
1995 Macroblade
_Purchase Price:_
$180
_Store:_
Sportmart (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Calumet City IL,
_Purchase Date:_
01/1996
_Used for how long:_
a couple of days
_Pros:_
Good liner, wheels, boot, frame and bearings.
_Cons:_
Plastic spacers
_Comments:_
I changed the wheels and bearing after a couple of uses
to Fatboy whells and ABEC-1 bearings because I didn't want to mess up the
wheels and bearing that came with the skates. (the road still have salt and
water on them from the winter)
_Rating:_
9.5
Reviewer: Mike Letourneau (let...@lenti.med.umn.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Boxcar '95 or'96
_Purchase Price:_
$180
_Store:_
Maseys (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Off Vetrerens in Meterie LA,
_Purchase Date:_
04/1996
_Used for how long:_
2 mouths
_Pros:_
soild boot,good wheel setup for grinding
_Cons:_
wheels too hard for street
_Comments:_
cheap
_Rating:_
8.5
Reviewer: Jeremy (rain...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Bravoblade GL (93?)
_Purchase Price:_
160
_Store:_
sport chek (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
12/1993
_Used for how long:_
3 years
_Pros:_
-Memory buckles
-killer liner
_Cons:_
frame dosen't accomadate grind plates (my frame is now trash)
i guess they're pretty good. i don't think it's worth to spend that
extra bit to get the GLX, but don't cheap out and get the regular Bravoblades.h
e
_Comments:_
very comfortable once they're broken in
_Rating:_
excellent
Reviewer: Joao Paulo Nabais (J...@mail.telepac.pt)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Bravoblade GL 96
_Purchase Price:_
$200
_Store:_
Benetton Sports systems (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Lisbon,
_Purchase Date:_
11/1995
_Used for how long:_
9 months
_Pros:_
As a beginner I quite enjoyed the ABT brake, nevertheless it should be taken of
f
after a few months to allow a further evolution of one's skating techniques.
The brake is very durable and doesn't wear out easily, actually, so as the whee
ls
The ABEC 1 Bearings are very good and need little maintenance.
_Cons:_
The plastic boot is very easily scratched, perhaps a nylon one should be more
appropriate.
Another con is definitly its weight when compared with recent K2 Skates.
_Comments:_
Great skates to start, the ABT brake gave me a good control when I knew little
of inline skating. As I mentioned before its weight makes jumps somewhat
harder. My final conclusion is that I'm quite happy with them. Nonetheless
I'm planning on buying a K2 top product.
_Rating:_
7-8
Reviewer: Joao Paulo Nabais (J...@mail.telepac.pt)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Bravoblade GL 96
_Purchase Price:_
$200
_Store:_
Benetton Sports systems (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Lisbon,
_Purchase Date:_
11/1995
_Used for how long:_
9 months
_Pros:_
As a beginner I quite enjoyed the ABT brake, nevertheless it should be taken of
f
after a few months to allow a further evolution of one's skating techniques.
The brake is very durable and doesn't wear out easily, actually, so as the whee
ls
The ABEC 1 Bearings are very good and need little maintenance.
_Cons:_
The plastic boot is very easily scratched, perhaps a nylon one should be more
appropriate.
Another con is definitly its weight when compared with recent K2 Skates.
_Comments:_
Great skates to start, the ABT brake gave me a good control when I knew little
of inline skating. As I mentioned before its weight makes jumps somewhat
harder. My final conclusion is that I'm quite happy with them. Nonetheless
I'm planning on buying a K2 top product.
_Rating:_
7-8
Reviewer: Eric Lundberg (elun...@ucsd.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Bravoblade GLX (96)
_Purchase Price:_
$198 + tax and tip :-)
_Store:_
Play It Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
By Mira Mesa and 15 in San Diego, ???-????
_Purchase Date:_
05/1996
_Used for how long:_
Couple of months
_Pros:_
Fit me well, _and_ they came in my size 12.5 (shoe) Which an unfortunate numbe
r of skates don't. (Or at least are not stocked locally) Vented, and the pair
I got came with 76mm wheels instead of the 72mms which I saw in the same model
at the other stores I looked at. They take up to a 77mm I think. Came with ABE
C 1 rocks and are pretty light. I like the ABT brake as you can stop _fast_ ev
en while hauling ass.
_Cons:_
Better Bearing spacers, but then again most off the shelf models could use em..
.
_Comments:_
When I first started wearing them the middle outside edge of my feet felt sorta
constricted (dead), but I think this is more due to myself not wearing anythin
g on my feet besides overly large beat up van-like shoes for years, and I'm not
used to the confinement. The problem is no longer with me, as I've worn them
in pretty well know. Another thing to remember is that they are vented, which
is nice as they are cool and makes them light. And since they are pretty light
it easy to hop things in them. However they are a rec skate and I don't think
they will stand up to the kind of beating that trick skating would give them.
Though maybe if you got a hop up kit you could use them that way.
_Rating:_
A contented nine out of ten.
Reviewer: Marianne Sedacki (Mar...@aol.com)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
CoolBlade
_Purchase Price:_
$249
_Store:_
Sportmart (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Rte 45 (LaGrange Rd), Orland Park, IL ,
_Purchase Date:_
06/1994
_Used for how long:_
June 9, 1994
_Pros:_
3 buckles--good fit. Vented boot--niice. 80A hardness on the wheels that came
with--perfect hardness for me. ABT brake easy
for beginners, didn't feel like I was going to fall down when
braking. I like the fit...after I broke them in, that is. The ABT
brake is good for beginner's, altho many fellow skaters complain
that the ABT is a money making gimmick--I've tried the regular brake
and I prefer the ABT. The vented boot is nice for those very warm
days, altho it isn't as wonderful as walking in sandals! :)
_Cons:_
The ABT brake sometimes gets in the way doing backwards cross-overs with the br
aking boot. The ABT brake can be cumbersome when doing any maintenance on the
wheels.
_Comments:_
Overall I'm quite happy with my investment.
_Rating:_
8.5
Reviewer: John Kealy (jpk...@ix.netcom.com)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Fusion
_Purchase Price:_
around $250
_Store:_
(local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
none/none
_Used for how long:_
5 months
_Pros:_
Long frame allows for longer strides
Stock wheels are 77mm and can upgrade to 80mm
Incredible flex between cuff and boot
Soft comfortable liners
Adjustable frame for lateral adjustments
Comes with Blackhole Killer Bees ABEC 3 bearings
Direct vents that keep the feet fairly cool
ABT brake comes with a micro-adjustment dial for different level of skaters and
different terrains (ie. big hills)
Can purchase the skate in womans sizes that come with a lower and wider cuff to
accomidate her lower calf muscles
Shell wraps around entire foot and prevents that pinching feeling that you get
from other skates
_Cons:_
Cuff is a little too high
_Comments:_
This is great skate for anyone who truly enjoys in-line skating.
The Fusion has allowed me to go from general rec skating to serious cross-train
ing without having to change or adjust anything.
I would not use this skate for any aggressive skating like hockey and stunts, b
ut it will allow you to do anything else.
_Rating:_
9.5
Reviewer: D. James Stein (ste...@osu.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Lightning
_Purchase Price:_
$147.95
_Store:_
Play It Again Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
?, ?
_Purchase Date:_
03/1996
_Used for how long:_
Three months
_Pros:_
Outstanding skate for the price. Light, comfy. Lotsa add-ons (rail guards, etc.
) Extremely durable.
_Cons:_
No vents -> air flow is not very good. Straps can't be tightened a lot without
significant ankle constriction. Hard to clean some spots. Foot pad slips around
sometimes and it's hard to keep it flat when you're putting your foot in.
_Comments:_
I *love* these skates. I enjoyed them so much that three friends bought the sam
e exact pair of skates in the next month. The pros far outweigh the cons.
_Rating:_
8.9
Reviewer: Scott Weintraub (sco...@wam.umd.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Lightning TRS
_Purchase Price:_
$180
_Store:_
Herman's Sporting Goods (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
11/1993
_Used for how long:_
9 months
_Pros:_
Incredibly durable. Most accesseries are made to fit it. Priced nicely. Great
for almost any kind of skating: street, vert, hockey, recreation/fitness, tr
ansportation, etc.
_Cons:_
A little heavy, but not too heavy. Fits well, but not as well as some of the ot
her skates on the market. Kinda ugly. A friend of mine owns a pair of '94s an
d I noticed that the plastic between the wheels is a little thinner. Looks lik
e Rollerblade, Inc. cut back a little bit.
_Comments:_
The Lightning TRS comes with rather low-grade components (ABEC-1 bearings, pla
stic rockers, no hop-up kit) but you're really paying for the durable boot and
frame. The bearings, axels, and rockers can all be easily upgraded. So, if yo
u put a little more money into them, they can potentially be one of the best
skates out there. If you want to get into street or vert skating,
this skate has pretty much become the industry standard (Although
two new skates, the Tarmac CE from Rollerblade and the Moscow Ramp
from Roces, might change that). If you want to get into hockey, this
is a fantastic, low-budget skate to look into. It sure can take a
beating.
_Rating:_
For street/vert: 9 For hockey: 8
For recreation/fitness/transportation: 7
Reviewer: Timothy Chen (baby...@medisg.Stanford.EDU)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Macroblade Equipes
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_
Nuvo Colors (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
San Mateo, CA,
_Purchase Date:_
06/1994
_Used for how long:_
'bout a year
_Pros:_
Easy in, convenient carrying straps, easy out, high ankle support
_Cons:_
High ankle support prevents you from doing high jumps... at least for me. Ther
e are also kind of heavy, and cannot accelerate as quickly as other blades I've
noticed.
_Comments:_
Great Blades, love 'em.
_Rating:_
9
Reviewer: Khairul Khalifah (khal...@studsys.mscs.mu.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Powerblade 1994
_Purchase Price:_
US$179
_Store:_
Tres Bon Blades (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
11029 N. Pt Washington Rd 13W Mequon, WI, 414 241 1194
_Purchase Date:_
06/1995
_Used for how long:_
I year
_Pros:_
The boot is very comfortable, with lots of genuine leather and anti-abrasion pa
nels all round. Very durable. Also, the tongue portion is adequately padded to
enhance fit. The spokeless Rollerblade HPH 81A wheels are heavy, but long lasti
ng. Comes with serviceable Killer Bees bearings.
Powerblade is now known as the '96 Enforcer.
_Cons:_
As with most stitched leather boots, Powerblade takes a while to break-in. The
non-marking hardware (i.e. plastic coated axle nuts) scrape the pavement easily
during hard turns because they jut out from the frame too much.
Would've been better if the comfy boots came with aluminum frames instead of th
e same glass-filled nylon jobs used on rec/aggro skates such as Lightnings.
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
8.7
Reviewer: William W. Thigpen - RC (thi...@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Racerblade
_Purchase Price:_
N/A
_Store:_
Rollerblade (Blade for Breath award) (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
03/1993
_Used for how long:_
I skate between 50 and 200 miles/week year round
_Pros:_
There are a number of things I like about this skate, however,
I've only had the TRS's to compare them against. I like to commute on skates
(12.5 miles each way), so I need a skate that is comfortable and has good
speed to it. From the first time I put on the Racerblades, I was able to go
several hours in them. I upgraded the bearings to bones and upgraded the axle
system... before I used them the first time, so I can't speak to the off the
shelf quality of the running gear. For me, the brake is an important feature
and it seems like most five wheel skates don't have that as an option. I'm
still working on my form, so I'm not very competitive in races yet, however,
I did notice a significant differance on who I could keep up with on these
skates. They hold a good line on downhill portions with no wobble. Overall, I
like these skates and would recommend them.
_Cons:_
They are a little heavy, you can't change the position of the
frame, and they are a little high on the ankle
_Comments:_
I think that this is a good entry level race skate,
however, I am already ancy to upgrade to a different skate...I guess you
could say that 5000 miles is enough for any skate, however, my wife thinks
under two years is not long enough.
_Rating:_
9.5
Reviewer: Steve Chew (sch...@barney.poly.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Spiritblade 1996
_Purchase Price:_
99.95
_Store:_
NYC Skate (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
05/1996
_Used for how long:_
4 months
_Pros:_
The huge front and side vents keeps your feet dry even after hours of skating.
They are very light. The softer wheels make the ride easier. It uses a brake
pad that is available in many stores. Two straps make the skates easy to get o
n and off. It's pretty strong considering its a vented boot. Comes with ABEC-
1 serviceable bearings. The boot is comfortable and not too narrow. Great loo
king shell. Low price. The screws for the axle are grooved to prevent over-ti
ghtening. You get an even tightness for all the wheels.
_Cons:_
The shiny boot looses its shine after a couple of days out in the sun. The she
ll is made of soft materials. Crashes and impacts with benches and curbs resul
t in deep grooves and scratches on the boot. The hook used to hold the liner i
n place sometimes gets caught with the liner after jumping or doing stunts, mak
ing it necessary to sit down and straighten out the liner.
_Comments:_
Overall, this is a very good skate for beginners and intermediate skaters. I h
aven't had problems jumping (low heights) or doing stunts on these blades. You
might consider buying some aluminum spacers to replace the plastic spacers. I
t makes blading more fun and less tiring.
_Rating:_
8
Reviewer: Adam Hickey (expl...@earthlink.net)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
TarMac CE '96
_Purchase Price:_
$230
_Store:_
Tourque Center (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
03/1996
_Used for how long:_
4 months
_Pros:_
-Very comfortable when the boot molded to your foot.
-EXTREMELY DURABLE. Never had a problem with them.
-Came with good wheels (Black Hole Fat Free)
-Good bearings (A-BEC 3)
-Power Strap for extra support
_Cons:_
-At first the boot is very stiff and feels bad for a few days.
-Power Strap rips easily
-Plasic spacers
-Didnt like metal grind plate
_Comments:_
I told you just about everything I know about the skates
_Rating:_
9.7
Reviewer: Marco Zamboni (zam...@tech.chem.ethz.ch)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
Tarmac /CE '95
_Purchase Price:_
350 000 Lit
_Store:_
Longoni (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Barzano (Como) - Italy,
_Purchase Date:_
06/1996
_Used for how long:_
2 months
_Pros:_
very confortable
absoluty good wheels (Hyper 56/88)
power straps included
interior laces
_Cons:_
powerr straps can go kaputt very fast, after some bad grinds
grind plate is in unusable (for me)
_Comments:_
changing the grind plate with a teflon one
_Rating:_
8
Reviewer: Caesar Primus (cpr...@clam.rutgers.edu)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Rollerblade
_Model:_
VTX 5000
_Purchase Price:_
$145
_Store:_
Local sports chain (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
04/1995
_Used for how long:_
4 months
_Pros:_
+ Memory Closure System outstanding; once set, never have to
worry about finding the proper tightness, like with laces
+ Comfort, comfort, comfort
+ Feels like putting on your shoes/sneakers
+ solid construction; feels and looks sturdy
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
I've worn/tried on other skates and this feels as
if it were made for me; easy to put on and take off, I'd recommend these with
no reservations or hesitation; if one can purchase them on sale (as I did), do
it!
_Rating:_
10
Reviewer: Kenneth Wong (Art4...@leonis.nus.sg)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Spoga
_Model:_
Turbine
_Purchase Price:_
$200
_Store:_
Gallen Sports (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
02/1995
_Used for how long:_
1 month
_Pros:_
Zytel Dupont frame (bloody tuff frame)
SKF ABEC-5 bearings (Made in Italy)
Rockering capability
Very thick and tuff inner boot
Can be converted from 3-buckle to lace and ankle buckle or just laces
_Cons:_
Rather heavy
Buckles may apply too much pressure on some parts of foot (ouch)
Frame is not rigid enough for stunts.
_Comments:_
This blade may not be available in some places. In Singapore , it's
marketed under the Spoga brand but I don't know about overseas. It's
still called the Turbine no matter which label they use cos only one
company produces it. The Turbine is NOT a serious stunt blade but it can
take hell of a thrashing. The ABEC-5 bearings may not seem fast at first
but after wearing it in for 1 week, they spun like crazy. The inner boot
is very cushy and hasn't flattened out on me yet. The unique frame design
allows the user a lot of options and is good for recreational, speed and
even hockey. Has good alue for money.
_Rating:_
8.5
Reviewer: Morten Nissov (m...@emi.dtu.dk)
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
Ultra Wheels
_Model:_
Millenium 96
_Purchase Price:_
2100 dkr
_Store:_
Surf og Ski (local store)
_Location/Phone:_
Gentofte, Denmark,
_Purchase Date:_
05/1996
_Used for how long:_
1 month
_Pros:_
+ Good fit especially for wide feet.
+ Large wheels (80 mm Hyper).
+ Good bearings (Twincam TK ABEC 5).
+ Coolmax inner boot makes them moderate warm/cool.
+ Good brake: the DBS-XT brake which is a heigth and resistence
adjustable disc brake.
_Cons:_
+ Buckle design could be improved - if the buckle in the middle
is tightened to much the platic on the tongue of the inner
boot hurts the upper part of the foot.
+ The cooling could be better: a perforated sole (Fusion MX)
would be nice.
+ Shock absorption is missing, see the sorbothane treatment
below.
_Comments:_
A very good skate for a reasonable price. I consider the UW to be comparable to
K2 VO2max and Rollerblade Fusion MX in quality and somewhat cheaper. It was t
he only skate that my somewhat wide feet could fit comfortably into except for
the K2 VO2max which also fitted nicely (but I wanted a plastic boot so that I w
ould not ruin them by falling). And it accepts 82 mm wheels as far as I know.
I improved the fit by inserting sorbothane heel caps in the plastic boot: it ra
ised my heel a bit and made them just a bit more comfortable.
For fitness and cross training I will highly recommend it: good for many kilome
ters.
_Rating:_
9
Reviewer: ()
_Product Type:_
skate
_Brand:_
tecnica
_Model:_
_Purchase Price:_
_Store:_
(local store)
_Location/Phone:_
,
_Purchase Date:_
/
_Used for how long:_
_Pros:_
_Cons:_
_Comments:_
_Rating:_
_________________________________________________________________
Product Review Form
Review by:
Email:
Product type:
Brandname:
Model name/number:
Purchase price:
Store bought from: (mail order or local)
Store addrs/phone:
Date purchased:
How long have you:
used it
Pros:
Cons:
Additional comments:
My personal rating: 1 to 10 (10 = Best)
Feel free to use non-integer ratings (5.6) or a range (6.5 to 7).
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part18
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Abroad_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - ABROAD
Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996
Recent changes include:
* Added Japan info from K. Ochiai (6/6)
* Added Hamburg, DE skating Web link (7/2)
* Added Helsinki, FI skating Web link (7/2)
* Added Amsterdam, NL info from Robert Schmunk (7/2)
* Added Adelaide and Melbourne, AU info from Peter Milway (7/2)
* Added Copenhagen, DK info from Jens Christian Sm?rum (7/25)
* Added Amsterdam, NL info from Gavin Bell (9/16)
Table of Contents
* Europe
+ Austria
+ Denmark
+ Germany
+ Finland
+ The Netherlands
+ Norway
+ Spain
+ Sweden
+ United Kingdom
* Asia
+ Hong Kong
+ Japan
+ Singapore
* Australia
+ Australian Capital Territory
+ New South Wales
+ Queensland
+ South Australia
+ Victoria
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* Western North America
+ California
* Central North America
* Northeastern North America
* Southeastern North America
_________________________________________________________________
Europe
Austria
Web sites for Austria info:
* Inline Skaters' Corner Vienna (includes Graz and Linz info):
http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9126683/inline.htm
_________________________________________________________________
Denmark
Copenhagen
From: Jens Christian Sm?rum (J...@TAASTRUP.TDM.dk400.dk)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 15:01:55 +0200
_- The Common (Faelledparken)_
Skatepark, situated next to the emergency room (!!), with both ramps,
rails and misc stuff for all. Alot of the aggressive skaters of
Copenhagen hang out here to practise and to meet, but also alot of
newbies come here to watch and practise too. Next to the park is the
Panum Institute, where you'll find some of the best stairs in the
city.
_- The Harbour Area (Langelinie)_
In the harbour area of Copenhagen you have probably the best place to
skate and meet other skaters. There is an old pier (500-600 meters
long) with excellent asphalt. Only problem is that Cruise ships that
visit Copenhagen 'parks' here so there is always alot of traffic and
people to watch out for (Cruise ships comes by from May to September).
The nearby yacht club provides the other part of the area. The smooth
surface has made this spot the most visited place by skaters in
Copenhagen. Excellent for freestyle and for overall practicing. Almost
always improvised slalom tracks.
_- Strandvejen_
From the harbour of Copenhagen and about 20 kilometers north you have
good bikepaths with smooth asphalt rigth next to the sea between
Denmark and Sweden. On a clear day you can see all the way to Sweden,
but most important you get a nice long run to one of the best beaches
in the area. Next to the beach (Bellevue Beach) you can rent skates,
and many come here to have fun on the weekends.
_- Generally_
We have lots of bikepaths in Copenhagen, most of them with excellent
surfaces, only problem here is the bikes. But by law, skaters are
pedestrians and can therefore only skate on the sidewalks (hmm...) But
the police often just comment that you should get off the street and
then drive on. The pedestrian street, called 'Stroeget', is sort of ok
for skaters, but very crowded. There are several place where you can
rent skates, so the problem isn't to big if you have forgotten your
own skates. The price is about $10 for 2h.
_________________________________________________________________
Germany
Web sites for Germany info:
* Inline Skating Berlin:
http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~paulusst/inline/
* Inline Skating in Hamburg:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Martin_Lucht/
_________________________________________________________________
Finland
Web sites for Finland info:
* Helsinki Inline Skating:
http://www.sci.fi/~pasin/inline/
_________________________________________________________________
The Netherlands
Web sites for Netherlands info:
* Bonzo's Netherlands skate FAQ:
http://www.nada.kth.se/~johannes/inline/
* Lowlevels' Vert Page, Amsterdam skate sites:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~lowlevel/skate/amsterdam.html
* Dutch Skeeler Homepage rinks list:
http://www.ph.tn.tudelft.nl/~aarnoud/speed/rinks.html
Amsterdam
From: r...@skatecity.com (Robert Schmunk)
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 96
I took my skates along during a recent visit to Amsterdam. The weather
wasn't particularly cooperative, but I did manage to get a half day of
skating in. Here're some impressions:
There are bike lanes all over Amsterdam, and there are also _lots_ of
bicycles and motorscooters using them. Skaters also use them, but the
ratio of bicyclists to skaters that I observed seemed on the order of
500 to 1. (Note: These are cyclists using their one-speeds for
transportation, not 18-speed warriors like you encounter in a lot of
US citites.) Go ahead and use these lanes to skate, but keep an eye
and ear open to make sure you're not blocking someone who wants to
pass.
Many of the bike lanes, sidewalks and streets are paved with brick. In
many places the brick is close fitting, but in many places it has
beveled edges and in a lot of places it's pretty worn. On the busier
streets, you may also have trolley tracks to contend with. Don't hit
the streets unless you know how to handle such terrain.
The two particular places where I encountered a lot of skaters are
Vondelpark and the Museumplein, both of which are WSW of Central
Amsterdam and near the Rijksmuseum. Vondelpark is where recreational
skaters go and do loops. Although the road in the park is fairly wide
and auto-free, traffic is two-way and not everybody is paying
attention to what they're doing. In other words, speedskating is
probably not too wise here, as you never know when someone else is
going to blunder into your path. The loop around the park is on the
order of two-miles and absolutely flat; I was able to do it in 10
minutes without having to put the hammer down.
The Museumplein is where the aggro skaters hang out, as there's a
miniramp and a really big halfpipe. The miniramp is in pretty crappy
condition, with lots of loose plywood panels, but except for graffiti,
the halfpipe looked to be in good shape.
I had numerous recommendations that I should hit the bikepaths
connecting Amsterdam to other Dutch cities, but again the weather was
fairly cruddy while I was there and I wimped out. Haarlem is pretty
close and the beach not far beyond; Rotterdam and Den Haag look like
they'd make a good day skate.
If you're looking to meet up with other skaters in Amsterdam, your
best bet may be to drop in at one of the Rodolfo's skate shops. One is
in the Magna shopping center, a block from the Dam; the other is on
Sarphatistraat just off the Weesperplein.
From: g...@psyc.nott.ac.uk (Gavin Bell)
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 01:10:49 +0000
The weather is pretty poor in Amsterdam, a mixture of torrential
downpours followed by tempting sunshine, so be prepare to clean and
dry off your skates each day. I managed to get in about a day and a
half of not quite full time skating. Sort of skating and exploring the
city....
When I was there, late August there were lots of other skaters, mostly
if not exclusively inline skates. It also seemed that one shop in ten
sold skates, I must have seen about 20 odd shops selling skates. There
are also lots of really good cafes selling wheat-beer, coffee and
baguettes etc, which you can hide in if it pours.
The cycle tracks are lovely and smooth, something UK cities could take
notice off. Along the canal sides it is mainly cobbled, so this gives
a bumpy ride, but it is not too bad. I watched some people take a real
fall in the tram lanes, not a safe thing to do, as the trams see to
stop for no-one, so be careful of them. On the whole Amsterdam is a
really cool flat place to skate and you don't get too much hassle from
people, just be polite.
I saw some aggro skaters in the Museumplein and some speed skaters
there on a Sunday working out in one of the carparks. Unfortuantely I
didn't manage to get to the Vondelpark, but was told it was good to
skate in. Just in front of the Centraal station I would recommend you
avoid, far too many stoned people and too many trams and just no fun;
it is also a horrendous tourist trap, try the Liedsplein instead for
gentle skating and cafes too.
I even managed to get into Vroom and Dreisman, a large department
store, and skate about in there. Security didn't say boo to me, so it
was fine just slowly zooming about. I even had lunch there on my
skates. Basically I didn't get told to leave by anyone, but I didn't
go too fast or skate everywhere. I did look at the art galleries and
they are all very happy to take your skates and look after them, it is
even free to store bags with security.
On the whole Amsterdam is a good fun place to skate if you don't mind
the occasional soaking.
_________________________________________________________________
Norway
Oslo
From: can...@oslo.Geco-Prakla.slb.com
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 96 23:09:48 +0100
In the short summer that we have there are some pretty good places to
rollerblade. One place is Frogner Park where you can stairbash, jump &
rail slide. There are huge areas to just skate around. There is a
problem with people but it's legal.
Around City Hall there are also some awesome places for stairbashing,
grinds and big air.
In Aker Brygge you can grind and 360 and there are some stairs. The
surface in some parts is really good asphalt. You're not really
allowed skate here but you can get away with it.
At CC West below the parking lot there are seven foot drop offs and
grinds. The good thing about that is that there are no people there.
Oslo is a great city for skitching on the little trolleys (they're
called trykks here) that are all over the city. People here are not
used to it, so they get a little mad.
The subway station in Oslo City (called Jernebanetorget) has some
awesome stairs for stair bashing and rail sliding but again there is
the factor of people.
Right outside the Oslo Spektrum (sports arena) in a place called
GronLand is a great place for learning how to get air. It's a raised
circular area were you can learn to do 540s, if you crash you are
saved by the grass.There is also a great place to learn how to
railslide, it's a metal edge curve. We're really lucky because one of
our dads manages the Spektrum and in the winter we skate along the
concourse. Once in a awhile we skate on the main floor also. Their is
a flight of thirty stairs outside the Spektrum, a few months ago I was
stairbashing that same flight of stairs, and broke my arm.
Norway is not the best place to buy rollerblades because they cost
about 2 to 3 times as much as they would in America. There are no
roller rinks or places to rent rollerblades in Oslo. I know of one
halfpipe in oslo, and that's in Rykinn at Rykinn Hallen (sport's
facilty).
The street's of Oslo are overall pretty good.
_________________________________________________________________
Spain
Costa del Sol
From: so-...@stekt12.oulu.fi (Marko Wirtanen)
Date: 05 Nov 1995 08:19:37 GMT
I visited Costa del Sol at the beginning of September. I had a good
time with my skates. The town is Fuengirola which is located near
Malaga. The town has an 8 kilometers long beach promenade covered with
ceramic plates. It is smooth enough for sk8ing at most parts.
During the week i saw surprigingly few people skating there, all of
them were couple of youngsters. So i think that inlining is quite new
thing for local people, because most of them I saw had quads.
Anyway, the beach promenade is best road to skate there, because the
mountains begin just behind the town. The best time to skate is in the
mornings and during "siesta" time. In the evenings there is too much
people walking around there.
There are many sports good shops in the town, but only one is selling
inline skates. They had a few pairs of the Rollerblades and some other
"trade marks". [...]
The travel guide said that there is one place in town, which rents the
skates. It is open only at sundays.
So my conclusion is that inlining is rather unknown thing for
Andalucian people (southern part of Spain).
_________________________________________________________________
Sweden
Stockholm
From: sp...@iafrica.com (Mark Stockton)
Date: 19 Jul 1995 20:51:32 +0200
I just got back from holiday there... there are bicycle paths next to
just about every road in Stockholm. I saw a few guys skating down them
without helmets. The paths cover quite a distance, but are usually
quite busy (it seems that half of Stockholm is cycling at any time).
Don't know about any parks or specific places to blade.
_________________________________________________________________
United Kingdom
* London
* Brighton
London
From: bc...@lsi-logic.co.uk (William Corr)
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 14:33:09 BST
_Central London_
Hyde Park - around the Serpentine (lake) is probably the mecca for
London in-liners. The main part of the park itself is good for
skating, but the paths tend to get a bit crowded with people.
Finsbury Park - supposedly the mecca for in-line speed skaters. They
meet on Sundays around 12pm.
Stockwell/Brixton - there is an old skateboard park at the Brixton end
of Stockwell road. Free entry, watch out for debris and dodgy
characters.
_South London_
Dulwich Park - the central path ways are fairly smooth, but are
usually too crowded. The perimeter road is pretty good; the cars are
usually travelling very slowly so they don't mind the skaters. The
spur road near the A205 is good for learners as it's smooth and
blocked off as a parking area.
Crystal Palace Park - very good, lots of smooth wide pathways (it used
to be a car race track!). Watch out for the leaves in autumn.
Herne Hill Cycle Track - 5 wheel heaven! Brand new banked track for
bicycle racing. Probably free use if you speak nicely to the
groundsman.
_West London_
Richmond Park - central paved paths are quite good. Can be very busy
at weekends. Why do people go to a huge park and still walk on the
paths when there is 5 square miles of grass? The perimeter road would
be good for speed freaks, watch out for the steep hill ending at a
junction. A perimeter bike path is rumoured to be under construction.
Marble Hill Park - not bad, fairly smooth. Thames foot path is a bit
rough towards the West.
River Crane Walk, Twickenham - very smooth and flat pathway along the
side of a stream. It leads into a nature reserve. Very pretty, but
tends to get crowded with dog walkers.
Norbiton, nr BR station - sightings of ramps and half pipes. No more
details available yet.
From: Simon Wood (sim...@zed-inst.demon.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 1995 17:00:25 GMT
This is sort of a review of Hyde Park (from the novice point of view):
Last night a friend (Emma) and myself went skating in Hyde Park,
London. It is the first time we have ventured to this 'Meca' of
British skating and we were both plesently supprised.
We arrived at about 7:30pm (due to work commitments) and had a little
difficulty parking, eventually we got lucky and found a space on the
spine road.
After kitting up we headed down to the Serpentine and skated along the
marked skate track, which runs east-west along the edge of the lake.
There were quite a few familes with small children and prams, but
these didn't prove too much of a obstical providing we kept our speed
down to a gentle stroll.
We then head to the west of the park, where we found the 'infamous'
gritted tracks (park authorises have placed grit on some tacks/parts
of tracks to discourage skaters), these were very effective at
stopping skaters. Unfortunatly they also stop pedesitrians and
cyclists as well, thus cramming everybody onto a narrower section of
track. This proberbly causes MORE of a hazzard.
The west corner of the park seemed to be a little hiller, but was
fairly quite and it was easy to skate with confidence and not having
to worry too much about running into people or be run into.
By the Royal Albert Hall, there is a slamom track marked with yellow
paint (two lanes), presumable the cones come out for the events. Emma
had a go and did quite well, but I'm not that good (yet!).
At about 9:00pm the police informed us the gardens (west half of the
park ?) were closing and asked us to leave by the nearest exit. We
then skated along the pavement of the spine road and back to the skate
track next to the Serpentine (the east half of the park doesn't
close), where we skated to about 10:00pm, had a drink from a burger
stall and then went home for tea (!).
In general the attitude of the skaters and pedestrians was very good,
most gave each other plenty of space to pass although it was mildly
annoying that some people walked 6 or 7 abreast. The only real problem
I saw was a few teenagers who had been stopped by the police for
skating too fast, I can't say how fast as I didn't see them before
they were stopped.
Overall the experience was a very positive one, two hours of skating
on smooth roads is bound to improve your confidence and skill and I
came away feeling really good about my skating. It was also fun to
watch the other (better) skaters to get ideas of things to try later.
It was also good to see some positive action for skaters such as the
marking of a skate lane and a slamom course.
The only down side is that I would imagine that the weekends would get
far too busy, but the various competitions could be fun to sit and
watch.
Skating recomendation: 8 out of 10, good for learner and fair skaters.
From: Jeff_R...@vos.stratus.com (Jeffers)
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 13:12:15 +0000
Just thought I'd mention Richmond Park as a good venue for novice
in-liners. There are several miles of undulating tarmac, that is
traffic free and wide enough to practice stops, turns and even spins.
Most of it is through grassland so _relatively_ soft landings/run-outs
are available. I've yet to see more than half a dozen people there on
skates, though cyclists (me included) and pedestrians are plentiful.
Watch out for the gravel at Ham Gate and half way along the path from
Ham Cross to Spanker's Hill Wood: which is the nicest section by far.
So if you new/looking for an alternative to the central parks try
Richmond: but not too many please! Hopefully the Dame Jennifer
Jenkings review on the use of Royal Parks will not ban it. If you want
to add your voice to consultation you can write to:
The Dame Jennifer Jenkings Review Group
The Royal Parks
The Old Police House
Hyde Park
London W2 2UK.
And add your views on the need for skate access to the parks.
Brighton
From: mhlo...@dircon.co.uk (mary lojkine)
Date: 1 Nov 1995 19:54:10 GMT
The front is supposed to be good for recreational skating, certainly
at the Brighton end. Towards Hove I think it's more docks and
industrial areas, but I could be wrong - I've not spent much time
there.
Some of the other promenades along the South Coast are also supposed
to be good, for example Bognor and Worthing (all three places recently
featured in an article in the new UK skate magazine, 1st In-line).
However, the weather is pretty unpredictable - you should get some
good days, but it could rain all the time. Sorry, this is England.
_________________________________________________________________
Asia
Hong Kong
From: Dirk.Schl...@frankfurt.netsurf.de (Dirk Schlossmacher)
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 00:01:34 GMT
I bought my coolblades there in August and couldn't stand to wait
learning it till I would be back in Germany. So I started my skating
experience on Nathan Road (on a sunday! ;) going down all the way to
HK Island (taking the star ferry with the skates ;).
The gratest place to skate was the landmark - very smooth floor! It
seemed that I was the first skater in there and the security didn't
really know what to do with me... In the Pacific Place Mall (much
larger very smooth floor space!) I was stopped afetr a while by the
security.
From: eel...@uxmail.ust.hk (Curtis Ling)
Date: 15 Mar 1996 06:13:27 GMT
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has a decent
parking lot (or car park, to all you brits) for skating. It's larger
than the size of a decent ice rink, and lit so you can skate in the
evenings as well. Good place to play hockey, but there aren't many
skaters among the faculty and students here. If I weren't so freaking
busy I'd be there every evening, weather permitting.
Elsewhere in Hong Kong, you can skate in Shatin along the canal, all
the way north past Tai Mei Tuk, about 8 miles (I'm guessing) of
relatively flat bike path. There are also a few more limited places to
skate around Tsimshatsui. Various people have indicated to me that
Bowen Road and certain parts of Discovery Bay are reasonably
skateable, but don't expect miles of flat, perfect blacktop. You can
also try skating along a 3-mile section of High Island Reservoir,
where I run a lot.
The smog here is highly overrated. Hong Kong can't hold a candle to
LA.
_________________________________________________________________
Japan
From: och...@momo.mmp.cl.nec.co.jp (K.Ochiai)
Date: 17 Apr 1996 00:31:55 GMT
In article [...] aim...@aol.com (AIM120a) writes:
I'm moving to Yokosuka in a couple of months. Is there ANYONE out
there who skates, and if so where?
in Tokyo...
a) Ko-rakuen roller-skate rink:
Inline available. for Roller-dance.
at Eidan line - Ko-rakuen.
b) Komazawa park:
for Hockey and Aggressive skating.
at Den-en line - Komazawa Daigaku(Komazawa Univ.).
c) Kasai-Rinkai park:
for Halfpipe, Aggressive, fitness.
at Keiyou line - Kasai Rinkai Kouen(Kasai Rinkai park)
d) Harajuku Hokoten:
for Roller-dance.
at JR line - Harajuku.
e) ROX3:
for Jump, Roller-dance.
at Ginza line - Tawara-cho(Tawara machi??)
near Tokyo...
f) Hikarigaoka park:
for Halfpipe, Aggressive.
in Saitama. at Toei 12th line - Hikarigaoka
Singapore
From: li...@temasek.teleview.com.sg (Shariene)
Date: 8 Nov 1995 22:45:52 +0800
Hi, I'm Singaporean, and no, it is not that wonderful to skate in this
country. You see, you can't skate in the CBD, 'coz the cops will come
after you. If you're talking about grinding, I don't think the cops
know much about it, but they certainly will not like people chipping
bits off the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles. It's cool if you stick to
the suburbs, I guess. But shops don't let skaters go in with their
skates on. (then again, which shops do?)
The skate scene here is definately growing. However, there isn't quite
enough in the skating population to actually hold competitions for
aggressive. Hockey, well, yeah, the scene here is pretty big. But not
for aggro, no.
I don't think this is the best place to skate in the world. I'm sure
SanFran or LosAnge have better rails and stuff. One thing good about
S'pore is that you don't have to take 2 hours to travel from one end
to the other. But one setback is the absolute lack of ramps. If you
find any ramps here, please tell me. I have to know. Thanx.
_________________________________________________________________
Australia
* Australian Capital Territory
* New South Wales
* Queensland
* South Australia
* Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
Canberra
From: m...@posmac.UUCP (Mark Purcell)
Date: Unknown
The network of bike paths is quite extensive, one can go from one end
of the city to the other on bike paths. The paths are all >1.5m and
made from hot mix, which makes them fast and ideal for pole work
training for X-C.
There is nothing like blading around the lake just as the sun is
coming up over the mountains, with the smallest amount of mist over
the lake, and only one or two joggers/cyclists to worry about.
There are some problems though, before most road crossings there is a
section of about 1.5-2 m of concrete bumps, which play like hell on
the legs. It is possible to jump these but not the easiest.
_________________________________________________________________
New South Wales
Sydney
From: Hunter Craig Richard Tys (hun...@server.uwindsor.ca)
Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 17:45:31 GMT
Manly has a nice 5 km track of smooth pavement that goes along the sea
and around manly. Also if you follow the track around it takes ya to a
small skate park. (Half pipe and a cement bowl) though it seems that
it's always teeming with skateboarders. Manly blades store in manly,
it's on the main road by the beach has a good selection of stuffs.
There is also another store, also along the beach road.. but I forget
it's name.
_________________________________________________________________
Queensland
Brisbane
From: e430...@dingo.cc.uq.oz.au (Michael Cheng)
Date: 24 Oct 1994 10:25:56 GMT
The Riverside bike path along Coronation drive: heads from the city to
Toowong. It's a nice flat stretch, not really wide, but nice scenery.
The Skate Ramp just off Hale St (almost next to Lang Park). The only
times I've ever been there, its been packed out with truly excellent
skaters (making me feel rather inadequate). Some of the stuff is just
_awesome_. Once you get here, ask anyone, and I'm sure they'll be able
to suggest more spots.
I, myself, skate at the University of Queensland Campus. Rent a Cop
security guards are continually on your case though.
_________________________________________________________________
South Australia
Adelaide
From: Peter Milway (pmi...@ozemail.com.au)
Date: 22 Mar 1996 06:08:11 GMT
A lot more restrictive [than Melbourne] - No skating in the CBD. No
skating at night. Compulsary Helmets. Can't skate on bike tracks that
are on the road. Can't skate on multi-lane roads.
Along with these restrictions, the police are very heavy on
enforcement. During a very large festival last month they nabbed
skaters without helmets, and on main roads in the centre of the city.
But these guys were performers on the way to their show - No excuse!
One of the reasons for the crackdown is that soem kids on blades did a
bag snatch sometime last year, and this is a reaction to it.
_________________________________________________________________
Victoria
Melbourne
Web sites with Melbourne info:
* Joan McGalliard's "Melbourne Inline Resources":
http://netspace.net.au/~jem/inline
From: will...@numbat.cs.rmit.AU.AU (Krensen)
Date: 30 Jun 94 06:53:20 GMT
There's a lot of great skating spots 'round here, but I'll tell of a
cupla faves:
1. The Swanston street walk thing.. It's the main street of Melbourne
and it's about the smoothest in town... like marble! At one end is
the Museum, at the other a train station and there's a slight
downhill gradient between the two... The fun bit is getting in
behind the trams and getting sucked along by the draft... it's
also fairly good fun since skating in the CBD is illegal between
7am and 10pm... :-)
2. The trek between the Station and St. Kilda beach... Heaps of
smooth road and footpath, slightly downhill, lots of businesses
with steps/ramps/curbs at the front... St Kilda beach has a great
track which goes for miles and is full of inline people... it's
got a great vibe and heaps of grass to fall over on for learning
those new tricks... Also lots of beginner skaters to crash into!
From: Peter Milway (pmi...@ozemail.com.au)
Date: 22 Mar 1996 06:08:11 GMT
Skate where and when you like except for Melbourne CBD (during the day
time only??), and inside of large shopping centres etc where the are
signs to say you can't. You can use all and sundry bike tracks of
which there are probably near 200+ Km's. And also on the road when you
don't make a nuisance of yourself (ie messy collision with a car :-) I
regularly skate past police, when on the road or footpath in my home
town, and never have they said anything either way - but I am in a
semi-country town. The most popular place for cruising is the StKilda
beach forshore, where there is an 8Km long flat bike track along the
the beach. It makes a nice 16Km round trip, and most of it is really
smooth asphalt. There is also a very large public park that has heaps
of bike tracks, and has no restrictions on skaters.
Finally - no restrictions on clothing ie Helmets or pads etc. (And I
am not getting into an argument over what should be compulsary :-)
There is a group of extreme people who go through the Melbourne CBD on
a Wednesday or Thursday night. Not sure when. They are either
tolerated, or it is legal at night. They get 50+ people at times on
their trips. Contact any skating shop in Melbourne, but I think that
BladeWorx in Kew (920 Glenferrie Rd Ph 03-9819-9991) are the people
who organise it - If not they will know who does.
There are also one or two commercial skateparks around - Don't know
the details. And also quite a few free public half pipes around.
_________________________________________________________________
_-rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs maintained by Tony Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)_
_-"Where to Skate" edited by Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)_
_________________________________________________________________
_General Info_ _Techniques_ _Marketplace_ _Where to Skate_ Index
FAQs
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Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part16
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Northeastern North America_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA
Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996
Recent changes include:
* Added Westchester County, NY, info from Mike Kahn
(ka...@xyplex.com) (6/6)
* Added Cape Cod info from J...@DELPHI.COM (7/2)
* Added Newport, RI info from Stern (7/21)
* Deleted Newport, RI info from Geoff Falen (7/21)
* Added Rochester, NY, Morris County, NJ and Stamford, CT info from
Orlando C. Fernando (8/16)
Table of Contents
* Connecticut
* Massachusetts
* New Jersey
* New York
* Pennsylvania
* Quebec
* Rhode Island
* Vermont
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* Western North America
+ California
* Central North America
* Southeastern North America
* Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.
_________________________________________________________________
Connecticut
* Stamford
* Waterbury
* Killingworth
Stamford
From: "Orlando C. Fernando" (ocfe...@MailBox.Syr.Edu)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 02:34:39 -0400 (EDT)
1. Cove Island Beach
directions: Route 1 to Weed Ave (just at the Stamford/Darien
border). Go to end. Sign for Cove Beach bearing left. (This beach
also accessible from Cove Rd.)
descriptions: from the parking lot, once you go over the
pedestrian bridge to Cove Island beach, a wide series of level
beginner/ endurance paths await you. There's even a marked lane
for bladers! Taking the guided path one lap I'd say is over 3/4
mi. Respect the other bladers, bikers, and pedestrians as it's
quite an occupied beach during the summer. Intermediates/experts
may want to dare weaving in and out of the lined wooden posts just
after the island entranceway. Snack bar halfway in the lap on the
beach.
2. Stamford High School
directions: on Strawberry Hill Rd. (accessible from Hillingdale
Ave. from the back).
descriptions: the high school stadium has a 1/4 mi. level smooth
surface circular track (with some thin cracks), perfect for
practicing backward skating and crossovers. The sloping parking
lot just west of the stadium may pose some fun for intermediate
slalom skaters but watch the cars from the bottom!
Waterbury
From: ls...@cnsvax.albany.edu (Lorre Smith)
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 1995 15:05:39
RollerMagic (was called High Rollers) rink in Waterbury, Ct. on
Industry Ave, just off Lakewood.
This rink is tucked in behind what looks like a main suburban
commercial strip.
It has a very large snack bar/video game area and a smallish rink. The
sound system is very good and a live dj takes requests all night long.
We paid $6.00 each admission for a 7:30-11:30 session.
They rent in-line and conventional skates, and the crowd seemed to be
about half and half.
The rink surface is wood, but it appears to have been built on top of
a very solid surface, which seems like concrete. It is marvelous!! The
small size means there is constantly a turn to be made, but it is
indeed a real pleasure to keep turning on that great rink surface. The
middle seems to be reserved for better skaters who are trying out
their trick moves.
I visited on a Saturday night, and there were no "specials" except one
ladies only and one men only. The rest of the night was just pure good
skating. It seemed to be a teenage crowd, with the occasional adult,
but the skill level was fairly good, so there wasn't a lot of
thrashing about or falling. The dj took requests and played a lot of
rap, r&b and dance music, much to the pleasure of a _great_ group of
dancers on the sidelines.
RollerMagic has another rink on South Main Street in Waterbury, but I
have only seen the rink, not yet skated on it.
Killingworth
From: Lynna.Sto...@yale.edu (Lynna Stone-Infeld)
Date: Tue, 11 Jul 1995 15:28:01 +0000
A great place to skate is Chatfield Hollow State Park on Route 80 near
the Madison-Killingworth border. A bit of a trek from CCSU, but well
worth it. Bring your bathing suit for an after skate swim.
_________________________________________________________________
Massachusetts
* Nashoba Valley
* Boston
* Hingham
* Cape Cod
* Martha's Vineyard
Nashoba Valley
The Nashoba Valley chapter of the In-Line Club of Boston maintains a
Web page of skate sites at the URL:
http://www.sk8net.com/icb/nvcfav.html.
Boston
The trails on the Charles (at least when I left in 1989) could not
meet this policy. There are plenty of places where it would be
physically impossible for one bicycle to pass another unless there was
no opposing traffic. Portions of the trail up near the Allston exit of
the Mass Pike immediately come to mind.
I lived in Boston for 10 years. Fortunately, I was able to schedule my
work to avoid the crunch time on the trails--in to work after 10AM,
leave work after 6PM. The most fun was skating at night along the
Charles (yes, O'Leary, with light and helmet). This may have been
dangerous, but I rarely, if ever, saw any sinister types along the
park at that hour.
There are some pretty decent places to skate in Boston other than the
Charles. The linear park along the new Orange Line wasn't bad. I did a
lot of my practicing on the linear park from Davis to Alewife on the
Red Line. At that time, the nearly-empty Alewife parking lot, with its
gentle ramps and not-so- gentle spirals, was an excellent place to
learn hills.
From: Damon@nomaD
Date: Unknown
Maximus Skate Park has a half-pipe and a quarter-pipe street skating
area. 576-4723.
From: spectre@albert (Jeff Schreiber)
Date: 28 Jul 1995 21:56:29 GMT
[Re Maximus Skate Park]
One half pipe... a bunch of quarters against the walls, and a 4 foot
half-bowl. Not bad, but all the years I've been there, I've hardly
seen anything new, and they're getting holes in the platforms on the
vert ramp.. etc... They're now sticking to the $10 for non members
also, so there's no getting in for 'five skate bucks' anymore... Eh...
it's the only thing around now... but there will be more coming. they
are breaking ground for a public town run park with a cement bowl, and
more stuff, in Duxbury. Plymouth is also looking to put one in. There
is a guy at Scarecrow Skate Shop in Plymouth that is looking for a
warehouse to open a private park around Kingston. A friend of mine is
also looking for investors to go in with him for a place in Salem, NH.
The bad news? The kingston idea would be designed for Skateboarders,
and the Duxbury plans are around skateboarders... but that's no big
deal. The Salem NH idea would be designed around BMX. Sorry it's so
messy... trying to get out of here! :)
From: mdic...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
Date: Unknown
FYI: There are 2 Night Skates in Boston that happen on a regular
basis:
one is on Tuesday night, meet at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River;
leaves around 8:30 pm (or as soon as it's reasonably dark). Your $10
covers 3 glow sticks & some soft drinks. $5 each time thereafter. This
is a leisurely skate--no tricks or racing or jumping or stairs, etc...
unless you individually want to ;-> This skate is sponsored by John
Gilmore, who is somehow related to RollerBlade.
the other is Thursday night, meet at the Trinity Church in Copley
Square; leaves around 8:30 pm (or as soon as the leaders arrive & want
to go). Free to all, but this one is fast-paced. You can do jumps,
stairs, natural ramps, bricks, and any number of these combined. You
can also choose to go around & just watch; but you'll have to skate
fast to keep up. Frequent stops to let the leaders show off. If you
plan to participate, wear full protective padding, including large
knee pads, and wrist guards at a minimum. A helmet is recommended
(just in case....). The powers that lead give a short lecture on safe,
polite, respectful skating at the first stop. This skate is _totally_
unsponsored--skate free at your own risk.
By the Charles River, just get to harvard.
Allston/cambridge exit off Mass Pike.
Memorial drive: nice road... 8 hours open ... 11am to 7pm..
skated on sunday... only open on sundays ...
open for "recreational vehicles" only...
pretty neat... had two sets of cones set up... plus about 2 or 3 miles
of 4 lane road to skate... (bikes, skates, foot, unicycles,
skateboards..)
asphalt...few cracks..no real hills ... just by the cones.. mostly
flat .. by river ... nice....straight away...no loop....
not really crowded... too long to be crowded...short wait for slalom
.. one rental van ...
From: mdic...@bbn.com (Michael L. Dickens)
Date: Unknown
j...@eriador.Prime.COM (Joe Scianna) wrote:
I recently discovered the Bike path which begins in Bedford and
extends to Davis Square in Cambridge. It's perfect for blading. The
surface is extremely smooth. It's well marked with mile markers, so
there's no quessing distance travelled.
It's a nice alternative to the Esplanade. Although, blading along
the Charles River at sunset is tough to beat!
This is the "famed" Minuteman Path--~17 Miles of ~6' wide smooth
pavement. They've finally taken out the speed bumps that existed at or
near intersections, and replaced them with ground-level slabs of rock.
Much easier to get over the slabs.
The path starts in Davis Square between the Au Bon Pain & the Theater,
just across from the T-stop. The surface begins as fairly smooth
brick, and eventually converts into smooth pavement. You have to cross
a few big streets (like Mass. Ave in Arlington) before getting to the
longer sections. Once you get to Alewife (right at the T-stop), you're
away from the large busy crossings, and can start the speed skating!
ps. The path is slightly inclined, allowing for some great
speeds--I've gone a few miles doing 2.5 minutes / mile pace --> 24 MPH
continuous on 4 wheels!
From: stal...@world.std.com (Mark R Stallard)
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 1994 22:55:41 GMT
My favorite place to skate is on the Minuteman Rail Trail, which runs
from Davis Square, Somerville all the out to Bedford - 11+ miles long
each way. Since this was originally a railroad, the hills are very
gentle. The pavement is overall quite good after the first 1-1/2 miles
out of Davis Square. There are several places to eat and get
refreshements along the way.
To get there, take the T Red Line to the Davis station, and leave at
the Meacham Street exit. If you're lucky, you can get away with riding
the subway with your skates on. Right at the exit is an Au Bon Pain
sandwich and coffee shop, and they never hassle me about serving
myself on skates. Please don't try it, though, if you're not sure you
can skate with a lunch tray.
The path starts right outside the restaraunt. The first mile is pretty
rough; you'll have to skate over a lot of brick walkways, sandy
pavement and the like. You might be confused when approaching the
intersection of Mass Ave. and Cameron Street - keep an eye out for the
entrace; it's on the other side of Mass Ave near the Buy-Rite liquor
store.
You can also elect to start the path at the Alewife T Station.
Once in Arlington, the pavement quality improves substantially.
Repaved just last summer. There is one more path hiatus; this is
Arlington center. You have to cross both streets in a busy
intersection. After that, though, it's smooth skating.
My only complaint is that, like all good things, the path is overused.
On pleasant weekend afternoons you can expect a number of people with
small children, even baby carriages. A lot of bicyclists,
unfortunately, are real jerkoffs, too. They'll ride two abreast and
converse with each other, making it difficult for others to pass.
And then, of course, we have the dilletante racers. You know, the guys
with the very expensive bikes and bike clothing who are out to set new
personal bests. In this setting I would say they are the most
dangerous users of the path, because they often have no patience for
anyone moving slower than them. These guys should stick to the
roadways and not bother with the bike paths.
Anyway, I highly recommend the Minuteman path to all skaters.
From: bnh@active (Brian Hess)
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 18:19:44 GMT
Mark R Stallard (stal...@world.std.com) wrote:
My favorite place to skate is on the Minuteman Rail Trail,
If you're a novice, or don't want to do more than a couple miles, you
might like to know:
The very smoothest pavement, with virtually no sand, only a few
expansion joints, and with the fewest road crossings (all of which
slow you down to a dead stop unless you are foolish) is:
from Bedford Street (4/225) in Lexington out to South Street (Bedford
depot) in Bedford. There are only 4 or 5 road crossings in 2.5 miles,
only one of which is really busy (Hartwell Ave.) This makes a 5 mile
round trip.
You can take the 62 bus from Alewife (please don't wear your skates!),
get off well past Lexington center, at the stop next after the
flashing yellow light (ask the driver for the Lexington public works
building if you're not sure). If you drive, park at either the
northeast corner of the track/road crossing in the public works lot
(in front, _outside_ the fence they lock at night!) or behind a little
office park on the southwest corner of the track/road crossing. It's 3
minutes east of route 95/128 on 4/225.
From: SCHR...@PROCESS.COM (Jeff Schreiber)
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 1994 10:42 -0400
Last night a friend and I decided to try again for a journey into the
realms of downtown Boston for a little skate. We had tried once last
friday, but we didn't get very far. (We made the mistake of heading to
the Green line via Boston College. It took 2 hours once we got past
128 on the Mass Pike). This time we made the trek up to Alewife, and
rode in on the red line to Park Street. We did some nice cruising in
and around that side of the Common, and then headed out for more
congested areas! (for those of you hockey players in the Boston Area,
the pool in the Common, by the State House, is drained, and would be
cool for hockey!).
Well, we headed down along State street towards Quincy Market, cruised
in around there for a bit, but the cobblestones were a little too
rough. We headed over to the harbor, spent some time cruising along
the wharfs, and hung out at the Aquarium for a while, watching the
seals doing stalls and wall rides in their pens (the seals are
definitely cool!). Then we decided to head back through Quincy Market,
and up to the City hall.....
Absolutely incredible! I can't say how amazing this area was. The
brick plaza was a little rough on the legs, but it was worth it. There
is a T stop right there, with brick walls, and the brick walls were at
about an 80 degree angle, which made for some incredible wall rides.
Then we looked back towards the other side. The beauty of a field of
stairs! It was a stair bashing heaven! Nice wide steps with small
drops that made them skateable for even a first time basher. Like I
said, the brick was a little tough to skate on, but bumpy is a
relative term for Stair Bashers! there were sets of stairs, about
50-100 long steps, that went in perfect sets! 4 steps, 5 feet
platform, 4 steps, platform, 4 steps, platform, 4 steps, platform, 8
steps, 15 feet, 4 steps, 5 feet, 4 steps, 5 feet, then finally a nice
cruise of step, 4 feet, step, 4 feet (for about 5 or 6 steps!) A
definite must-skate for anyone within an hour or 2 to even a commuter
rail!!!
Hingham
From: rhoade...@both1.nmo.gtegsc.com (Dave Rhoades)
Date: 20 Apr 1995 14:53:12 GMT
Another _great_ place just south of Boston is Wompatuck State Park
Route 3 south to 228 north, Aprox 2 miles on the right.
In-Line Club of Boston also holds races there about twice a month.
There is a great Large section of pavement for beginning. The camping
area with small rolling hills for a mild skate. And the bicycle trails
and 1.1 mile race loop for an agressive skater
Cape Cod
From: Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)
Date: 2 Jul 1995 20:58:10 -0400
Prior to vacationing on Cape Cod, it was recommended to me that I give
the 5-mile loop at Race Point, right on the tip of the cape, a try. I
never did make it there, but nevertheless, some Boston skaters have
told me that it can be a lot of fun if sand hasn't drifted across the
low-lying spots.
What I did skate was a part of the Cape Cod Bike Trail. This is a
rails-to-trails path that runs about 25 miles from Dennis to South
Wellfleet. The portion which I did was the last 5.5 miles, from S.
Wellfleet to Eastham, and then back. The absolute last five miles,
from Locust Rd. in Eastham to LeCount Hollow Rd. in S. Wellfleet (look
for the parking lot about 150 yds off SR 6), are in superb condition.
This part of the trail is not mentioned in the 1995 Fodor's Guide to
the cape, so I suspect that the asphalt was only recently laid down.
It's almost perfectly straight and just barely hilly. There are
cross-roads, but not a lot of them, so opportunities to stop for
fluids at a store are slim; carrying your own water bottle is pretty
much a necessity on hot days (which because of the cape breezes are
probably not frequent). The half mile of the trail that I did south of
Locust Rd. was obviously older, as the asphalt while not broken was
eroded and made somewhat unpleasant skating. On a pleasant June
Saturday afternoon, I encountered a number of bikers (but not too
many, and mostly families out for a ride) and just a few skaters.
Since the path was 8-10 feet wide, there was no problem with trail
hogs.
Further details on the complete Cape Cod Trail, the Race Point Trail,
and a number of other trails in the area are provided in the "Cape Cod
Bike Book", a blue-covered booklet which you can find at many shops
and at the Nat'l Seashore visitor centers. It's not big, but is more
than worth the $2.95 price.
I also did a little bit of street skating in Provincetown, but I can't
recommend it to visitors since it can get pretty congested with
tourists meandering among the shops. Several shops I entered were cool
about me skating in ("Oooh, what model are those?") but one wasn't.
From: ssch...@bio.bu.edu (Jeff Schreiber - Spectre)
Date: 3 Jul 1995 14:41:48 GMT
A couple of other places I've been meaning to tell everyone about, and
this is as good a time as any, is at the Cape Cod Canal, and in
Falmouth. My wife has been trying to get me down to Falmouth with her
to skate the Bike trail there, I not positive [of] it's route, but I
believe it starts around Woods Hole, and ends over in Hyannis. Where
the Cape Code Bike Trail runs over by the Bay side (and not really
close enough to see the water from where I've seen the trail run), the
bike trail out of Falmouth runs down the ocean side.
If your looking for a _really_ beautiful skate (I can't believe I'm
talking like this, I should be talking about stairs and rails, and
vert ramps :). Check out the Cape Cod canal. You can't miss it, it's
the thing that you drive over on the Bourne or Sagamore. If your going
down in peek travel times, you'll get plenty of time to stop and look
at the canal, since all the cars around you will be doing the same,
and you won't have much choice (can you tell that it took me 2 hours
to drive the 25 minute drive it should take me to get to the bridge?).
Well, anyway, they built a path that runs the length of the canal, on
both sides I think, but much more apparently on the mainland side. If
you follow the road towards Route 6, and the sagamore bridge, you will
find a rest stop/scenic overlook at the bottom of the hill (they put
some traffic lights there, so you have a prayer of getting back on the
road). There is stairs that go down to the path, and the canal, and
you can skate the whole length of the canal, watching all the boats,
etc...
>I also did a little bit of street skating in Provincetown
Yes, it's nice down there, but unbelievably crowded (I'm surprised you
even tried it with the crowds that there usually are). Definately some
interesting sights down that way, and very mixed reactions to
_anything_ you do, including wearing skates into stores. Just if you
ever decide to skate in Provincetown, be sure to go with an _open_
mind, or you'll end up getting yourself into trouble.
From: mca...@netrail.net (Mark Casey)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 95 13:35 EDT
I saw mention of the Provincetown Race Point loop and thought I would
expound. I didn't actually skate it, I biked it. It would defintely be
a challenging skate with many ups, downs, and corners (fun speed
skate) but the sand is plentiful. If it doesn't take you off your
feet, it'll certainly do a job on your bearings. If that's not a
problem for you, it's definitely worth the trek.
From: J...@news2.delphi.com (J...@DELPHI.COM)
Date: 25 Jun 1996 08:50:50 -0400
One place that I skate often is at the Cape Cod National Seashore. Go
to the Visitor's Center in Eastham (on Rt. 6) and park there. There is
a great trail that leaves from the back of the parking lot. It is not
long (about two miles each way, I'd guess), but it is beautiful. It
goes through nice wooded areas, with occasional views of the beach,
marsh, and ocean. It ends by going over a bridge across a salt marsh
and tidal river, and leading right to Coast Guard Beach. You follow
the same path back to the Visitor's Center. When you get to the
Visitor's Center, you'll see others heading for the path. Really easy
to find, but it is never overcrowded.
Another place not far from there is Nickerson State Park in
Orleans/Brewster (on Rt. 6A). This is a large state park with 5 ponds,
loads of hiking trails and paved bike trails that you can rollerblade
on. It is beautiful, and you can skate all day in here. The only word
of caution on this place is that since it is so heavily wooded, there
are sometimes lots of pine needles on the paths, that can be tough to
skate on.
Both of these places will fit the style of the Cape well for a visitor
like yourself. If you want something more hectic, try skating the
streets and sidewalks in Provincetown! Lots of people and lots of
people-watching!
Martha's Vineyard
From: mca...@netrail.net (Mark Casey)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 95 13:35 EDT
Skating is a great way to see the island, or better yet, a great
reason to visit the island. The views and scenary are awesome and the
air is cool, even on the hottest summer days. There are plenty of bike
trials connecting all of the major points of interest along an 18mi
loop connecting Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven including
South/Katama Beach. I haven't been out to Gay Head in some time, so I
can't provide any insight on skating out there but it would be an
aweful long skate (20 mi - take a cab) on the roads to get there. It's
only $10 RT from Woods Hole or $22 RT from Hyannis for a great day of
skating and there's no extra charge for the skates ;)
_________________________________________________________________
New Jersey
* Bergen County
* Essex County
* Morris County
* Union County
* Middlesex County
* Monmouth County
Bergen County
From: jog...@camelot.fia.dmg.ml.com (Joseph Ogulin)
Date: Unknown
To the Fair Lawn area of Saddle River County Park (SRCP)... this is
where the slalom course is:
GSP North to exit 160. Turn left at the light at the end of the ramp.
Follow this road over Route 4. It becomes Paramus Rd. here. Follow
Paramus Rd. to the first light, turn left. Pass the signs that say
things like "Welcome to Fair Lawn" and "Say No to Drugs." On your
right, after passing these signs, you will find a small road which has
signs (small ones) that say "Bike Route" and "Parking for Bike Path
and Tennis Courts." Turn right here, and park in the lot.
To the Dunkerhook (Paramus) area of SRCP:
Follow the above directions, except go straight at the first light.
Pass the cemetery on your right. You'll see a sign on your left that
says "Dunkerhook Area, Saddle River County Park." Turn left there and
follow any other signs.
To the Ridgewood area of SRCP:
GSP North to exit 163. Follow Route 17 North to the Ridgewood Ave.
exit. Head toward Ridgewood (you'll loop back over the highway). After
you pass Paramus Rd., look on your right. When you see the duck pond
(and signs mentioning that it's the Ridgewood Wild Duck Pond of SRCP),
turn right into the area.
I can't recall how to get to the Glen Rock area. Sorry.
To Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook from the north:
If you're coming from the north on GSP South, use exit 163 (Route 17).
Exit at Century Rd. and head toward Paramus/Fair Lawn/Glen Rock (or
whatever it says). You will not cross over Route 17. Follow Century
Rd. to Paramus Rd. There will be a cemetery on your right (this is the
intersection mentioned in the Fair Lawn and Dunkerhook). To get to
Fair Lawn, go straight. To get to Dunkerhook, turn right. Follow the
above directions.
To Ridgewood from the north:
Exit the GSP at the Ridgewood/Oradell exit (I may be wrong, but I
believe it is 165) and head toward Ridgewood. You are now on Ridgewood
Ave. Just follow Ridgewood Ave. as above after you cross Route 17.
Trail descriptions:
There are approximately 6-7 miles of trails there. Most of them are
quite smooth, with a few rough spots along the way. They're about 5'
wide, and traffic is mostly walkers, joggers, bladers, and cyclists of
various ages from child to senior citizen. Adult cyclists and bladers
will generally follow courtesies and warn people in front of them when
they are coming up behind you. The whole series of trails winds along
side of a brook. Bugs are rampant along parts of the trails during
summer months in the evenings. There are a few hills, but most of them
are short, or not too steep. There are a few parking lots along the
way where many newbie bladers can be seen tripping, stumbling, or
moving forward when they have their balance. There are no street
lights along the trails, as they all pass through wooded areas. The
slalom course, for those interested, is in the Fair Lawn area by the
tennis courts. If there is nobody there and you have your own cones
(we tend to use cups because they're cheaper), you'll find red dots
painted on the ground. The dots are 5' apart (measured MANY times). If
someone is there, you won't be discouraged from trying. In fact if you
just stand there and watch, you're very likely to be asked to try the
cones. Just watch out for the geese and ducks in any of the parking
lots around duck ponds (Ridgewood and Glen Rock), unless you like
cleaning your bearings and wheels.
From commpost!opus!camelot!jog...@uu3.psi.com
Date: Unknown
I much prefer Saddle River County Park [to Brookdale Park] because it
has a 5+ mile trail (one way!) which is great if you're looking for
long skating runs. Most of the people there are friendly and follow
general courtesies when passing, especially when there's a large group
(this is cyclists, skaters, and runners alike!). There is also an area
where we do slaloming through cones. People in the group I usually
meet there have painted dots on the ground for the cones. They're 5'
apart (yeah, we know that competitions use 6' as the distance). Any
time anyone has cones set up, people are welcome to "try their luck."
We'll never tell anyone that they can't try it. In fact, if you stand
there and watch for a long time and you're wearing rollerblades,
someone's going to ask you to try it.
How to get to there:
* The Fair Lawn area is accessed from Century Rd. Use Route 17 and
exit at Century Rd. Head toward Glen Rock/Fair Lawn. The access
road (Dunkerhook Rd) is a small road between Paramus Rd. and
Saddle River Rd.
* The Dunkerhook area (Paramus) is accessed from Paramus Rd. The
access road (Dunkerhook Rd.) has a sign by it and is north of
Century Rd.
* The Ridgewood area is on Ridgewood Ave. Use Route 17 and exit at
Ridgewood Ave. Head toward Ridgewood.
* I can't exactly remember how to get to the Glen Rock area, but
Saddle River Rd. comes to mind.
From: ph...@albany.net (john)
Date: 18 Jun 1995 14:24:55 GMT
You can always go to Overpeck Park in Leonia/Teaneck. It's a big
figure 8 track about 1.5 miles long. There are lots of beginners and
should be good for you.
Essex County
From commpost!opus!camelot!jog...@uu3.psi.com
Date: Unknown
Brookdale Park is ok, but I've found that many of the cyclists there
are a bunch of assholes (mostly it's the cycling club members). They
might give you 3 inches clearance when they pass you while you're
avoiding debris on the side of the road. Next time I go there, I'm
going to bring a hockey stick with me (even though I don't play
hockey) and swing it back and forth as I go. If the cyclists bother
me, _WHACK_... >:-) Other than that, it's got a 1 mile loop with a
rather nasty hill. The paths going through the park other than the
main road (which has a car speed limit of 30 MPH, which of course
nobody follows) are not that great and could use some repaving.
How to get to there:
* There are entries on Grove St., Watchung Ave., and Bellvue Ave.,
all in Bloomfield. Take Route 3 to Broad St., head toward
Bloomfield.
Morris County
From: mi...@cnj.digex.net (timothy mizerak)
Date: 19 Jun 1995 01:47:29 -0400
Lawontaka Park: This features two park sites connected by many miles
of pretty trails. We saw a deer on one the other day! It features some
nice hills and a babbling brook that you have to manouvre over. Not as
much parking lot for practice, but adequate. Located in Morristown,
take 287 to South st.
From: "Orlando C. Fernando" (ocfe...@MailBox.Syr.Edu)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 02:34:39 -0400 (EDT)
Florham Park Rink
directions: Near rt. 287 in the north of the state, close to the towns
Livingston and Morristown.
descriptions: moderate sized rink. Skate direction & type designated
by lighted signs in the rink. Mostly Top 40 music on prime time.
Rentals available. Times: Most days- 10-12pm. Tues- also 7-10pm. Sun
1-3:30pm.
Union County
From: blad...@aol.com (Bladeroo)
Date: 11 Jun 1995 15:25:54 -0400
I like Tamaques Park in Westfield, NJ. It's best for fitness/speed
skaters because it has an .8mi loop with a downhill and a gradual
uphill. It also has a large parking area good for practicing tricks
and things. However, they don't allow ramps or cones.
Middlesex County
From: mi...@cnj.digex.net (timothy mizerak)
Date: 19 Jun 1995 01:47:29 -0400
Bucheleau Park (sp?): Adjacent to Rutgers campus and just opposite St.
Peter's hospital. This park isn't great, but it is decent. The big
loop is a nice workout but there is too much traffic. There is a nice
big hill to get some speed off of, and a smooth covered picnic area.
Deiner Park: Right on Rutgers campus it literally hangs over Rt. 18. I
haven't skated there yet, but will be teaching classes at Rutgers
there in September, so I'll know soon enough if it is any good.
Monmouth County
From: Dennis Black (dbl...@cisco.com)
Date: Unknown
My personal favorite is Sandy Hook National Park (NJ). It's on the
south side of Staten Island. Check out a NJ map. It's about an hour
from NYC, depending upon traffic. There's a ferry from South Street
Seaport ($$$$ 25. round trip). It has 20+ miles of roads, and only a
minimal amount of people (a few joggers and a few bicycles) after
6:00PM and day. Just a handful of skaters so far. Also one side is the
bay and the other side is ocean, so on days like today and tomorrow
where it is 90+ inland, on the hook it will only get to the high 70's,
low 80's.
From: Rob Smigielski (smig...@stars.sed.monmouth.army.mil)
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 13:51:33 -0500
People skate on the streets of Avon, Belmar, Spring Lake, Spring Lake
Heights, Manasquan, and Point Pleasant. The route from Belmar south
through Spring Lake is most commonly used since the car traffic is
limited and the many of the streets south of Belmar are newly paved.
Round trip distance from Belmar south to Spring Lake and back is
roughly 8 miles on flat mostly smooth roads. Note that the prevailing
winds along the beach run from the south to the north, so most skaters
go south down any of the streets two blocks inland from the beach, and
later turn north along Ocean Ave along the beach. The push from the
winds going north along the beach is a great help on the return trip.
Ocean Avenue, running parallel to the beach, is the street where
skaters and bikers go to be seen. The portion of Ocean Ave running
through Belmar can be crowded with summer time weekend traffic, but
the local police keep things cool. Cars do not have the right of way
over others.
Blades Action Sports on Ocean Ave in Belmar rents skates and provides
beginners with lessons on skating techniques.
Also, since you're on the Jersey shore already, bring a blanket and
some tanning oil and enjoy the beach!
Finally, if you insist on parking on Ocean Ave, beware of your time
limit on the parking meters. Just say I warned you! Personally, I park
a few blocks away to avoid the hassles.
_________________________________________________________________
New York
* New York City
+ Manhattan
+ Brooklyn
+ Queens
+ Bronx
+ NYC Rinks
* Long Island
* Westchester County
* Albany
* Rochester
* Niagara
New York City
From: Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)
Date: Mar 31, 1995
The following is excerpted from the New York City Inline Skating, a
complete and up-to-date copy of which may be accessed via Web browser
at the URL:
http://www.skatecity.com/NYC/.
Depending on how hardcore you are, you can skate outdoors all year in
the city, although late March through October seems to be the prime
season. When the temperature gets down to about 30 F, light layers
covered by a some sort of windproof outer garment seem to do the
trick. I've found that a T-shirt, sweater, lightly padded windbreaker,
spandex tights, warmup pants, light gloves (under wrist guards), and
perhaps a cap (depending on whether you're wearing a helmet) suffice
when added to the usual skates, socks, and armor; if it's not windy,
you may even be able to remove the windbreaker. When the weather gets
over 80 F, be sure to drink some water or Gatorade at frequent
intervals and consider carrying a water bottle.
Despite their variable condition, the streets of Manhattan almost seem
designed for skating. There certainly seem to be a _lot_ of people in
this town who use Rollerblades for basic transportation. You may raise
a sweat and suffer bus exhaust, but it saves you the $1.25 for a
subway or bus token. Just remember that while Manhattan drivers are
surprisingly apt to honor amber street lights (probably in fear of
killing jaywalking pedestrians), they're downright terrible at
signalling lane changes or even turns. In other boroughs, I understand
that drivers are not even that good about slowing for amber lights.
Taxis are notoriously unpredictable, and many of their cousins, the
gypsy cabs, are uninsured. And then there are the take-out food
delivery guys, who generally ride their lightless and apparently
brakeless bicycles the wrong way down one-way streets. The moral of
the story is: _never_ hit the streets of Manhattan without proper
armor, and if you know any eye exercises for improving peripheral
vision, practice them.
_Famous Landmarks_:
Okay, let's admit it. When you walk into the Grand Central Station and
see that glorious expanse of _sa-moooooth_ marble floor interrupted
only by the info kiosk in the middle, your toes start itching to do
some rolling. Well, you're not the only one who feels that way, and
I've known people to sneak in and skate the station and other famous
places, like the World Trade Center concourse. However, at many such
publicly-owned locations such activity is illegal (e.g., Grand Central
is a Metro North train station, and it's illegal to skate in train and
subway stations) and at corporate/privately-owned places, they may
consider unauthorized rollerskating to be trespassing. Thus, if you
feel like you just _have_ to try skating a famous place, be prepared
for adverse legal consequences.
Manhattan
_Central Park_:
The most popular outdoor skating location in NYC is Central Park on
the 9.7-km (approx. 6-mile) loop. Cars are barred from the loop from
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and from 7:00 to 10:00 PM on weekdays from January
1 until the Friday before Thanksgiving, and around the clock on
weekends and holidays throughout the year. Cars do mistakenly enter
the loop road when it's closed, and ambulances and police cars may
appear at any time, so always keep your eyes and ears open.
Happily, most of the Central Park loop was resurfaced during 1993 or
1994, so you'll find that it is generally an exceptional skating
surface. Always remember to skate _counter-clockwise_ when you're on
the loop; many, if not most, of the serious accidents in the park have
been caused by people skating or cycling the wrong direction. Also,
you'll be sharing the road with bikers, joggers, and pedestrians.
There's usually plenty of room for all three purposes when autos are
barred from the park, but when cars are allowed in, the recreation
lane can get very crowded. You may want to consider not skating when
cars are in the park, what with the competition for the recreation
lane and the exhaust and grit in the air. When skating after dark, it
would probably be very wise to wear a light to alert fast moving
bicyclists to your presence.
According to the New York Road Runners Club map of Central Park,
distances on the loop are:
71 W to 72 E: 1 mile, 716 yards, 31 inches = 2264.8 m
72 E to 90 E: 1748, 26 = 1599.0
90 E to 103 E: 1351, 11 = 1235.6
103 E to 102 W: 1, 1264, 19 = 2765.6
102 W to 71 W: 1, 246, 22 = 1834.8
This comes to 6 miles, 48 yards, 1 inch (9700 m) for a big loop. The
72nd St. crossover is 542 yards, 3 inches (495.7 m), making the small
loop 1 mile, 1258 yards, 34 inches (2761 m). The 102nd St. crossover
is 468 yards, 18 inches (428.4 m), making a medium loop 4 miles, 963
yards (7318 m).
The small loop is relatively tame mild rolling hills. The big loop is
a good workout which takes even professional speedskaters at least 16
minutes to complete; if you can do it in four-wheel skates in under 30
minutes, you're probably in pretty good shape.
_Skate Patrol Stopping Clinic_:
At both 72nd St. entrances to Central Park, on weekend afternoons
during the prime skate season (mid-April to November 1), the Central
Park Skate Patrol is available to give beginning inline skaters some
much-needed instruction on how to stop.
_The Cones (NYRSA Slalom Course)_:
On the west side of the Central Park loop at 67th St., between Tavern
on the Green and the Sheep Meadow, is the slalom course. (If you're
trying to skate laps, this is also the locus of the biggest traffic
jam on the loop.) Virtually any weekend in which there is no rain,
snow or foot/skate/bike race, a line of 27 orange cones is set up in
the recreation lane, usually from noon until about sundown.
_Dead Road_:
Variously known as the Dead Road or Skater's Way, this is a road
between the carousel and Olmsted Way that was blocked off and turned
into some volleyball courts and a skating area. This is _the_ place
for dancers, both inline and quad, to congregate. Typically there are
several activities happening, depending on the time of day you may
encounter small classes and private instruction, skaters dancing to
the music of their headphones, an improvised roller rink, etc.
_Bandshell_:
Just east and slightly uphill of the Dead Road is the bandshell. With
a slightly smoother and flatter surface than that of the Dead Road,
it's a bit more like an ice skating rink, with some people skating in
circles, some trying figure skating tricks, etc. This area can be very
crowded on weekend afternoons but is fairly wide open on weekdays,
making it a decent place for practicing new maneuvers.
The stairway which leads from the bandshell to the Bethesda Fountain
(passing beneath Olmsted Way and the Bethesda Terrace) occasionally
sees some radical stair bashing.
_Harlem_:
Riverbank State Park, between Riverside Drive and the Hudson River, is
not a bad place to skate, and the view of the river is pleasant.
However, the park is built over a waste treatment facility, so it's
possible that you may not care for the air, although I didn't
particularly notice any objectionable odors the one time I skated
there.
Many of Riverbank State Park's walkways are paved with brick, but the
park is new enough that the bricks have not worn enough to be terribly
troublesome to skaters. Additionally, there are some extremely smooth
handball and basketball courts at the south end of the park which
newbies might like to skate on when they're not otherwise in use. Near
the north end of the park, there is an ice skating rink which is
converted to roller use during the summer. Entrances to the park are
on Riverside Drive at 138th and 145th Sts.
_Upper East Side and East Harlem_:
Carl Schurz Park, between East End Ave. and the East River at 86th
St., has some very skateable paths and some very unskateable paths.
There is one large open asphalt area where a lot of the local kids
play rollerhockey. Dog-walking is a major activity here, so keep your
eyes open. Also watch out for Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; he has a pair of
skates and Gracie Mansion is at the north end of the park.
Lying between FDR Drive and the East River is the John Finley Walk,
aka the East River Esplanade. It is primarily paved with hexagonal
bricks and is very skateable. Major exceptions to this are the portion
right next to Carl Schurz Park, where the bricks are pretty worn and
bumpy, and the broken asphalt slope right next to Gracie Mansion..
I've skated the Walk from 81st St. all the way up to the Triborough
Bridge (125th St.). It's supposed to extend south to about 57th St.,
but there's a massive stairway at about 81st St. which I can't see
many skaters willing to navigate. Because FDR Drive separates much of
the Walk from nearby businesses or residences, it can be a very
secluded skate. I would caution against skating it after dark.
Sticking right out into the East River is the East 110th St.
Recreation Pier, an open but covered pavilion. Like much of the John
Finley Walk from which it projects, it is very skateable, but there
are some rough spots to be navigated.
_Upper West Side and Morningside Heights_:
The avenues of the Upper West Side are a mixed bag. Columbus Ave. is,
of course, almost unskateable for much of its length due to the
current reconstruction project. Both Amsterdam and Broadway have also
seen some light road work which has reduced their skateability north
of 100th St.; Amsterdam can be especially nasty north of 100th St. and
Broadway is touch-and-go in several places in the 80s and 90s. West
End Ave. seems to be in better condition, and Central Park West is
fine up to 92nd St. or so. Riverside Drive is currently in pretty good
shape and quite skateable except for one area around 114th St. and
another just north of Grant's Tomb. If you're feeling ambitious you
can follow Riverside all the way up to the George Washington Bridge
and cross over to Fort Lee, New Jersey, and from there skate to
Hoboken and take the PATH train back to the city.
Riverside Park can be skated from 72nd St. up to about 116th St., but
there are areas where you have to be very cautious. In particular, the
paths between 74th and 80th Sts. are in terrible condition. Also of
some concern is that many of the paths north of 96th St. lie below
trees and consequently are strewn with twigs at all times. When
crossing 96th St. it is probably better to take the Riverside Dr.
overpass rather than follow park paths directly to the street and try
to wait for a lull in the traffic. Always keep your eyes peeled for
dogs, because the park gets a lot of activity from nearby residents
exercising their pets.
_Midtown (14th St. to 59th St.)_:
The avenues of midtown make generally good skating for those
travelling north-south because of the bicycle/skating lanes which many
sport on the left side of the street. However, this is also a high
auto traffic area and the bike lanes usually disappear for a block
where the avenues cross Broadway, so be careful.
Just across 42nd St. from the United Nations is Robert Moses
Playground, a smooth asphalt area which has been painted for hockey.
One presumes that there might be rollerhockey here during the day
(weekends?). The only deficiencies are that the playground has a slope
(the south end is low) and that it's often cluttered with twigs.
Although most or all of the gates to the park are locked at night, the
gate at the southwest corner has been wide open the last couple times
I've been there.
Union Square can be a fun place to skate after dark or on Sunday, when
the greenmarket crowds are gone. On the south side, along 14th St.,
there are a lot of shallow steps that are great for practicing stair
bashes and curb grinds. The north side of the square, along 17th St.,
is a large, wide-open paved area where you'll often see skaters
practicing dancing moves or maybe playing a pickup game of
rollerhockey.
_Greenwich Village and Alphabet City (Houston St. to 14th St.)_:
The pavement in Washington Square Park is in generally poor shape.
This plus a usually high density of pedestrian traffic makes this a
poor place to go skating.
The paths in Tompkins Square Park (bordered by Avenues A and B and
East 7th and 10th Sts.) are in _terrific_ shape, suggesting that new
asphalt was put down within the last year or so. So, if you can find a
time when pedestrian traffic is minimal, this would be a great place
for newbies to do some learning. (Note: As part of the clean-up effort
to return this park to neighborhood use, there is a midnight curfew.)
On the north (10th St.) side of the park there are stickball and
basketball courts. The former has an incredibly smooth surface, useful
for even advanced skaters to practice their stuff, and the latter is
used by a roller basketball league during summer weekend mornings.
_Downtown (Below Houston St.)_:
A great place to skate is a smooth bike/skate/ped path which extends
northward from Stuyvesant High School (Chambers St. at West St.),
along the (Hudson) riverfront side of West St. It continues up to just
below 14th St., terminating at the Gansevoort St. intersection. Most
of the path is in excellent condition, the exception being a
multi-block stretch in front of Pier 40. At some entrances to the
path, there may also be large concrete barriers to slow down cyclists
and skaters who come bombing along.
Another fun place to skate is along the southwest edge of Manhattan.
You again start at Stuyvesant High, but skate west into the Hudson
River Park, and then follow the paths along the river south to the
World Financial Center, then into Battery Park City, and finally to
Battery Park. It's also great because almost the entire route is along
the water, offering views of New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty.
However, this route also gets a lot of pedestrian traffic (lots of
romantic couples on the Esplanade in Battery Park City, and families
with children in Hudson River Park) and it would be pretty foolish for
you do any speed skating here. Also, the Esplanade is divided by trees
and bushes into two parallel paths, and skating, cycling, etc., are
barred from the upper, inland path. The only two areas here which are
pretty wide open in this area are the plaza between the North Cove and
the Winter Garden, and the fenced-off road (Little West St.) between
Battery Park City and Battery Park. The latter is a particularly
excellent place to practice skating maneuvers and tricks on a weekend
afternoon.
The stairs at the north end of Hudson River Park make some good
bashing, but while skaters (especially teenagers from the school) can
often be seen there, it's a no-no. There're usually some park security
folks wandering around in little white trucks, and whenever they get
to the steps, they chase away anybody they catch skating on them.
The plaza at the base of the World Trade Center is very skateable, but
the security guards are waiting to chase you off.
Over along the East River, directly underneath the Brooklyn Bridge
between Pearl and Madison Sts., there is a sort of semi-halfpipe known
as The Wall which seems to be fairly popular, despite the brick
surface and the broken glass strewn liberally about. Police
headquarters is not all that far away, but I would not recommend
skating here alone, especially after dark.
A friend of mine has reported that the East River Park, which lies
along the river from about Gouverneur St. to just below 14th St. is
skateable, but only marginally so. He did not recommend going there
after dark.
Brooklyn
One of the finest places to skate in New York is the Brooklyn Bridge.
It's not because it's so smooth, as the wooden boards which make up
the pedestrian/cyclist path over the bridge are pretty hard on the
feet and calves, but because the view from the bridge's midpoint is
unbeatable, particularly at night. The Manhattan access to the bridge
is just east of city hall and just south of 1 Centre St.; the Brooklyn
end of the walkway is at the intersection of Tillary St. and Adams St.
Once over the bridge into Brooklyn, you'll find that the Brooklyn
Heights Promenade is not far away, about six blocks directly west.
However, while you can skate along there for another terrific view of
the Manhattan skyline, the pavement is in poor shape and the
pedestrians can be extremely slow, hard of hearing and erratic. So,
it's worth it to pop in and take a look, but not to hang around.
Prospect Park in Brooklyn is similiar to Central Park, but not as
crowded. It's also a lot smaller loop.
The Shore Parkway bike path from Bay Parkway to Bay Ridge Avenue is a
haunt of many skaters. The terrain is nice and flat, offering
wonderful views of New York Bay and Staten Island.
Queens
The Little Neck Bay bike path has recently been repaved and is flat,
making it extremely skateable. It runs along Little Neck Bay from Ft.
Totten (Bell Blvd.) down to Northern Blvd. for a total distance of
about 2.5 miles. A possibly major disadvantage is that it parallels
the Cross Island Pkwy., so depending on traffic conditions it can be
noisy and exhaust fumes can be a problem.
In Forest Park, Park Lane South is closed on weekends for recreational
use only between Woodhaven Blvd. and Metropolitan Ave. The terrain
there is rolling hills, shared with joggers and cyclists. It's
supposed to be quite a pretty place, containing some of Queens' only
virgin forest.
The Bronx
A block or two north of Yankee Stadium is Mullaly Park, which contains
a number of ramps and quarter pipes, plus a half pipe or two, for use
by skateboarders and vert inliners. This is a public park, so you
won't have to pay to get in, but that also means that the condition of
the facilities may be lacking.
The North Bronx Bikeway along Pelham Parkway (from the last stop on
the #6 to the Pelham Parkway stop on the #2) looks to be skateworthy,
as well as the Bronx River trail (parallel to Bronx Park East and the
Bronx River Parkway) from East 233rd Street south to Pelham Parkway
Both are fairly flat, with pleasant scenery and pavement in decent
condition.
NYC Rinks
* Chelsea Piers In-Line Skating Center, Pier 62, 23rd St. at West
Side Hwy, 212-336-6200:
This project along the Hudson River contains both ice and roller
skating rinks.
* Rivergate Ice Rink, 401 East 34th St. at First Ave.:
This is a small rink which is flooded during winter and operates
as a commercial ice skating rink. During the summer it is
apparently open to free rollerskating, or at least it was in the
fall of 1994.
* The Roxy, 515 West 18th St. btw Tenth and Eleventh Aves.,
212-627-0404, 212-645-5156
Evening roller skating sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Admission is $12. They allow/rent inline skates as well as
traditional roller skates.
* Wollman Rink, Central Park Loop at East 68th St., 212-517-4800
Famous for the ice skating here during the winter, this is where
people go to learn how to skate in a safe, controlled environment.
Long Island
Neal Mason maintains a Web page of Long Island skate sites at the URL:
http://www.li.net/~masonn/skate.html.
From: David Madeo (dma...@is.morgan.com)
Date: Unknown
[...], there's a trail on Long Island a lot of skaters use. It's a
five mile trail along the Wantagh parkway from Cedar Shore park in
Wantagh, to Jones Beach. The cement path goes from Long Island over
several smaller islands and bridges to Jones Island fronting the
Atlantic Ocean. It's flat and there isn't much in between the two
ends. Bikes and joggers also use the trail. It's much easier to park
at Cedar Shore than Jones Beach during the summer.
From: gbe...@pipeline.com (Gary B. Berns)
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 1995 21:11:35 -0400
[Cedar Creek Park] in Wantagh. Has a nice smooth rink where learners,
practicers(?) and roller hockey players co-exist without friction.
Tried the path towards Jones Beach, The combination of being a new
skater, the 90+ temperature and the sea breeze coming down the parkway
from the ocean made us turn back fairly quickly. The surface seems
fine and the path flat. I think it was resurfaced within the past
year. This is, however, based only on the first 1/4-1/2 mile.
From: a...@pipeline.com
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 07:35:04 -0400
Bethpage bike path runs approximately six and one-half miles from
Sunrise Highway to Bethpage State Park. The trail begins (northbound)
immediately east of the Long Island Rail Road Massapequa train
station. (Park in the east end of the train station parking lot on
weekends). The first two miles are relatively flat and OK for
beginners with one street and two short wooden planked bridges. The
path followings a lake and a stream for a good distance. After the
second street (Linden St.) their are several steep hills that should
only be tackled by intermediate or better skaters. The paving is good
although the width varies from place to place and their is
considerable use of the path by cyclists, walkers, etc. At the
northern terminus of the path their are bathrooms and water from May
through September or October.
From: jrga...@aol.com (JRGanson)
Date: 24 Aug 1994 22:53:04 -0400
Take the Grand Central Pkwy to the Northern State to the Wantagh Pkwy.
Proceed south on the Wantagh to Merrick Road East. Exit to Merrick
road, turn right proceed approx two lites the turn right into Cedar
Creek park. This is the staging area for skating on the bike path
along the pkwy doen to Jones Beach (about 4 mi). Also lots of skaters
in the park esp Wed, Fri, Sun when LIRTSA (Long Island Road and Track
Skating Assoc. meets for informal skating at 6:30 PM (See you there!)
Westchester County
From: to...@nynexst.com (Dave Torok)
Date: 3 Aug 1994 03:20:06 GMT
Joseph P. Cernada (cer...@netcom.com) sez:
There's a fair amount of skaters at the Kensico Damn park/plaza in
Westchester County. I thinks it's in Valhalla (or maybe North White
Plains). Decent paved path, just under a mile around. Large concrete
area in the middle to practice moves. Good selection of stairs and
things to jump over. Cones set up for slaloming.
I also skate at the dam much of the time. It can get crowded, and
between Memorial Day and Labor Day they charge $1.25 parking, but if
you go in the late afternoon it's free. Good place for beginners.
Seems to be a decent social scene & good for people-watching. I'm a
beginning-intermediate so I can't comment on the center area or cone
area other than being an impressed spectator.
From: Mike Kahn (ka...@xyplex.com)
Date: Mon, 08 Apr 1996 11:08:24 -0400
I haven't seen this path mentioned anywhere yet. There's a relatively
new multi-use path in Northern Westchester County, NY. My wife and I
had the opportunity to skate a very short portion of it this past
weekend (since we were with walkers we couldn't go very far). It
starts in Yorktown and goes into Mahopac - I'm told. It's a pretty
nice trail although some of the road crossings are quite gravely and
at one point it goes past a sewage treatment facility. We enjoyed the
scenery and FINALLY have a place to skate when we are visiting family.
Albany
From: she...@cii3130-20.its.rpi.edu (Heather)
Date: Unknown
When I want a good workout, I head down to a nice path that runs
between the Hudson River and I-787. It's called the Corning Fitness
Trail, and it heads from Watervliet down to Downtown Albany. It's
about 5 miles in length. Although it's designed more for bikers and
runners and has a few bumps in the pavement, it's a good place to
skate.
From: sco...@wam.umd.edu (Scott Weintraub)
Date: 18 Sep 1994 23:31:50 GMT
The campus is decent but nothing special, IMO. You can find some
really nice skating around the capitol buildings though. Skating is
permitted there so the cops won't give you any problem and it's all
marble. I don't know what kind of skating you're into but if you're
into street, you'll find some really nice stairs, jumps, grinds, etc,
there. And if you're not into that stuff, it's just really smooth and
fun.
From: ls...@uacsc1.albany.edu (Lorre Smith)
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 1994 20:54:22
The interesting thing about Albany for skaters is that the city gets
really empty after about 6pm and you can skate just about anywhere
(except Lark Street) unhindered by car traffic. There _is_ a big hill
right in the middle of the city, though - you could scream your way
right into the Hudson River. There are a couple of college campuses in
the city, but not decent skating on them. The University (west of
downtown on Washington or Western Avenues) has decent but not great
parking lots - the podium here is interesting there if you're into
long colonades. If you have a _car_, well, you got a different story.
Guptil's skating arena and Rollerama are the rinks - they're in the
phone book if you want to call them for directions. There are 11 miles
of bike trails along the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, and there are lots
of people who say that the park in Saratoga Springs (24-mile drive
straight north on Highway 87-exit 13 north) is awesome. There's an
interesting outdoor track on the north end of Troy (103rd Street in
Lansingburg) straight up route 4 and then about four blocks east on
103rd Street.
Rochester
From: "Orlando C. Fernando" (ocfe...@MailBox.Syr.Edu)
Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 02:34:39 -0400 (EDT)
_Outdoor skating sites:
1. Erie Canal pathways - [Henrietta & Pittsford suburbs]
directions: accesible through several roads crossing the Erie
canal through the Pittsford and Henrietta areas, among them,
Clover St., Edgewood Ave., and Main St./East Ave. (Route 96).
descriptions: probably the Edgewood Ave. car park (at Lock 33
across the street from the Jewish Community center) is the best
place to start as you can either pick up the path going east or
west. Going west starts about 1.5 miles as a mainly easy path
going under major bridges along the way, after the 1st I-390
overpass, it gets easy/intermediate with some construction going
on leaving some sand and the path being a bit rougher. After about
the second I-390 overpass, it gets progressively tricky as more
tree roots come into the path and the grading gets considerably
rougher (this portion not recommended for beginners) as it gets
into the more forestlike area.
If you choose to go east from the parking lot, it's moderate
conditions (remember to cross the street first!), with occasional
tree root bumps which are manageable for beginners and
intermediate alike. After a water bridge, it opens out into a wide
driveway into a canal park gradually reaching Clover St. (choice
of continuing either via down stairs or cross the street and a
slope). Path then gets easier 1/2 mi. until an industrial site,
which forces you on a 25 degree downhill into a residential street
to continue. After you rejoin the canal, it's a easy ride (passing
another bridge or two) to a set of small shops, restaurants, and
an ice cream store. (near Marsh Rd.) Good spot to rest on the
wooden benches, then can't go much further as path turns more
gravel-like. Approx. 30 min. for beginner/intermediate skater.
Much more scenic than the western run.
2. RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) - [Henrietta suburb]
directions: I-390 to Jefferson Rd. exit. Go west for about 3 1/2
miles. RIT campus has several entrances on the left.
descriptions: the beginner can have nice short practice runs on
some of the smooth parking lots toward the west of the campus,
west of the tennis/ice rink parking lot. (There's at least 8!) The
endurance skater can park at the sports lot and skate under the
pedestrian bridge (going west from the Student Center) to join
with the eastern campus road which takes a 2 1/2 mile semicircle
around the entire campus (one major hill & drop on the far
westside). Skating between the campus buildings are moderate.
Several paths are rough, though the path leading to the student
center & bridge are quite smooth. Other good paths here are
certainly possible!
3. Olympia High School - [Greece suburb]
directions: I-390 to Vintage Rd. exit. End of ramp, left onto
Vintage. Cross bridge. Left unto Fetzner Rd. Left onto Maiden
Lane. After crossing the I-390 overpass, the high school will soon
be on your right.
descriptions: Park right of the building at the start of the
parking lot (opposite side of tennis courts). From here you can
take the north/south path on your right and go one of three ways.
Can go south (haven't tried it yet), north, or west onto a
pedestrian on-ramp leading to a pedestrian bridge over the I-390.
If you choose the bridge, will come onto Fetzner Rd. Head north
until you come to Vintage Lane. If you had taken the north path,
you'd eventually join here as well, but not as much fun! At this
point, you can cross the intersection and take the path going a
slight downhill into English Rd. Park which is very rough and odd
twigs here and there depending on season, has shade from the
trees, and eventually opens up to an open area running into Cider
Rd. I prefer continuing on the main road Fetzner until it hits
Cider Rd. and making a right (safer for beginners/ intermediates
and more aerobic as Fetzner overall is a nice level smooth road
with generous shoulders). At this point, go a little east I
believe on Cider Rd. past English Rd. park and the path will
continue from the left side of the street just before the bridge
going over I-390 again. (In case you haven't guessed by now, this
north-south path runs close and parallel to I-390). You'll get a 1
1/2 mi. easy run past several backyards, running close (but not
on) to I-390 on its west side, making one intersection stop at
Latta Rd along the way. Before passing a nice apple orchard, the
path will briefly share a water bridge with the I-390. You'll have
a barrier rail safely separating you from the highway, but the
problem is some gravel and sand. I advise hanging on to the rail
and "walking" your skates across the bridge. The path will veer
off left after the orchard and eventually end. Total run from the
high school approximately 4 miles.
4. MCC (Mercer Community College) - [Brighton suburb]
directions: I-390 exit 15 or 16B. Get onto West Henrietta Road
going south. Will see signs for MCC on left.
descriptions: The back of MCC has a series of parking lots. The
farthest one to the north seems to be the smoothest and can stay
there beyond sunset since it's lighted. The second best is the
next one south (next to the tennis courts) which is a little
rougher and unlit. Not too far for the Xeroids (Xerox workers) in
Canal View and Bldg. 801. Good for practicing techniques,
all-level skaters. Don't recommend the campus driveways as they
are quite rough and cracked.
5. Seneca Park - [Irondequoit suburb]
directions: rt. 104 to Seneca Ave. exit. Make right onto Seneca.
Make left onto East Ridge Rd. Make right onto St. Paul St. Will
barely see sign for Seneca Park entrance on left (if cross
railroad tracks, just passed it).
descriptions: The 1/4 mi. entrance road to the zoo parking lot is
very smooth and a great for beginners & endurance. The 2-section
parking lot itself has smooth to slight rough surfaces. Just
before reaching the zoo parking lot, you may see a car-blocked
pathway on the left leading west. That is a good intermediate 20
degree downhill on a smooth fenced path along the hillside to a
small but breathtaking high fenced bridge, crossing west across
the Genesee River. (You can make out a Kodak water treatment plant
on the right of the west bank. Then, it goes uphill on the
opposite side leading out to Maplewood Dr. This hidden scenic
route is about a mile.
If you drive past the zoo, you'll take the shaded forest entrance
into the actual Seneca Park, the heart of which consists of about
a 1/3 mi. path that runs all around a pond. Haven't tried that one
yet, but seems mostly level, narrow, with some twigs in certain
spots. Beginner/intermediate run (considering the twigs).
6. Ontario Beach - [Charlotte suburb]
directions: Ontario State Pkwy east until the end. Make left on
Lake Ave. (if coming from south, can also pick up Lake Ave. off of
rt. 104 or the I-490/downtown inner loop) Entrance to beach
parking lot on the right before road ends.
descriptions: the beach has several level smooth windy paths that
weave around a pavillion, carousel, and covered eating areas. Many
spots for beginners and intermediates to practice parallel turns.
Can also skate on a beachside wooded boardwalk or the dockside
walkway (but the walkway gets more and more cracked as you reach
the north lighthouse at the end of the pier). Parking lot
unadvisable to skate other than getting from/to your car.
Indoor sites:_
Horizon Fun FX
directions: I-390 north to the end, make right onto Ontario Pkwy. east
Take next exit to Dewey Ave. Make left on Dewey. Make right on Ling
Rd. Rink is soon on the right.
descriptions: moderate sized rink with skating always
counterclockwise. Mostly Top 40 music on prime time. Snack bar inside.
Rentals available. Hours vary summer/winter. Sat/Sun afternoon
sessions crowded with kids/birthday parties. Mon eve. confortable
adult night with backward skating sessions. Fri/Sat eve. family or
teen/adult night depending on season. Admission $2.75-$5 depending on
time/day. With the Ridge Rd. rink now closed down, this seems to be
the only indoor roller rink for the area.
Niagara
From: v580...@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
Date: Sat, 2 Jul 1994 20:51:00 GMT
The Amherst Bike Path is long, uncrowded, boring and windy. Cross the
border. Park at Niagra-on-the-Lake and skate south on the bike path
along the Niagra Scenic Pkwy. I've skated in Philadelphia, in parks in
New Jersey, in Manhattan, in Rhode Island and in Boston and Cambridge
and this is the prettiest stretch of road I've been on.
If you skate far enough you can get a good view of the Lewiston-Porter
bridge and the rapids. After you finish the skate there is an ice
cream store on the river side of the main st in N-o-t-L that sells
rhubarb frozen yogurt (it's set back from the road; next to a
photo-shop).
_________________________________________________________________
Pennsylvania
* Philadelphia
* Bethlehem/Allentown
* Pittsburgh
Philadephia
If you have Web access, the Philly skating FAQ is available at the
URL:
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~mengwong/phl.skating.html.
From: mc...@VFL.Paramax.COM (Donald P McKay)
Date: Unknown
I've skated at two places west of Philadelphia I recommend to anyone.
_Philadelphia-Valley Forge Bike Trail_
The Philadelphia-Valley Forge Bike Trail is a (mostly) marked bicycle
route from the Art Museum in Philadelphia to Valley Forge National
Park. Some of the bike route runs along an old rail bed and has been
paved.
There are two paved sections I've skated. One is at the Valley Forge
end of the trail and the other is about mid-way.
The Valley Forge section runs from a little used section of the
national park located on the north side of the Schuykill River (exit
off of Rte 422 at the Trooper Rd exit; the park is to the left). The
section from Valley Forge park to Norristown is approximately 4 miles,
paved, flat and level. The only bothersome part is that you share the
trail with bicyclists, walkers and joggers. This part of the trail is
decently wide and recently paved in 1992.
The Conshohoken section runs from the Spring Mill SEPTA station in
Conshohoken for 3 miles east toward Philedelphia. Except for the water
treatment plant you have to skate by, this is an enjoyable area of the
Schuykill River area.
_Ridley Creek State Park_
Located approximately 15 miles west of Philadelphia.
_Warning--This is hilly and you must be able to brake and otherwise
control yourself on rolling hills, 1 mile climbs and steep descents.
Skating here is a good workout._
In the state park, there is a paved circular path ostensibly for
biking, blading and walking. Total distance is a little over 4 miles
for one lap. There is a 1 mile section along Ridley Creek which is
rolling, no steep grades up or down. The trail (no matter which way
you happen to go) ascends from the creek bed to the main part of the
park which is on the top of some hills. I would guess a few hundred
feet elevation change although I've never checked a topo map. The
steepest grade is approximately .4 miles (up or down depending). The
trail is about 1 mile along the creek, 1 mile of gradual (compared to
the other) grade, 1.6 miles rolling over the main part of the park,
and the .4 mile steep grade--there are a few level parts of the run to
help slow you down, but none at the bottom where it rejoins the creek.
There are a few residences in the park proper so there can be an
occasional motor vehicle.
The fastest I've ever been on roller blades was going down the .4 mile
grade.
From: johnn...@aol.com (JohnnyDull)
Date: 18 Apr 1995 17:54:06 -0400
Abington Junior/Senior High School campus. Hills, flats, dips, it's
all there, and miles of it! East of Route 611, off of Susquehanna
Road, about 1/2 mile. The driveway is on the left. (This is the
entrance that I use, but there are others)
(It's actually the Abington/Glenside area, north of Philly)
From: st94...@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu (Crazy)
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 10:23:20 -0500
I go to Drexel University on market and 34th. There are tons of places
around me. The art museum is cool if you like steps and all that
stuff. If you just like to skate for exersize, you can skate around
fairmont park, there's a 10 mile section of paved sidewalk that goes
around the river. It's real smooth and there's a lot of other skaters
there. You can skate around center city, there's a lot of cool stuff
there, city hall and all that.
From: Steve Arsenault (stevear...@unn.unisys.com)
Date: 13 Nov 95 14:23:57 (-0500)
There's very good skating in the Chesterbrook area of Wayne --- about
1/2 hour outside of the city. Take 76 West to 202 South and exit at
Chesterbrook Blvd. You can park at any of the corporate office centers
or by the pools in Chesterbrook. If you go to the shopping center,
(right on Chesterbrook Blvd) Chesterbrook realty will even give you a
trail map. If you park across Chesterbrook Blvd from the Doubletree
Suite Hotel there's an entrance to the trails --- look for a wooden
exercise station. The corporate parks have miles of paved surfaces ---
I have skated and played hockey there and never been hassled. There
ars some stairs and curbs -- but not too much in the way of exciting
obstacles. One of the buildings on the same side as the hotel
(accessible from the hotel parking lot) was unoccupied the last time I
was there -- so the lot is usable even during business hours.
But the real reason to go there is the trails. There are several miles
of paved trails going through the woods --- most are in very good
condition. There are a number of hills, but none are too big. There
are a few wooden bridges that are treacherous (bumpy and the
guardrails are more imaginary than real). The trails are not very
crowded. Some pedestrian traffic and some bikes, but everybody is good
about getting out of the way of skaters. In summer the trails are
shaded, so are quite comfortable. In the fall there can be a lot of
wet leaves and the trails can be useless for skating for days on end
(impossible to get any edge). In several places the trails come out
into residential areas and it takes a little bit of exploring to find
where the trail continues. Most of the people in Chesterbrook are
unfriendly to inline skaters and skateboarders --- especially in the
condo section. You will not be hassled on the trails, but don't expect
a hero's welcome when you enter the residentail areas. The trails are
public property and anyway, the place is so big that no one has any
idea who is really a resident.
The trails allegedly connect into Valley Forge Park. I have found one
connection passable by mountain bike, but no paved connections.
There's a very limited stretch of trails near the corporate parks that
is lit.
There are rumors of another path also opening soon -- somehow
connected to the on-going construction of Route 202. Rumor has it that
it will connect into Philly.
Bethlehem/Allentown
From: jm...@Lehigh.EDU
Date: 11 Apr 1995 11:00:56 -0400
Anybody who lives around the Bethlehem/Allentown area in PA should
definitely check out Lehigh University. There's "tracs" a campus bus
system that takes you from the bottom of the "hill" by the library to
the top of Goodman campus. I would guess the vertical rise to be at
least 700 feet. From the top, there are so many options. Every thing
from gentle hills to steep stuff where you have to take jump turns
(unless you brake all the way down). There are stair cases all over
campus that you can ride or clear and a skate park (Cheap Skates)
about a 30 minute drive away that has three half pipes (different
sizes) a pool and a street skating area. There's a bunch of us who
skate here all the time so if you need someone to skate with, write
me! Don't worry if you are just starting out. A lot of my friends have
been skating for less than a year but I guess the hills around here
forced all of them to be better cause' they all rip it up pretty hard
now. :)
Pittsburgh
From: bry...@N3.SP.CS.CMU.EDU (Randy Bryant)
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 13:59:01 GMT
There IS good inlining in Pittsburgh, but the combination of hills,
traffic, and potholes makes it hard to choose good routes. Here are a
few recommendations:
1. Schenley Park, convenient from the Oakland area (where UPitt & CMU
are located). There's a nice loop of 5K featuring some exciting
hills with decent runouts. Traffic is reasonable either early AM,
or midday.
2. Zoo parking lot, in Highland Park. Popular hangout for racers,
because it's flat, uncrowded, and smooth (contrast to general
conditions listed above). There's a 400M oval marked out, but you
need someone to show you where it is. There's a group that
generally gets together at 5pm on Sundays & 6pm on Wednesdays
3. Oakland street skating. I understand there's a group that goes out
on Thursdays and skates stairs, parking garages, etc. Contact Rob
at Shadyskates (412) 731-5400 for more info.
4. Various suburban locations... I know of skaters who like both
North Park and South Park.
_________________________________________________________________
Quebec
Montreal
From: yat...@bnr.ca (Paul Yatrou)
Date: Unknown
There are several bike paths in the city. Try the Lachine canal bike
path. Go to the old port in Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) and skate
Westwards along the river until you get to the Lachine canal path
entrance (ask anyone with blades on for directions). The path is
around 8 km long one way.
There is another path that ventures West towards Montreal West along
deMaisoneuve Boulevard (beginning at Greene Ave.), one that heads East
towards the Olympic Stadium (can't remember what street), and along
the North shore of Mtl (along Gouin Boulevard) --- all in all plenty
of klicks of skating available.
Of course, you can street skate along Ste-Catherine, St. Laurent, St.
Dennis streets (among the most interesting in the city).
From: AEB...@ibm.net
Date: Sat, 08 Jul 95 22:11:15 PDT
I was just in Montreal for the Jazz festival and found a good route
besides the ones you mentioned was from a bike map called Pedaler Le
Quebec. Start at Rue Rachel by Mont Royal, go through Maisonneuve
Parc, follow path to St-Zotique and stay on until you get to Rue
Boyer, then go Left (south) and follow path back to Rue Rachel. It
took me about 50 minutes, it was great, especially through the Parc.
_________________________________________________________________
Rhode Island
* Providence-Bristol
* Newport
Providence-Bristol
From: ti...@aol.com (Tim59)
Date: 22 Sep 1994 14:41:03 -0400
As requested, directions to Rhode Island 14 mile bike path.
Info:
"The path is approx. 14.5 miles long extending from Independence Park
In Bristol to India Point Park in Providence. Constructed along an
inactive rail line, the path offers some of the State's most scenic
views of coastline, estuaries and woodlands. The bikeway has a 10 foot
wide asphalt paved path with grass shoulders..."(1.)
The path crosses four towns and eight State parks. The surface is very
smooth and mostly flat with some very gradual hills. There are eating
places, shops and resting areas along the path within these 8 towns. I
feel it is best to start in scenic Bristol ...plenty of parking and
the path starts right on the Bristol harbor. The path follows the
water and through nice neighborhoods, past boat yards and state parks.
Most days, you face the wind on the way out and have a tail wind back
to the start in Bristol. It does cross 3 very busy streets so be
careful.
Directions:
Bristol, R.I. The start is located on Route 114 on the Bristol harbor.
Take Route 95 N or S to Providence. Take Route 195 East to Fall River/
Cape Cod Take Exit 7 off 195 East. Follow 114South for approx. 13
miles to Bristol Harbor.
Additional Info:
Ask for Jane at Bristol Chamber of Commerce (401) 245-0750. She said
she would send BayPath maps out to anyone interested.
ref. (1.) Bristol County Chamber East Bay Bike Path Map
From: Walter Clark (wcl...@capnet.enet.dec.com)
Date: 27 Jun 1995 18:29:14 GMT
The part we have experienced runs from Bristol harbor north, roughly
parallel Rt 114 through Warren, Barrington and into E. Providence. In
doing so it passes by the harbor waterfront in Bristol and Warren, a
strech of Narangansett Bay, a pond, Colt State Park in Bristol,
crosses over inlets with wooden bridges twice, crosses 114 twice, and
by several places to stop for refreshment, rest or food. I think it is
about 12 miles long end to end. We havent probed North beyond
Barrington.
We park either at the Ames on 114 in Barrington and skate south to the
end or we park in a small water front park and boat launch at the
south end of the trail in Briston on 114. We were told by the folks in
the first paragraph that Colt State Park was a good place to park and
set out from but, this weekend we found out they have banned inline
skating from that park.
The trail itself is pretty smooth, though not as smooth as either the
re-paved trail on the east side of the Cape Cod Canal or the Minuteman
trail from Bedford to Boston. The asphalt itself is a bit coarser than
either of the above, but it is not too rough, just not as fast. The
only rough spots in the trail are where the trail crosses 114 in
Warren, and the two wood bridges in Warren/Barrington. The bridges are
easy enough to skate onto going North but the Northmost bridge has a
1" or so lip going onto it when heading south that might not be
obvious until you are sliding along on your knee and wrist pads over
the wood timbers. In a few pastoral sections, surrounded by trees keep
an eye on the pavement for roots pushing up. There are a few nearly
invisible bumps from this that can through you off your stride or on
your nose if you are just enjoying the scenery.
We have stopped for refreshments at the TJ Cinnamon's in Barrington
and the Dell's in Warren. Both alongside the trail and both skater
friendly (though the Dell's has wooden steps up the front). There seem
to be other skater friendly places along the way too.
One unusual thing to notice and be aware of. The trail markings
suggest that pedestrians walk on the left and bikes on the right. I
found that walkers and joggers may be right, left or both.
If you are in Southern NE, I recommend the trail. Nice scenery. Too
bad about Colt State Park.
Newport
From: "stern" (st...@wheels.org)
Date: 17 Jul 96 09:13:59 -0400
I had been warned that Newport is not a skate-friendly community but
perhaps their recent (6/96) hosting of the X Games lead to a change in
standards. I did not try to skate in most shops or restaurants, but I
skated through both private property and parks without being
admonished and without seeing a single _no skating_ sign. It beat
Manhattan in that regard.
I suggest four areas for skating in Newport, though the town is so
small that any active skater will find all these in a day or two in
any case.
_The Harbor and Thames Street_
These are the gentrified, areas along the western side of Newport,
crowded with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops and filled with
tourists during the summer. During the height of the season, the
streets are too filled with (admittedly slow moving) cars for any kind
of spirited workout. The sidewalks are simply out of the question. I
did see some local youths out for aggressive skating, though I
couldn't figure out where they found any patch of concrete sufficient
free of people to allow for tricks, unless they went into the empty
lots along the water (see below).
In some confused twist of city planning, there are some parking lots
on the waterfront. The underpaid teenagers administering the lots
didn't mind my skating in them, and I was able to get some good
practice in along the edge of the water there without worrying about
pedestrians.
_Memorial Drive and Easton's Beach_
The best beach in Newport proper lies along the southern shore and can
be reached by a short skate (~4 miles) with one hill along Memorial
Blvd. Experienced skaters will not find the route challenging, though
the beach is lovely. I was warned that the town has a problem with
drunk drivers and that Memorial Blvd. may be dangerous at night for
this reason.
_Ocean Drive_
The best bet for those trying to get in real workouts. This road
twists along the coast around the promontory to the southwest of the
island. The views are without match, but wear a helmet. This route is
not for the inexperienced or the faint of heart.
_Bellevue Ave. and the Mansions_
100 years ago, the wealthiest of America's industrial and banking
families built their summer mansions in Newport. Many of these
buildings still stand and are open to the public. During the day,
during the tourist season, the roads in these neighborhoods are
clogged with cars. However, even shortly after hours, these areas make
for great skating. The area around Bellevue Ave. and Ochre Point Road
is particularly nice. The estates are enormous, only a few per mile,
and some are unoccupied, so there=B9s effectively no traffic at all.
The pavement is pristine, and the environs are lovely, especially in
the cul-de-sacs that end on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. Some
hills, but nothing bothersome.
_________________________________________________________________
Vermont
Stowe
From: "Susan M. Kennedy" (Sm...@dartmouth.edu)
Date: 12 Jul 1995 16:48:12 GMT
Stowe, VT has a great bike path through an incredibly beautiful
valley. Also the Stowe Ski Resort has a smallish skate park in their
parking lot, which has some ramps, an open area, a hockey rink, a
track and even a little tow to take you up a short slope for slalom.
Its fun! It also cost $10 bucks for the day, but the bike trail is
free.
_________________________________________________________________
_-rec.sport.skating.inline FAQs maintained by Tony Chen
(adc...@skatefaq.com)_
_-"Where to Skate" edited by Robert Schmunk (r...@skatecity.com)_
_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________
Copyright Š 1991-1996 Anthony D. Chen (adc...@skatefaq.com)
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part8
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Marketplace - Guide to Buying Inline Skates_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
MARKETPLACE - GUIDE TO BUYING IN-LINE SKATES
(last changed Friday, 13-Sep-96 13:13:30 MDT)
What This Guide Is
This guide is meant to provide you with an organized approach to skate
shopping. It is intended for those readers with little or no knowledge
of in-line skates. This guide is not review-oriented and any specific
skate products or brands shown or mentioned is only for use as
examples. (See part 3.3 of the FAQ for skate reviews.)
As with all purchases, read the fine print before buying. Make sure
you can return the merchandise if it is found to be broken, defective
or otherwise unsatisfactory after you purchase it.
Warning: this guide may be offensive to salespeople (aka
"salesdroids") who pretend they know something about inline skates
when they sell them in stores. If you're not one of those fakers, then
don't worry about it. If your store is providing really good service
(free wheel rotation for your customers, calling them up about wheel
specials, replacing a lost spacer for free, etc.) I don't think a few
words from the internet is going to disuade people from giving you
their business. If anything, you have the chance to show that not only
are you NOT a salesdroid, but that you are actually skate savvy.
If you really want to thank me for writing this article, do me a favor
and wear your helmet. Wear your helmet, your knee pads, and skate
under control. Learn to brake. Be courteous to pedestrians, bikers and
other skaters. Oh, and if you can help us get this article published,
that'd be nice too 8-) We're looking to make this into a small booklet
or something for shoppers to carry with them as a reference.
-Tony Chen, adc...@skatefaq.com
208 W. 8th Ave., Tallahassee FL 32303, (904) 224-0230
Table of Contents:
1. Before you go to the store
+ Decide your skating needs
o What type of skating will I want to do?
o What's most important to me?
+ Deciding on your price range
o The Crummy Skate Threshold
o Remember you'll also need safety gear
o Mail order versus local stores
o Some mail-order shops
+ Learn the terminology
o Wheel terms
# Diameter
# Maximum wheel size
# Durometer
# Rockering
o Bearings and ABEC ratings
o Braking systems
2. At the store
+ Bring the right socks
+ Ignore the sales hype
+ Trying on skates
+ Things to look for
o Liner fit
o Closure systems
o Shell design
o Wheels and other stuff
3. After you buy
+ Testing out your skates
4. Here's a checklist for you to print out to take to the store.
_________________________________________________________________
Before You Go To The Store
Okay, so you've heard about "rollerblades", you've seen the ads,
you've watched rollerhockey on TV, you see skaters on the streets and
on the sidewalks, and now you want a piece of the action too. Where do
I go? What kind of skate should I buy? How much will it cost me?
What's the best skate out there?
While this guide doesn't pretend to be the final word on all skate
shopping issues, hopefully it'll help shed some light on those
questions and how to go about choosing the proper skates.
Shopping for in-line skates is much like shopping for a car. Your best
bet is to go armed with information and to know what each skate
feature means for you and your skating. Don't listen to the hype. Use
your brain. About 99.5% of the salespeople in stores I've come across
know less than I do about the skates they're selling. Many times I
pose as an uninformed shopper and ask the standard questions. Almost
always the answers are rehashed phrases from manufacturers' brochures.
They throw out buzzwords like "durometer", "ABEC", and "ABT" to sound
like they actually know something. Don't be thrown off. Just show them
a printout of this guide, and tell them Tony said they're full of
baloney.
_________________________________________________________________
Decide Your Needs
If you go into the store without a clear goal in mind, you could
easily end up getting something you don't want. Salespeople love it
when you do this. It's like grocery shopping while you're hungry - you
tend to buy everything that looks appealing. So before you put a
single big toe inside the store, answer these two questions first:
1. _What type of skating will I want to do?_
You can do all sorts of things on skates: figure skating, hockey,
ramps, stair riding, hills (both up and down), speed skating,
commuting to work or classes, and on and on. The thing to decide
here is mainly between these types of skates: multi-purpose,
hockey, or speed.
_Multi-purpose skates_
Most of you will probably be looking at multi-purpose skates.
These are sometimes labeled by the manufacturers as
"cross-training/fitness" and "recreational". Translation: "costs
more" and "costs less", respectively.
Another type of multi-purpose skate that has become very popular
is the "aggressive" or "street" skates which are specifically
designed for grinds, railslides, and other common skating tricks.
These skates usually come with grind plates (plastic or metal
covers that go on the runners), smaller harder wheels, and rugged
shells.
Multi-purpose skates comprise the large majority of the inline
skating market. These skates are usually made of plastic with a
foam liner inside. Some have all laces, some all buckles, and some
have combinations of both. A typical example is the 1994
Rollerblade Macroblades Equipes (EQ):
RB Equipes image
_Hockey skates_
Hockey Inline Skates are usually made of stitched leather and/or
ballistic nylon, like those you see ice hockey players wear. Very
few, if any, use a foam liner (although of course many players use
recreational skates for hockey). Hockey skates will tend to be
great on the rink, but won't stand up as well to shocks and
abrasion from outdoor surfaces. Hockey skates will use laces, with
some models having an additional velcro strap at the ankle. Some
models also have toe or side plates to protect the leather when
you fall.
In the past, hockey skates were almost always slightly modified
recreational skates. Today, there are dozens of models by most of
the big names from ice hockey to choose from: Bauer, CCM, Koho,
etc. You'll see two kinds of models: production skates with both
boot and frame, and component skates.
The production models are typically revamped or modified
recreational skates, (i.e., plastic boot, foam liner, and plastic
frame). The component skates usually have a boot from one company
plus a frame by another manufacturer like Labeda or Sure-Grip. The
component hockey frames are usually made of some aluminium alloy
(like racing frames). Mounting the frames usually requires
riveting the frame to the sole of the boot. Most all the serious
hockey skates use the component approach.
An example of a hockey skate is the Bauer H6-comps:
Bauer H6-comps image
_Speedskates and 5-wheelers_
Speedskates are typically made of leather and come with a long
wheelbase to accommodate 5 wheels. Usually speedskates won't be
available in your local sports stores. You'll likely have to find
a shop specializing in skates (in which case, ignore my previous
remark about salespeople and baloney), to find speedskates on the
shelves.
_Component Skates_
Speedskates are cut low at the ankles. Most all are laces-only,
but some have one buckle at the ankle. If you're looking at racing
skates you might want to pick out your components separately. The
four main components you'll have to consider are the boots, frames
(runners), bearings, and wheels. An example of a boot and frame
are the Viking Marathon Special boots and the Mogema frames:
viking boot image mogema frame image
If you're looking at getting component skates, you'll find there's
a wide variety of boots and frames to choose from.
Racing frames are usually made of an aluminium alloy, although you
will find the more expensive frames made of fiberglass/carbon
fiber type materials too (mainly for lightness). There are
different types of aluminium alloy, denoted by a Series number.
_Al-Alloy Designation_ _Principal alloying element_ 1xxxnone
2xxxCu 3xxxMn 4xxxSi 5xxxMg 6xxxMg and Si 7xxxZn 8xxxother
In general the higher series have better strength characteristics
but may suffer from lower corrosion resistance. For more info, see
http://www.metalogic.be/MatWeb/reading/material/m_al.htm.
Racing frames tend to be made in three ways:
+ _Fabricated:_ A flat piece of metal is stamped out and then
folded to make the frame (cheapest)
+ _Extruded and Milled:_ the molten alloy is forced through a
die (mold) then milled to finish (moderately expensive)
+ _Machined:_ the frame is designed and cut by a computer from
a solid block of alloy, which gives the best precision and
tolerance (most expensive)
Most of the mid/high-end frames out there tend to be machined or
extruded. You may see the term "triple-extrusion". I'm not sure
what this means. Maybe they have some sort of 3-step process to
extrude the frame.
Boots also vary widely in material, but are usually made of some
type of leather. Most Bont boots, for example, are made of
kangaroo leather. Some boots will have a combination of leather
and carbon/graphite material for strength and weight-reduction.
Racing boots often are heat-moldable, so that you can warm them up
(like in an oven or with a heat gun) and then mold them to your
feet. This is a somewhat tedious process, but the results are well
worth it. Having a near-perfect fit to your feet helps conserve
energy and gives you a better feel of the road. Some boots are
only partially moldable, and some are fully moldable (usually the
more expensive models).
Buying components separately is typically the most expensive
approach (short of getting entirely custom skates) but also
provides the best fit for your skating needs. You get what you pay
for.
_Production 5-wheelers_
The other 5-wheel option is to buy pre-assembled 5-wheel
production skates which are generally considered more for
recreational speedskating and long-distance skating. These skates
have plastic boots with either metal or plastic runners. They will
be a lot heavier than component speedskates in almost every case.
Some are cut lower or higher depending on their intended usage.
For example, the Roces Paris (CDG) skates has a plastic vented
boot cut moderately low, laces, one buckle, and metal runners:
Roces CDG image
Technically, it's not the extra wheel that makes these skates go
faster, it's the extra length in the wheelbase. The longer
wheelbase makes the skates more stable at higher speeds. The
trade-off (there's always a trade-off) is that they're much less
maneuverable than 3 or 4 wheel skates. You may find some 4 wheel
skates that have their wheels spread a lot farther apart than
normal to achieve a longer wheelbase. I know of one K2
cross-trainer model that has long runners with axle holes designed
to let you use either 4 or 5 wheels. There is also a Bauer
cross-trainer skate that has the wheels spread far apart (but
without the extra axle holes).
2. _What's most important to me? (quality, speed, or price)_
Okay, now that you've chosen the type of skate to buy, the next
thing to do is to decide what's most important to you in a skate.
Let me quote the all-purpose law of consumer goods:
"Good, Fast, Cheap. Pick two."
For skates, "good" usually translates into "comfortable and
durable"; "fast" is usually "quality of construction and parts"
(which let you go faster). Basically you have to choose what's the
LEAST important to you. For most people that I've counseled in
skate shopping, the price usually turns out to be the least
important ("What?? Is he crazy? I only have $X to spend!" you say?
Read on.)
In general, the more money you put up front, the less it'll cost
you in the long run. But on ONE condition! This is assuming you
will be using your skates, and continue to skate for years to
come. If you're going to buy them, try them once, and throw them
in the closet, then go directly to Toys-R-Us or K-mart and buy the
$35 skates with bright neon green and purple colors. Do not pass
GO, and do not collect $200.
_____________________________________________________________
[ Toys R Us | K-Mart ]
_____________________________________________________________
Okay, since you're still reading this, you haven't gone off to
Toys-R-Us or K-mart, so I'll assume you're committed, or at least
committed to being committed, to skating.
So how does paying more up front save you more in the long run? If
you buy cheapo skates, your skating experience will suck. Plain
and simple. If you buy bad skates, then after a couple weeks of
aches and pain, you'll say "See, Tony I told you so. Good thing I
didn't spend more money." Wrong. Don't confuse cause and effect.
Like most things in life, the rule is GIGO: garbage in, garbage
out. You get out of it, what you put into it.
To put it another way, the better skate that you buy, the better
it fits. The better they fit, the less pain you endure. The less
pain you endure, the less blisters you'll get on your feet. The
less blisters you have, the less blood that oozes from them, and
the more you like skating. I said it'd cost you less, and it
will...in terms of pain, sweat, tears, blood, time, and bandage
money. Not only that, if you enjoy the skating, you'll want to go
out and skate even more. In turn, this means you'll learn to skate
better and get more for your money. Make sense? Good!
_________________________________________________________________
Decide Your Price Range
_The Crummy Skate Threshold (CST)_
Now, in the previous section I made it seem like you should go out and
spend your life savings on the best skate you can find. Only if you
want to. As with most things, diminishing returns takes effect. $150
skates are definitely more than 5 times better than $30 skates. But
are $300 skates twice as good as $150 skates? Well, it depends. The
bottom line is to stay above what I call the Crummy Skate Threshold,
or CST for short.
In my experience, the CST is at around $110-120 (all dollar figures
are US$; adust for your standard of living and currency as needed).
Skates retailing under $110-120 usually aren't worth their money.
You'd be a whole lot better off putting that money towards a good pair
of $150-250 skates. Note that the CST applies to the brand-new price,
and not to used-skate prices. You may find good skates at clearance
sales or skates that have been used. If so, go for it. (See the
Shopping for Used Skates section for more details). As a general rule
though, stick with the CST.
_Safety Gear_
Make sure you factor in $40-$80 for protective gear when trying to
estimate your total cost. I would highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend
(I'd make it mandatory if I had the power) wrist guards ($15-17) and
knee pads ($17-20) for beginners. A helmet and elbow pads are also
highly recommended. An ANSI or Snell approved bike helmet works just
fine. If you have a really old helmet though, toss it and shell out
$40 for a nice new safer one. Once you're bleeding at the hands and
knees, it'll be too late to wish that you had spent that puny extra
$40 up front. Sounds like the bloody blister scenario? That's right.
_Mail Order vs. Local Stores_
If all this sounds like you have to spend your life savings again, let
me quote what Mr. Spock said to Scotty in the Galileo 7 episode of the
old Star Trek series, when their shuttle crashed on a planet and
Scotty exclaims that all is lost because most of their fuel was lost
in the landing:
_"Mr. Scott, there are always alternatives." _
Of course in the end through Star Trek magic, Scotty converted their
phasers' energy to shuttle fuel. Amazing. Wish they would show us how
to convert bullets to gasoline.
In your case, you don't have to find Scotty, but you can find a
mail-order shop. Mail-order can save you a substantial amount of money
without sacrificing quality. However, the trade-off is (there's that
"t"-word again) that you can't try on the skates or gear before you
buy. You might have to ship the skates back once or more, if things
aren't quite right or what you expected. And of course, you have to
wait for UPS or snail-mail (USPS), to ship it to your door.
One thing that will help is to try out the same skates at your local
store. This only works mainly if you're shopping for recreational
skates. Don't count on finding speedskates at most stores unless
you're lucky enough to have a dedicated skate shop around. Try on
skates to figure out the size that fits best, and then you can go
shopping for price. Note that sizing is NOT consistent between all
manufacturers, so be sure to compare apples with apples.
To some people this may seem like you're using the store for free.
However, if you feel like the service and convenience they give you is
worth the price they charge (it could be close to or even cheaper than
mail-order) then by all means buy them there. You won't have to pay
for shipping, you get to start skating immmediately, and your local
store gets some business. Prices in stores can often be lower or near
mail-order, so never count out the local stores.
If your budget is really tight, one thing you might try is to
negotiate the price with the salespeople. This probably only works in
non-chain stores, where they may actually be willing to bargain. If
they won't budge, maybe the store owner will. Tell them, "You know I
really like these skates, but $275 is a little high for me. I see them
listed for $240 in the catalogs but I'd love to do my business in town
with you instead. Do you think you could help me out here?"
Probably won't work many times, but you won't know if you don't ask!
The worst that can happen is that they say "Sorry, but we can't do
that." The best that could happen is that they match, or maybe meet
the price halfway. Better than nothing!
Having said all that however, let me just say that my own experiences
with ordering skates and other accessories through the mail have been
very satisfactory. And on the plus side, pretty much all the
salespeople at the mail-order shops know what they're talking about.
Store salespeople ARE improving though, so hopefully your shopping
experience will be good all around.
For a list of mail-order shops, look at part 3.2 of the FAQ
_________________________________________________________________
Learn The Terminology
_________________________________________________________________
All right, now we're on a roll, so to speak. You know what sort of
skate you're looking for, you know your target price range, and you're
ready to jump into that store and start trying on skates. Before you
do though, go through the following terms and get an idea of what each
means. Once you're beyond trying on skates for comfort and fit, you'll
want to compare the other features to see what's best for you.
(More in-depth wheel information is in part 4.)
_Wheel terms:_
_Diameter:_
If you'll recall from grade school math, the diameter is
the length across the widest part of a circle. Twice the
length of the radius, if you prefer. For wheels, this is
measured in millimeters (mm). Most production skates come
with 72 and 76mm, with some high end skates equipped with
80mm wheels (other sizes are available through
mail-order). The shorter the wheel, the more stable and
maneuverable your skates will be. However, they'll also
be slower. Conversely taller wheels will let you go
faster, but are less maneuverable.
_Maximum wheel size:_
Although maximum wheel size won't seem like a big deal
when you're just beginning, it will be important once you
become a proficient skater. Low-end skates generally come
stocked with 70 or 72mm wheels, while the higher-end
skates come with 76mm wheels. This is no accident. Most
skaters eventually want more speed, and taller wheels are
faster, all other things being equal. Some 76mm skates
will vary in their ability to take 80mm wheels too.
Smaller skate sizes might not have the option due to the
whole skate being smaller.
Not all skates can take larger wheels though. Most every
76mm skate will take up to 80 or 82mm (plenty large for
most people). 72mm skates are another story. Depending on
the runner and chassis design, some can take only up to
72.5mm wheels, while others can squeeze on 76mm ones.
Some people actually shave or grind down parts of their
skates so that they can fit larger wheels. In any case,
if you can afford it, I'd suggest going with skates that
can take at least 76mm wheels. You can always switch to
smaller wheels if you want.
_Durometer:_
Durometer has to do with the DURAbility of wheels. More
simply, it means how hard the wheel material is. The
industry (plastic industry I guess) "A" scale is used,
with 0 being softest, and 100 being hardest. (It's
rumored that Rush Limbaugh's skull is rated above 500A,
but like I said, it's just a rumor.)
Most wheels are 78A or 82A. 78A is considered on the
softer side. They don't last quite as long as 82A's, but
since they're softer, they absorb bumps better for a
smoother ride. That's the primary trade-off when you go
about selecting wheel hardness. For most stock skates,
you won't have a choice, since they almost all come in
78A. If you want or need harder wheels, you can buy a
harder set when your original wheels wear out.
For indoor surfaces, most skaters go with really hard
wheels, like 85A or higher. For real rough outdoor
terrain, you might want 74A. You can also mix your
durometers and have some wheels harder than others. This
let's you gain the advantages of both worlds somewhat, by
getting the better shock absorption of softer wheels,
while getting the durability of harder wheels.
_Rockering:_
Rockering sounds like something grandma does while
knitting sweaters, doesn't it? Well, for skates, it means
that you can adjust the heights of the axles (and
therefore the wheels also), to approximate an ice-skate
blade's profile. Those blades are usually curved upwards
at the front and back (hockey skates anyway). The
curvature allows for more maneuverability, but at the
cost of stability at higher speeds. Trade-off once again?
You bet. If you think you might want rockering sometime
in the future, get skates that let you adjust it. Most
all middle and high-end skates will let you rocker your
wheels.
_Bearings and ABEC ratings:_ (More in-depth information is in
part 4.)
The two bearings inside each wheel are where the turning
action takes place. Bearings come in various ratings,
based on the ABEC scale. This acronym is pronounced
"ay-beck", and it stands for the "Annual Bearing
Engineering Council" which sets the specifications for
the ratings.
The higher the ABEC number the more precise the bearing
has been made. The ratings you'll come across are ABEC-1,
ABEC-3, and ABEC-5. There are ABEC-7's being sold now
too, but you probably won't see those on any skates.
Although you might think that the more precise the
bearings the faster it will spin, but this is still
subject to some debate. After you skate outdoors long
enough, ABEC-5's will be indistinguishable from ABEC-1's.
It's more important to keep your bearings clean and
well-lubed, in the long run.
Also note that bearings do not always have the rating
number marked on the shields. Unfortunately, this makes
it hard to know the real rating and you end up having to
trust the manufacturer or salesdroid's word. More on this
later, when we get to store.
_Braking systems:_
Before 1994 the only thing you had to worry about with brakes was
learning to use them. Now, you have to decipher the SSHA, or Silly
Sales Hype Acronyms. Rollerblade has the ABT (Active Braking
Technology), Oxygen skates has the PBS (Power Brake System), Bauer has
the Force Multiplier, CCM has the Arrester Dual System, Roces has the
Tartaruga, Ultra-wheels has the DBS (Disc Brake System) and I'm sure
someone else will come up with yet another system.
What we REALLY need is an industry-standard for brakes, not everyone
trying to come up with the next better moustrap. Right now, every
single manufacturer has their own brake design. None are compatible
(without modifications) with any other manufacturer's skates. Even
Rollerblade's ABT and non-ABT brakes are incompatible.
In any case, Rollerblade's ABT is essentially a brake on a long screw,
running up the back of your skates. You can adjust the height of your
brake by turning the screw. It also means the brake can be activated
if you tilt lean back on your skate. An example is the Rollerblade
Bravoblade GL ABT skate:
RB Bravo GL w/ABT image
If you have an older skate and want ABT, there is now an add-on system
called GEM which does much the same thing:
GEM image
The Oxygen PBS doesn't allow you to adjust the brake height, but
instead it works like most brakes, with the added effect of pressing
the brake pad against the rear wheel when you brake.
PBS image
The Ultra Wheels DBS is a cylindrical brake oriented to roll in the
same direction as the wheels. Inside the brake is a disc-braking
system that provides extra braking power.
DBS drawing DBS picture
The Roces Tartaruga system is a spring-loaded device that clinches
brake pads on the two rear wheels (from the side) when you press down
in a certain way with your heel.
The bottom line is that these system are neither bad nor good. On the
plus side, they help beginners brake easier and some systems like the
ABT allow you to adjust the height of the brake pad, which is very
handy and can extend the life of the brake.
On the down side, the brake pads may be harder to find (ABT brakes
have been hard to find, last I heard). Also, for true expert
power-braking, these systems actually get in the way. (See part 2.1 of
the FAQ for braking techniques.) Learning to brake effectively under
various conditions still takes practice, not just spending money on a
fancy braking system. This is quadruply true for those add-on devices
like the Grip, which are hand-activated caliper-brakes.
One last thing to mention. Not all brakes are equal. In the past,
Bauer and Roces brakes have been notorious for poor durability.
Rollerblade brakes tend to last very well. This may or not be true any
more though. Ask other skaters that use Roces or Bauer skates. Things
may have improved recently.
Anecdote time: back in 1991 or 1992, my buddy Dave got some Bauer
skates from the rest of us for his birthday. Boy, was he happy. That
is, until he found out that Bauer brakes last about as long as a
snowflake at noon in the Sahara Desert. He went through one brake in
about 2 hours. Good thing for him, the rest of us were about ready to
order some wheels and he ordered 5 brakes. We get our stuff in a few
days and it turns out the catalog meant 5 SETS of brakes, meaning 10
brakes in all. Good thing too. He needed every one of them!
_________________________________________________________________
At The Store
_Ignore the hype_
All righty. Now you know what you're looking for, you know all the
nifty terms that go along with skates, and you're ready to head to the
stores and see what they have. Before you go though, bring two things:
athletic socks and a ruler with cm/mm markings (a ruler? you'll
understand why later on.)
Socks
Wear the socks that you'll be wearing to skate, when you try on
skates. I suggest getting double-layered anti-blister socks. However,
if you insist on the hole-ridden tube socks you've been wearing for
the past 5 years, that's your choice 8-) Make sure the socks are not
too short or thick. You want the socks to cover at least 4-5 inches or
more above your ankle bone (assuming you are trying on regular
production skates, and not speedskates).
Some people do actually skate barefooted, but that's a personal
preference. It may cause more chaffing though without socks.
Personally, I think my skates smell enough when I *do* wear socks 8-)
but hey to each his/her own.
If you have problems with blisters, try polypropylene sock liners
under your other socks. These are very thin and hydrophobic (won't
absorb moisture from your sweat) which means they wick sweat towards
the outer layers of your socks. This keeps your feet dryer and less
prone to blistering. You might need thinner outer socks too, if you
find that the layers are bunching up in your skates.
Get ready
Okay, now you're in the store. Remember our strategy? That's right,
"Ignore the sales hype." If you've prepared ahead of time as I've told
you to, that should be a piece of cake. Ice cream cake. Chocolate-mint
ice cream cake even (I've always been partial to chocolate-mint).
_Trying on skates_
Okay, here's one part that the salesdroids are good for and good at.
Pick out a skate that is exactly at your target price (there might be
several models) and ask to try on one or all of them (if you want to
be really thorough). You might find that your skate size will not be
exactly your shoe size. Usually skates run a tad large meaning you'll
have a smaller skate size than your shoe size.
Try on skates a half-size larger and a half-size smaller than your
normal shoe size to see the difference. Some manufacturers are better
than other at providing skates for different shaped and sized feet.
Rollerblade skates, for example, have tended not to be designed that
well for wide feet. Bauer and Roces have done better in this regard.
Also, for those of you who are just as confused as I am about
Rollerblade's MondoPoint sizing system, here is a scan of their sizing
chart that shows the U.S. men's and women's sizes versus MP: [LINK]
After you've got the skates on, wiggle your toes. You'll want to press
your ankles back against the heel of the skate, while you wiggle. If
your toes are crammed against the front of the skates, they're too
tight. If your foot can jiggle around inside the skates while you hold
your foot up (like a clapper in a bell), then they're too large. You
want a snug fit -- as snug as possible without hurting.
Okay, the skates are on and snug, so now stand up (slowly!) and put
your weight on each foot and see how it feels. Wiggle your toes some
more if you want. Remember that most people have asymmetrical feet. If
one foot feels less comfortable than the other, you might ask to try
on a skate of a different size for that foot. Most stores probably
won't let you buy skates sized different for both feet, but you can at
least try to minimize the discomfort for both feet combined.
Walk around in the store for a couple minutes (hopefully it's
carpeted) and let the liners conform to your feet a little bit.
Re-tighten the skates and make sure they're still snug.
Now, the comparisons. Ask to try on two other skates, one in the price
bracket below your target skate and one above. This is so you'll see
exactly how different quality liners, boots, and buckles feel. In
other words, you get to see what your money can buy you.
For those of you buying for kids (or if you ARE a kid...physically,
not mentally), you'll know that kids' feet grow almost faster than the
U.S. budget deficit. In this case, you might want to look for skates
that will take multiple liner sizes, so that you can just buy larger
liners instead of having to buy an entirely new skate each time. I
haven't personally investigated this (since I started to skate after
my foot size was stable) but the Roces STL Jr. model takes 4 different
liner sizes. Most other (adult) skates shells come in full sizes, with
liners coming in half sizes.
See the Kids/Small Skate reviews and FAQ in section 3.3 for more
details.
Things To Look For
_The liners are most important!_
Your first criteria should be the liner quality and fit. If your
skates aren't comfy, the rest of the gadgets won't mean diddly. You
get better liners in more expensive skates, naturally.
Nowadays, with soft-shell skates like K2's on the market, there is
even more reason to compare all the different types of liners out
there. Take your time in deciding which fits you best. Remember,
you'll be punished or rewarded accordingly each time you skate
thereafter, so don't make any hasty decisions.
_Closure systems_
Once you've found good fitting skates, decide on whether you want
laces, buckles, or both. If you want convenience, an all-buckle setup
is for you. Buckles are nice in that you can adjust them while you're
skating, and they're very fast to put on and to take off. Buckles also
don't break as often as laces do. The one trade-off is that buckles
don't give quite as good an all-around tightness as laces do. For most
people, that trade-off is a very worthwhile one, but everyone has
their own preferences.
Beware of bad buckle design, however. Even the K-mart toy skates have
3 buckles these days. Part of the buckle quality will depending on the
construction and design quality of the shell (the plastic boot). If
the shell is flimsy or poorly made, the buckles won't align very well.
There are also various types of buckles. Some are ratchet-style, with
notches in the pull-through starp. Some are ski-boot style with the
metal T-bar that hooks into round notches on the shell. Try on
different types and see how you like each one.
Many skates compromise and have both laces and an ankle buckle for
added support. This approach usually works pretty well.
_Shell design_
You'll find many types of shell these days. The most notable
difference will be vents. Some have them, some don't. The Rollerblade
Aeroblade was the first to sport this feature. It works quite well to
cool your feet and also makes the skate lighter. What's the trade-off,
you ask? (I've taught you well, haven't I?) You trade cooling and
weight-reduction for strength and durability of the shell.
Normally, this isn't an issue. But for you thrasher types, who like to
pound on your skates, vents make the skates a little less sturdy than
their non-vented brethren. The non-vented classic Rollerblade
Lightnings are about the most indestructible skates around. This isn't
to say vented skates aren't sturdy, but it's that they're LESS sturdy,
relative to non-vented skates.
If you're in the market for street/vert skates, this probably won't be
an issue. Most street skates are designed to take the pounding of rail
slides, jumps, and the like.
_Wheels and other stuff_
Having compared liners, buckles, laces, and shells, you can now start
paying attention to the more subtle features, like rockering ability,
replacement parts availability, and maximum wheel size that the
runners can fit.
_Rockering_
Rockering is nice if you skate in a wide variety of situations.
For hockey or slaloming through cones, many people like to
rocker their skates for that added maneuverability. Then when
they switch to hills or long-distance skating, they can put the
wheels flat again.
_Replacement parts_
Although replacement parts is another one of those plan-ahead
type things (like max wheel size), it can turn out to be a big
one. Finding replacement parts, namely for brakes and sometimes
axles or spacers, is not always trivial. Rollerblade, being in
the market first, has it's distribution set up fairly wide so
you can pretty much find RB brakes at any store that also sells
RB skates (which is a lot of 'em). Bauer parts are also pretty
widely available.
With other brands, you won't always be so lucky. However, this
has improved greatly in the past year or so. Big city sports
stores are most likely to carry more brands. Even with
Rollerblade though, there are occasional brake shortages. I now
stockpile half a dozen brakes all the time so I don't ever have
to worry about it and I can carry a spare brake in my fanny
pack all the time.
So I should only buy a Rollerblade or Bauer skate then, you
say? Nah. Mail-order to the rescue again. You can find pretty
much any brand brake through catalogs. However, note that
brakes aren't discounted much (if at all) through most
catalogs, and once you factor in shipping and handling, you'll
most likely want to order brakes along with other equipment to
help defray the extra cost. Might as well as order more brakes
at a time too (4 or more should be plenty). Also, remember what
I said about brakes and braking systems previously.
Brakes are a good thing by the way. They only cost $4 or so,
while wheels will cost you anywhere from $3 to $7 PER WHEEL.
Sure, you got fancy-pants skaters out there doing their macho
T-stops and power-slides, but at 8 times $3-$7 dollars...that's
anywhere from $24 to $56 folks! Okay, so you only do T-stops
with one skate, that's still $12 to $28, and you want to save
your wheels for rolling on anyway, right?. Economics alone
should convince you to at least learn to use the brake
properly. All those other stops are good to know, but build
your skills foundation from the bottom up. Learn to brake.
_Max wheel size_
Maximum wheel size, as I said before, will be important as you
get better at skating. For the most part, unless you're stuck
with really small skates (i.e., your feet are really small),
then try to get a skate that will take at least up to 76mm
wheels. Don't believe the spec sheets 100% though. The
officially stated max wheel sizes are sometimes just the wheel
size that all of the skate sizes for that model can fit. Your
particular size might be large enough that if you actually
tried larger wheels they'd fit.
The easy way to tell the *real* max wheel size: bring along a
tape measure or ruler (one with centimeter and millimeter
markings, unless you're a total whiz at converting English
units to cgs in your head). If you want to see if a skate will
take 76mm wheels, jam your ruler in there, with the 38mm mark
at the axle center. If the 0mm mark doesn't rub against the
frame, you're halfway there.
You also want to measure the distance between axles. Can't have
the wheels rubbing against each other, can we? Make sure the
distance between adjoining axle centers is 76mm plus a couple
mm (so approximately 78mm or more). If that holds, then you
know the skates can take 76mm wheels. You can try the same
thing for 80mm wheels.
_Wheels and Bearings_
The wheels and bearings you should leave as the last detail to
consider, since they'll wear out and you can buy your ideal
wheels and bearings after that. Of course, if two skates are
pretty much equal in all other aspects (including price), go
for the one with better wheels and bearings. For pure
beginners, this may or may not be a good idea.
Many beginners tend to be better off with *slower* wheels and
bearings. This gives them time to learn how to skate without
having their skates shoot out from under them everytime.. By
the time beginners skate enough to wear out one set of wheels,
they should be proficient enough to move up to better bearings
and wheels.
Bearings will usually last longer than wheels, especially with
proper care, so when comparing skates, first consider the
bearing quality, then the wheel quality. ABEC-1's are standard
on most all skates (except maybe kid's skates), and ABEC-3's
are very common amongst the high-end skates. Some even sport
ABEC-5's now, so check up on it.
If you're about to pick between a couple skates, do one final
check on the skates. Ask to spot check several wheels on each
skate to make sure the bearings are rated with the proper
rating. Manufacturers often mix up different brands of bearings
in their skates (since they use so many), and every now and
then you'll find they used bearings that were rated lower than
what they should be. This may or not have been any honest
mistake, but you want to know *before* you leave the store,
that you're getting what you're paying for. If you find the
bearings are indeed incorrect, ask to have them replaced with
the properly rated bearings.
_________________________________________________________________
After you buy
Okay, so you finally did it. You tried on all sorts of skates, you saw
how the various models differed, you chose your skate, picked a nice
color-scheme, pulled out your plastic and made the salespeople happy.
Time to go out and skate down Mt. Everest, right? You want to hit the
road and skate the Athens-to-Atlanta race, right? Not so fast.
_Testing out your skates_
Before you go out and go skate-crazy, unpack all the stuff that you
bought in a nice orderly fashion (otherwise you can't return it if you
need to). Put everything on slowly and snugly, and walk around on your
carpet. Make sure everything fits like it's supposed to and feels
comfortable. Now take your gear off and visually inspect your skates.
Make sure there's nothing loose that isn't supposed to be. Make sure
everything moves that's supposed to. If not, go right back to the
store and exchange them.
Let's say everything looks good so far, and you finally go outside to
try them out. Since you're a beginner, I'd highly recommend that you
go with an advanced skater (or at least someone who has skated more
than you have). The ideal place is a flat, empty parking lot with no
traffic (car or otherwise), smooth pavement, and grass surrounding the
edges.
Okay, congratulations! You're now ready to join the millions of the
other people who have learned to enjoy inline skating! For more
information on general techniques, see part 2.1 of the FAQ.
_________________________________________________________________
Buying Guide Checklist
This is a checklist you can print out from your web browser to make
sure you cover all the bases before, during and after the store. I'd
suggest using a graphical browser so that you can make use of the
nifty checkboxes. (If you only have Lynx, you can download Netscape or
Mosaic onto your computer). Download this section to your hard drive.
Open the copy on your hard drive with the browser, and from there you
can print it out with all nice graphical formatting.
Before you go to the store
*
Deciding on your skating needs
+ What type of skating will I want to do?
___Multi-purpose
___Hockey
___Speed
+ What's most important to me?
___Price
___Fit and comfort
*
Deciding on your price range
+ The Crummy Skate Threshold
___< $110, less than the CST
___$110-120, around the CST
___$130-190, middle range
___$200+, high-end skates
+ Remember you'll also need safety gear
___Wrist guards
___Knee pads
___Helmet
___Elbox pads
+ Mail order versus local stores
Does the local shop have:
___Good selection? (more than one brand, and multiple models)
___Accessories (brakes, wheels, bearings, safety gear, etc.)
___Knowledgable salespeople?
___Competitive prices?
*
Learn the terminology
+ Wheel terms
___Diameter
___Maximum wheel size
___Durometer
___Rockering
+ ___Bearings and ABEC ratings
+ ___Braking systems
At the store
___Bring the right socks
___Ignore the sales hype
Trying on skates
*
Things to look for
+ Liner fit
___Smaller than shoe size
___Same as shoe size
___Larger than shoe size
+ Closure systems
___Buckles only
___Laces only
___Buckles and laces
+ Shell design
___Sturdy?
___Vented?
*
Wheels and bearings:
___Diameter: _______ mm
___Durometer: 76A 78A 82A
___Max wheel size: _______ mm
___Rockering: yes no
___Bearing rating: ABEC-1 ABEC-3 ABEC-5
___Lubricant: Greased Oiled
After you buy
___Test out your skates on carpet
___Make sure nothing is broken
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part14
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - California_
_________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO SKATE - CALIFORNIA
Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996
Recent changes include:
* Added Monterey info from Stephen Richardson
* Deleted San Francisco, CA info from Stern (7/21)
Table of Contents
* Sacramento
* Davis
* Napa Valley
* Marin County
* San Francisco
* East Bay
* South Bay and Peninsula
* Santa Cruz
* Monterey
* San Luis Obispo
* Santa Barbara
* Los Angeles
* Long Beach
* Orange County
* San Diego
Other sections of Where to Skate are:
* Western North America
* Central North America
* Northeastern North America
* Southeastern North America
* Abroad
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
George Robbins' "Roller Skating Rink List" can be found at the URL:
http://www.netaxs.com/people/grr/Roller/.
_________________________________________________________________
Sacramento
From: rhoade...@both1.nmo.gtegsc.com (Dave Rhoades)
Date: 10 May 1995 15:20:40 GMT
First of all I received a good tip from Owen Meany telling me an area
called the Pocket area which was good but too many streets crossed the
river trail from what I did see. For learning skaters this is probably
fantastic.
Now the bad news. The American river trail I was told by a park
official is outlawed for skater because they go too slow. Although
baby carriages are allowed for people walking. Anyway this was at
discovery park, which flooded out two days later from rain. (I'm Glad)
I did get a chance to skate around the Arco Arena which was alright
especiall trying to race the Jackrabbits. Came close to one before he
went over an island in the parking lot.
I also skated back and forth on W. El Comino for about 10 miles, got
the days workout but almost was hit by some cocky teenagers in a VW
bus and MANY, I mean MANY cars that don,t look where they are going
when coming out of small streets. I was even in a bike lane. I don't
think it means anything in that town.
From: SPENCER...@aphub.aerojetpd.com (Ron Spencer)
Date: 25 Apr 96 07:32:07 PDT
[Dave Rhoades stated:]
Now the bad news. The American river trail I was told by a park
official is outlawed for skater because they go too slow. Although
baby carriages are allowed for people walking. Anyway this was at
discovery park, which flooded out two days later from rain. (I'm
Glad)"
The American River Bike Trail is open to skaters east of Hazel Ave.
There are about 10 miles of paved trail ending at the Beals Point
picnic area on Folsom Lake. This section of the trail is controlled by
the state park system and does not have the same restrictions as the
part of the trail that is controlled by the county.
Davis
From: "Chris G. Pagliccia" (pagl...@atm23.ucdavis.edu)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 95 15:37:04 -700
First, UC Davis is in the last stage of building a top of the line
outdoor in-line skating rink. It will be of regulation size and
feature a sport court. It is slated to be ready in early August
[1995]. No word yet, however, on what access privileges will be or who
will have to pay to use the court. Its primary use will be for IM
rollerhockey games.
Next, the Davis In-line Hockey Assoc., a member of NIHA, has had their
facility resurfaced and painted. The rink is a converted tennis court
so it's size is small and is enclosed by a chain-link fence. Youth
league games are currently in progress and free skate times are
weekday mornings and all day Sunday. I do not have the exact times.
The rink is at West Manor Park on Portage Bay Drive.
Finally, Davis has many miles of safe bike paths that are great for
skating, and it is pretty flat here! The bike path along the south
side of Russell Blvd. is well shaded and pretty smooth; a very popular
place to skate! Hope this helps!
Napa Valley
From: p...@easynet.com (Peter W. Richards)
Date: Wed, 04 Jan 1995 23:30:43 -0600
I recommend the Silverado Trail (Site of David Miles of CORA's Roll
thru the Wine Country). You can cruise about 27 miles from Napa to
Calistoga and another 27 back if you're ambitious. (I did it once.
Don't ask what my socks looked like...) Moderately rolling with no
really scary hills. Quite adequate bikelane/shoulder most of the way
except for in some of the hills near the Calistoga end, and a funny
road surface/shoulder ridge even nearer Calistoga. Cool stuff for
distance enthusiasts....
Marin County
From: new...@netcom.com (Charles E Newman)
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 04:04:58 GMT
[...], do not use your inlines anywhere in public in Larkspur, they
outlawed the use of skatboards, roller skates, and inline skates some
years ago. And the Tamalpais Union High school distrct banned them in
1986 on district property. If you want to skate, don't go to Marin,
period!!!!
From: jham...@uclink.berkeley.edu (Jennifer Lynn Hammond)
Date: 16 Jan 1995 23:19:39 GMT
There is a paved multi-use path in Tiburon that has incredible views.
It's only two miles long (one way), but you can add in some streets in
Tiburon; there are lots of skaters on weekends, and it seems skate-
friendly. [We were fooling around on a residential street one day, and
one of my friends fell just as a police car went by on the cross
street. The officer doubled back and came down our street, and we were
sure he was going to tell us to get off the road. But he just wanted
to make sure my friend was okay, and he drove away saying "enjoy!"]
The path is just off of Tiburon Blvd. We usually park in the lot for
Richardson Bay Park, because street parking in Tiburon can be scarce.
On the weekends it can get a bit crowded, and sometimes it's pretty
windy out there, so be prepared!
There's also a paved bike path in Sausalito, but the surface is a bit
too rough for my taste.... it's do-able, but not esp. enjoyable.
Other than that, I don't know of anywhere special in Marin. My
boyfriend and I live in Novato, and we just go out on the streets
here... there are some really nice routes.
San Francisco
Web sites with San Francisco info:
* Mike Kellner's "San Francisco Bay Area Skate":
http://www.webstuff.apple.com/~mkellner/skate/
* CORA Friday night skate info:
http://reality.sgi.com/dlai/skate/friday.html
* CORA Golden Gate Park info:
http://www.cora.org/
From: lfl...@netcom.com (L. Floyd)
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 1995 06:19:32 GMT
Midnight Rollers
San Francisco Friday Night Skate
Every Friday night, weather permitting, skaters from San Francisco and
around the Bay Area get together to skate the streets of San
Francisco. Skaters begin gathering between 8:00 and 8:30 in the
parking lot in front of the Ferry Terminal on the Embarcadero near the
east end of Market Street (just about where Market Street would
intersect The Embarcadero). Parking is usually plentiful in the lots
where the skaters meet, but it costs $3.00; although it is supposed to
be a self pay system, an attendant was collecting cash at the parking
lot entrance the last time we skated. There is street parking nearby,
but finding an open space may be difficult.
Just before 8:30, the "leader" of the skate [...] will give a quick
introduction to the skate and go over the commonsense rules of the
road. He/she usually emphasizes that a lot of what the skaters do
during the skate could be considered illegal, but the San Fransico
Police are willing to tolerate it so long as the skaters don't push it
too far...
* Wear helmets and protective gear
* Wear "blinky" lights and reflective clothing
* Skate on the right side of the road and do not impede the flow of
traffic
* Yield right-of-way to pedestrians
* Obey all Police and C.H.P.
* Obey all traffic laws
* Do not run red lights
* Do not skate on the street through the Broadway tunnel (use the
pedestrian walkway)
* No skitching (i.e. no holding on to cars or other vehicles)
* Do not drink alcohol during the skate
* Follow the instructions of the Night Patrol
* Be considerate and respectful of others; don't let your skating
endanger others
Then, at about 8:30, the skate begins!
The route first heads west along the Embarcadero then does a U-turn at
the Exploratorium and heads east. Eventually, the group ends up south
of Market (not too far from the starting point) to have fun at one of
the many clubs in that area. There are several stops along the way
where skaters regroup and perform tricks (you wouldn't believe what
some skaters do at the Powell Street BART Station).
Skaters of all skill levels do the skate. It helps to know how to
skate streettocurb and curbtostreet. There are some hills (we're
talking about San Francisco, ya know), but even the newest skater can
waddle up these without much trouble. With the uphills are the
downhills: know how to stop!! If you are worried about not making the
full skate, just bring along taxi fare as insurance.
It's a great group of people to skate with. There are lots of regulars
and always some firsttimers. Usually 200 to 400 people participate.
Come join in the fun! Hope to see you there!
From: garv...@aol.com (Garvin 888)
Date: Unknown
When in San Francisco check out Golden Gate Park; on Sundays the
park's closed off to cars. Also, there's the Embarcadero area
(Fisherman's Wharf, pier 39, etc.) and the Marina district. If you're
a fairly skilled skater, you can try and tackle other areas in SF, but
there are plenty of hills.
From: lfl...@netcom.com (L. Floyd)
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 19:20:36 GMT
While you are in SF, you might want to check out the skating in Golden
Gate Park on Sundays. One of the main roads (John F. Kennedy Drive)
that goes through the park is closed off (well, most of it is closed
off) from noon until late in the afternoon. Runners, cyclists,
walkers, and skaters fill the stree. There is usually a group of
regulars who set up a boom box (powered by car batteries!) near 6th
Ave... some of the best skaters in town dance the day away there.
East Bay
From: be...@alf.sybase.com (Betsy Burton)
Date: Unknown
In addition to the places I can tell you about, there is a book out
from Karim Cycley that talks about some other places.
1) My personal favorite for a nice long run, is the back streets to
Richmond. There are a number of streets starting near Gilman and
Albany. These streets go through Albany and El Cerrito. In addition,
Richmond Street goes out past the El Norte Bart Station. This route
has good small hills and allows for a good workout.
2) The Nimitz trail takes off at the top of inspiration point and goes
out about 4 miles. At the end of this path is a rather large hill,
which after struggling to the top, is great to fly down.
3) Tunnel road takes a bit of experience and some good breaking
skills. I just heard that someone biked up tunnel road the other
day..so it may be open after the fire.
4) Berkeley Marina is good for a quickie. A full lap is 2.5 miles. The
only draw-back is that the view gets a little boring after a few laps.
My last and most favorite is Bancroft Hill, next to the University.
Late at night it is a nice fast down hill.
From: ji...@hkn.Berkeley.EDU (Jim Young)
Date: Unknown
You might want to try skating around the Berkeley hills. I usually go
up Euclid or Spruce, skate across Grizzly Peak, and then down Tunnel
road. If you go early in the morning, you might see Eddy Matzger and
Sandy Snakenberg there.
From: HQPYR1:ki...@orac.holonet.net (Kimon Papahadjopoulos)
Date: Unknown
_Experts only! Nasty hill climb, nasty descent._
Path or area location: _Tunnel Road_ on the Berkeley/Oakland Border
Directions:
From Berkeley: Take Ashby out of Berkeley, past the Clairmont Hotel
and towards highway 13 and 24. Turn left at the stoplight (As if going
towards highway 24, not 13). When you get to the top of the hill, make
a left and Park.
Orida side of 24: I believe you take the Tunnel Road Exit.
^
|
TheRoute...__ To 24
\ |
Tunnel Rd --> | |
|__|
| |
| |
Hiller --> | |
/ |
/ |
|
|
|
|
From Berkeley ---S---- To 13 ->
* Parking information: On the the start of Tunnel itself
* Path length: ~6mi (I don't really know- cound be 7-8)
* Loop or non-loop: Loop: Up and Down.
* Average path width: Two lane street
* Minimum path width: Two lane street
* Average surface: Pretty good asphalt, some rough spots
* Worst surface: One very pitted rough spot for about 10 feet.
* Number of hills: Up hill all the way
* Severity of steepest hill: 8 on a scale of 1-10
* Average steepness: 7 on a scale of 1-10
* Obstacles: One very pitted spot near the bottom, cars, occasional
trucks
* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Yes
* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Yes
* Number of roads which cross the path: It is a road. It crosses
several roads, but no stop signs or lights.
* Number of stairways on the path: None
* Distance markings: No
* Any other pertinent information:
_For experts only! If you cannot brake well at high speeds, don't try
this course. If you are unsure, drive it first._
The climb up is a great workout, and not too severe. There are also
great views of San Francisco and Oakland. Tunnel Road turns into
Skyline about half way up.
Watch for problems in the road going up so that you will be aware of
them when you come down. Take it easy coming down the first time.
There are several areas that require care!
There is a water fountain a little past the top (if you continue along
Skyline Blvd about 200 meters) at a ranger station.
This is in the burned area of Oakland, so there is construction going
on in places, some trucks coming up.
It takes between 15-30 min to get to the top, depending on ability.
There are other places you can explore when you get to the top, but
Tunnel is generally the most tame, and the safest bet to go back down.
Be careful and have fun!
From: nee...@aol.com (Needeep)
Date: 2 Feb 1995 22:52:52 -0500
Try the Alameda Creek Bike Trail (ACBT) and the Coyote Hills Park
(CHP). They are in Fremont.
ACBT is flat and about 7 miles long. It connects up to the CHP loop
trail (about 4 miles and rolling hills). We also like to skate in the
Ardenwood Business Park (Paseo Padre and Ardenwood in Fremont).
South Bay and Peninsula
Web sites with South Bay and Peninsula info:
* Mike Kellner's "San Francisco Bay Area Skate":
http://www.webstuff.apple.com/~mkellner/skate/
From: hir...@northstar.asd.sgi.com (Diana Hirsch)
Date: Unknown
I have two suggestions for skating trails in the Bay Area:
1. Sawyer Camp Trail - off 280 in San Mateo near 92. Blader heaven on
Sunday's, lessons every other Sunday. The trail is about 6 miles
one-way. The last mile is very steep but fun coming down. However,
they have radar out there and they will give you a ticket for
speeding, especially in the posted 5mph zones.
2. Campbell Par Course Trail - off Campbell Ave. near 17 and the
Pruneyard. The trail can be accessed in several places between
Hamilton and Campbell Aves. This trail is fun because it goes all the
way through Vasona Park into Los Gatos. The only caution is that there
are several wood bridges to cross. (Stay on your back wheels and use
short horizontal strokes, it's good for the adrenalin.)
From: cats...@aol.com (CatsMeow)
Date: 2 Jul 1994 08:50:06 -0400
Hellyer to Anderson Dam trail. 16 miles of paved trail that take you
to Morgan Hill near the Dam.
Los Gatos Creek trail. This starts on Willow Street, way at the west
end where it dead-ends and goes clear to Vasona Park. I think it's a
good 10 miles at least.
From: wal...@ready.eng.ready.com (Eugene Walden)
Date: Unknown
Another good place to go is Sawyer Camp Trail. It's only 6 miles long,
so I guess it doesn't qualify as really long, but there and back, you
get a good quiet 12 miles.
Take I-280 to Black Mtn Rd (just north of 92) and head west. Turn left
at the intersection and go another mile or so. It's on the right.
Follow the posted speed limits-- park rangers have radar and will give
citations for violators.
* Path or area location: Sawyer Camp Trail
* Directions: Take I-280 to the Black Mtn / Hayne Rd exit-- near
Half Moon Bay. Head west after you exit, until you reach the first
stop sign. There is a sign that points left to Sawyer Camp Trail.
Turn left. It is about 1-2 miles down after you turn.
* Parking information: Park on the side of the road about 1-2 miles
down. You'll see the entrance.
* Path length: 6 miles in one direction.
* Loop or non-loop: Non-loop.
* Average path width: Two lanes; each about sidewalk width.
* Minimum path width: Same throughout course.
* Average surface: Fairly smooth; no potholes; some cracks filled
with black goop.
* Worst surface: Some areas are cracked with the goop filling. The
goop can be kind of slippery, even when dry, so skate very
gingerly on this stuff.
When there has been rain, only attempt the first half of the
trail; the second half is shady, so it dries slower. The pavement
is very hard to skate on when wet.
* Number of hills: Several small hills, one huge hill on the last
mile of the course.
* Severity of steepest hill: If you are not _very_ good at speed
control, _do not skate the last mile_. If you are good at speed
control, make sure to keep your speed down. The hill is windy, so
you risk running into peds and/or bikes if you fly too fast.
* Average steepness: Don't know what the grade is, but the big hill
is pretty darn steep.
* Obstacles: Pedestrians, bikes, skaters.
* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Saturday and Sunday
afternoons see pretty heavy traffic. Most of the traffic, though,
keeps to the first mile or two of the trail. So, after you get
past that, the number of other path users drops significantly.
* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Never gone during the
week-- don't know.
* Number of roads which cross the path: None.
* Number of stairways on the path: None.
* Distance markings: Every half mile.
* Any other pertinent information: There are usually two park
rangers who patrol the path. Thus, it is fairly safe. They also
have radar. The first and last half mile half posted speed limits
of 5 MPH. The rest has a speed limit of 15 MPH. They do ticket
violators, so you're wise to obey the speed limit.
Park is open dawn to dusk.
From: Jaw...@AppleLink.Apple.COM (Ron Drake)
Date: Unknown
The trail goes under the San Mateo Bridge all the way to the end of
Edgewater Boulevard in Foster City. As a matter of fact, the best part
of the trail is after the bridge. Makes eight miles, total. Traffic's
not too bad except for the occasional knot of cud-chewers and those
kids who bike out ahead of their parents and think nothing about
turning right in front of you to see if mom and dad are still visible.
If you start and finish at Edgewater, you can replenish your precious
bodily fluids at Chevy's with a couple of cold margaritas. From 101,
take Hillsdale Blvd. or H'way 92 to Edgewater. Turn right and follow
Edgewater to its end. Park. The trail begins at the end of the street
to the right.
The best street skating I've found so far is through western Menlo
Park near the Stanford campus to downtown. There are a number of
streets there that have bike lanes and not much vehicular traffic. The
streets are well- kept so that debris and surprise bumps are at a
minimum. The pavement varies in quality from excellent to garbage. The
area is bounded by Sand Hill Road, Valparaiso Road, El Camino and
Alameda de las Pulgas.
Those who go to Shoreline should be aware of the concert schedule.
It's always better to go when it's quiet. For those who want to get a
real workout, here's the prescription for doing 'laps' at Shoreline.
At the end of the stretch that parallels Moffett Field, there's that
series of double gates. Skate down the incline (_Whoa!_), out through
the cul-de-sac and make a right on Shoreline Boulevard.
From: dvol...@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (David Volansky)
Date: Unknown
at Stanford. Anybody have any details on this (when, where, etc...).
I believe this is put on by the skate shop Nuevo Colors...
The group meets at the Main Quad at about 7:15pm. The best place to
locate them is in the parking lot at the end of Palm/University Ave or
on the stairs near the lot - you can't miss them - the group usually
numbers in the 30s to 40s this time of year (more in summer, less in
the rain - yes, they go in the rain).
The group is very informal and doesn't really have a starting time or
leader. As it's getting darker, they're leaving earlier and earlier.
The ride usually goes until about 9 or 9:30 and includes some favorite
jumping spots on campus and a ride in the close-by neighborhood. Be
prepared for some hills - the smell of heal brake is really something
at the end of some of these runs. The route is the same each week, so
the darkness isn't too bad after a few weeks. In the beginning, just
stay behind someone who seems to know the route and be sure to listen
for the "stay to the right", "stay to the left", "watch out for the
big ditch" messages.
From: hay...@husc.harvard.edu
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 03:36:10 -0400
There is a nice skate park (big bowl, small bowl, doughnut) in Palo
Alto in Greer park. Unfortunately, it is only open to skateboarders
which means you can only skate there after the attendent leaves (8 pm
in the summer and 6 pm the rest of the time). It's a lot of fun to
skate there. To get there take 101 to the Oregon Expwy exit and turn
left on the frontage road. Take it two or three blocks down to the end
of Greer Park. Turn right and the park is right there.
From apu...@us.oracle.com (Tony Purmal)
Date: Unknown
* Path or area location: Foster City, CA
* Directions: Get to Foster City by crossing 101 on Hillsdale Blvd
or Highway 92. The path circles the city next to the following
streets: Beach Park Blvd between Compass and the San Mateo Bridge,
East Third and J. Hart Clinton Drive from the bridge to and beyond
Mariner's Island Blvd. It follows Belmont Slough and Marina Lagoon
between Compass and Fashion Island Drive passing Townhouse, Condo
and Apartment complexes bordering those waterways.
* Parking information: Park along the streets mentioned above, or
park at a park along the path.
* Path length: About 10 miles
* Loop or non-loop: Can be done as a loop if you go between the path
endpoints. This can be done by taking Mariner's Island Blvd and
Fashion Island Blvd between East Third Ave and Marina slough. One
can also go along the wooden walkway (past Fashion Island Blvd) to
Shoal Drive and through Mariner's Island Park to get to Mariner's
Island Blvd to complete the loop.
* Average path width: 8 feet
* Minimum path width: 4 feet
* Average surface: semi-smooth asphalt
* Worst surfaces: Lots of raised cracks (linear and horizontal)
along bay on south side of bridge. Pitted rough surface on north
side of bridge where the path is close to the bay. Uneven pavement
in places along Belmont Slough. Wooden walkway between Fashion
Island and Shoal Drive (optional).
* Number of hills: Five or so very small hills.
* Severity of steepest hill: Very slight.
* Average steepness: Very slight.
* Obstacles: A wooden bridge along Marina Slough (very easy to
handle)
* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Unknown
* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Light and well behaved.
* Number of roads which cross the path: Between Fashion Island Blvd
and Mariner's Island Blvd, none. To complete the loop along
Mariner's Island Blvd and Fashion Island Blvd there are four
intersections and up to five side streets depending on which side
of the street you're on.
* Number of stairways on the path: None along the path, two if you
take the optional connection along the wooden walkway and other
roads to get to Mariner's Island Blvd to complete the loop.
* Distance markings: Beginning 1/4 mile south of the San Mateo
Bridge on the inside of the path there are markings every 1/4 mile
in faded yellow/orange paint through until Highway 92.
* Any other pertinent information: The path borders Belmont Slough
where one can see various wetland wildlife. There are also good
views of the east bay along Beach Park Blvd, and of San Francisco
north of the bridge.
The wind gets pretty strong at times, especially in the
afternoons, so be prepared. I prefer to skate into the wind on the
way out and with the wind on the way back.
From: apu...@us.oracle.com
Date: Unknown
Redwood Shores, CA (across 101 from Belmont, CA)
* Directions: Take Ralston Ave. east across 101, turns into Marine
World Parkway. Turn left onto Oracle Parkway at first light after
101 overpass.
* Parking information: Park at the parking lot at the first left
after getting onto Oracle Parkway, or continue around and park in
the area across from the Oracle Fitness Center.
* Path length: 1 mile
* Loop or non-loop: Loop
* Average path width: 7 feet
* Minimum path width: 4 feet
* Average surface: Smooth asphalt and sidewalk
* Worst surface: ...
* Number of hills: Three short inclines.
* Severity of steepest hill: Small angle
* Average steepness: Slight
* Obstacles: Occasional hoses when the maintanence people are
working.
* Weekend pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Light
* Weekday pedestrian and bicycle traffic: Light
* Number of roads which cross the path: The path crosses Oracle
Parkway twice where it meets Marine World Parkway. Cross from the
path on Oracle Parkway to the sidewalk on Marine World Parkway.
* Number of stairways on the path: None
* Distance markings: None
* Any other pertinent information: It gets very windy in Redwood
Shores, especially in the afternoons.
You can go from this path to the Foster City Bike and Walkway by
taking a right onto Island Parkway at the end of the path closest
to 101. Then follow the road over the bridge until it dead ends at
Concourse Drive and take a right. At the end of Concourse there is
a path leading to the Foster City path.
From the Oracle Fitness Center to the San Mateo Bridge on the
Foster City Path is five miles. (Take a right when you get to the
Foster City path)
From the Oracle Fitness Center to Hillsdale Blvd on the Foster
City Path is three miles. (Take a left when you get to the Foster
City path)
From: ji...@hkn.Berkeley.EDU (Jim Young)
Date: Unknown
On the peninsula, there are some nice, smooth trails at Crystal
Springs. I know some guys who skate from Mountain View to SF, so I
think some of the roads that parallel 280 are fairly nice.
Finally, in the south bay, I have a friend who skates on the Los Gatos
bike trail (it runs parallel to highway 17). It's sort of crowded with
joggers and runners, but it's better than skating in south bay
traffic.
From: t...@netcom.com (Tal Dayan)
Date: Unknown
This is Cunnigham park in San Jose. The park has a lake, and a trail
around it. The Perimeter trail (a loop) is 1.9 mile long but if you
use the trail just neat the water, it a little bit shorter. The park
has several parking lots which are virtually empty in this time of the
year (including weekends) which are good for figure skating. The one I
like the most is near the Marina (just below the Raging Water
entrance) which has new pavement and it slope make it ideal for slalom
(you might find the chalk marks I made this morning ;-> ). You can
feed the ducks (millions of them), fish (or at least try to), or have
Cock from the vending machine near the entrance to Raging Water. The
parking costs one $ but there is no body to pay for or a box to leave
the money so I consider it free (probably it is different at summer).
To get there, take 101 Tully exit east (one exit south to the point
were 101 and 280 met) and go on Tully all the way until you will see
the entrance on the left side (just after the airport).
From: sy...@synoptics.com (Shyh-Pei Yen)
Date: Unknown
_Place_: Shoreline Park in Mountain View
_Direction_: 101 exit Shoreline Blvd North. At the end of Shoreline
Blvd is the park entrance. Keep going until you get to the Boat House,
you can park there.
_Fee_: None.
_Level_: beginner and intermediate.
_Description_: There are plenty trials available in Shoreline Park
where you can skate. And there's one trail is super smooth which is
really a pleasure to skate on it. The parking lot is also very smooth.
Best of all, when you are tired, you can sit by the lake and watch
people windsurfing.
_Drawback_: The Park is getting crowded in the afternoon. Sometime,
it's hard to find a parking space by the lake.
From: sus...@kntv.com (Susan Petersen)
Date: Mon, 18 Mar 1996 09:31:30 -0800
i wanted to let you know that a new skatepark has opened in San Jose,
California [...]
It is located at 230 Umbarger Road (the back street of the Santa Clara
County Fairgrounds) between Monterey and Senter Roads. Look for Carpet
Connection and go behind it to the last warehouse (Warehouse #16). Its
a small place that houses a half-pipe, wall ride, grind box and box
jump with plans to expand.
It is open to aggressive inliners saturday and sundays between
530-10p. If anyone wants info, please call 408.972.1600 and ask for
Brian Jackson or email me at sus...@kntv.com
Santa Cruz
From: Spaz (time...@cruzio.com)
Date: 9 Aug 1995 04:42:25 GMT
You wanna know about *good* places to blade in Santa Cruz? Wow! There
aren't any. :) Kinda have to make your own. :>
Of course, there is West Cliff drive, **ACK**, if you're the once in a
while weekender blader, but me, I live on me blades. I skate clear
from Aptos (McDonald and Freedom) right into downtown Santa Cruz
almost daily. :>
All which is inbetween has become my blading domain! I usually take
Freedom to Soquel, and Soquel all the way in. I am not sure how far it
is, but I think between 10 and 15 miles. Still, I find all sorts of
inbetweens entertaining.. . .
1. Across the Capitola Mall on the other side of 41st ave is a nice
neighborhood with mostly vacant streets to skate around in at just
about any time of the week.
2. I like Brommer St, it is long and well paved and straight. I
usually do a one-way trip north or south, but can see me blading
back and forth with someone who just wants to go back and forth.
3. Just below UCSC off Nobel St. there are some nice neighborhoods
with very pleasent skating for the most part. You can see father
and son out on blades sometimes putzing along together (well
actually, the son is usually found skating circles around the
dad).
4. It's a nice skate up and down Freedrick St. in the Seabright area.
The neighborhoods in that area are what I would call Ideal for
blading.
5. Downtown ofcourse, :) , illegal though it may be, ;) , area is
perfect for jollying about on blades. Cool parking structures too.
6. As insane as it may sound, I have found I absolutely love Valencia
at night with me 4-cell Mag-lite. It's a pretty kick-ass little
route if you're into that kind of blading. :>
7. Downhill Ski-ing anyone, I hear the Empire Grade is the most
bitching dive on blades. However, I have only done Glen Coolridge
Drive down through to and down Bay St. all the way to mission.
Second only to a good skydive.
8. East Cliff Drive has it's moments, but watch out for the beach
psycos who get drunk daily along the cliffs, they seem to have a
personal problem with blades. :<
9. Prospect Hights just below De LaVeaga Park is part of a decent
neighborhood to skate. The roads are really smooth, and the
drivers are mostly concerned parents who are thinking of people in
the road. :)
10. I rather like (personally) the 41st Ave run, from Soquel to the
beach. A pleasent run if you're comfortable around busy
parkinglot's and cars. However, once you get to Capitola Rd, you
can move over north one block and complete the trip via 38th Ave.
which is smooth for most of the way, but turns to crap right near
the end (less cars though, and you can do Brommer if you decide
you have energy).
11. Mission St. is one of my loves, it is straight, sidewalked, and
full of "interesting" obstacles which aren't nessaccarilly
threatening. Mostly unwitting pedestrians. :)
12. Practice hills?
1. Water St. between Branciforte and Market (a small steep hill
with enough space to skate, and a long straight-a-way at the
bottom.
2. Soquel from Vienna Dr down into Cabrillo College (a very
mellow slope which begins up another hill after you have
reached the bottom so you are going to stop either way)
3. The Mirrimar St. Psyco-drop (just kidding, but it is a very
good place to learn how to slolemn without sliding or wiping
out, be armored when playing on the Psyco-drop, I can power-
slide the entire leanght of the hill without meaning to.)
13. Santa Cruz City and County in general. I have only named a couple
of the places I have grown to like. I can tell you the places I
absolutely despise too if you like.
Monterey
From: tda...@sensemedia.net (Tara Dalton)
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 1995 23:01:29 GMT
There is a nice path in Monterey right along the ocean. The best part
of it (smooth cement) is between the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the
warf. That part is only about a mile or so long. The rest of the path
continues in both directions, but it gets kinda rough. It is a great
place to skate because it is really smooth and wide, and on weekends
there are always lots of skaters out.
From: ste...@micromagic.com (Stephen Richardson)
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 10:34:54 -0700
Seventeen Mile Drive, in Carmel
Starting at the north gate, near the Asilomar Conference Grounds in
Pacific Grove, the Seventeen Mile Drive trail winds past a toll booth
(skaters don't pay), out through Pebble Beach golf course, and along
the beach. After a few miles, it turns slightly inland, hairpinning up
one fairly steep hill, and goes among the multi-million dollar homes
of the Seventeen Mile Drive residential area, overlooking scenery that
rivals any on the Big Sur coast.
Pay no attention to the pokey-slow tourists that crowd the road.
They're not going fast enough to provide any real threat. The surface
here is nicely paved, with just enough curves and hills to keep it
really fun.
The Pebble Beach Clubhouse complex, about halfway through the tour, is
a good place to turn around and go back. Continuing forward along
Seventeen Mile Drive is a grueling mountainous skate, with more
Traffic and less scenery.
San Luis Obispo
From: kiw...@zeus.calpoly.edu (Kinsley Wong)
Date: Unknown
[Try] Santa Rosa Parks, Perfumo Canyon Road, Palm Street Parking
Structure
Santa Barbara
Web sites with Santa Barbara info:
* Rnady Morse's "Santa Barbara Skate":
http:/www.west.net/~randy/sbskate.html
Los Angeles
From: ad...@netcom.com (Edith Weil)
Date: Unknown
The Rose Bowl--terrific for its large and varied terrain, as well as
sparce population most of the time.
Griffith Park--the back end. It can have a lot of traffic going
through--especially on the weekends. If you start at the Crystal
Springs picnic area and work towards Burbank, the workout is well
paced, having inclines, straightaways, a few hills, and various
parking lots to stop and noodle around in. Also, rolling along under
the Eucalyptus trees is about as pleasant as anything--if you watch
out for the twigs and tree junk on the ground.
The Beach--an obvious choice, but about the nicest place to cruise
I've ever skated--with the exception of crowds. Now that summer's
here, the crowd situation will be problematic. I've gone from
Manhatten to Hermosa and back a couple-a-few times, as well as
starting in Santa Monica and working up towards Malibu. Both trips are
delightful.
A few weekends ago we went down to a park near the LA county
fairgrounds (I forget the name, but you can't miss it.) The lake is
circled by a concrete path going through the lawns and picnic areas
that lead down to the shore. We took a divergent path and ended up
going through a hilly area that wound up in a trailer park. Sort of
interesting day, not the best skating, but there's a hot-tub rental
place just outside the park if you want to relax afterwards. I'd go
there again just to do something different.
From: du...@aol.com (DuSki)
Date: 25 Apr 1995 16:28:31 -0400
Colin Summers (7224...@CompuServe.COM) asks:
...flying in a few weeks ago I looked down and there seemed to be a
bike path on the beach at the end of the LAX runway. I looked again
the next flight, sure enough there it is with bikers and bladers on
it. I bladed to the Marina Del Ray end of my run, but couldn't
figure out a way around the channel."
The path you are asking about is called "The Strand" and it goes from
Santa Monica all the way down to the cliffs at Palos Verdes. Since I
moved to Minnesota a few years ago and hadn't skated the Strand for a
while before that, I can't tell you exactly how to navigate through
the Marina, but I can tell you that its possible to get through on the
path without getting on Lincoln Blvd. And the view on the Strand
around Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo is DEFINITELY worth the trip
;-).. If I remember correctly, just stay as close to the water as you
can as you go through the Marina. Have fun!
From: jgo...@csulb.edu (John Godden)
Date: 26 Apr 1995 03:29:58 GMT
[Re the Strand] I have skated that path many times and yes you don't
have to use Lincoln blvd. Coming from the north you will dead end into
the Marina Del Ray channel. At this point just keep bearing to the
right as you circle around the marina. There are patches of bike path
and some low traffic street routes but its relatively obvious.
Eventually you will end up on Fuji Way which has lots of boat yard
type places. At the "end" of Fuji way you will see a clearly marked
sign on the South Side of the street that starts the bike path up
again. After a 3/4 mile westerly jaunt along Ballona Creak the path
hops over the creak and heads south towards the South Bay. Trust me
the trip will be worth it. The Finest stretch of sand and visuals you
will ever lay your eyes on.
One tip I will give you. There are generally moderate afternoon winds
from the north so it is best the plan your trip accordingly.
From: ke...@drogges.tti.com (Kevin Carothers)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 21:43:35 GMT
I keep on praising the virtues of the Sepulveda Dam Recreation complex
all the time in this group --
It's fun, free, near the best skate shop in the San Fernando Valley,
and _not_ boring -- a few chills & spills & hills, but extremely
navigatable on wheels... Approximately 16 miles of smooth 2-lane
concrete bike paths, and lots of parking. There are some cracks in the
sidewalk, some a result of the Northridge quake, but overall a good
experience. The only problem I have is that it is not very shady over
half of the trails. Oh Well.
Long Beach
From: el...@fitz.TC.Cornell.EDU (Doug Elias)
Date: Unknown
i just got back last night from a business trip to Long Beach Ca.,
during which i was able to escape my captors a few times in order to
sample some of the beach-skating along the Strand. My Macro-EQ's
having so far been fed exclusively on a diet of Ithaca pothole-and-
gravel, this was a golden opportunity to find out how they'd perform
under something better than, shall we say "marginal", conditions.
Suffice it to say that i'll be reliving that experience in my dreams
for quite some time to come, thanks in large measure to a guy i met in
one of the beach shops dotted along the Strand.
i was stroking past this little shack with the sign "Alfredo's"
painted on it when i saw a rack of 'blading accessories, so i pulled
in to look them over (cagey folks, that's exactly why they have them
out there in plain view). While i was looking over the wheels and
pads, out rolls Dana Bergman, Alfredo's resident inline-expert and a
member of their skating team. He's wearing a pair of Reidell's (sorry,
never got the model, but it's got 3 buckles and 4 wheels, if that's
any help), and we get to talking about Macro's (he had a pair when
they first came out) and bearings (did you know that Macro's used to
come stock with German bearings, and only recently switched to
Singapore NMB's? Dana was shocked and saddened) and proper
care-and-feeding-of-same. i got a first-hand lesson in popping dust
covers off of "sealed bearings" -- i use that phrase advisedly,
because that's how Rollerblade describes them in their technical
material. i told Dana that and he just laughed: "Yeah, all they want
to do is sell you a new set when they get gritty, instead of telling
you how to clean them and loosing the sale." So he pulls out a
brand-new set of German ABEC-3's still in the wrapper, digs a little
optical screwdriver (the kind you use to tighten your temples, for all
you four-eyes like me) out of his kitbag, and twists off one of the
covers. "Ya gotta be careful with those Singapore bearings, though",
he cautioned, "the covers are on a lot tighter and you might jab the
blade through your hand, but they still pick up dirt and grit." He put
a little dab of a light grease (i didn't catch the name, but it comes
in this 6" long black cardboard cylinder) inside the bearing, rubs it
around, then adds a drop or two of this fairly high-priced oil that
comes in a nifty little pocket-clip applicator with a long needle-tip,
"Mogema In-Line Racing Oil"; when the original supply of oil is used
up, he re-fills it with Marvel Mystery Oil, which he claims is just as
good, if a little thinner, and much cheaper. If he had had to clean
them first, he would have used a tuna can full of acetone to loosen up
the junk and dissolve any grease/oil that remained, pounded them a few
times on a hard surface to knock the loosened stuff out, then set them
out for a minute or two to let the acetone evaporate, followed by the
re-greasing procedure i just described.
My bearing are still doing fine, so i didn't buy any of his, but he
had a supply of aluminum spacers in stock, and i snapped up a full
set, and bought one of his pocket-oilers off him -- damn, you might
say i was impressed with how much better i rolled with the new spacers
and a couple of drops of oil per bearing.
Since the day was kinda cloudy and business was slack they closed up
and Dana took me back up the Strand to the Long Beach Natatorium
(where they held the swimming events in the '88 Olympics), and gave me
an introduction to stair-riding -- if only it were as simple as he
made it look. He said that there were four main points, whether you're
riding them frontwards or backwards:
1. have one foot "in front" (relative to the stairs),
2. put most of your weight on the back foot (the one coming down
last), and use the front one for balance and control,
3. have your weight forward (relative to yourself, i.e, bend over at
the waist and shift your weight to follow your upper body), and
4. keep the wheels that are going down first on both skates UP, don't
let them go DOWN, or you'll follow them.
Dana claims that backwards stair-riding is much more natural an
activity than going down frontwards, given the way our knees bend, and
that it's basically just our inbred fear of moving in a direction
opposite to the way we're facing that makes it seem otherwise. And, as
we all learned on our bikes when our training wheels came off, you're
more stable at-speed than you are going slowly. i believe him, but i
haven't worked my way up to practicing it quite yet -- now that i have
a good example of what to shoot for, it's only a matter of time (and
the obligatory case-or-two of stair-rash -- for damn-sure i'm going to
be wearing a helmet when i start practicing these moves; so far i've
gotten away with wrist-, elbow- and knee-protectors, but then i've
made it a serious point to keep my skates on the ground, and the
ground continuous rather than step-function-like).
That much would have been a nice addition to my stay in southern
California, but the next afternoon Dana took me for a guided tour of
downtown Long Beach that was little short of fantastic. Parking ramps,
waist-high walls around parking lots, 50-yard long drops down a 40%
grade followed by a hairpin over a swatch of dirt and into a parking
lot...but the absolute best had to be the Long Beach Veterans
Building, with three sets of 3-4 stairs separated by about 20-30 feet
each going down, and then a set of S-curves following the handicap
ramp going back up, all this fitting inside a 30 x 80 foot rectangle:
Dana likened it to the Long Beach Gran Pri for formula-1, and gave me
a demo, taking the stairs in nonchalant jumps that looked like an
alpine downhiller catching air over a mogul, and then powering up the
ramp with fast, powerful crossovers while leaning far out over ("But
don't touch!") the hand-rails. He and his friends race this course
frequently, but i couldn't figure out where they had room to pass,
certainly not on the ramp: "Oh, I always pass on the stairs, they all
yell: 'Look out! Here comes Dana!', and I just come blasting down".
He had lots of little tips picked up over the years, stuff like:
* wear a Walkman so you can skate to music -- it helps take your
mind off your skates and lets your body start learning how to use
them without your head getting in the way;
* play little games with inanimate objects, like seeing how close
you can come to light-posts, or spinning around fire-plugs, or
stoking full-speed at a garbage-can and doing a jump-turn-around
at the last second,
* play tag and follow-the-leader with your friends,
* kick around a tennis-ball (the way he described it, it almost
sounded like one-man miniature-soccer), and, most important,
* _Never sit down or stop moving_, you get locked up and stiff -- to
rest, stay on your skates and do little things like practice
turn-arounds, or zig-zags, or crossovers, or skating inside as
small an area (a concrete rectangle on the sidewalk) as you can
stay within.
In case anyone in the LA area is interested, the Alfredo's folks are
giving serious thought to the construction of an inline park somewhere
in Long Beach, with a speed-oval surrounding an inner playground with
ramps, stairs, tubes, and a re-creation of the the Veterans Building
Formula-1 course. They're already solidly behind city efforts to
convert an unused volleyball court just across the street from the
beach into a fully-functional roller-hockey facility; this should be
done well before summer officially starts.
One last tip for the beer-loving 'blader who visits the Long Beach
Strand: be sure to stop into the Belmont Brewery, just an in-field fly
away from the Natatorium: really great service which, frankly,
wouldn't be worth mentioning if it weren't for the truly fantastic
brewed-on-premise beers (okay, okay -- the food is excellent, too, but
the beers are really exceptional).
Bottom-line: if you have an opportunity to take your skates to Long
Beach, look up Dana and coerce him to give you a Downtown Long Beach
Tour -- he's really good company, a damn-fine skater, and an
all-'round nice guy. And don't forget the Belmont Brewery!
From: khsy...@aol.com (KH SYMBIOS)
Date: 20 Aug 1994 03:27:07 -0400
Another Ultimate place to skate is in Long Beach. Go park your car in
shorline park then skate the park for good measure. North of it is a
large dock area for Catalina Boats, there are wide expanses of
concrete there between the commercial buildings..great for freestyle
or hockey practice. If you go south of the shoreline village you can
skate on smooth and wide sidewalks beside the marina...this path takes
you to the beach sidewalk path which goes about 5 miles south past the
Belmont Pier and to the Seal Beach Breakwater. I think this is the
ultimate for skating. Wide range of terrain and nice views too!
Orange County
From: "Irene M. GRAFF" (IMG...@uci.edu)
Date: Wed, 31 Aug 94 13:15:05 PST
I live in Orange County, CA which has some great places to skate.
First off is the (mostly flat) beach recreation path which stretches
in various forms from Newport Beach through Huntington to Sunset
Beach. The best part of the path is along Huntington State Beach, but
Newport Beach is more interesting (albeit a slower skate due to heavy
use). The distance between Huntington and Newport Piers is about 10
miles round-trip. The surface north of Huntington Beach Pier is quite
a bit rougher but worth it for the bluff-top views and hill work.
At the southern end of Huntington State Beach, you can hook up with
the very long Santa Ana River Trail (over 40 miles round trip). This
path has many roadway underpasses but they are fairly smooth. For
extreme skaters, I've seen a lot of activity on the floor of the river
which is very accessible since it was rebuilt (no, it's not really a
"river" at most points, merely a flood channel, which is dry most of
the year).
If you like river trails, there are some good ones in the city of
Irvine. Irvine is very bike/skate friendly, but the University of
California at Irvine has, unfortunately, banned skating on campus
completely.
San Diego
From: Ann Patterson (an...@progress.com)
Date: 1 May 1995 23:03:48 GMT
There is also a Friday Night Skate in San Diego. It isn't as big as
San Francisco's, but we do the same kind of thing. We meet at Mike's
Bikes, near the rollercoaster in Mission Beach, at 6:30, and skate
10-20 miles, depending on where we go. Helmets are required.
From: jo...@snugbug.cts.com (Joan Tine)
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 03:13:29 GMT
If you can't get south enough along the coast to skate South Mission
Beach at least once (and visit Hamel's Action Sports by the roller
coaster) you'll have missed _the_ San Diego skating venue. (Not the
best, just the best known, and it's _summer_ here:). It's less than 15
min. from La Jolla, come down the coast route, or I-5 S to I-8 W to W.
Mission Bay Drive, turn south at the roller coaster, go to the tip of
the peninsula and park..skate north to Crystal Pier, turn around, come
back to the parking lot, continue east, skate up the inside of the
bay-side of the peninsula, and continue around...(if you're inventive,
you can get to the Bahia Hotel without crossing the street).
Generally, you can get a quick 26 miles without exposing yourself to
cars, and the parking lot at south Mission is where a lot of people
who aren't stunting in front of Hamel's practice.
La Jolla itself is pretty hilly, the Cove is quite steeeeeeeeeep!
<splash>. You could always try Mt. Soledad...(if your name is Francois
Hyacinthe). UCSD is pretty nice, and skates are proabably as nice a
way to see the (haloooooooooo ooooooo ooooo) campus as any.
But bring your swimwear (or buy some there!) and skate the MB Board-
walk...mind the tourists in trance and the loadies on weed, and you'll
be fine.
From: vla...@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Veda Larson)
Date: 8 Oct 94 03:05:32 GMT
Down here in San Diego, my fave haunt is Miramar Lake/reservoir, at
I-5 and Mira Mesa Blvd. It's a 5-mile loop around a very pretty lake
-- a nice workout routine. Even though lots of people go there
(bikers, runners, walkers, fishers :), they're all spread out so it's
still very peaceful. Play It Again Sports nearby rents skates, so you
can take your newbie friends, too. The west end of the lake is a sort
of dam overlooking the city, and the coast off in the distance. It is
a mind- and body- cleansing experience to skate around the lake and
stop at the west end to stretch and watch the sunsets on the ocean
beyond the city.
The boardwalk in Mission Beach and the paths around Mission Bay are
fun, and there are lots of rental shops nearby, but they are quite a
bit too touristy for my taste, especially in the summer.
From: as...@snugbug.cts.com (S0ren Ashe)
Date: Sun, 23 Oct 1994 16:38:02 GMT
For beginners: the Jack Murphy Stadium parking lot is huge, flat in
places, good slopes elsewhere. Balboa Park west of Cabrillo Bridge,
South Mission Beach from the parking lot to north of Crystal Pier is
classic SoCal beach boardwalk (mind the airheads!) Mission Bay by the
Hilton hotel, Miramar Lake, etc. For hocky go to Olympic Skate in
Fashion Valley between Interstate 8 and Friars Road, they have a court
and manage team competition.
From: vla...@jeeves.ucsd.edu (Veda Larson)
Date: 26 Oct 94 12:26:14 GMT
Behind the food court & ice rink at UTC (University Towne Centre) mall
there is a nice smooth, winding, moderately descending path that's
just wide enough for me to control my speed by slaloming if I
concentrate. It has always been totally deserted and is flanked by
hills with overlooking houses. The experience is actually a lot like
downhill skiing!
Ye olde path ends at Towne Centre Drive across from the Renaissance
Towne Centre, behind which there are more charming paths and bridges
by a creek. Overall skating distance is not long, but this is a cute
route to try if you're looking for something new to explore.
[caveat: UTC security will stop you ~10-20% of the time. you can go
around the back of the parking lot, carry your skates through the
mall, or skate slowly and carefully so as not to scare anyone. ;]
From: twi...@unlinfo.unl.edu (thomas winter)
Date: 3 Jan 1996 20:47:09 GMT
Just spent Dec. 26-30 in San Diego. Here's the skater's scouting
report!
1. Skating from airport (Lindbergh Field) to the hotels--flatland.
2. Skating the Silver Strand Bikeway--flatland.
3. Skating to Ballast Point (AKA Cabrillo Pt)--moderate hills.
4. Skating to Mission Beach--downhill braking required.
5. To San Diego Zoo--Flatland.
_1. Airport to hotels_
San Diego is the only convention city I've ever been in where it is
practical -- even legal! -- to skate in from the airport.
As soon as you walk out of the terminal, take the sidewalk towards the
highway (South). Just south of all the doors, there are two benches.
Sit down, pull yr skates out of yr underseat bag, put 'em on and skate
to the highway (Harbor Drive). Cross it at first opportunity: the
bikepath is on the other side. You can see the towers of the hotel
district from the Harbor Drive at the Airport. Just skate to them.
Bikepath all the way! About 4 miles 15-20 minutes on recreational
skates. It took a few strokes to get used to the heavy weight of the
underseat bag slung over the shoulder.
On the way, notice (1) The steam schooner _Medea_, right next to the
ferry Berkeley, and the square-rigged _Star of India_. These three
ships together constitute the Maritime museum. $6 to tour all three.
Loaded w stuff to stir a boy's heart. If you've ever made a model
boat, you'll want to do this museum!
Next, just past the _Star of India_, there's the Broadway Pier, where
you catch the modern ferryboat. Take note, 'cause you'll be wanting to
find it! At this point, the hotels are just around one more bend.
Note the Hyatt. You can go up to the 40th floor "Sight Bar" for the
best view of the harbor. I did it in my convention-going professor
costume, in shoes. The bar opens at noon, but even when it's closed,
there's a huge panel window looking to the north and another looking
to the south. Great place for getting oriented to the entire bay area.
_2. Best bikeway in the world? Silver Strand Bikeway _
See for yourself. Get back to the Broadway Pier and buy a ferry ticket
(only $2!) for Coronado. Boat LVs Broadway on the hour, returns from
Coronado on the half hour. A neat 15-minute boatride across and down
the bay puts you at the Coronado Pier. The bike trail starts just
south of it, going along the shore for a while through a nice park,
then around the north edge of the golf course. Turn south after the
golf course through sidewalk (El Chico Rd.) to the trail head. Before
you lies about nine miles of blacktop bikepath down the full length of
the causeway that connects Imperial with Coronado. On your left is the
Bay, on your right is a four-lane highway, dunes, and the Pacific
Ocean. Carry your shoes along (I carried good walking shoes in lieu of
wristguards everywhere in San Diego) so you can take a break on the
ocean shore if you like.
About halfway down, there's a public park ("Bike Parking Only"--no
cars!). Nice restrooms (Why not? Human-Powered-Vehicle drivers are a
better class of people!) and water fountains. Stop and admire the bay.
Further there are bird refuges, complete with birds. Add to your
lifelist. The trail ends at 7th Street in Imperial, where you find
yourself on good asphalt amid low-rent housing. Explore if you like.
The return is great for practicing your racing form: against the usual
north wind, you have to minimize your frontal area to make significant
headway. I passed some recreational bikers easily, then was passed by
a spandex-biker, whom I drafted the rest of the way. We didn't talk.
He wasn't going to let me pass, and I figgered if he really didn't
want to be drafted, he'd pull away from me -- if he could! He never
lost me until the first light at Coronado. He ran it and I braked to a
stop! Most of the time the afternoon of December 26, I had the
bikepath to myself.
_3. Ballast Point AKA Cabrillo Point_
The attraction of Ballast Point is the submarines you can see being
serviced at their wharves--plus being at the point itself. Just take
the Harbor Drive bikepath north. Cross the street at the Sheraton to
STAY on the bikepath. If you don't, you get detoured to Shelter
Island. But toward the north of Shelter Island, there's a good deli
where you can buy a reasonable tasty lunch and chow down while ogling
the yachts. The street you want is Rosecrans, two+lane blacktop with a
painted bikepath lane. To get to it best, turn from the bikepath onto
Scott St., then north one block up to Rosecrans. Hills, yes, but
nothing scary. Smile at the MP at the Subase checkpoint as you go by.
No prob. Last building on the left is a laundromat w pop machines.
Enjoy the view and the air at the point.
On your way back, you might want to climb to the top of the ridge. Do
it in shoes. In the Subase above the Submarine wharves, look for a
many-tiered set of wooden stairs. I climbed up. The stairs lead to a
mountain road turnout. From there I skated up to the top of the saddle
of the Loma Point ridge. Bad mistake. I won't go down any slope where
I can't see the bottom, so I didn't go down the other side, but there
I was with just such a downhill behind me! Figured at least the way
back I knew where the turnout was. I should have put on the shoes and
walked. First the tight slalom speed-control then the hell with it
just use the heelbrake. Hey, sounds like the heelbrake is down to
metal Ok the turnout is coming into view. Made the turnout. Whew. Too
exciting! Put on shoes. Walked back down. Skated calmly back Rosecrans
to Harbor Drive.
_4. Skating to Mission Beach. _
Before you start answer one question: If they painted a bikelane on
the shoulder of I-80, would you skate it? If not, just take the 34 bus
from downtown. Costs $1.50. I took Harbor Drive to the Nimitz Blvd
which has a painted bikepath lane. I picked it because it doesn't go
straight over the ridge, but goes over it transversely, so it has a
gentler slope. It's business/residential at first, then becomes
limited access. Uphill, the blacktop has been slurry-sealed, so where
there was sidewalk, I used it.
Two problems downhill:
(a) The part to the underpass looked ok to me, so I just coasted it.
Mistake. It gave my four-wheelers a high-speed wobble. Do some
preliminary deceleration, for high-speed wobble is a threat to your
control. Since it is too late for me, I scissor a bit to lengthen the
"wheelbase" and muscle through. Stay vertical.
(b) Along the downhill, there is one "on-ramp" of merging traffic.
WATCH for it. It starts over your head on the right. Start
decelerating as soon as you see it, because the cars on it are going
to drive right through your little painted bikepath.
It will be nicer if you have made it to a stop by then.
You are forewarned. I was not.
At the foot, again on level ground, there's an off-ramp to deal with,
a light, then a bridge. This is where the three roads -- Nimitz,
Highway 8, and Sunset Cliffs Blvd. -- all converge. Go right to the
light, through the light, then stay on the right to the bridge -- the
bike path goes under it and continues on the lefthand side of the
bridge. If you don't get back on the bridge, you go straight out a
detour to dog-walking land and the worst asphalt of the trip. Get back
on the bridge. You are now on Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Get of
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part19
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Clubs and Organizations_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
Skating Clubs & Organizations
(last changed Friday, 21-Jun-96 16:19:56 MDT)
This section of the FAQ is a list of skating organizations and clubs.
If you don't see your local club in here, please send in as much info
about it as you can to me. Thanks.
_________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
* General Notes
* Clubs/Organizations on the Web
* Skating Clubs listings
_________________________________________________________________
General Notes
A listing of in-line skating organizations across the United States
regularly appears in _Inline_ magazine, published bi-monthly.
From ajz...@netcom.com
Date: Fri Mar 4 00:21:55 1994
You can get the ice skating info on Clubs from the US Figure Skating
Assn 20 First St. Colorado Springs, CO 80906. I'm not to sure what
they charge for the booklet or if they sell it to a non-USFSA member.
If not, find an arena in your area and see if you can xerox somone's
book. Any rink has a directory of rinks thruough the ISIA - Ice
Skating Inst. of Amer. . . . ice hockey orgs from USA Hockey, 2997
Broadmoor Valley rd, Colorado Springs CO 80906. Roller skating infor
US Amateur Conf. of roller Skating, P.O. Box 6579, Lincoln, NE 68506.
From gr...@sce.carleton.ca
Date: Sat Mar 5 16:17:18 1994
Information on all speed skating clubs in Canada can be found by
contacting:
Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association
1600 James Naismith Drive
Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4
Canada
fone: (613) 748 5669
fax: (613) 748 5600
_________________________________________________________________
Skating Organizations on the Web
* International Inline Skating Association (IISA)
(http://www.sportsite.com/mac/allshop/sgma/iisa/html/iisa_hp.html
)
* _blades@uiuc_ may be accessed at http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/blades
* You can also check out InLine USA's list of clubs at
http://www.terminus.com/inline/org.htm)
* The Canadian In-Line and Roller Skating Association (CIRSA)
http://www.io.org/~cirsa/cirsa.html)
* Metro Toronto & Region Roller Hockey League (MTRRHL)
(http://www.io.org/~mtrrhl/mtrrhl.html)
* Britian Inline Skating Assoc. (BISA)
(http://www.demon.co.uk/nbcs/bisa.html)
* Sfskaters (San Francisco) FAQ
(http://www.timefold.com/sfskatersfaq.html)
* California Outdoor Rollerskating Association (CORA)
(http://www.cora.org)
_________________________________________________________________
Skating Clubs
Regions:
* Alabama
* Arizona
* California
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Iowa
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Massachusetts
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* North Carolina
* Nebraska
* New Jersey
* New York
* New South Wales
* Ohio
* Ontario
* Pennsylvannia
* Texas
* Washington
_________________________________________________________________
Alabama
_Name:_ Birmingham Inline Group (BIG)
_Location:_ Birmingham,AL
_Contact/Phone:_ Casey Beasley (205) 942-0943 or (205) 999-0645, John
Bartlett (205) 822-2907, Phillip Whitlow (email), Dano Loudon (email)
_Email:_ dem...@uabdpo.dpo.uab.eduzu03257@uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
_Type of Skating:_ We have groups that participate in almost every
type of skating: recreation, aggro, distance, street, speed, etc.
Skill levels range from first-time beginners to sponsored pros.
_Description:_ Locations vary depending on the type of skate. Our only
requirements are that skaters under the age of 18 MUST wear a helmet
(it's the law) and that anyone participating in one of our night
skates must wear some form of reflective material. However, full
protective gear is HIGHLY recommended for everyone. Annual dues will
be required to receive full club benefits (amount as yet
undetermined), but everyone is welcome to skate with us at any time.
_Comments:_
_________________________________________________________________
Arizona
_Name:_ The Tucson Sk8 Club
_Location:_ Tucson,AZ
_Contact/Phone:_ Ed Wachter: 520-744-3792
_Description:_ This club has been meeting (and growing) for several
months and rotates Sunday evening meetings between a couple of
Tucson's river parks and the main city park (Reid).
_Name:_ Valley Inline Association
_Location:_ Tempe,AZ
_Contact/Phone:_ Ray Pisar 602-831-2166
_________________________________________________________________
California
_Name:_ Humbolt In-line Skate Club
_Location:_ Arcata,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Don Hoch 707-826-1769
_Name:_ Sacramento In-line Skate Association
_Location:_ Sacramento,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Mel Ryan-Roberts 916-962-2762 or 443-2527
_Name:_ San Diego Skate Coalition
_Location:_ San Diego,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Mac McCarthy 619-223-5415
_Name:_ In-line Rollerworks
_Location:_ Costa Mesa,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Kon Ammosow 714-675-6772
_Name:_ Chico Skate Club
_Location:_ Chico,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ D. McGee 916-672-3124 or 622-5809
_Name:_ Santa Rosa Inline Club
_Location:_ Santa Rosa,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Chartelle Tarrant 707-538-2823
_Name:_ El Dorado In-line Skating Association
_Location:_ El Dorado,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Scott Johnson 916-672-3124 or 622-5809
_Name:_ Nor-Cal Skeelers
_Location:_ Modesto,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Rick Babington 209-524-7928 or 521-6816
_Name:_ Southern California Rollerskating/In-Line Promotions (SCRIP)
_Location:_ San Diego,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ 619-697-7617
_Fax:_ 619-697-7617
_URL:_ http://www.scrip.com
_Name:_ Westside Sports Club / Westwood Ski Club
_Location:_ Los Angeles,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Scott Peer 818-500-0488
_Type of Skating:_ Skates and gates, inline slalom racing and training
_Comments:_
Come join us at West LA College on Sundays for some skating
excitement! A large parking lot and two campus streets are closed
to traffic while we skate. There's instruction, a level parking
lot and gentle hill for beginners and intermediates, and long,
steep hill with hinged slalom gates for advanced skaters. Please
call for dates, times, directions, etc.
_Name:_ Golden Gate Skate Patrol
_Location:_ San Francisco,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ David Miles 415-752-1967
_Name:_ Silver Streaks
_Location:_ Los Gatos,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ L. Hackett 408-354-5605
_Name:_ Group 7 Rollerblade Association
_Location:_ San Diego/Mission Beach,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ C. Woodruff 619-284-4226
_Name:_ California Outdoor Rollerskating Association
_Location:_ San Francisco,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ 415-752-1967
_Name:_ Southern California Speedskaters
_Location:_ Manhattan Beach,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ 213-545-6969
_Name:_ Bay Area Inline Racers (BAIR)
_Location:_ Menlo Park,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Lee/Carol 415-244-9800
_Name:_ Team Karim
_Location:_ Berkeley,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Adlai Karim 510-849-4004
_Name:_ Roller Divas Women's Skating Club
_Location:_ San Francisco,CA
_Contact/Phone:_ Kelly McCown 415/665-0336
_Email:_ sk8...@hooked.net
_________________________________________________________________
Florida
_Name:_ New River Rollers
_Location:_ Fort Lauderdale,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ 305-963-2653
_Name:_ Orlando SS Club
_Location:_ Orlando,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ John Morrisy 407-767-5641
_Name:_ Hollywood Beach Skating Club
_Location:_ Hollywood Beach,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ Mike Martocchio 305-927-0100
_Name:_ Pro Skate Gear Team
_Location:_ Pompano Beach,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ 305-782-1249
_Name:_ Sarasota/Bradenton Skate Club
_Location:_ Sarasota/Bradenton,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ Flamingo Coast at (813)388-1889, Boon Brown at (813)
749-7075
_Email:_ Ll...@aol.com
_Description:_ Sarasota and Bradenton Skaters, come skate with us
every weekend. Roller Coasters Inline Skating Club may seem like a
lame name, but it's not a lame group. Whether you're a beginner,
novice, aggressive or recreational skater, this group of skaters has
fun. Some work on some serious aggressive skating to the point of
looking at building vert ramps and rails. Others skate with the group
to increase skills, meet other skaters (many adult singles), have fun,
exercise and to socialize. We even have some hockey skaters in our
group who are involved in some great local leagues. We skate a
different area every weekend (some night skates), as well as host
trips to Tampa and St. Pete. We are sponsered by Flamingo Coast
(RollerBlade Sales and Rentals) on St. Armands Circle, who gives us
discounts on equipment. We have our own instructor who hosts lessons
for beginners and novices every two weeks as well as private lessons
weekly.
_Name:_ Beach Bladers Of Southern Florida
_Location:_ Delray,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ Tom Baker 407-243-3117, 495-8326
_Name:_ Miami Inline Skate Club, Inc.
_Location:_ Miami,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ 305-893-4955
_Name:_ Tampa Bay Road Rollers
_Location:_ Tampa Bay,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ B. Fussell 813-734-1849
_Name:_ Trailways/Pinellas Trail
_Location:_ Clearwater,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ T. Selhorst 813-461-9736
_Name:_ Southernmost Hockey Club
_Location:_ Key West,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ E. J. Cuneo (305) 296-1736
_Email:_ ejc...@aol.comrwm@mpgn.com
_Type of Skating:_ Public Skate: Friday 6:30p-8:30p (Family) 8:30 on
Adult Pick Up Games: Sunday 9:00am. All Events at the Rink on Bertha
Street
_Description:_ Description: The Southernmost Hockey Club is an
orginization who promotes the fun and fast paced sport of Hockey. It
runs youth and adult in-line hockey leagues and is a member of the
NIHA (National Inline Hockey Assoc.). The Southernmost Hockey Club is
also a promoter of safe in-line skating. Besides league activities,
the club hosts Friday Night Skate Night, when the sticks are put away,
and the public is invited to come out and skate at the rink (no
pot-holes or cars to dodge). Other activities include skating and
hockey oriented fund raisers and skill clinics. The Southernmost
Hockey Club is interested in putting together a travel team, as well
as hosting teams from out of town.
_Comments:_
Directions: Take US-1 to Key West, turn left on Kennedy Drive, then
Right on Flagler Dr. (3 lights). Take Flagler until you pass Key
West High School. The next light is Bertha Street. Turn left on
Bertha as you head to the beach. The rink is about two blocks down
Bertha on the left. Or if you are skating along Smathers Beach,
skate to the end of the beach (away from the Air Port) and turn
right on Bertha Street. The rink is about two blocks up on the
right.
_Name:_ Central Florida Inline Association
_Location:_ Altamonte Springs,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ 407-244-5646
_Name:_ Tallahassee Roller Hockey
_Location:_ Tallahassee,FL
_Type of Skating:_ Rollerhockey, all levels (adults)
_Description:_ Skate Inn East (now called Skate World), on 2563
Capital Circle NE (near the Scan Haus) twice a week at
Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-1:00. The amateur league (which will be
affiliated with USA Inline Hockey League, I think) will be starting
this fall (1996), but the ranks of the usual folks were recently
raided by FSU starting up a team, so they are trying to build
membership for the fall.
There is a $22 annual membership that provides insurance. It's
optional, but it gives you a $2 discount off of the $7 pick-up game
fee. You can also pay $45 at the beginning of each month (for the game
fees). It is also co-ed and they do have some women playing.
_Comments:_
If you come play, make sure to bring a white and dark jersey or shirt.
Teams are assigned from the sign-up list from each night, so you
won't know which color you'll be until right before game time.
_Name:_ Central Florida Lightning
_Location:_ Orlando,FL
_Contact/Phone:_ 407-869-9652
_________________________________________________________________
Georgia
_Name:_ Skate Atlanta
_Location:_ Atlanta,GA
_Contact/Phone:_ 404-859-0605
_Name:_ Atlanta Peachtree RoadRollers
_Location:_ Atlanta,GA
_Contact/Phone:_ Henry Zuver (404) 634-9032
_Type of Skating:_ street, mixed levels of expertise.
_Description:_ Meet in Rio parking lot - skate through various
neighborhoods, downtown Atlanta Rio - Intersection of North Ave. and
Piedmont in Atlanta Mondays: All levels skate, Wednesdays:
Intermeidate-Expert Sundays: 32 mile endurance skate
_Comments:_
Need own Equipment, Helmets Recommended. $5/yr "official" membership.
Lotsa fun! We host the Athens-to-Atlanta Marathon skate
_Name:_ GT Speed
_Location:_ Cumming,GA
_Contact/Phone:_ 770-88SKATE
_Email:_ KAt...@aol.com
_Type of Skating:_ Speed skating
_Description:_ There is an inline indoor speed club in Cumming, GA, an
Atlanta surburb. It is coached by David Downing,and is a USAC
santioned club with elite and Junior Olympic skating. They practice
indoors and outdoors. Derrick Downing, 1995 World Team member and gold
medal winner is his son. The club has all ages from 3 to Masters. The
phone number is 770-88SKATE. The club skates indoors and outdoor meets
all year. It is a very active club with many chances to compete during
the year. A skater can call the rink at the above phone # or e-mail me
KAt...@aol.com
_________________________________________________________________
Hawaii
_Name:_ Hawaii Inline Skating Association
_Location:_ Honolulu,HI
_Contact/Phone:_ Ginny Hench (808) 956-6547, President c/o The Wheel
Thing at (808) 48-SKATE
_Description:_ We are the only In-Line skating club for several
thousand miles in any direction, based in Honolulu, Hawai'i. We
welcome visitors to the islands. Look for us at Kaka'ako Waterfront
Park.
_________________________________________________________________
Iowa
_Name:_ River City Rollers
_Location:_ Sioux City,IA
_Contact/Phone:_ D. Martin 712-252-2445
_Name:_ Baltimore Street Skaters
_Location:_ Timonium,IA
_Contact/Phone:_ Hal Ashman 410-666-9463
_________________________________________________________________
Illinois
_Name:_ Windy City Flyers
_Location:_ Barrington,IL
_Contact/Phone:_ 708-304-7866
_Name:_ Chicago Land Bladers
_Location:_ Chicago,IL
_Contact/Phone:_ Randy McManigal 708-597-5686
_Name:_ blades@uiuc
_Location:_ Champaign-Urbana,IL
_Email:_ bla...@uiuc.edu
_Type of Skating:_ Street Skating, Hockey, Distance, and Casual
Skating. We play hockey a couple of times a week. Most every night, we
can be seen playing tag on the quad. Some people go fast some go slow.
We are a diverse group of skaters.
We have all skill levels.. our goal is to educate people to become
better skaters, while we work on improving our skills. We combine all
levels of skating, resulting in fun for everybody.
_Description:_ We can be found at Assembly Hall playing hockey, the
main quad playing tag. Or on the internet in our mailing list
bla...@uiuc.edu (finger bla...@uiuc.edu for more information)
Safety is strongly encouraged, however we do not _require_ any
protection. You must use your brain and you must have fun.
_Comments:_
We're free.. we pay enough money for tuition, save your fees to buy
better skates
_From the Editor: We've been notified that this club may not exist
anymore. If you confirm that it does or does not exist, please
contact the FAQ._
_Name:_ Jacksonville In-liners
_Location:_ Jacksonville,IL
_Contact/Phone:_ George Jaworski 217-243-4427
_Name:_ Rainbo Rollers
_Location:_ Chicago,IL
_Contact/Phone:_ 312-775-4681
_Name:_ Village Cyclesport
_Location:_ Elk Grove Village,IL
_Contact/Phone:_ 708-439-3340
_________________________________________________________________
Indiana
_Name:_ Indy In-liners
_Location:_ Indianapolis,IN
_Contact/Phone:_ Terry Sullivan 317-574-Club
_Name:_ Club Shred
_Location:_ South Bend,IN
_Contact/Phone:_ 219-271-8858
_Name:_ South Bend Club
_Location:_ South Bend,IN
_Contact/Phone:_ 219-288-0042
_________________________________________________________________
Massachusetts
_Name:_ InLine Club of Boston
_Location:_ ,MA
_Contact/Phone:_ Lesli Woodruff 932-5457
_Description:_ The InLine Club of Boston is over 500 members strong.
We provide a host of diverse events and activities geared toward all
levels of skaters. We have group skates, basic technique and racing
clinics, races, stunt competitions, slalom competitions, trips,
parties and more. Annual dues are $25 and with that you get a t-shirt,
a 1-year subscription to our newsletter, The Bearing, discounts at
local retailers, and discounts to all of our events.
The ICB's night skates are on Tuesdays at 8:00. We meet in front of
Trinity Church in Copley Square. The group you saw on Wednesday night
was Boston's "unofficial" nite skate that meets Mon and Wed. nites.
It's a more aggressive skate than the ICB's...also a lot of fun.
We will have Sled Dogs nite skates at Wachusett Mountain all winter
long. If you would like more information on the ICB, call our hotline
at 932-5457 (WE-B-KIKS) or pick up an application and newsletter at
one of our supporters. I suggest Eric Flaim's Motion Sports on Newbury
Street.
_________________________________________________________________
Maryland
_Name:_ Rails
_Location:_ Annapolis,MD
_Contact/Phone:_ Johnny Clougher 410-268-7885
_________________________________________________________________
Michigan
_Name:_ Michigan Inline Skating Assoc.
_Location:_ Oak Park,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ 313-861-0026
_Name:_ Straits & 8
_Location:_ Detroit,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ D. Cooper 313-562-6104
_Name:_ Ann-Arbor Inline Skate Club
_Location:_ Ann-Arbor,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ Cindy Hufnagel 313-663-9515 or 994-4393
_Name:_ Team Extreme
_Location:_ Dearborn,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ Frank Fedel 313-292-6283
_Name:_ City Rollers
_Location:_ Grosse Pt.,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ Mark Famen 313-824-0011
_Name:_ W. Miss Club
_Location:_ Farmington Hills,MI
_Contact/Phone:_ B. Sklar 313-855-4267
_________________________________________________________________
Minnesota
_Name:_ Inline Midwest
_Location:_ Bloomington,MN
_Contact/Phone:_ 612-822-6840
_Name:_ Northern Inline Skaters
_Location:_ Duluth,MN
_Contact/Phone:_ 218-722-0106
_________________________________________________________________
Missouri
_Name:_ St. Louis Inline Skating Assoc.
_Location:_ St. Louis,MO
_Contact/Phone:_ Gregory Issiff 314-427-5963
_Name:_ NMSU Bulldog Roller Hockey
_Location:_ Kirksville,MO
_Contact/Phone:_ Kevin Joseph (816) 785-5146
_Type of Skating:_ Rollerhockey
_Description:_ We play as a club twice a week (Tues 3-5, Fri 3-6), and
also operate a team for intercollegiate play (our first games in club
history are Feb 25 and 26 in Maryville, Missouri, against Northwest
Missouri State's club). This is our first semester of true organized
activity. Our club dues for this semester were $5, plus for tryouts,
we had a 'tryout fee' of $5, so that we could pay for rink time for
our games. (BTW, NMSU is located in Kirksville, Missouri.) Our
intercollegate games, as well as a session on Tuesday nights (9-11 or
9-12, depending), are in Macon, Missouri, 30 miles south of
Kirksville, at Don's Skate Center, on Hwy 63.
_________________________________________________________________
North Carolina
_Name:_ Triangle Skating Club
_Location:_ Research Triangle Park,NC
_Contact/Phone:_ Skating Connection 24 hour recorded information (919)
460-0964
_Email:_ mco...@bnr.catscnews@mdc.pdial.interpath.net
_URL:_ http://www.interpath.net/~tscnews
_Type of Skating:_ Recreation/competitive club, speed, marathon,
distance, freestyle, tricks, distance, fun. Trips and social
activities. Mostly intermediate level skates. Beginner clinics every
so often.
_Description:_ Meeting Place: Park & Ride next to the Governor's Inn.
Exit 280 off I-40. Parking lot is across from NCNB.
_Name:_ Charlotte Blade Rollerz
_Location:_ Charlotte,NC
_Contact/Phone:_ Dailene and Jack Wilson (704)344-1555
_Email:_ ali0...@unccvm.uncc.edu
_Type of Skating:_ Speed skating, distance skating, some street. Type
of skate: mostly speed and distance (12-25 miles per skate), very
hilly- beautiful neighborhoods. Occasional downtown skate- stair
bashing, rail sliding, etc. Mostly intermediate to advanced skaters.
Beginner sessions available through the local skate shops.
_Description:_ Central YMCA, East Morehead Sundays @ 6pm, Tues and
Thurs @ 6:30pm, Saturdays @ 11am Beginner skates: Wednesdays 5-8pm,
Alpine Ski Center ($5 rental, 332-2824) Thursdays 5:30, Tennis & Ski
(377-3175)
_Comments:_
Helmets and wristguards required on all skates. $10 club membership
(that means you get a newsletter 6 times a year- you can skate
with us for free!) We ask that all skaters that join us on
Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday be proficient in stopping
and controlling their speed as the terrain in Charlotte is very
hilly!
_________________________________________________________________
Nebraska
_Name:_ Linc-In-Liners
_Location:_ Lincoln,NE
_Contact/Phone:_ Tom Winter (402) 488-9238
_Type of Skating:_ Skate tours: Sundays at 1:30 starting from Antelope
Park in Lincoln Saturdays starting at 1 from Peter Pan Park. Most
members are speedskaters/long distance cruisers, but the Saturday
group is mostly converted ice figure-skaters who want to work on
flat-land tricks.
Monthly meetings: 7:00 p.m.first Mondays at Gere Public Library.
_________________________________________________________________
New Jersey
_Name:_ Bladerunners
_Location:_ Lamberville,NJ
_Contact/Phone:_ B. Haugen 609-397-3366
_Name:_ Team Montvale
_Location:_ Montvale,NJ
_Contact/Phone:_ Mike Curran 201-337-4988
_Name:_ Golden State SS Club
_Location:_ Roselle Park,NJ
_Contact/Phone:_ 408-241-2590
_Name:_ Landskaters Club
_Location:_ Collingswood,NJ
_Contact/Phone:_ 609-854-7774
_Name:_ Midlantic Inline Racing Team
_Location:_ Moorsetown,NJ
_Contact/Phone:_ D. DiBlasio or "Buggy" Almont 609-235-7513 or
215-537-1692
_________________________________________________________________
New York
_Name:_ Long Island Road/Track
_Location:_ Pt. Washington,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ 516-868-2160
_Name:_ Manhattan Metro Rollers
_Location:_ Manhattan,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ G. Harris: 212-861-1818, P. Eads: 718-278-2386
_Name:_ National Inline Basketball League (NIBBL)
_Location:_ New York City,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ Tom LaGarde 212 336 7831
_Email:_ ni...@interport.net
_Name:_ NY Inline/Ice Association
_Location:_ Ballston Spa,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ 518-885-6487
_Name:_ NY Road Skaters Association
_Location:_ New York City,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ 212-534-7858
_Email:_ pres...@nyrsa.orgwebmaster@nyrsa.org
_URL:_ http://www.nyrsa.org
_Name:_ Inline Groove
_Location:_ Syracuse,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ 315-446-2057
_Name:_ Inline On Long Island
_Location:_ Bohemia,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ 516-244-0445
_Name:_ Skaters In The Village
_Location:_ New York City,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ Ray Johnson: 201-420-0762,V. Welch: 718-528-9199
_Name:_ Rochester Inline
_Location:_ Rochester,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ Barbara Hughson 716-234-0880
_Name:_ Capital District Speedskating Club
_Location:_ West Coxsackie ,NY
_Contact/Phone:_ Liz Marchese 518-731-6614
_URL:_ http://www.pair.com/manning/
_________________________________________________________________
New South Wales
_Name:_ The Sydney City Skate
_Location:_ Sydney,New South WalesAustralia
_Email:_ bre...@unsw.EDU.AU
_Description:_ a regular weekly skate (in-line) organised by the
people at Bondi Boards & Blades. We meet outside the McDonalds at
Circular Quay _every_ Wednesday night at 7:00pm. The skate generally
lasts for about two hours covering around 20-25 Km's (12-15 mi). We go
over the Harbour Bridge for a speed run, and then skate around town
along a varying route that regularly covers places like the Opera
House, Darling Harbour, Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney
Uni, Kings Cross and other notable spots.
_________________________________________________________________
Ohio
_Name:_ Cincinnati Blade Brigade
_Location:_ ,OH
_Contact/Phone:_ (513)-852-0898
_Email:_ bo...@one.net
_URL:_ http://w3.one.net/~bolo/cbb.html
_Type of Skating:_ Cincinnati's only inline skating club! Our club is
open to all, beginners to advanced, street skaters to speed skaters.
_Description:_
_________________________________________________________________
Ontario
_Name:_ The Forest City Rollers
_Location:_ London,OntarioCanada
_Contact/Phone:_ Keith O. Gare, (519) 679-0428
_Email:_ den...@julian.uwo.ca
_Type of Skating:_
_Description:_ The club provides a safe, social and fun atmosphere for
novice to experienced skaters. The club provides guided skates through
the city of London, Ontario and exposes skaters to sidewalk, roadway
and trail environments. By stressing "rules of the road", "trail
etiquette", and common sense approaches to skating, it also works
toward promoting a healthy and positive skating environment
The club skates various routes and covers approximately 12K on each
outing. The club skates at a comfortable pace for all skaters and
regroups regularly. We watch out for each other and adjust the route
for any member that may have problems with any part (ie steep hills or
an injured member). The club also provides an organized body to
approach adminstration or politicians about issues involving inline
skating and skaters' rights.
_Comments:_
Season: May - October (weather permitting)
_Name:_ Ottawa Pacer's Speed Skating Club
_Location:_ Ottawa,OntarioCanada
_Contact/Phone:_ Greg Franks (613) 726-9594
_Email:_ gr...@sce.carleton.ca
_Type of Skating:_ Speed Skating (Short & Long track), Adult and
Children. Type of skate: Short and Long Track speed skating All
levels. We have three time slots: Children learning to skate,
Competitive Skaters, and Adult recreational.
_Description:_ Indoor: Dulude Arena, Ottawa, ON. Outdoor: Brewer Park
(Natural Ice oval) Outdoor: Rideau Canal (winter obviously - 7km
continuous ice)
_Comments:_
Must provide helmets and other saftey equipment. Rental skates
available.
_Name:_ Toronto Inline Skating Club
_Location:_ Toronto,OntarioCanada
_Contact/Phone:_ 905 822 2100
_Email:_ ai...@freenet.toronto.on.ca
_Comments:_
The coaches are some of the finest speed skaters in Canada, two of
whom were on the Canadian World Team this year.
_________________________________________________________________
Pennsylvannia
_Name:_ Pittsburgh Inline Skating Club (PISC)
_Location:_ Pittsburgh,PA
_Contact/Phone:_ Amy Krut (412) 885-2233
_Email:_ Randy....@cs.cmu.edu
_Type of Skating:_ All aspects of inline skating, all skill levels.
_Comments:_
All club skates require a helmet
_Name:_ Greater Pittsburgh Unified Speedskating Club
_Location:_ Pittsburgh,PA
_Contact/Phone:_ Bob Halden (412) 744-0037, Wade Smith (412) 241-5967
_Type of Skating:_ Short Track (ice) speedskating. All levels.
_Description:_ Meet at Golden Mile Ice Arena, Monroeville, PA . Must
wear helmet. Currently $10/session, but varies with club finances
_Comments:_
Programs for children, adults, and special olympians
_________________________________________________________________
Texas
_Name:_ Roller Hockey Sport Club of SWT
_Location:_ San Marcos,TX
_Contact/Phone:_ Mike Moore 512-392-0858
_Email:_ mm0...@swt.edu
_Type of Skating:_ Hockey, all levels, but mostly beginners.
_Description:_ Hockey, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, 7-9pm at Jowers,
Gym 221 , Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
_Comments:_
Skates, helmet, stick. Pads recommended. $15/semester (Sept-Dec,
Jan-May)
_________________________________________________________________
Washington
_Name:_ Washington in-line Skating Association
_Location:_ ,WA
_Contact/Phone:_ 206-298-3674
_________________________________________________________________
*This image is Copyrighted © 1994-1996 by Anthony D. Chen. Permission
is granted to use this logo in World Wide Web HTML files so long as
this copyright notice is included as either an HTML comment alongside
the invokation (IMG SRC or HREF or otherwise) of the logo, or in the
visible text.
The image may not be sold for profit, nor incorporated in commercial
documents or merchandise without prior written permission of the
copyright holder.
Tony Chen
Posted-By: auto-faq 3.1.1.2
Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part20
_r.s.s.inline FAQ: Rollerhockey_
_________________________________________________________________
[LINK] -->
ROLLERHOCKEY
(last changed Wednesday, 14-Aug-96 22:49:10 MDT)
Contents:
* General hockey FAQ
* Info on sticks
* Info on the National Inline Hockey Association (NIHA)
_________________________________________________________________
_Original preface to the Hockey FAQ, by Thomas Darling:
This file reflects the observations of our small group's
trial-and-error approach to organizing and playing hockey on inline
skates, as well as advice from other rec.skate and rec.sport.hockey
readers. We've done a lot of experimenting with gear, play, etc. and
it is hoped that our experiences will be helpful to others getting
involved in this fun and fast-paced sport.
_Thomas no longer had time to maintain this portion fo the FAQ, so
I've incorporated some (long-overdue) additions from my own experience
with my local hockey club and from others who have sent e-mail to me.
Feel free to send in any comments, ideas, or suggestions.
_________________________________________________________________
Related sites of interest:
* Hockey Shops
* Tim Falconer's articles on hockey (some very good tips!)
* Roller Hockey rules
Topics:
* Gear
+ Sticks
+ Pucks
+ Padding
+ Gloves
+ Goalie gear
* Skates
+ Which type to get
+ Rockering
+ Wheels
* Techniques
* Stick turns/stops
* Goalie
* Surfaces
* Rules
* Practice Techniques
+ Hockeyball
* Credits
GEAR
STICKS
(See also, Nancy's article below, titled "Selection of Hockey Sticks")
Many of our players use standard street hockey sticks, with wooden
shafts and plastic blades. These seem to survive the surface with
minimal wear. However, those more experienced players (former ice
hockey players all) prefer wooden ice hockey sticks, with taped
blades, for superior puck control. These obviously wear down a lot
faster than on ice, being scraped across concrete and leant on for
power turns. Once the blade is taped, a razor is used to trim off the
bottom 1cm or so to prevent fraying.
Perhaps the benefits of wooden ice hockey sticks are predominantly
psychological, based on the familiarity factor. But to those of us who
use them, they "feel" better and therefore give us better results.
If you decide to use a plastic-bladed street hockey stick, you should
make sure to get one long enough for you to use when on your skates;
most street hockey sticks are designed to be used on foot. There are
many schools of thought on determining stick length, which like
anything else, eventually comes down to matters of personal preference
and style of play. But as a rule of thumb for beginners, try to get a
stick that comes up to somewhere between your chin and nose. You can
always cut it later if you wish.
Todd (TO...@slacvm.slac.stanford.edu) offers these additional
suggestions:
"I work closely with some friends [who] own a Hockey store out here in
the San Jose/San Francisco area; we have used several different types
of sticks on the street surfaces. One of the best sticks to use on any
street surface is the KOHO 2200 Ultimate, with a poly-tech blade on
the end of a wooden hockey stick. It does not wear thin as quick as a
mylec stick... Easton makes an aluminum street hockey stick...it is a
good stick, but not better than regular hockey aluminum versions...
The last stick to try is the Bauer Street Hockey stick: all wood with
a poly-tech blade on the end, just for street hockey use."
"Mylec blades, you can go through 1-2 a month if playing 3-4 times a
week. I've gone that route too."
From Michael Quinn (MJQ...@pucc.princeton.edu):
"For a stick, I used an old ice hockey stick with a plastic
replacement blade. Incidentally, I was up in Boston last week and saw
a neat looking rubber brake that screws onto the shaft of a hockey
stick near the blade. I didn't get a chance to try one out though.
They sell them at Sports Etc. on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington."
Comments from anyone who has tried this stick-mounted brake would be
appreciated.
PUCKS
Sun Hockey makes a nifty three-wheeled puck called the "Hot Puck." The
puck is hard rubber, and the "wheels" are three teflon balls that
protrude through the top and bottom.
Advantages: It appears to be regulation size and weight, and it feels
great against the stick. It's an extremely cool design.
Disadvantage: It doesn't work. Even on the most ideal surface (we
tried it on a tennis court-type deck), it bounces, flips, and ends up
rolling on its edge more than on the "wheels." I really wish they'd
come up with a better functioning design, because the feel and idea
are sound.
Since the Sun puck doesn't happen, we use Mylec street hockey balls.
They come in three different colours, coded for different
temperatures. The orange one works best so far; minimal bounce, but a
bit light. Be aware that the temperature type of the puck is
important; we've heard of a warm-weather ball that shattered when used
in cold weather.
Also be aware that there are cheaper balls out there, and some of them
suuuuuuck. We've even encountered one that was unevenly weighted and
textured. Not good. Since the Mylec balls are only a couple of
dollars, there's no reason not to get the real thing.
Nobody's completely happy with this compromise, but it's the best
option we've seen so far for outside play.
As for inside play, Marc (mfo...@alliant.backbone.uoknor.edu) adds:
"When we play outside, we usually use an orange Mylec, but it bounces
too much for inside play so there we use a Viceroy, which also weighs
about twice as much. They are made in Canada, and I don't know where
you might get them other than a good well stocked hockey shop. We all
tend to use the Viceroy in tournaments."
From: David Aronson (pak!LARGO!d...@uunet.UU.NET)
Pucks: In the roller hockey league that I am in. We use a plastic
Cosmo puck that is filled with a substance that is similar to little
while beads with a kind of thick petroleum jelly. They work great
indoors and outside. I have used them on wood, tennis courts, and
somewhat smooth blacktop with good results. The advantage is the
weight of the puck keeps it from getting up on edge.
From: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)
Our club uses the Jofa speed pucks exclusively. We play on an indoor
roller- rink, so the surface is very smooth, and design of the Jofa
pucks makes it a very nice puck. Stay AWAY from the pucks with plastic
"bearings" inside them. They don't work outside, they don't work
inside. The Jofa pucks are spoked with the weight on the edge and have
7 or 8 screw-in pegs on each face which lets it glide fairly fast.
From: rick...@ucs.orst.edu (Jeremiah "Phlegm" Rickert) Message-Id:
Pucks: For indoor play, by far the best puck is the Jofa puck made for
Roller Hockey International. It has "bumps" that are screwed into the
edge of the disc that can be changed depending what surface you are
on. It flies like an Ice-hockey puck, it slides like an ice-hockey
puck, if feels like an ice-hockey puck. It resembles a wheel, it has
"Spokes" in the middle that are made of light aluminum, and the disk
is made our of hard rubber that doesn't bounce. It is ideal for roller
hockey. It costs about $12 but it is worth it in every way.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, that the becuase the majority of the
weight of the Jofa puck is on the edge, it rarely rolls ever...even on
asphalt, if you insert the pegs for asphalt, it slides just fine.
I am on a college roller-hockey team, I have played for about 5 years,
so I speak from experience.
Goalie Equipment: If you are using a puck, using baseball catchers
mitts work well only if you remove some of the padding. If you are
using a ball, you almost have to use a real hockey-catch glove, or a
baseball fielder's glove, the ball pops out of the catcher's mitt
because it doesn't have enough weight to carry it into the pocket.
Along the lines of pads. I prefer ice hockey pads. I am a goalie, I
have tried everything. Ice hockey pads, are ideal for using any kind
of puck. They are all right for using a ball, but you can't feel the
ball all of the time, so sometimes you don't know if you made the save
or not. If you only use a ball, the mylec or the cooper streets pads
are fine, they are plastic and make a huge hollow thwuuuping sound
when the ball hits them. Playing in skates is fine too. Leg Kicks are
quicker, you can move from side to side quicker, you can move forwards
and backwards, without taking a stride, it's then easier to cut down
angles and move because you don't have to move your legs much.
PADDING
Checking is a bit less frequent in the inline game, which is good,
because the summer heat makes heavy padding out of the question.
Hardshell knee pads are a necessity, because everyone occasionally
collides with the boards or the ground. Elbow pads are also highly
recommended.
Those nifty wristguards are probably a good idea for skating and
training, but for all practical purposes it is impossible to hold a
hockey stick with them. This is OK, because you can use the stick to
break your fall in many circumstances, and you can't build up huge
speeds in a small rink anyway.
Opinions vary on hand protection. Some players prefer ice hockey
gloves. They provide superb protection against sticks, decent padding
for when you get crunched, and enough finger coverage to make hand
passes safe. On the other hand, they tend to be very hot. Many of us
opt instead for weightlifting gloves, the fingerless mesh kind with
leather palms. These allow your hands to stay cool, yet prevent the
loss of skin when you're knocked sprawling. They allow good stick
control. Just don't go grabbing the puck with 'em, lest your fingers
be rolled over/chopped off.
(Note: Weightlifting gloves are difficult to dramatically throw down.
So if you get into a violent confrontation, you may incur a few
bruises while trying frantically to peel them off. If you play this
way, be careful.)
Another option is to use a cheap pair of Nylon hockey gloves. They're
still a bit warm, but considerably lighter than leather gloves and
you're less apt to be concerned about beating them up.
From: mfo...@alliant.backbone.uoknor.edu (Marc Foster)
On a related note, I also got a chance that night to try out the new
Mylec goalie leg pads. While they provide much better protection to
the inside of your thigh (how many of you have donut-shapped bruises
there???), I thought they were very bulky and hard to move around in.
Dropping to your knees or lieing on your side - then getting back up,
seemed very difficult. I think the reason may have to do with the hard
corners of the pads, the protect, but prevent mobility.
From: David Aronson Padding: I would highly suggest the following
padding for any game, HELMET, cup, shin pads, gloves, and elbow pads.
The most inportant is the helmet which should be a real hockey helmet.
Make sure that the helmet has been approved for hockey,( some Jofa's
have a sticker disclaiming them from any contact sport). I would
suggest CCM or Cooper. Both are about $50 new, less used. A cup is
very cheap, but very nice to have in games. A pair of shin pads will
cost from $20 to $$$. Franklin makes a pair of pads that are a hard
shell knee pad with a foam rubber shin extension for about $20(don't
quote me on the price). Easton makes a pair of hard shells pads with
seperate hard shells over foam on the knees and shins for about
$35(The also have built-in straps). All over shin pads cost require
seperate velcro straps securing them to your legs. If you are going to
be skating outside make sure not to use leather pads. A pair of hockey
gloves cost from $25 to $200. They protect your hands and wrists from
sticks and the ground, I suggest a pair of cheap hockey gloves. As far
as elbow pads any will do, I use a cheap pair of foam rubber pads.
Wear a HELMET!!! You do not need to crack your head on the ground. For
checking games you rry, we'll get to this section in the future)
GLOVES
From: FPe...@blizzard.com (Frank Pearce)
I bought a pair of gloves by Rollerblade designed for in-line hockey.
After I used them about 3 times they pulled open at the seam between
the thumb and index finger. The same thing happened to a friend of
mine with the same gloves. It seems that gloves designed for in-line
hockey just aren't as durable as ice hockey gloves. I even called
Rollerblade's 800 number. The guy suggested exchanging them for a
different brand of glove. I decided to go with an ice hockey glove.
For elbow pads I suggest any elbow pad with a hard plastic exterior if
the surface you play on it very rough. Many ice hockey elbow pads have
a leather exterior that makes them more expensive and less durable on
rough surfaces.
From: adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu
If you play lacrosse, the equipment works just as well for
rollerhockey (except the stick of course 8-). Brine makes good gloves,
elbow pads, chest/shoulder pads, etc. Lacrosse in general can be a lot
rougher than hockey, so the gear is made to take the punishment. The
cost should be comparable, if not cheaper than "real" ice hockey
equipment.
GOALIE GEAR
A good mask is essential, regardless of puck type. Either a cage-type
ice hockey mask or an inexpensive Mylec mask will do. An ice hockey
stick is highly recommended, since they tend to be larger than their
street hockey counterparts. Any variety of blocker will suffice. If
you're playing with a ball of some kind rather than a puck, we've
found that using a baseball glove for a catcher will give good
results.
In regards to leg pads, the cheapest Mylec ones appear to work the
best. Since they're made of hard plastic, a goalie can slide on his
knees in them, which improves effectiveness.
Marc (use...@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu), a Texas hockey veteran,
adds: "When I goalie I usually wear a cage helmet (since I wear
glasses), elbow pads, a blocker on the right hand and a catcher's mitt
in the left, a catcher's chest protector on my chest and belly (with
my Dead Wings jersey over that), a cup and the Mylec leg pads, along
with the skates. I usually wear a t-shirt under the chest pad, also.
I've suited up like that twice a week all summer down here and have
lost about 10 pounds. Most other goalies in the Metroplex use either a
large softball mitt or a regular goalie's mitt, but I had the
catcher's mitt to begin with and find that I am used to it and can't
use a regular glove very well."
SKATES
Type of Skate
Which brand/model of skate largely depends on playing style and the
ever- important ice-hockey familiarity factor. As an ice-hockey
player, I use Bauer XS/5's with the brake removed. They're all laces,
no buckles, and are nice and light. They've got good bearings (hence
decent speed) and strong frames.
The most popular skate among our skaters is the Rollerblade Zetra 303.
It's a little heavy and clunky, but has an extremely durable boot,
which is good if you like to plant yourself in front of the goalie and
get your ankles whacked at a lot.
I also might recommend the Gretzky Ultra Wings. They're all buckles
and kind of heavy, but durable enough to stand up to hockey abuse.
The bottom line, really, is that you can make do with what you've got.
One of our best players uses el cheapo skates (Phantoms?), yet still
manages to come up with the breakaways and finesse plays.
From: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu)
Speed and finesse seem quite removed from the quality of the skates.
We have lots of okay players that have the nifty Bauer ZT skates, but
our best player has on the old Lightning 608's, with wheels worn down
to the hub.
Essentially, if you do lots of other types of skating, you can always
use them for hockey. I use my Aeroblades for hockey, and while they're
not taking the pounding quite as well as other skates would, they're
holding up okay (so far). Generally, I wouldn't recommend Aeros or any
heavily vented skate for hockey. With the number of collisions and
rammings and taking slap shots point-blank, you'd be better off with
Lightning 608/TRSs or Bauer hockey skates.
ROCKERING
None of us rocker our frames. I know that every book in the world
says that you should rocker them for hockey, but the difference in
turning ability (especially at high speeds) is negligible. All that
appeared to be seriously affected were speed, traction and stability,
none for the better.
WHEELS
So far, we haven't experimented greatly with different wheels. I've
used both hard and soft, and liked the hard ones better, since they
last longer and feel better on grinding stops and turns. Rollerblade
makes a "Hockey Wheel" with better perimeter width (to reflect the
need for stopping/turning over straightaway speed), but since they're
hubless and generally cheap-looking, nobody has picked any up yet. Any
comments on these wheels would be welcome.
We've heard that "Turbo Core" type wheels (with spokes instead of
solid hubs) don't stand up to the stresses of hockey well. Those
skaters I know who use such wheels have reported no problems, but the
net.consensus on this is that "spoke" breakage does happen, so it
bears repeating here.
From: David Aronson (pak!LARGO!d...@uunet.UU.NET)
Wheels:
I use hyper super-lites which are 72.5mm and 78a, they are fast with
good traction. I have used "Hockey-wheels" before and they seemed to
slip out from under me, but I have friends who sware by them. Just
make sure you have good bearing and axle-systems and the wheels won't
make a huge difference. I use axle systems on my skates that are made
from aircraft aluminum. You can't over-tighten the axles so all you do
is crank them down and you're ready(purchased through in-line sports)
$20.
From: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.ancs.fsu.edu) Opinion seem to vary a
lot on which type of wheels to get. Some say the special hockey
wheels, with wider cross-sections and lower profiles give lots of
added stability. Most of rec.skaters say, heck with that, and use
Superlites or Redlines for speed. In the end, you should choose
something you're comfortable with. Don't go out and blow $50 on a set
of wheels just for hockey, unless you really want to. Our best and
fastest skaters use real crap wheels and only so-so skates. A whole
lot of it is the technique, legs and feet, believe me 8-)
TECHNIQUES
Stick turns/stops
Many of us ice-hockey players are aggravated by the limited turning
and stopping ability of inline skates. A typical drag stop (rear foot
90 degrees against leading foot) works in most circumstances. But
another good technique is the stick stop.
In this stop, the skater begins a tight turn towards his stick side.
For this example, we'll use a right-handed skater. Right foot forward,
he makes a tight turn, putting his stick blade down (to the right) in
the process. He leans against the stick, grinding his left foot
outwards, until coming to a stop. With practice, one can even hang
onto the puck while executing this stop.
Sometimes, when going very fast, I find that I must crouch low to keep
pressure on the outer foot -- often to such a degree that the boot,
instead of the wheels, makes contact with the ground. This gets good
results, but is not recommended for less durable boots.
The same technique is used in the stick turn. The skater uses the same
combination of tight turn and stick friction, but instead of using the
stick as a mere brake, uses it as a pivot point to make a tighter turn
and continue on in a new direction.
GOALIE TECHNIQUES
The best bet for goalies, in many cases, is simply not to wear skates.
A sneakered goalie has side-to-side mobility and backwards control
that are difficult to match on skates of any kind. As long as the
goalie doesn't leave the crease for extended periods (i.e. Ron Hextall
lead-the-rush-up-ice maneuvres), this makes for fair and fun gameplay.
As previously mentioned, hard plastic Mylec street hockey leg pads are
recommended. A good goalie can fearlessly slide about in them, making
for a more ice-like game.
SHOOTING TECHNIQUES
See the following sites for
* Anatomy of a Slapshot
(http://www.inforamp.net/~timf/slapshot.html) by Tim Falconer
* Shooting Tips
(http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~andria/shooting_tips.html) by Andria
Hunter
* 101 Hockey Tips, from the Hockey Player Magazine
* Power Skating, from the Hockey Player Magazine
SURFACES
Generally speaking, you're stuck with whatever your area offers. For
economical reasons, we've been playing on street-hockey decks, which
have asphalt or cement surfaces and decent boards all around. One such
surface is quite good; very smooth cement approaching tennis court
quality. It's a decent drive for most of us, but worth it; we've
played on a rougher surface and it's exhausting.
There are also commercial venues available in our area. One huge
indoor facility has a perfect surface, good nets, an electronic
scoreboard, you name it. It's also $70/hour, but with enough people
playing a real game, this can be cost-effective. I imagine similar
facilities exist in most major metropolitan areas.
RULES
Our goal is to be as ice hockey-like as possible. In the reduced size
of most street-hockey decks, 4 skaters per side is probably the
realistic maximum. And we'd like to someday have enough players for
full 60-minute change-on-the-fly games, but for the time being it
looks like three 10 minute periods with no line changes and frequent
timeouts.
When we can, we aspire to NHL rules. With 10-minute periods,
half-length penalties are probably best (1 minute or 2.5 minutes).
Enforcement of offsides and icing are a matter of taste; they make for
less fluid gameplay and are a distraction for single refs without
benefit of linesmen. I'd be interested in hearing how other players
deal with this.
Best of luck to anyone getting started in the game; may you find all
the players you need and a prime surface. If you live in the
Philadelphia/ South Jersey area, we invite you to join us! Interested
parties can Email me directly, or reach me on the Cellar BBS (the
number is in my .sig). We play Sundays, are still organizing for fall,
and would welcome any new participants.
From: Tony Chen (adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu) We play in an indoor
rink, so we have blue lines and the creases marked permanently, plus
we have regulation goals and a good-sized rink (sorry, don't have
exact measurements). We usually play 4-on-4, and go to 5-on-5 when
there's a larger than normal group that shows up. We play with
offsides, but no icing.
We self-referee, with a little help from the benches 8-) We don't play
with time limits, but we do line changes en masse (Usually we have at
least 2-3 lines for offense, and 2-3 lines on defense) so everyone
gets a fair shake.
PRACTICE TECHNIQUES
Can't round up 8+ skaters and 2 goalies for a game? Here's a basic
game you can play with as few as 4 people that's fun and great
practice for basic hockey skills.
"Hockeyball"
' Gear: Inline skates, sticks, pads, ball, chalk.
'
' Play Surface: Ideally, you'll want an area with clearly-defined edges.
' A low-traffic street, school driveway, or the like is ideal, since
' passes can be bounced off the curbs. With chalk, mark off end lines
' 150-200' apart (depending on skaters' respiratory health and number
' of players), as well as a faceoff mark at centre ice:
'
' curb -> ========================================================
' | |
' end line -> | x |
' | |
' ========================================================
'
' The rules are simple. To score a goal, a skater must cross his
' opponent's goal line WHILE IN CONTROL OF THE PUCK/BALL. If the
' ball goes over a team's end line with no one in control, that team
' takes the ball back into play from behind the line (the puck must
' then precede them over the line coming back into play).
'
' If the ball goes out of play, a faceoff will take place at the point
' of exit.
'
' After every score, begin again with a centre-ice faceoff.
'
' Play to a predetermined point (first to 7, for instance). No time
' limits.
Besides being a total blast (the Canadian equivalent of urban
half-court pickup basketball), this game is good practice for a
variety of skills including skating, passing, puck control, checking
(the way we play it, anyway -- this is optional) and basic strategy
(crossing over and the like).
If you want a different challenge, or to handicap a side, try playing
against a team with one or more players on sneakers instead of skates.
You'll be able to outrun them in long hauls, but they can kill you
with sudden stops/direction changes/accelleration/etc.
CREDITS
Thanks for the following for their field testing and other assistance
in the preparation of this file:
Anton "Slapshot" Shepps (LW), Dan Reed (LW), Chris "Nate" Collins (G),
Earl Scheib (D, no relation), Rachel MacGregor (D), Steve "Doc" Roth
(D), Rob "Franchise" Tedesco (RW), N.Y. State Assemblyman Allan K.
Race (C, Democrat), Heather "Hanover" Pfister (LW), Robert Jennings
(G), and "Pittsburgh" Bob Safier (C).
_________________________________________________________________
From: fam...@sde.mdso.vf.ge.com (Famous Jonathan)
Subject: Hockey equipment
Date: 14 Sep 93 13:04:40 GMT
Gloves:
I have small hands, so what I use are a pair of the
largest junior size Cooper ice-hockey gloves. The palms tend
to wear through really quickly, but hand protection is good
and they are easy to slide on.
Other people I know have also worn lacrosse gloves to
play. They don't usually cost as much as ice hockey gloves, but
for street play they provide good protection farther up the wrist
and arm.
Stick:
Those plastic Mylec replacement blades are trash. Don't
bother. I liked the Mylec street hockey stick with the black blade -
the stick was cheap and it worked well. I liked the shorter stick
for maneuverability and ball control, but it was tough to get a
good shot from it.
Someone had posted against a Koho Street Revolution, but I've
been using one for a while. The shaft does flex, but the blade wears
well on cement and lasts well.
Puck:
Mylec ball seems to be the best, as everyone else here seems
to agree. So why does the IRHL use one of those crappy rolling pucks
that never seem to work?
Another puck we used was a roll of black tape with a small core.
After a good break-in period, it slides well and has the fell of a
regular puck. But it is heavy and probably requires real pads -
especially for the goalie.
I saw in the stores a new puck that had 6 knobs protruding from
a disc to be used for roller-hockey. I forget who makes it or what
it was called, but if anyone has used one, what did you think?
From: mfo...@alliant.backbone.uoknor.edu (Marc Foster)
Subject: FAQ Update: Goalie gear
Date: 3 Sep 1993 16:45:54 GMT
In article adc...@garnet.acns.fsu.edu (Tony Chen)
writes:
>REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 3: (ROLLER)HOCKEY (draft)
>______________
>Goalie Gear // A good mask is essential, regardless of puck type. Either
>___________// a cage-type ice hockey mask or an inexpensive Mylec mask
>will do. An ice hockey stick is highly recommended, since they tend to be
>larger than their street hockey counterparts. Any variety of blocker will
>suffice. If you're playing with a ball of some kind rather than a puck,
>we've found that using a baseball glove for a catcher will give good
>results.
>
>In regards to leg pads, the cheapest Mylec ones appear to work the best.
>Since they're made of hard plastic, a goalie can slide on his knees in
>them, which improves effectiveness.
>
>Marc [use...@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu], a Texas hockey veteran, adds:
>"When I goalie I usually wear a cage helmet (since I wear glasses), elbow
>pads, a blocker on the right hand and a catcher's mitt in the left, a
>catcher's chest protector on my chest and belly (with my Dead Wings jersey
>over that), a cup and the Mylec leg pads, along with the skates. I
>usually wear a t-shirt under the chest pad, also. I've suited up like
>that twice a week all summer down here and have lost about 10 pounds.
>Most other goalies in the Metroplex use either a large softball mitt or a
>regular goalie's mitt, but I had the catcher's mitt to begin with and
>find that I am used to it and can't use a regular glove very well."
I thought I'd update my equipment list, as what I said a year ago is really
out of date (at least for me). I picked up a sponsorship down in the Metroplex
and was able to splurge on the good stuff:
The new Mylec catalog has a new blocker and goal glove in it. The blocker
(#570) is larger than the older Mylec model and can be bent up high along
the arm like real ice hockey blockers. The glove (#580) is built like an
ice-hockey glove and is much larger than the "shortstop mitt with a wrist
protector" glove they've sold in the past. After getting the glove broken
in, it snags balls just as well as pucks.
I nearly lost my teeth this summer wearing the Mylec cage mask (got kicked),
so I got a Jofa Goalie Combo helmet. Jofa takes their regular helmet, puts
a larger cage on it, and adds a throat protector. After getting popped a lot
(usually in warm-ups, when my teammates unload really hard shots on me), my
throat apprecitates this aquisition.
As for leg protection, I have found that adding a quality pair of ice hockey
pants to the Mylec leg pads does wonders for the inside thigh area. I have
a pair of Cooper pants, thought CCM and others are just as good. I also
dropped a size on those mylec leg pads, since the pants cover the upper front
thigh area now. Doing this increased my mobility a lot. I do wear some
knee pads _under_ the leg pads. The Mylec pads tend to leave the inside knee
area bare when you freeze the ball in a butterfly drop (watch Patrick Roy),
and if you play long enough, a permanent... and painfull bruise develops.
As for the chest and arms, I went with a Cooper BP9 chest protector and SA55
arm pads. However, I only wear the armpads indoors, since it's usually just
too hot to wear both pads playing outside (lost a lot more weight this summer).
Since my league up here at school is indoors, I'm padded to the max.
My stick is a Christian "Curtis Curve" goal stick. The stick handle is
S-curved at the grip for better balance. I also added a ton of weight at the
end of the handle so the center of gravity is right on your stick hand.
Works wonders.
And please, boys and girls, don't forget your cup (well, maybe not girls, I
never did ask Machelle Harris if she wears one).
(Editor's note: Most women use a piece of protective pelvic equipment that
is more commonly referred to as a "Jill". It has the same
holster as a Jock, but the protective piece of plastic inside is flatter
and triangular shaped.
>____________________
>Goalie Techniques // The best bet for goalies, in many cases, is simply
>_________________// not to wear skates. A sneakered goalie has
>side-to-side mobility and backwards control that are difficult to match on
>skates of any kind. As long as the goalie doesn't leave the crease for
>extended periods (i.e. Ron Hextall lead-the-rush-up-ice maneuvres), this
>makes for fair and fun gameplay.
Well, I have to wear skates, but I still come out of the crease a lot. I
have found that most novice to intermediate ability players can't deke very
well, hang onto the ball, and make a quality shot. So when I have a 1-on-1
or a shootout situation, I CHARGE the forward. It cuts down the shot angle,
and also intimidates the hell out of lesser players not usel, this ended up bei
ng a lot longer post than I anticipated. The bottom
line is... if yer gonna be a goalie, ya gotta get the pads. I saw a lot of
folks this summer playing more or less naked in the crease, and it just doesn't
work. 85 MPH+ slapshots aren't intimidating when you're fully loaded, and
all that gear really doesn't slow you down like you'd think.
_________________________________________________________________
Choosing a Stick
From: pil...@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Nancy Piltch)
Subject: Selection of hockey sticks
Date: 3 Dec 91 21:46:00 GMT
Sometime in the past Phil asked if anyone could write a guide to
selecting hockey sticks, which has apparently been met with resounding
silence. I think I can help, at least for those just entering the
sport. Bear in mind, though, that while I've played a good deal of
intramural and pick-up hockey, I've never had any formal coaching, so
I'm sure there are others more knowledgeable. This will be especially
true of the subtle differences among sticks that will matter to expert
players.
Please feel free to correct my misstatements, clarify what is unclear,
and add what I've left out.
The main criteria in selection of hockey sticks are "handedness", lie,
length, and curvature. All of these are largely a matter of personal
preference.
1. "Handedness": A hockey player will decide whether s/he prefers
holding the stick to the left side or the right. There appears to be
no strong correlation to the person's handedness. A new player should
try it both ways, and find the one that feels most natural. Sticks are
labeled either L or R, but since French-speaking Canada generates
large numbers of hockey players, the stick may be labeled G (gauche)
or D (droit). Some sticks carry both letters, i.e. L/G. A few sticks
are neutral and can be used either way.
2. Lie: This refers to the angle the stick makes with the blade. A
higher lie is closer to upright than a lower lie. While there are lots
of exceptions, a player who prefers to skate more upright will prefer
a higher lie, and a player who prefers to skate more bent over will
take a lower lie. Taller players also generally use higher lies.
Again, a new player should test several different lies to see what
feels comfortable. The most common lies are 5, 6, and 7. This is the
rest of the labeling on a hockey stick: a 6R means a lie of 6 in a
right handed stick. Exaggerating the drawings:
. .
. .
. .
____ ____
5 7
3. Length: I've been told that a stick should come up to about the
player's chin while wearing skates, but I find this uncomfortable. I
think it's more realistic to have it come to about the armpit or a
little below; again, this is preference.
4. Curvature: A more curved blade allows the puck to be flipped more
effectively for better shooting, but at the price of poorer passing
and receiving. A beginner should start with a gently curved stick. A
neutral stick, which I referred to above in the section on handedness,
has no curvature.
The blade of a stick should be taped. This helps prolong the life of
the blade and improves puck-handling capability. It's always black
tape, never white. The conventional wisdom is that a goalie can't see
the puck as well against a black blade, but my feeling is that a good
goalie will see the puck. My personal opinion is that it is black
because of tradition.
The wear pattern on the tape can show whether a skater has selected
the proper lie. If the wear is toward the heel/toe of the blade the
skater should try a lower/higher lie.
A lot of players also tape the top of the blade for better grip.
Sticks also differ in weight; again this is personal preference.
From: Thomas....@cs.cmu.edu
Subject: Sticks and Pucks (was Re: Selection of hockey sticks)
Date: 4 Dec 91 18:17:48 GMT
Some other stuff to augment the stick info:
I often tape my sticks with white tape! I think the tape matter is
more whether you use the friction tape (normally black) or the general
cloth tape used for taping around socks, skate tops, and equipment,
which is usually white, but comes in all colors. I prefer the smoother
white tape to the friction tape on my blade. There are a fair amount
of players on our team that like this too. It is really a matter of
preference.
I had never heard that the black tape makes it hard for the goalie to
see the puck coming off of your stick, but this makes a lot of sense!
I should start buying the cloth tape in black just for my stick
blades!
I use black friction tape to tape the top end of my stick, for a good
grip. This deposits black gunk on your gloves, but the grip is good.
Players will often wrap a ball of tape called a "butt-end" to the very
top of the stick to stop it from slipping out of your hands. Another
trick is to roll up a long piece of tape lengthwise into a long
string, and wrap it around the top handle of the stick (kind of like a
barber shop pole) prior to taping up the stick top. This gives you a
spiral stripe grip underneith the flat tape, that also helps you hold
onto your stick better.
For roller hockey, I use the plastic Mylec blades (cost about $2.50)
attached to shaft from an ice hockey stick that had a broken blade. I
just saw off the broken wooden blade, and attach the plastic
replacement. Mylec (and others) sell plastic bladed sticks with wooden
shafts.
The stick manufacturer "Montreal" makes a stick that is supposedly for
street and ice hockey. It is basically has a hard graphite housing
around the whole blade and lower part of the shaft of the stick. These
are expensive, and I've never seen anyone use one for ice hockey, but
a lot of the street hockey players like them because they stay stiff
like wooden blades, not flex a lot like the plastic ones.
Some other sticks that are availble for ice and street hockey are
aluminum shafts. I use an aluminum stick shaft for ice hockey now. The
blades are wooden with a glue on the top end. One heats the end of the
metal shaft and the glue end of the blade with a powerful hair dryer
and then you slide the glued end into the shaft. When it cools, the
metal contracts and the combination of this with the glue holds the
blade in place. When the blade breaks, you heat it up again to remove
it, and put on a new one. The blades themselves cost a little less
than a whole new stick, and the shaft is a one time charge. They have
also come out with these for street hockey, using blades similar to
the Montreal sticks described above.
Some players like the aluminum shafts because they are light, and can
come in more flexible or more stiff grades. This allows a player to
have a stick with the feel s/he likes and also have at least the shaft
portion of the stick be consistent, since only the blade is replaced.
Even two of the same brand and model stick can be different in weight
and flex, since the wood may be from 2 different trees, etc.
Whew, my original intention was not for this to be so long winded,
Nancy covered most of the stick stuff (very well too!) in her post,
but since I'm on a roll..........
Pucks and Balls:
In ice hockey, one uses a hard black rubber puck, 3" in diameter, and
(I think) 3/4" in thickness. The puck is usually frozen before a game
so it's temperature matches that of the ice, and it can slide better.
1) very hard plastic pucks -- These can be use for street or floor
hockey, but usually aren't as they are really hard and hurt a lot if
you get hit with one and have little protection (usually the case with
street hockey). This is all we had when I was little, and looking
back, I can't believe we used to use these things all the time! On
hard surfaces, these skip up etc. when new, but as soon as the edges
get chewed up a bit and round out, they slide pretty well, even on
asphalt.
2) soft hollow plastic pucks -- These are only good for really smooth
surfaces.. We use these on gym floors. They don't even work very well
on tennis courts, which is where we usually play roller hockey. They
are great for floor hockey in a gym though.
3) softer plastic pucks with rollers -- These were an attempt to make
a lighter puck that would slide better on rougher outdoor surfaces.
They aren't great, but are better than (2) above outdoors. They often
end up rolling on their edges, or coming apart at the seams if someone
takes a hard shot! All in all, not great.
Hockey balls:
Hockey balls are usually used for street hockey and DEK hockey (a game
played in rinks built with a special plastic surface by Mylec). The
balls are hollow flexible plastic, and work well on all types of
surfaces. They come in different hardnesses for different weather
conditions, surfaces etc. (softer for winter and less abrasive
surfaces, harder for summer and more abrasive surfaces). They require
slightly different skills than using a puck though.
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Paul Duffly
ok. Either you are making a joke or are really feeble. I wont go into
how to grind, but never remove any wheels. Thats just dumb. If you are
serious about grinding, good luck, but dont learn from this FAQ page.
Basically, it will mess you up for life
bye.
--
Paul Duffly (or sometimes Tom Duffly)