SkateLog Forum Blog

From Buggfire: "The strap hook going across the foot on my left skate boot broke. It's plastic and I was thinking I'd just melt some more plastic onto it somehow. I did try krazy glueing, but the glued strap hook broke again tonight. Can anyone recommend a melt-plastic-bind fix or has anyone ever attempted to fix a problem like this?."

From srknurse: "Why is Italy dominating the world championship events in artistic roller skating? I am a former nationally ranked artistic roller skater, and I remember "the old days" when the United States took home more than one or two medals. Is it the amount of rink time in Italy vs. the U.S.? Is it the caliber of coaching in Italy? Is it the rink surfaces? Does anyone have any speculations as to why this is occurring?"

From Jibberish18: "I discovered the wonder of dry lube after I was looking for something to lubricate all the locks in my house with. I also needed it for my car's ignition cylinder which should only be lubed with dry-lube for it's ability to resist dust. After a while I started using this stuff to lube everything. I'm going to try and lube my girl's Abec5 bearings with this stuff. Anyone have any opinions?"

From cal gundert05: "Could a skater anti-rocker their first or last wheel and somehow immobilize it so it becomes a brake? "

From RayJai: "I can't unscrew the wheels from my blade. I broke one allen key trying. One of the screws to the wheel just keeps turning. What now?"

Join me and other skaters in the SkateLog Chat Room tonight, Sunday December 3, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm (19:00-20:00) Pacific/California time. You can stay the entire hour or you can pop in for a few minutes to say hello. Everybody is welcome!

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From CT Skate: "Does anyone have any tips for air travel with skates? Any issues with security? I'm planning a trip to Southern California and want to bring my skates."

Here is a video clip of the incredible French Buggy Rollin' man Jean-Yves Blondeau rolling down a hill in full body armor plus a rare photo of him not wearing his Buggy Rollin' suit.

From Sk8r Jean: "What products have you guys found effective for ankle pain relief? I'm looking for something lightweight with slight compression that I can wear only around my ankle while skating (as opposed to around the foot and ankle, with an opening for the heel - since those cut off my circulation and cause painful foot cramps no no matter what size I try)"

From VodkaCarrot: "I realize, from someone's observation, that when I skate, my ankles tend to lean inwards. How can I resolve this? "

From Rennvogel: "I have been a runner for many years and am seriously looking into in-line skating now. I was wondering if a young 49 year old is a little too old to start in-line skating. What do you think? Any other 40+ year olds out there that can relate some experiences?"

From mpudiwitr: "There are some teams that are showy and fight-y, but to generalize all of derby with the above referenced statement is a real insult to those of us who work as hard as real athletes."

From SkatingOnAir: "In the walking state, the rollers are actually in the sole and are prevented from rolling through friction with the undersole/bladder. In the skating state, the bladder drops the rollers so they contact the pavement."

From Momi: "I skate for the Charm City Roller Girls and I'm looking for a source of trophies or awards that have either quad skates or roller skaters on them..."

In 2007 Bont will offer a new skate called the "Semi-Race", targeted to skaters who want the comfort of a fitness skate and the performance of a speed skate. Here's the information released by Bont so far...

About.com has a job opening for an inline skating editor.

Tahiti Marathon organizer Christopher Pierre has announced that the skating portion of the February 2007 Tahiti Marathon has been cancelled due to lack of interest in recent years.

From CBarrett017: "Does anyone have any experience with the new Hyper 100 millimeter Humphreys? True-Rev also makes a 100 millimeter wheel but I have no idea about those either..."

One of the reasons many recreational skaters don't try skating marathons is they feel like marathons are a completely different animal then the kind of skating they normally do. They think they have to wear speed skates, a skinsuit, skate in a paceline, etc.

From Rab23: "I taught myself to skate on inlines last summer, however I never knew anything about a cross over until I got to a skating rink and saw everybody doing it, I've given it a few attempts on inlines and I'm making small progress. How do you actually do it?"

Which races around the world are you planning to skate in 2007?

From Motosk8ter: "Can skate wheels be washed in the dishwasher? Meets all the requirements, water, soap etc..."

From DMoore: "After months of reading forums to learn about inline equipment, I finally made the leap to speed skates. Other than telling me to just get out there and skate, are there any words of advice while going through this major period of adjusting?"

Dutch Skillwilly posted a video clip demonstrating how he uses a needle to unassemble and clean his skate bearings. Very cool!

Rumors are floating around that Mogema is getting out of the ice skate and inline skate business. Is it true?

From an October 16, 2006 press release: "Bont Australia and Raps Holland have announced that they have signed a long term distribution agreement for Europe. The agreement will also include both companies manufacturing skate parts for each other..."

From Spins: "From time to time I've heard the phrase that a certain artistic skater has a bad leg wrap on a jump but I never understood the meaning. If someone gets through a jump and lands, what is the big deal with how the leg goes with the skater?"

From Oferyko: "Since my dealer forgot to supply me with instruction on how to heat mould my boots, can anyone give me some tips?. "

Skaters are sharing photos of what skating has done to their feet!

From MaherWoman: "What is the best brand of bearings? I've been told Bones Swiss is sworn-by as the best, is this true?"

Two Web sites are promoting the new sport of extreme ice skating. What do you think about that sport? Would you try it?

From RollerDanceMan: "Recently at our regular R&B rink skating session the manager got on the mike and said that we can no longer dance in the middle of the floor. I spend 95% of my time in the middle. Can you imagine the shock on everyones face??? Has anyone else gone through this madness, and if so what did you do?"

Do the legs of runners and skaters develop differently? Show us a photo of your skater legs.

From StinkBomb: "After a few laps or a real push the tops of my feet and my ankles start burning like hell and my legs shake. I want to develop more endurance and strength..."

From Huy: "The middle of my foot aches whenever I rollerblade for more than 10 minutes. Here's a picture showing where it hurts..."

From Zerio: "I've seen the SnowWhite artistic frames in videos but the spins have no speed. Only camels and traveling camels could be performed. How about PIC frames? I Haven't seen any videos to compare them, but only photos of a woman skating outdoors doing toe spins and other acrobatic stuff, but no axels or toe loops..."

Who are the main inline speed skate wheel manufacturers, and what are each companies specialties, strengths, and weaknesses?

From MaherWoman: "Did I have a frustrating time in the rink today! They were having FIVE birthday parties and I spent more time dodging unpredictable, irritating kids and fallen bodies than actually skating."

From Sk8Scott: "Like it or not, the mainstream young American male is homophobic and equates male inline skating with male homosexuality. This intimidates them and others out of trying the sport, if their laziness hasn't already deterred them. Feats of speed, endurance, and/or grace aren't "manly" in the USA if lycra is involved..."

From Ice Ramps: "I'm trying to maximize my limited skate time (limited being around 15-20 hours per week of inline skating and ice skating combined) by using a 20 pound weighted vest along with 5 pound ankle weights. Anyone else done this type of work out? Pros? Cons?"

From Kataris: "After skating for 10-20 minutes, I develop a pain in my lower back, almost like my muscles there are contracting and trying to bend my back in half. Anyone else experience this? Or know how to keep it from happening?"

Skaters who did 87 miles, 52 miles, or 38 miles in the October 1, 2006 Athens to Atlanta Road Skate are posting their reports and photos here. If you skated that event, tell us about your experience!

From MaherWoman: "I had a VERY painful, red, slightly swollen blister, and since putting one of those pads on it about three hours ago, there's been a drastic improvement..."

Do only speed skaters and outdoor recreational skaters need to wear helmets? What about slalom skaters, roller dancers, artistic skaters, and recreational skaters in a roller rink? Do you favor mandatory helmet laws?

Here are the results of the 87 mile Athens to Atlanta race in Georgia USA on October 1, 2006. Watch for reports from our forum visitors who skated A2A in the next few days.

Who are the main inline speed skate wheel manufacturers, and what are each companies specialties, strengths, and weaknesses?

Who are the main artistic roller skate wheel manufacturers, and why would you select one brand of artistic wheel over another?

When I first started inline skating, I had a problem with foot pain every time I skated, so before every skate I went through a ritual of wrapping my feet and padding my ankle bones. What products do you recommend for preventing and relieving pain caused by skate boots?

From 2500Express: "Has anyone tried the full 4x110 frames yet? I know they're not allowed under WIC regs but I am curious about how fast these things can allow you to go. Is there going to be a ceiling where you can't go any bigger?"

From Diagetus: "Has anyone tried both a Roll Line plate (Variant, Mistral, Energy) and a Snyder plate (Imperial, Super Deluxe, Advantage) for comparison? I'm curious about what skaters have to say about the difference in action between the two brands."

"Get Rolling" by Liz Miller and other instructional books for beginning inline skaters.

Could skateboarding make it into the Olympics before inline speed skating, artistic roller skating, and hockey?

Tell us about your city's Halloween costume skate so we can add it to our worldwide schedule.

The front this shirt is printed with "SkateLog Forum" and the back is printed with "Ask Me About Skating"

From Jon B: "Land on your outside edges, get your butt down, and drive your leg forward."

From Kaydo: "I'm interested in your advice on how I can best control speed going down hills. I've been skating too long to be asking this question, but..."

A little girl got hit by a police car while she was crossing the street in Edmunton, Canada.

I heard the Northshore Inline Marathon dropped out of the World Inline Cup in 2006. Now the WIC has *no* events in North America. That does not bode well for our chance of getting inline racing into the Olympics.

The 2009 Ice Figure Skating World Championships will take place at Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles, California.

Which do you recommend for someone who has been skating two months?

Has anybody had any experience with off-road inline skates such as TrailSkates, Skike, or the Powerslide Nordic Trainer?

Rollerdance video producer Richard Humphrey is featured in the October 2006 issue of Ebony Magazine, in an article called "Rolling, Rolling, Rolling: Get And Stay Fit With Skating". Here is an introduction to that article.

Here's how to order a supply of our free SkateLog Forum business cards so you can pass them out to skaters you meet on your local trails, skateparks, and roller skating rinks.

From Dave Morgan's Northshore Marathon Report: "Instead of dropping me, Speedy stuck around and helped me finish the race. I don't know why. All I know is that I had the best time skating that I have ever had. It was a time that I will never forget. There are times when your brain is full of natural chemical goodness and every sensation is etched into some pathway in a permanent fashion. This was one of those intense times. I think because this race was so important to me..."

From Spins: "Last week at the rink a little girl was on the sideline when she decided to get onto the floor. But not with the flow of other skaters. Within twenty seconds she was hit..."

Tell us about your local skating events so we can add them to our 2006 and 2007 skating calendars. We are interested in all events, for any skating discipline, large or small, in any country!

When you are not skating, what other sports are you involved in? What sports - other then skating - are your favorites?

From Amy's Keeper: "Back in the 1990's my brother and his friends started aggressive skating. I've always wanted to be like my brother so I asked if he could teach me. He took out the middle two wheels of my rec skates..."

From hydrus01: "I have been researching a lot of different websites in hopes of purchasing a new pair of outdoor quad skates. Has anybody on this forum tried the new Quadlines?"

Why do you skate? Share your story!

In a recent discussion, one skater said the t-stop is more effective and another skater said a well executed heel brake stop is more effective. Which stop works best for you?

From sk8scott: "This should be common sense, but I guess not everyone knows passing someone at a blind curve is a bad idea! Here's what happened..."

Who is skating the 2006 Northshore Inline Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota USA this weekend?

Who is skating the 2006 Athens to Atlanta Road Skate on October 1 and what distance are you skating: 38, 52, or 87 miles?

From onstar: "When I try to skate backwards I use my left foot to push, and I have most of my weight on my right foot. Is this correct? Where should most of my wieght be?"

Skaters in our aggressive skating forum are sharing their photos of vert and street skating tricks.

From Spins: "I'm now doing all my three-turn edges in any and all directions!!! The really fun one is a three-turn on my right foot with my back heel coming toward..."

Take look at this roller dancing and cone skating video from France!

"Spins" thinks immigration is causing North American roller skating rinks to close. What do you think?

From Jibberish18: "What is the significance of putting bigger wheels in the back and smaller wheels up front?"

Why do some athletes take these supplements? What are they suppose to do?

From lee-mcdonald: "when I was putting the coping on my mini spine ramp I used liquid nails..."

Are there any?

From Spins: "I've been doing footwork where on a right, forward, inside edge I can rotate three times. At the end I'm skating backward and extending the left leg back as if having landed a jump. Anyone use this in a combination with a jump or other move"

Does anybody know where the local skaters set up slalom runs in Berlin, Germany?

Here is some information about efforts to restore the historic Babbs Roller Skating Rink in Southwick Connecticut and get it listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Do you know about any RollerSoccer Web sites that are not included here?

How one skater used screws and super glue to get six more months out of his roller figure skating boots.

Some skaters say Salomon skates run larger then shoe sizes and others say they run smaller. What has your experience been?

From CBeck: "What is the best way to go about measuring the size of your skate wheels?"

From SeJoWa: "Powerslide bearings were mentioned a short while ago on this forum. I'd be grateful for suggestions on how best to pry loose the cover, as dirt and grit will need to be removed after a rain skate"

From LinkLemming: "After skating 30 miles I noticed a foot and ankle soreness that I have never experienced before. I notice it most when going up and down stairs. The problem area is on the outside of my foot..."

From srknurse: "Can anyone tell me which plates are most popular for figures? I use Atlas but saw some I did not recognize at the U.S. Nationals..."

Which colleges and universities are best for skating? Do any of them even allow inline skating?

If you skate with a GPS receiver, which make and model do you have? Would you recommend it to others? What GPS do you recommend for people on a tight budget? What if they had an unlimited amount of money to spend?

From Prefontaine: "I am considering heat molding my Radical 100 skates. How do I get the heel to fit tighter? After they come out of the oven, do I need to put shims or something between the heel cup and the boot?"

From Motosk8ter: "Carol broke her arm back in April, and we are now faced with a fear of skating, falling, and things related to the incident. Her return to skating has not been accomplished due to anxiety about what can happen. Has anyone gone thru this and just how did you work out of it?"

From NakitiDL: "While skating, especially on my left leg, the skate tends to dig into the inside of my calf. I've been trying to stay on the outside of the wheels like you're supposed to, but it only makes it worse..."

From rskater: " I use to inline skate,and I am just getting into quad artistic roller skating. I am having a tough time selecting wheels. The surface I will be skating on is polished cement. I will be doing mainly freestyle. Any hardness and wheel size suggestions?"

From Scratcher In the Eye: "I'm traveling through Spain and Italy this winter and I was wondering if Roller Derby had made its way out there and if anyone has any contacts?"

Our forum visitors are explaining why skating has taken over their lives. Why do you skate?

The Snyder Skates Web site has disappeared. What happened?

At least four roller skating rinks in Ontario Canada have closed in the last two or three years.

From RobinF: "I am nursing some rink rash today after falling down AGAIN while trying to master the mohawk turn. I am having a lot of trouble mastering it and I have the bruises to show for it..."

The second annual Mardi Gras Inline Skating Marathon will take place February 17, 2007 in Lafayette, Louisiana USA.

Are IFSA events and rules only for inline slalom skating, or are they also for slalom quad roller skating? Do people still do slalom skating on quad roller skates?

From Spins: "During regular skate sessions debris causes bumping wheels to the point of being a huge distraction. The rinks no longer have wheel cleaner machines..."

From hydrus01: "I have been researching a lot of different websites in hopes of purchasing a new pair of outdoor quad skates. Has anybody tried the new Quadlines?"

Does anybody know if there are any ice hockey clubs on Bornholm Island off the caost of Denmark?

The organizers of the low-cost SkateFresh recreational skating tours of the Netherlands are thinking about organizing a skating tour of Switzerland in 2007. Who wants to go?

From ABC Casting: "ABC is looking for Roller Derby-playing moms and their families to appear on our hit reality show, "Wife Swap". The program takes two different families and has the wives switch places to experience how another family lives. "

A group of male and female skaters in Singapore will try to set a 24 hour relay world record at an Inline Skate Carnival September 8-9, 2006.

The Beijing 66 Show Club organizes a night skate every Saturday evening, in the Chinese city of Beijing, from April to November. The skate usually begins near the Beijing Zoo at 7:30 pm and it has a fun carnival-like atmosphere. Everybody is invited!

From Jonas: "I plan to do the Berlin Marathon this September and I want to be prepared for bad weather. Anyone have a suggestion on a good rain wheel to ensure as good a grip as possible if it happens to be a wet surface? "

From Seung Ho: "Lately my left boot has been acting weird. I couldn't get on my edges properly. First I thought my muscles were not strong enough. Finally I checked the boot and frame...and wow, the boot is cracked. The carbon fibre has cracked and the metal plate inside is loose..."

From ChuckBoucher: "While changing my wheels from outdoor to indoor, I checked my frame mounting bolts to make sure they hadn't loosened up. Upon inspection of the area surrounding the frame bolt, I gasped... There it was, the first crack I have ever put in any of the 7 inline frames I've owned..."

Here are some photos of Saint Paul Inline Marathon, which took place on August 20, 2006.

Photos posted by two different skaters and results of the New York City 100K and marathon.

On September 2nd there will be a skating event for speed skaters and recreational skaters at the Brno Exhibition Center in the Czech Republic.

From BarrySVT: "100 millimeter wheels and a mid-rise cuff seem to be the way to go for me. I am looking at the K2 Radical 100 and the Rollerblade Lightning TF. Any opinions or reviews of these skates? Any other models to consider?"

From rmwaller: "I am looking at buying a heart rate monitor, hopefully no more than 150 bucks. Does anyone use one? Can an HRM tell me how many calories I'm using during the day?"

From ndragon88: " I can make a base easily but I need to know how people put the PVC on wood and make it stay"

Just added to our calendar: The first event in the next season of the IFSA Freestyle Cup will take place November 24-26, 2006 in Singapore. IFSA is the International Freestyle Skaters Association and they organize freestyle slalom, speed slalom, and high jump competitions for skaters in many different countries.

Does anybody know about any skate shops or sporting goods stores that sell quad roller skates in New York City?

SkillWilly shared a short video clip of himself playing RollerSoccer and he invites other skaters to share their YouTube skating video clips.

From Sandy: "I'm thinking about organizing another naked skate. Any suggestions on a location? I kind of like the thought of doing one in Paris..."

Scott Olson, the founder of Rollerblade, will compete in the Northshore Inline Marathon on September 26th...

We have two calendars in this forum that cover events from 2006 through 2012. One is a skating calendar and the other is a calendar that displays the birthdays of our forum visitors...

Ice skaters will race four at a time on an 1100 foot ice course with whoops, berms, turns, downhills, and one uphill segment. Here are some photos of a similar event in the Czech Republic...

If you are just learning to skate, or even if you are only *thinking* about learning to skate, we would love to hear about your experiences and thoughts. You will get a lot of encouragement and moral support from our forum visitors.

From AskRock: "For the past couple of months the inside of my right ankle has been killing me when I skate. It was so bad yesterday, I finally decided to take a break for a month or two..."

Dr. Roberto Marotta, President of the Speed Committee of the International Roller Sports Federation has announced the new CIC new Web site.

Skater is looking for speed skating groups and skating trails in or near Sierra Vista or Tucson Arizona.

From Fablemaker2: "Let's say you're trying to grind a handrail that is 30 inches off the ground. You really don't have to jump 30 inches. Stack some boards..." [Read More In Our Forum]

These All-Girl Roller Derby Teams are looking for fans and skaters:

Central Coast Roller Derby (California)

Angel City Derby Girls (California)

Inline Empire Derby Divas (California)

Dallas Derby Devils (Texas)

I always announce when I'm passing, but I have actually had people jump or roll INTO my path when I make my "passing on your left" announcement...

This week the organizers of the Ottawa Race Weekend in Ontario, Canada announced they have dropped inline skating from their lineup of events.

From skaterdog: "You are approaching a long leashed dog walker at the bottom of a hill. The dog appears to be under control and you have called out to alert the dog walker that you are passing. As you pass you see the dog dash in front of you stretching the leash across your path. You have a split second to decide what to do..."

Inline skaters in Singapore tried to set a new Guinness world record while a thousand bystanders cheered them on."

From siowhonv: "I have been skating with the same pairs of inlines for over 2 years but not very consistently and not agressively. I am wondering when to change the wheels to swap the insides to the ouside edges?"

Aggressive skates don't come with a brake but there are plenty of other ways to stop on skates.

From glick: "I am wondering if our police here in Jersey are the only ones who give problems about playing roller hockey on a small street?"

From Robin F: "What springs to mind when you think of your favorite moments on quads? Is it competition, with its camaraderie and excitement? Rollerdancing on a Saturday night? Practicing a new move and finally mastering it?"

The Milpitas Speed Team has published a set of plans for a Roller Derby style banked skating track.

From Conceptor1: "I have used the SkaterBall 50 millimeter skate wheel since the 1980's, but SkateBall is no longer in business. I have found 52 millimeter wheels on the internet but I am not sure of the hardness. Does anybody know the hardness of SkateBall Wheels?"

Nude skate organizer Sandy Snakenberg has opened a t-shirt shop with shirts bearing a photo of Sandy and friends skating naked across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

From ncspeed: "Here are some photos of my new excalibur customs made by two guys out of Winston-Salem North Carolina. I really like these boots. Very cumfortable, but the ankle is really stiff. I guess I will just get use to that..."

During the 1880s roller skating became enormously popular among American children. But this physical activity was considered detrimental to the health of young girls as is evident in this letter published in 1885...

From CHC: "I am artistic inline skating on 70 millimeter, 80A hardness elliptical wheels, but I have seen special artistic wheels, and I have also seen people using flat wheels. Which are better for edges, control, stability, and spinning?"

From Glick: "Is there a site with videos that can teach me how to slalom skate? Is it usually done on a hill? Can i use roller hockey blades?"

Take a look at the Web site of the Inland Empire Derby Divas of Southern California. Their site includes general information about the team and a list of questions frequently asked by potential roller girls.

From 6Appeal: "Got my new Jason McDaniel customs Friday. Skated the Saturday afternoon session at the rink. Skates feel great with only the cuff bothering me since itis so stiff..."

From BuzzingHornet: "What a disappointing race for me. Same ankle problem, and this time it was even worse. I didn't recover until 14 miles into the race..."

From Morrisonhk: "I have the blades and the safety gear but I'm just not sure where to start. I can't find anyone in Canberra to teach me..."

Park skater says his wheels wear out too fast and he's wondering what wheels other skaters use.

This article about pairs artistic roller skaters Upasana Updhyay and Aaron Jayant Saldanha of India includes a photo of them practicing together.

From Rachel Ann Fournier: "A few months ago I decided to try quad roller skating again and became hooked. At first it bothered me that I didn't know anyone at the skating rink, but little by little, I began to make friends..."

The International Freestyle Skating Association 2006 Final Championships will take place August 25-27 in the city of Terrassa, which is near Barcelona, Spain. More then 100 skaters from at least 10 countries will participate, and events will include freestyle slalom, speed slalom, free jump, and high jump.

Some of the newest movies to feature roller dancing include "Roll Bounce", "Eight Wheels And Some Soul Brotha Music", and "ATL".

The Dallas Derby Devils roller girl Web site disappeared for a while, but now it is back, according to Derby Devil "June Carter Crash".

What are you skating on now? Share a photo!

From Aruala8k: "Who can tell me about the locations and dates of roller dance and jamskate competitions?"

From Jon: "I did skateboarding for 5 years and now I'm into BMX, but inline skating looks like so much fun. I need some advice about where to start..."

Is it a good idea to stretch before skating? Some people tell me it's very important to do so, and others tell me you should never stretch muscles before they are warmed up.

From MotoSk8ter: "I have been using Rokdaddy's blue cannibals for a while now. Are there any better quad wheels out there?"

There will be a freestyle slalom competition in the United Kingdom on Saturday, October 7, 2006. The event will take place at the Victoria Leisure Centre in the city of Nottingham.

There will be a skating competition in Novosibirsk, Russia August 25-27, 2006.

Take a look at who's visiting our forum!

A picture of what happens to the inside of a skate bearing when it gets wet. This photo was taken during the Rotterdam Wednesday Night skate in the Netherlands.

Tell us about your favorite inline hockey Web sites.

From Skipper: "This ****head skated right in front of me. I managed to go around him but then I hit a ledge..."

From Seba: "The challenge was to be the first skaters ever to slalom on the Great Wall of China. We did it though the conditions were difficult..."

From Siowhonv: "I have been skating with the same pairs of inlines for over two years but not very consistently and not agressively. I am wondering when I should change the wheels."

Skater wants to know if the procedure they used to clean their bearings was OK. Did they skip a step? Should they have applied some kind of lubricant?

Here is some information about an inline skating marathon October 28-29, 2006 in the city of Gijon, Spain. I am not that good at reading Spanish, but it looks like there will be races on both days. The location looks beautiful!

An Australian ice skater wants to learn inline figure skating in Melbourne, and she also has a question about artistic roller skating events in Calabria, Italy.

From CBeck: "My primary interest is in going forward and my free time is limited, so I'm trying to figure out where my learning efforts should be directed. How important is learning to skate backwards?"

From Lee McDonald: "How can I practice doing forward flips on skates? I don't have a trampoline..."

Marcel reminded us the Inline One-Eleven is happening this weekend (a fantastic 111k event in Switzerland) so I thought this would be a good time to start a list of long distance skating events around the world.

From Mouse: "Last time I was on this forum I told people I could do front flips and no one belived me. Now I've got proof!"

From Clemens: "I tried to find out the stride frequency of Luca Presti by watching a video. I had difficulty counting as fast as he made his skating steps, but I think it was almost two per second!"

From Amy's Keeper: "Aggressive skaters - What setup are you skating on and have you done any "special" things to your skates?"

From Clemens: "I am looking for a skate track or trail and people to skate with in Fairfax, Virginia. I will probably be there on 29th of October and some evenings the following week."

Has anybody seen the new Frankie Morales Remz aggressive skate? Is it any good?

From Clemens: "There are literally hundreds of training plans for running marathons, but I did not find anything on how to prepare for a 100k skate. Do you have any experience or advice?"

From Our Forum: "They do testing (at world class speed skating events) but some skaters say 'nope i dont want to get tested' and walk off and there are no penalties. Skaters have proved positive and it has been covered up. Syringes have been found in the toilet blocks next to the world championship courses..."

Thirty-three pages of photos of an August 11-13, 2006 Eddy Matzger speed skating workshop in Seattle, Washington. Select the numbers at the top of the page to see all of the photos.

From AndrewV: "I'm to visit Pasadena in October and would like to know if it's good idea to take skates with me. I'm a beginner at inline speedskating so desirable track is a lane with good asphalt..."

From BermudaSkater: "Does anyone here know about the skating scene in Denver Colorado?"

The 51st annual Artistic Roller Skating World Championships will take place November 27 through December 10, 2006 at the Murcia Municipal Sports Palace in the city of Murcia, Spain. Here is the official event Web site and some general information about visiting Murcia and Spain.

From Crumppie: "Anyone know where I can buy the material you place on slideboards? I use to buy it at Rickels, where it came in rolls..."

From SpinJumpSk8: "Just wanted to comment on how shoddy the facilities were at the U.S. Artistic Nationals this year. Come on now, no dressing rooms to change in? I know most people spent big bucks on their outfits and I for one didn't want to have to lay mine on the grubby floor in a public restroom..."

From Pacificsk8r: "Regarding the 2006 United States Artistic Roller Skating National Championships in Lincoln: I don't feel the programming was very well thought out or very condusive to the advancement of the sport of roller skating..."

From GBO: "Doctor diagnosed a torn rotator cuff. Surgery in 2 weeks. How long I'll be off skates after that is unknown. I would like to skate between now and then but if I swing my arms the injury gets aggravated... "

From Skaterdog: "I tried to heat mold my boots with the wheels on and now the wheels seem wobbly..."

From Dev Gnoll: "New York City 100K and skate marathon, Prospect Park, Aug 26, 2006. Who is in?"

From JDL: "I need to learn to skate - on quads - in the next 2 weeks. I am going to be in a play and I will skate on the stage. Rehearsals start in a couple of weeks..."

From Godzilla: "Bont Skates, in cooperation with PatinCarrera.com, is proud to bring you the official FIRS Speed Committee live coverage for the 2006 Inline World Championships in Anyang, Korea."

From Fablemaker2: "Can recommend some good drills for quick starts? Any hints to keep me from learning bad habits?"

From Fablemaker2: "I'm ready to try a 360 in a half-pipe. Any tips? I'm prepared to crash. Please help me to avoid that!"

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Friday, December 29, 2006

Monday, December 4, 2006

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Monday, November 6, 2006

Friday, October 27, 2006

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Monday, October 23, 2006

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Sunday, October 8, 2006

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Monday, October 2, 2006

Friday, September 29, 2006

Friday, September 22, 2006

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Monday, September 11, 2006

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Monday, September 4, 2006

Sunday, September 3, 2006

Wednesday, August 30, 2006