How Skaters Can Avoid Marking Up Gym Floors

From Aggro Amazon: "We just started practicing at a new venue with wooden floors. At our first practice session we noticed our knee pads were leaving black marks on the floor when we fell...."

Holy Crap This Quad Wheel is Narrow

From beep: "Take a look at this Lanzini wheel picture. It looks like they totally eliminated the front lip."

Does Cold Weather Affect Skate Wheels?

From SpeedLimit: "I was just wondering if and how cold weather affects skate wheels and skates. Does the wheel plastic get more brittle? Does the cold wear out the bearings and skates more quickly?"

Do Quad Speed Skaters Need Toe Stops?

From hippykesh: "I am sick of this talk about how you need a toe stop for indoor speed skating. In Australia the only skates with toe stops were the ones you hired from the rink. No one used them and the crap going around that a toe stop gives you a faster start is just rubbish..."

Guava Paste is Cheaper Then Power Gels for Athletes

From Drella: "On the weekends, I like to put in big miles and the price of GU and other such energy gels are getting too costly. A junior cycling pro I know gave me the fix-all.... Guava Paste!"

Is Artistic Inline an Unsuccessful Copy of Artistic Quad Skating?

From Arthur Lee: "This comment was included in a recommendation from the FIHP to change the name of the Artistic Inline World Championships to the Artistic Inline International Trophy: "The solo dance and show groups cannot be considered as competitions being a show only, while artistic inline skating is still an unsuccessful copy of artistic quad skating""

Question For Skaters Who Have Seriously Broken Bones

From roller-dudette: "Its almost 90 days post surgery. My arm is aching bad again. I'm not sure if it's healing pain or the bolts are coming loose or what. How long does broken bone pain usually last?"

Opening a Roller Rink on Antigua Island

From nblfyb: "Last night I started thinking about opening a rink here in my country called Antigua. It's a small island in the Eastern Caribbean, 108 square miles with about 82,000 people. I would like to open a roller skating rink here but I'm not sure if it would be profitable. What you guys think?"

Chad Hedrick is Back

From Lammert: "With a fantastic race against Enrico Frabris at the World Cup in Heerenveen, Chad Hedrick is getting back to his old level of speedskating. His lap times in the last part of this video are amazing!"

Who Can Do a Perfect Iceburg on Roller Skates?

From jammin'beck: "......I've been trying to teach myself the iceburg, but have hit a wall. When it's time to turn the left foot onto the wheel edge, I can only hold it for half a second. Any advice?"

Are Inline Skates Harder on Knees Then Quad Skates?

From Soundman: "I was a good quad skater in the 70's and 80's and even competed at one time. After 25 years of not skating I bought some inline skates, but after skating a few weeks, me knees are still quite sore. Should I switch back to quad skates?"

Inline Hockey Skates for Big Guys

From kcoola: "Which inline hockey skates would be best for a person who is heavier then average??

Tips for Blocking Hard in Roller Derby

From Razor Rockette: "I've been skating roller derby for a year, and feel I'm improving, but I'm rubbish at blocking. I can't seem to hit hard with either my shoulders or my hips. Any tips?"?

Who is the Highest Paid Speed Skater?

A speed skater in Cameroon wants to know: Who is the highest paid inline skater in the world?

Artistic Worlds Halted - Floor Unskatable

The 2008 Artistic Roller Skating World Championships in Taiwan began on November 8 and today (November 11) the skaters and coaches were told not to show up at the venue because the floor is too slippery for skating. Several remedies have been attempted including applying a mixture of Coca-Cola, vinegar, and water to the floor. Read all about it in our Artistic Forum.

Which Speed Boot Is Cut the Lowest?

From Yonatan: "What is the lowest cut boot you know about? How low have the skate manufacturers gone in the achilles area, in the front, and around the ankle bones?

Berlin Inline Vert Competition Video Clip

From geriatricskate: I was unable to go to the vert competition in Berlin last weekend so I pestered the SAG people to share a video clip...

Pet Peeve - Grandstanding Roller Derby Refs

Skateguy: "At the our regional championship bout this weekend, I saw more "Reffing" than I have seen in my life. The games were often stopped for long periods of time to have long discussions..."

Slalom Skaters - Do Your Ride Flat or Rockered?

From Banzai: "Just curious... how many of you slalom skaters ride rockered (and how rockered) and how many ride flat?"

2008 Halloween Skating Events Around the World

What cities and roller skating rinks around the world are having Halloween costume group skates, parties or other Halloween skating activities on or near Halloween night? [Read More]

Top Artistic Skating Coaches in the World

From pastskater: "I'm curious... who are the top artistic roller skating and inline figure skating coaches in the world?" [Read More]

Skater Built Her Own Plywood Practice Floor

From Tuesday Girl: "I realized I was making slight marks on my hardwood floor so I got a piece of plywood from one of the kids' bunk beds and dragged it up to our bedroom..." [Read More]

Photos of Champions Skating in Poland

Photos of Diego Rosero of Colombia, Elizabeth Schrenk of Austria, and other champion inline skaters from Poland and around the world at the October 12, 2008 Poznan Inline Half Marathon in Poland.

Tony and the Powder Can

If you're a skater, and you have no idea what a powder can is, check out this blast from the past...

Photos, Reports, and Results of an 87 Mile Race

The 27th Annual Annual Athens to Atlanta Road Skate took place on Saturday, October 5, 2008 on the hilly roads between Athens and Atlanta, Georgia. Here are results, race reports, and photos of one of the longest and oldest skating events in the world. In the early years this hilly 87 mile road skate was done on quad roller skates. Unbelievable! A group of roller derby girls are talking about bring quad skates back to A2A in 2009.

Skaters - How Much Do You Weigh This Week?

This discussion about skating for weight loss is one of the most popular topics in our forum. The discussion has more then 500 posts and it's been viewed more then 12,000 times. Skating is a fun way to lose weight!

Rip This New Zealand Skater's Technique to Shreds

From kiwimaster: "I thought I should make an effort to learn the double-push as it seems this is the only way to go fast and win races. At the tender age of 41 I have started to learn, so please view my video clip and tell me what you think."

October 2008 Great Lakes Speed Meet (Race Reports)

Results and reports from the October 5, 2008 indoor inline and quad speed skating competition at Bell's Roller Skating Rink in Fort Wayne, Indiana USA.

Trail Ends Ahead - Abort! Abort !

What would you have done in this situation?

New York City 100K - Reports and Photos

Share your war stories, results and photos of the 2008 New York City 100k.

Which Rinks Have the Best Adult Nights?

Tell us about your favorite adults-only roller skating session.

Let's Talk About Crossover Technique

Exactly what should each foot be doing during a crossover?

Can Women Compete in Pants?

From firefly: "Ice figure skating recently changed the costuming rules to allow women to compete in pants or at least in a unitard. I checked the artistic roller skating rulebook and it looks like roller only allows dresses. Is that still true?"

Amazing Stories from the Montreal 24 Hour Race

FROM JOHNNY: "I was in so much pain I didn't notice the sun come up. I started counting all the things that could still go wrong: cramps, crashes, lower back spasm, mechanical, GI. I ignored the race script and focused on just staying upright."
FROM MORE COWBELL: "Eight hours into the race the first cramp hit. It was the same muscle I injured during an earlier overnight practice skate. The muscle clenched painfully like a fist inside my inner quad..."

Reports and Photos from the 2008 Speed Worlds

Alex Bont is posting photos and daily reports from 2008 Inline Speed Skating World Championships in Gijon, Asturias, Spain.

How to Make a Healthy Smoothie

From j_nolesfan: "Since I'm on a smoothie diet, I thought it might be a good idea to check and see what everyone else does in regards to smoothies at home. Here's my recipe..."

Tell Us About Your Worst Road Rage Encounter

From Dev Gnoll: " This rusty white station wagon pulled along side me and the blob at the wheel starts yelling 4 letter words, along with something about sidewalks. He's got a teenager in the passenger seat and the back is full of fishing gear..."

Photos of the 2008 Inline One Eleven in Switzerland

From Clements: "Europe`s longest and most legendary skate race is titled "One-Eleven". Originally it was 111km longbut today - after some rerouting - the race goes for 114.5 kilometers. 2008 was the 11th Inline 111 and it took place on August 17. Here are photos and a report from St. Gallen, Switzerland, - west of Lake Konstanz - where the Inline One-Eleven starts and ends."

Best Inline Skates for a 6 Year Old Girl?

From varuscelli: "My six year old daughter is getting very interested in inline skating. She wears roughly an 11.5 to 12 in children's shoe. What skates would you recommend for her?"

Roller Rink Floor Guards - Share Your Stories

If you have ever worked as a floor guard at a roller skating rink.... What was it like? Do you have any interesting stories to share?

Are Indoor Programs the Best Way to Attract New Speed Skaters?

Some people think indoor speed skating is not important because most top-level international competitions are outdoors. Other people think indoor rink-based programs are the best way - and perhaps the only way - to attract new young skaters to the sport. What do you think?

Which of these Alabama Roller Skating Rinks Are Still Open?

At one time Alabama had a very large number of roller rinks, and while quite a few still exist, I believe many of them have closed. Which of these Alabama roller skating rinks have closed?

Is Street Skating Legal In Your Area?

Is it legal to skate in the street in your part of the world? If street skating is not legal in your area, do the police enforce that law or do they look the other way?

Skaters - Let's Lose Weight Together!

A group of inline skaters and quad skaters in our forum have challenged each other to meet their weight loss goals by the middle of September 2008.

2008 Artistic Worlds - Size of the Skating Floor

From rolaboi: " Its almost a square! 40 meters is 10 meters shorter than the official approved minimum length (50 x 25). This will be a huge issue for the dancers... "

Hydration While Skating a Marathon

From playmaker: "What about hydration during a marathon? I’ve seen many pro-elite skaters without fluids. I usually drink at least 24 OZ during a marathon. Does my body even process and use this before the race is over?"

Photos of a May 2008 Night Skate in China

From ?Sammy66: "We are a Chinese inline skating club in Wuxi, China. We would like to share photos of our skating event with all of you."

Quad Speed Skater Photo Gallery

If you want to contribute any pictures to our free online gallery of quad speed roller skating photos you can (1) post them in this forum discussion, (2) send them to kathiefry@skatelog.com, or (3) mail them via postal service to Kathie Fry, PO Box 12320, Venice Beach, California 90295.

Where to find Live Organ Roller Skating Sessions

From retread: "I've been enjoying the wonderful Sunday night live organ music sessions at the Sportsman's Hall Roller Rink in Baltimore County Maryland. Are there any happening near you?"

Is Asphalt Harder to Skate On Then Concrete?

From KMPX2: "So far most of my time on my blades has been on new concrete in a new subdivison by my house. But I have been to 2 different parks with asphalt paths and I seem to get tired a lot faster."

Best Inline Skates for Long Distance Skating?

From Cat1Coach: "I have grown tired of bicycle racing after 20+ years and have decided to keep fit by skating similar number of hours. What skates and wheels do you recomment?"

Is It OK for Pregnant Women to Skate?

Is skating good exercise for a pregnant woman? Have you ever seen a pregnant woman on skates?

Have You Ever Taken a Zephyr Skate Tour?

Zephyr Aventures just released their 2008 schedule of skating holidays in Canada, France, the Netherlands, and several other destinations. Do you think Zephyr Skate Tours are worth the price?

Which Side of the Road Do You Skate On?

From Skateguy: "Bikes are required to stay to the right in Houston Texas. Pedestrians, must walk against traffic if no sidewalk is present. Skaters have their choice..."

Are Kids at Public Skating Sessions Out Of Control?

From fireproof: "Eight million kids under 13 going every which way completely oblivious of anyone else on the floor. But what took the cake was a little girl about 10 who came up from behind me..."

Memories of Closed Roller Skating Rinks

It seems like a very number of roller skating rinks have closed in the last 10 or 15 years. Do you have any memories, photos, or facts to share about a roller skating rink that has closed?

Are These Maryland and Virginia Rinks Still Open?

There are no indoor roller skating rinks in Washington DC but many of these Maryland and Virginia rinks are not far away. Are all of these MD and VA roller rinks still open?

1959 Request to Add Roller Skating to the Olympics

On July 9, 1959 the United States Federation of Amateur Roller Skaters (USFARS) and the Roller Skating Rink Operators Association (RSROA) sent a formal request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to roller skating added to the Olympic Games. Here is a copy of that letter and the IOC's reply.

Roller Derby Girls: Tell Us About Your Other Life

What do you do when you're not skating?

I Just Found Out Skating Is Not Cool

From TCarlisle: "I suggested my wife invite her friends to skate with us and no one wants to go. They even laughed at the idea of skating!"

Best Gym Workout for Skating Muscles

From CindyinAtl: "I'm starting from ground zero and will be going to the gym 3 times a week while learning to skate. What exercises or weights at the gym will do the most to prepare my skating muscles?"

Photo of the Infamous Skinsuited Weenie

This picture says it all!

Pack Skating and Other Race Tactics

From oferyko: "When skating in a pack, if the front skater kicks the back skater's leg, who's fault is it?"

Never Too Old To Skate

From likeflying: "I am a 63 yr old retired woman with a husband, two grown sons, three cats and two dogs who is finally skating like I have thought about doing for 23 years..."

Is Skating Too Dangerous For Kids?

From a concerned parent: "I hate to be a party pooper but.... I no longer take my kids skating. After a couple of nasty spills I have decided that is the most responsible decision to make..."

Tell Us About Your Roller Derby Team

What is the name of your favorite local roller derby team? Where do they practice? Are they a flat track or banked track team? Do they have a Web site? What else can you tell us about them?

Who Makes Inline Speed Boots These Days?

Are Bont, Riedell, Technica, and Verducci still in the game? Who else?

Is Inline Skating Banned in Florida?

Some articles say skating is illegal on roadways throughout Florida, and others suggest the ban may have been lifted. What's the truth about skating in Florida?

Skater Has Numb Toes and Too Much Ankle Room

From Akiko: "I tried my new K2 Celena skates for the first time last night. My toes got numb after about 30 minutes of skating and my ankles moved around too much..."

Skating 100 Miles in One Day

The story of a skater's first 100 mile skating adventure.

Are the Biggest Wheels Really the Fastest?

From Spencer.Berry: "if your form isn't perfect and your ankles aren't rock solid, you might actually be faster on smaller wheels..."

Let's Talk Marathon Strategy and Experiences

What's your strategy for skating an inline marathon? Tell us about your experiences!

Sven Boekhorst Pictures and 2008 USA Tour

Pictures of Dutch Pro skater Sven Boekhorst on a half pipe in Southern California plus the schedule for Sven's tour of the USA and Canada with the 4-Ish Hip Hop and Skate Demo Show Company.

Quad Roller Girl Experimenting With Inline Skates

From PowerSnatch: "Okay, I broke down and got a pair of inlines to just play with. How the freak do you people skate in these blasted things?? I can barely even stand up for like 2 minutes before I think my ankles are going to break off."

Losing My Innocence at an Artistic Roller Skating Meet

From Gailforce: "I was puzzled as to why these advanced skaters would want to skate with such a lower skilled group. My coach told me this was legal and it happened all the time..."

The Phoenix Zoo Allows Skating - Does Yours?

According to the FAQ of the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, zoo visitors are welcome to tour the zoo on skates or bicycles. Does your local zoo allow skating?

Music Videos Featuring Skating

George Benson, Tonic, Jessica Simpson, and more.

Bont's New Quad Speed Skating Boot

Bont Skates has released a new version of their famous Black Widow quad roller skating boot that incorporates technological advances such as a carbon composite base and Bont's Super Mold Technology... [Read More]

Skating With a Child in a Jogging Stroller

Would you do it?

A Beginner's Story: First Time on Inline Skates

From Rat: "After seemingly 40 days and 40 nights of rain, it finally subsided enough for me to try my first inline skate. Here's how it went..."

Should Kids Watch Roller Derby?

Would you take your kids to a live roller derby game?

Things to Include in a Skater's First Aid Kit

What items would you include in a skater's first aid kit? Bandaids for blisters and what else?