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It is no secret that ankle support and control are essential characteristics for successful power transfer and stability control when inline skating. If your ankles are loose and not firmly positioned to the heel of your skate, it will make any skating experience less enjoyable. Every skating manufacturer tries to develop a system that will help to firmly position the foot in place and maximize power transfer and stability. One of the systems that has been developed is the Power Later Support system, or PLS.

Developed by Rollerblade, the PLS system works in tandem with the TFS lacing system. In case you are not familiar with the TFS lacing system, the TFS uses a thin, very durable wire to cinch the foot in place with uniform pressure. It is very simple to use and employs the use of a handle that is attached to the tension cable. One pull, and the entire lacing system begins to tighten and apply uniform pressure across your foot. The PLS system makes use of the TFS system’s ability to position the foot uniformly by providing a support that wraps and cradles the heel of the foot. The PLS system is different from older support technologies because it provides uniform support for both the heel and the ankle, while providing more flexibility and a customized fit. If you are looking for a way to maximize energy transfer and increase foot stability, check out skates with the PLS system.

When it comes to skating large hills even the most advanced skaters still find them to be a daunting challenge. Maintaining speed, control, and having the ability to stop are some of the items that tend to prove difficult. Hopefully this blog will provide you with some useful tips to make the task a bit less challenging. Now we normally love to provide advice, but in this instance we are going to defer to one of the skate industry experts. This blog is inspired by highly regarded inline skating coach and author Barry Publow. Mr. Publow is the author of the books, “Speed on Skates” and “Inline Skating: The Science of Speed.” Each of which is well respected within the inline skating world. The following tips are based from these publications and will hopefully turn those nightmarish hills into exhilarating thrill rides.

Stability

Okay, this one seems a bit too obvious, but the importance of maintaining stability on your skates is magnified when cruising down a hill. The key to stability is what Barry calls “tensed-relaxation.” Tensed-relaxation means that you keep a relaxing composure while consciously contracting your muscles to stabilize your ankles, knees, and trunk. Additionally, you need to be prepared for a bump or push in any given direction. Since your speeds will be higher when going down a hill, the bumps and pushes will come much faster, meaning you need to be prepared at any and all times. Basically, when skating down a hill you will need to be in what is referred to as “defensive” or “athletic” position. Keep your body low and your muscles engaged in anticipation for a move in any direction.

Braking

Braking when going down a hill is much easier said than done. The reason for this is that once you have reached a high level of speed, braking difficulty is increased because it affects your stability. When braking down a hill you need to approach it one of two ways. The first approach is to view the hill with the mindset that it is large and that you do not want gather much speed. If you elect this approach, begin braking near the top and apply constant or consistent braking spurts of pressure all the way down.

The second approach is that you desire to coast the entire hill and maintain speed. If this is your approach, beware that once you reach a certain speed (which varies depending on your comfort level) you can no longer brake. This speed may not be reached on every hill, but you will reach it if it is considerably steep or long. In this case, you will want to coast the length of the hill and wait for your speed to decrease towards the end. Once you decrease to a comfortable speed you can then engage your brake to slow yourself.

Stamina

You may not think that stamina has much to do with skating down a hill. However the exact opposite is true, in fact it requires quite a bit of energy due to the constant flexing and relaxing of muscles. The constant flexing and relaxing of muscles is necessary to maintain balance and stability, and it can be quite tiring. In order to maintain energy for upcoming hills, do not contract your muscles too tightly when skating or coasting because the constant tension will make you fatigue much faster. Relax when you can and maintain your energy when you really need it. And remember, if you feel yourself becoming very exhausted, do not overexert yourself. Save the big hill for tomorrow if necessary.

And For the Advanced Level Skaters…

Aerodynamics

If you’re an advanced level skater you are likely to be well-versed in skating hills…even though they can still be a challenge. When it comes to tackling hills, aerodynamics can be a key contributor. If you are not worried about keeping your speed up when cruising downhill, you don’t need to worry about aerodynamics. But if you like to try and carry your speed as far as possible you’ll find aerodynamics to be your best friend.

In order to maintain an aerodynamic position and keep your speed up, maintain a “deeply-seated” position with the head and shoulders at or just below hip level. Also, keep your hands in front of you in a stable or clasped position. This will help improve stability and reduce wind resistance.  This position is commonly called a “tuck”. If you have every skied before this position will be familiar to you. If not, just know that it is the same position you see skiers going into when they want to maximize their speed.

As much as everyone loves to see the snow melt away and see the mercury rise on the thermometer, there are many dedicated skiers in the world that just can’t get enough skiing in. For these select individuals, inline skating is an ideal sport for not only keeping in shape, but also ideal for honing your skills for the slopes.

In fact, there are companies that specialize in making equipment for the purpose of developing your skiing skills during the non-winter months. The sport, commonly known as Roller Skiing, is a great way to train for both downhill and cross country skiing. Specialized equipment (see image to left), allows for you utilize your ski boots in a binging, mounted on an elongated base with wheels. This will provide you with the feeling of a ski and allow you to practice slalom skiing via a cone course set up on a hill, or other form of training that you desire.

Now before you start hunting down equipment that will allow you to train for skiing in the summer, we must caution you that inline skating, even with this specialized equipment, is still different from a mechanics standpoint than skiing. You will want to be careful of developing skating-specific movements that do not exist when on skis; otherwise you may hurt your skiing style. For example, you may weight your feet differently from turn-to-turn, you may begin using step movements, or even compromise your posture to an A-Frame posture, which is not the same as a skiing posture. Issues such as these can be handled with some patience and attention, but we want you to be aware that they do exist.

If you do not desire to hunt down this special equipment, you can still make great use of your regular inline skates for ski training purposes. Practice with cone courses that have tight turning radiuses, or simply do some conditioning style skating to improve strength and endurance.

If you are an avid skier you will find that this is a great way to keep your mind off of the days until the lifts start running in November. Remember that above all else, you should be having fun when you are skating. Make certain you wear your protective gear and stay within your abilities.

For additional information on Roller Skiing, please check out the links provided below.

• http://www.streetski.com
• http://www.qwickly.com/inline-skating-off-season-training-for-snow-sliders
• http://www.iisa.org/resources/skate-to-ski.htm

As inline skating has grown in popularity over the years, so too have the number of organized events that are available for you to participate in. Whether a marathon, a competition, or even a festival, the number of skating events that occur each year across the world continues to grow.

A large number of events occur each year for aggressive skaters, who have taken inline skating to new heights with dazzling tricks and jumps. Aggressive skaters compete in two types of competitions, Vert and Street. Vert competitions make use of a halfpipe in which skaters will propel themselves in the air while performing a combination of tricks, spins, grabs, and grinds. Street competitions are different in the sense that they do not use a halfpipe, but instead use a variety of boxes, slopes, and rails for the skater to perform similar maneuvers (see image to right).

In addition to aggressive skating events, there are also numerous events that take place annually across the United States and Canada. If you know in advance when an event is taking place it is an excellent way to plan a quick weekend trip or vacation. Unless of course the event is in your area, then you can just make plans to participate in it.

Information on inline skating events can be found in many different ways including: newspapers, magazines, word of mouth from other skaters, and of course the Internet. The Internet is a great tool to use to find new events and gather information for an event you are considering attending. To help you get started finding events, here is a list of events that take place annually. For more information on a specific event, click on the links provided below: 

Chicagoland Inline Marathon

Chicago Metropolitan Area, IL

Skate Boston

Boston, MA

Saint Paul Inline Marathon

Saint Paul, MN

Big Apple Roll

New York, NY

North of the 49 Marathon

Winnipeg, MB, Canada

3 River Roll

Pittsburgh, PA

24hrs Inline Montreal

Montreal, QC, Canada

North Shore Inline Marathon

Duluth, MN

Athens to Atlanta Road Skate Event

Athens/Atlanta, GA

In the United States the sport of hockey doesn’t receive near the same level of notoriety that other sports such as football, baseball, or even basketball receive…although we believe that it certainly should. However, that does not mean that the sport isn’t immensely popular across the nation through ice and roller hockey leagues. In fact, hockey is one of the most popular organized sports across North America, and has been for well over 100 years.

Hockey leagues are offered nationwide at numerous hockey rinks, with most offering a variety of leagues for children and adults of all ages and skill levels. However, these leagues are not limited to solely ice hockey. As inline skating has gained in popularity over the past decades, so has the interest in Roller Hockey. All of the same basic rules apply to roller hockey that apply to ice hockey, with the only major variations existing in the playing surface and the type of skate you are using. Minor rule variations may exist from league to league, but the substance of the game is still very much the same.

There are many characteristics in the sport of roller hockey that make it vastly appealing to people of all ages. First, it is relatively inexpensive to become involved in when compared to ice hockey. Second, there are many leagues available that help make the competition level remain fairly even. Additionally, you can play the sport in any or all of the four seasons, regardless of your geographic location. Finally, you can put a team together of many of your friends who also enjoy the sport. There are many other reasons as well, but these are just some of the many.

If you are interested in becoming involved in roller hockey, you will need to purchase certain equipment to be eligible to play. The basic equipment is what you will need, any additional items are solely your decision:

• Roller Hockey Skates (no brake is required)
• Hockey Stick
• Hockey Gloves
• Hockey Helmet (with or without mask and HECC Approved)
• Hockey Shin Pads
• Hockey Elbow Pads
• Roller Hockey Pants
• Jock Strap (men) / Pelvic Protector (women)

Equipment Tips:

An appealing characteristic of roller hockey is that is less expensive than ice hockey. The most important part in selecting your equipment is that you make sure it fits correctly. There is no sense in spending oodles of money on high-end equipment if it does not fit properly. Make sure your equipment fits properly, then worry about price if you so choose.

In that same mindset, a crucial purchase will be your roller hockey skates. Make certain that your skates feel comfortable and fit properly. If they are not comfortable and/or do not fit properly, you will be in lots of pain when you have to make those quick stops and turns.

If you are just starting in roller hockey, do not hesitate to save yourself a few bucks at first by just wearing some sweatpants over your shin pads. However, we strongly recommend that after a few times out that you purchase a pair of roller hockey pants. Roller hockey pants are lightweight, breathable, and reinforced in the knees and seams to be durable. Sweatpants are suitable in the beginning, but you will quickly find yourself sweating in places you never knew you could sweat.

Getting Started

If you are interested in getting started in roller hockey, but you don’t know how, try starting with a friend or joining a league at your local roller hockey rink. For a rink in your area, try searching through the site linked below. Once you find a rink close to you, you are well on your way to seasons and seasons of fun.

http://www.rinktime.com/roller-hockey-rinks/national/roller-hockey-rinks