Ohno grew up here, an inline skating phenom before transferring to ice. At 14, he moved first to Lake Placid, N.Y., to train, then to Colorado Springs, Colo., until speedskating moved its headquarters outside Salt Lake City last year. Ohno's training base is there, but he maintains ties in Seattle, where his father has run a hair salon for years.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The need for speed
f you can put wheels on it, people are going to want to race it. Anyone into racing will agree that man invented the wheel for one reason: to go fast. The growing popularity of speed roller-skating in Southwest Virginia is giving speed junkies young and old an outlet for that urge.
"It's one of those sports where if you like it, you'll be hooked for life," said Eric "Porkey" Spain, coach of Ultimate Speed, a local competitive skate team. Spain's team is open to skaters of all ages and skill levels.
Competing under the rules of USA Roller Sports, speed roller-skating looks very much like its counterpart on the ice. Apart from the lack of ice and replacing blades with wheels, the basic elements remain. Skaters must navigate a 100-meter oval track while avoiding contact with the other racers. Competitors wear streamlined body suits to reduce drag and aerodynamic helmets for safety.
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"It's one of those sports where if you like it, you'll be hooked for life," said Eric "Porkey" Spain, coach of Ultimate Speed, a local competitive skate team. Spain's team is open to skaters of all ages and skill levels.
Competing under the rules of USA Roller Sports, speed roller-skating looks very much like its counterpart on the ice. Apart from the lack of ice and replacing blades with wheels, the basic elements remain. Skaters must navigate a 100-meter oval track while avoiding contact with the other racers. Competitors wear streamlined body suits to reduce drag and aerodynamic helmets for safety.
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Seneca family cheering on talented speed-skating duo
His sister has been a speed skater for numerous years, but her early skating did not involve ice skates but inline skates, as she competed in one race after another, mostly in the southern United States. Her room is full of trophies representing those years of skating.
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
It's like running a marathon -- only you're on skates
4/2/2008 7:43 AM
By: Veronica Castelo
Road Rash in Round Rock last year.
Q: You can trade in your sneakers for some inline skates this weekend in Round Rock for the Texas Road Rash and here to tell us more about it is Terri Waggoner, with the City of Round Rock, and Richard Littrell, the president of Hill Country Inline Club. And, Richard, this started five years ago. How did this get started?
Richard Littrell: I had been traveling around the country doing different events and I went to the City of Round Rock and proposed this inline marathon to them and it fit right in with their new campaign of being the sports capital of Texas. And they loved the idea and we ran with it – or skated with it. It’s grown ever since.
Q: Now, obviously, here in Austin and surrounding areas, a very fit community, a lot of runners, what sort of fitness level should you be in if you’re going to do a half marathon or marathon skating?
Richard Littrell: Well, certainly, this is not an event for a person who has never been on skates before. They do need to prepare for it. Aerobically and conditioning wise, it’s pretty equivalent to a half marathon. So, if you can run a half marathon and you know how to skate, then you can pretty much skate a full marathon. The last person, it’ll take them about three hours and fifteen minutes – will be the longest they’d be out there.
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4/2/2008 7:43 AM
By: Veronica Castelo
Road Rash in Round Rock last year.
Q: You can trade in your sneakers for some inline skates this weekend in Round Rock for the Texas Road Rash and here to tell us more about it is Terri Waggoner, with the City of Round Rock, and Richard Littrell, the president of Hill Country Inline Club. And, Richard, this started five years ago. How did this get started?
Richard Littrell: I had been traveling around the country doing different events and I went to the City of Round Rock and proposed this inline marathon to them and it fit right in with their new campaign of being the sports capital of Texas. And they loved the idea and we ran with it – or skated with it. It’s grown ever since.
Q: Now, obviously, here in Austin and surrounding areas, a very fit community, a lot of runners, what sort of fitness level should you be in if you’re going to do a half marathon or marathon skating?
Richard Littrell: Well, certainly, this is not an event for a person who has never been on skates before. They do need to prepare for it. Aerobically and conditioning wise, it’s pretty equivalent to a half marathon. So, if you can run a half marathon and you know how to skate, then you can pretty much skate a full marathon. The last person, it’ll take them about three hours and fifteen minutes – will be the longest they’d be out there.
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