2009 came as a reminder of the different styles and different shapes that FSK skates can take with an ample selection models that are so different from one another it makes choosing a favourite next to impossible.

This year Rollerblade, in between the bigger names, have made a gamble on its FSK selection adding interesting players to the game.

Rollerblade Fusion X5

Sporting a hip hard shell designed, this was a highly anticipated skate for 2009 and seems that it has not disappointed expectations.

Description

Structure: Urban Molded
Liner: Specialized 5 Star Fit, V-Cut, PU foam shock absorber
Closure: 45° buckle, cuff Velcro and laces
Frame: Aluminium UFS 4×80, 243mm
Wheels: Urban 80mm/80A
Bearings: SG9

Brake: in box

Compared to other FSK skates on the market the boot seems a little big but as the plastic is flexible it still gives a snug fit. The base of the boot has plastic plates for grinding, making this skate ideal for the urban playground where speed, versatility and performance are the main needs.

Rollerblade Fusion X7

The same as the X5 but with a 273mm frame.

Description

Structure: Urban Molded
Liner: Specialized 5 Star Fit, V-Cut, PU foam shock absorber
Closure: 45° buckle, cuff Velcro and laces
Frame: Aluminium UFS 4×90, 273mm
Wheels: Spiral 90mm/84A
Bearings: SG9
Brake: in box

Powerslide Cell 2

Powerslide pretty much kept the Cell’s original core design but made improvements to the material of both the strap and the boot. This gives the skate a more aggressive look whilst still keeping the manoeuvrability of an FSK skate for better performance on the streets.

Description

Boot: Coolmax with heel shock absorber

Frame: Aluminium 6463 UFS. 243mm (Max 4×80mm)
Wheels: Freestyle Syndicate 80mm 84A
Bearings: Powerslide 608 ABEC 7

K2 Il Capo

K2, however, opted to improve on, not one, but two of its older models, fusing them together and creating the “Il Capo”: boss of its Commission line. This has resulted in hybrid aggressive/fitness skate which provides speed and manoeuvrability be it cruising around the city, slaloming cups or grinding the occasional curb.

Description

Frame: Aluminium UFS 247mm
Wheels: Hyper Concrete +G 80mm 84A
Bearings: Twincam ILQ 7.

Seba GT

As if being the king of the FSK slalom scene was not enough for Seba, they now bring us the GT. This skate combines both a magnificent, semi-hard, well ventilated and extremely light boot with a 273mm frame that allows 90mm wheels for speed and performance.

Boot: Semi-hard, very ventilated. Support base in aluminium with 7 holes.

Frame: Aluminium 273mm 4×90mm

Wheels: Seba 90mm 85A

Bearings: Twincam ILQ 9 PRO.

How to provide low budget skaters with high performance skates that promise to be really incredible skates at a low cost, just by saving on small details.

Powerslide Metro FSK

The Powerslide Metro FSK is Powerslide’s answer to the demand for a hard shell boot that provides comfort and stability for high performance skating.

Description:

Frame: Aluminium 243mm with Thorx screws

Wheels: FSK syndicate 80mm 84A

Bearings: Powerslide ABEC7

Boot: Sifika Chicago with heel shock absorber.

• Composite Shell
• X-Slot mounting
• Mesh Material with reinforced outsole
• Anatomical ankle padding

This is a very stable, good for both slalom and freeskating, highly manoeuvrable skate. Powerslide’s way of telling us that low budget skaters can also have a very good FSK without spending a fortune.

Pros

• Comfortable high performance liner.
• X-Slot mounting and single axles.
• Special ABEC 7 bearings with Freespin technology.

Cons

• A None UFS Frame.
• Other tools than the usual for Thorx screws.
• No lateral protections.

Seba FRX

FR1 little brother has the same boot as the Seba FR1 except for the movable cuffs; the 45 degree mid strap is Velcro instead of a buckle and the frames are of lower grade aluminium than the FR1 6000 aluminium frames.

Description

Boot: Plastic with lateral protections

Frame: Aluminium 243mm

Wheels: Seba 80mm 85A grey

Bearings: ABEC 5

Pros

• Easily replaceable Velcro strap.

Cons

• None movable cuffs.

An ideal skate for skaters who want the comfort and performance of an FR1 and FR2 skate with a lower budget.

Join the London inline skating community, including many more visitors from around the world for a weekend of action packed skating fun. There’ll be something for everyone.

Events include:

• International Freestyle Slalom
• Rookie Freestyle Slalom
• International Speed Slalom
• Amateur Street Roller-Hockey Tournament
• 24 Minute LeMans Relay Race
• Mini-Bladercross Style Assault Course
• Including Jump, Slides and much  more.

For more information or to register for an event, click here.

Tune into CBBC on BBC 2 every Saturday at 9am or watch it online with BBC iPlayer.

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Thousands of people turned up to take part in the British 10k London Run on Sunday, including yours truly, Lee Hayward.

The weather was perfect, sunshine all the way!  I managed to complete the run in 1hr 2mins.  My gorgeous girlfriend and handsome son were there cheering me across the finish line.

So far I’ve raised £297 online and roughly £200 offline.  Thank you to everyone who’s sponsored me so far.  Don’t forget I’m not stopping at The British 10k London Run.

My fundraising page will stay open until after the 2011 London Marathon, which I’m also taking part in.  Between now and then I’ll be training with various 5-10k runs and half Marathons.  Click here to make a donation.

Please help me to raise £1,000 for this amazing charity via our Just Giving page here.

Hawaii Surf | Nomades | Llios | Sport West

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Let me know if I’ve missed any shops out and I’ll add them to the list.

When you truly immerse yourself in visualisation, your mind begins to create the same neural pathways and chemical responses, exactly as it would if you were doing it for real. More interestingly is that the part of the brain responsible for muscle movement also gets activated, resulting in noticeable muscle improvement to. Imagine being able to improve your skating technique, without even putting on your inline skates.

Here is my visualisation technique to help you radically improve your skating skills:

Find a comfortable place to relax, somewhere you wont be disturbed. To really immerse yourself in this experience I’d recommend standing, but you can do it laying down or sitting up. If you are going to stand though, make sure you have something to hold onto, for balance.

Now, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Imagine yourself standing in your favourite place to skate, already wearing your skates and ready to roll. Take a good look around you and notice everything about this place you’ve come to skate, the people, the trees, or maybe you’ve chosen somewhere private and secluded. Imagine how it would smell, is it sunny or cloudy, feel the ground below your wheels and the wind on your face.

” If you go there in the mind, you’ll go there in the body. ”

When you’re ready, start moving forward on your skates. Imagine yourself skating like a pro. Ask yourself these questions if it helps. How would I look skating perfectly? How would I feel? Remember, the mind doesn’t know the difference between imagination and what’s real. So let go of your limiting beliefs. If you can convince your mind that you’re flying in your dreams, then convincing your mind that you’re skating like a professional is child’s play.

Do this for 10 – 15 minutes a day and you’ll find your REAL skating improves much faster. Use the technique to practice a new move perfectly, in your mind first.  Visualise yourself skating perfectly the way you want to for real, anything less and that’s what you’ll get

If you would like skating lessons and want to learn more techniques like this one, click here.

The majority of the roller discos now available in the UK take place in nightclubs and are aimed primarily at the over-18’s who are reminiscing on their youthful exploits on 8 wheels. However, what started as a retro skate revival is now taking off in a big way that is not just a gimmicky night out. People up and down the UK are finding that roller discos are a great way to have fun, express themselves, have a cheap night out and get fit all at the same time. As soon as you strap those roller-skates (yes, as in the old-fashioned wheel-at-each-corner variety) to your feet, you’ll forget about the so called “credit crunch” and all the other worldly weights on your shoulders. The music will flow and within minutes of taking to the rink you will be asking yourself where roller disco has been hiding all these years! The vast majority of roller discos now found in nightclubs around the country will have well trained roller-marshals on duty to help you find your feet, but don’t worry about the odd bump- it can be a great way to “meet” that foxy lady you’ve had your eye on all night.

It may seem to many that roller disco has just emerged from nowhere, but this is not the case. The skate community in London supported the legendary roller disco at Canvas, Kings Cross for several years whilst the management worked out the formula for a roller skating night to be enjoyed by the masses. A music video from Madonna on roller-skates and a few high-profile reviews of the roller disco meant that it was only a matter of time before the public’s interest in roller-skating would be revived. Today there are roller discos in most cities; Canvas unfortunately shut down due to the redevelopment of the Kings Cross area but they have now moved on a permanent basis to Renaissance Rooms at Vauxhall and are well worth checking out if you happen to be in the capital city. Outside of London there is the excellent Skate Fever Roller Disco in Leeds every Wednesday, Superfunk Roller Disco offering funky nights out in many northern cities on a monthly basis and a number of other events taking place at nightclubs and student unions around the country. A quick Google or Facebook search should be able to identify your nearest roller disco if you don’t already know.

As more and more people are finding a place in their hearts for roller-skating, it is becoming increasingly popular as a way to get fit too. There are now people skating in parks (especially in London) and along promenades in ever increasing numbers. A lot of people are put off as they feel that they’re too old to learn to skate or wouldn’t have the confidence to pick up the skills required to skate… Roller discos are a great way to learn to skate in a safe environment where most people are in the same boat! All of the roller discos recommended in this article will offer basic tuition at no extra charge to new skaters. If you’ve got a roller disco nearby but aren’t sure if they will have any instructors or marshals on duty to assist, it’s always worth making a phone call or sending an email to check first. Alternatively there are many private skate instructors throughout the country that will be happy to teach (on roller skates or inline skates) if you’d really rather pick up a few hints and tips before you take the plunge and go to boogie the night away on 8 wheels. Roller disco is all about having fun and whether you take lessons or opt to just pick it up as you go, remember just to enjoy yourself and accept that the odd tumble is all a part of the learning process!

So finally; who goes to roller discos? The truth is that there is no set type of person that goes to roller disco. Roller discos appeal to a wide portion of the population and so it is not uncommon to find yourself skating alongside 18 year old students and 50+ year olds at the same time! Roller discos are truly “anything goes” places; you can usually wear what you want (which for many people at the moment is ‘80s inspired neon fancy dress), you can sing, dance, express yourself and nobody will bat an eyelid. In an age where people are often overly concerned about how their hair looks or what other people think of the way they dance/dress/look etc, roller discos offer a night of pure, unadulterated fun where for a couple of hours, you almost become 15 years old again.

Northernroll.co.uk – roller-skating and roller dance lessons in and around Leeds
Skatefever.co.uk – weekly roller disco in Leeds

The video below shows you just how much fun Goodwood Roller Marathon is.
The video was filmed in August 2008.

There are four race lengths to enter ranging from 2,5,11 and 22 laps. The two lap race is roughly 4.84 miles long (7.74 Kilometers) while the 22 lap race is a staggering 53.24 miles long (85.68 Kilometers). Most intermediate to advanced skaters enter the 11 lap race, which is 26.62 miles long (42.84 Kilometers). First timers might want to stick with 2 laps

For more information and registration details, visit goodwoodmarathon.co.uk

I found this video on Youtube, I’m not sure what the video and text are trying to promote, but the “roller skating” song had me in stitches. Does anyone know where I can download the original soundtrack for this video? I can’t get this tune out of my head now!!

Played in nearly 60 countries worldwide, street hockey is a type of hockey commonly associated with local parks, wide empty streets and inline skaters.  There are effectively two types of street hockey (roller hockey). Inline Roller Hockey and Quad Roller Hockey.  

Inline Roller Hockey resembles Ice Hockey in many ways, with lots of racing back and forth at high speeds. Quad Roller Hockey allows for fancier footwork and better maneuverability .  Did you know that Roller Hockey was first played on Quads? It’s true, long before Inlines came onto the scene. Also, each type of roller hockey traditionally has its own set of rules.   

You can find groups of inline and quad skaters playing street hockey in parks all over the world.  These days it’s a mixed sport, with both quad skaters and inline skaters competing together.  The rules are often very simple to: Get the hockey ball into the opponents goal.

Photograph by Adam Turner

Roller hockey is a fun and exhilarating way to develop your skating skills.  Anyone of any ability can pick up a hockey stick and knock a hockey ball around.  There are clubs , ad hoc groups and organisations in nearly every country and city around the world. 

You don’t need to buy expensive inline hockey skates or a professional hockey stick to play either, a pair of recreational skates and a £5 hockey stick will do just fine

If you have any details of local hockey clubs or groups in your area, then why not leave a comment below.  Or email me with the details ( emacle [at] urbanskaters [dot] com ) 

More information about Roller Hockey on Wikipedia
Photographs © Adam Turner (adamrichardturner [at] googlemail [dot] com)

Click here to visit our online shop.

Some lunatic skater wearing a gorilla mask has been threatening and attacking couriers (and probably other cyclists as well).  – Read The Full Story Here.

I can confirm that on further google-investigation, that there is a mystery inline skater on the rampage attacking cyclists in London.  All the reports are clear on two things. 
1) The skater wears a gorilla mask, 2) The skater only seems to be attacking cyclists.

I’m sure I speak on behalf of the inline skating community here in London when I say, that we do not condone this type of behaviour.  I hope the gorilla is caught and dealt with quickly!

Unfortunately inline skating still hasn’t been properly recognised as a form of adult transportation, like a bicycle.  Which means that inline skaters fall into that gray area of the law, where you are neither a road user nor a pedestrian.  So what can we do about this?

A group of friends street skating through London.

In short, just play it by ear.  When you are skating on the pavement, skate at the speed of the pedestrians, be courteous and polite at all times.  If you’re told to get off the pavement by a police officer, either remove your skates and walk or get on the road.  While skating on the road, you must behave like a road user and obey the traffic laws.  Again, if you’re asked to get off the road by the police, either remove your skates and walk or skate on the pavement.

More advice:

• Take an inline street course before attempting a street skate on your own.
• Join one of the mass-participation (group) skates.  They are FUN and SAFE!
• If you skate at night, wear something fluorescent and maybe even a helmet light. 
• Avoid skating on the roads during busy periods or at night. 
• Never skate beyond your abilities when street skating. 
• Stay off private property and save aggressive skating for the skate parks.  
• You WILL fall at some point, so accept this in advance and wear adequate protection.
• Don’t take chances with pedestrians, be polite and courteous at all times.
• Remember: Some cities and local parks have by-laws prohibiting skating of any kind.

It took many years for cycling to be accepted as a method of transportation for adults.  Cyclists are still treated by some as a menace to the streets today.  So even if the law does eventually change in our favour, we still need to convince the general public that we aren’t a menace. 

For now just enjoy the freedom, health benefits and fun that inline skating offers.

The Transplant Trust is the leading UK Transplant Charity. The Charity is responsible for raising awareness and educating the public about the benefits of organ and tissue donation for transplantation. It also carries out research into all aspects of donation and transplantation, in order to improve outcomes and quality of life.

We are also strongly urging our UK visitors to join the NHS Organ Donor Register today.
If you live outside the UK then please find out about Organ Donor Registers in your area.

There are over 8,000 people on the transplant waiting list, and every year over 400 die whilst awaiting a transplant, of which 100 are children – The Transplant Trust, UK.

Please register to become a donor or make a donation now and help to save lives.

thetransplanttrust.org.uk – The Transplant Trust, main website.
uktransplant.org.uk – Home of the NHS Organ Transplant Register.

Skate Attack | Skaters Paradise | Demon Xtreme Sports | Club Blue Room | Slick Willies | Urban Chaos | 47 Degress | urbanXtremes | Decathlon

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Let me know if I’ve missed any shops out and I’ll add them to the list.

You can read more about this story @SouthportVisitor and be sure to watch the video report above.  The ignorant comments made by the disapproving public leaves me with just one more thing to say – “Science has proven that people who stay active in their old age, live longer.  I hope that when I reach my 70th birthday, that I’m still rollerblading recklessly too!”

Problems viewing this video? Try YouTube!