Skate Kingdom

    Spring is coming and I’m looking forward to getting out on the sidewalk for a trip across town. Kind of a smell the flowers type of thing. I’ve got my quad skates set up right now with a fairly hard wheel for rink skating with a durometer of 97A. I’m thinking of switching over to a softer wheel that will give me more grip and a softer ride, maybe something like the the Rollo by Krypto since it comes with a bearing insert and the the hardness comes in at a comfy 78A.

Anybody have any favorites for outdoor recreational and fitness skating?

It is easy to get so accustomed to putting on our skates and heading out that we sometimes forget that it is possible to actually hurt ourselves. We can get up to speeds on either inline or quad skates to create a real injury if something goes wrong. Most manufacturers recommend that we inspect our skates before each use. How many of you out there actually do that?

In actual fact, well maintained and adjusted skates are not only safer but they will perform better and the skating experience will be a lot more enjoyable. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for speed, tight cornering, jumps or just a stroll in the park.

Today’s subject is wheels. Check the nuts to be sure they are tight and the wheels roll freely. Truck action should be free enough to respond to your every motion but should not rattle or be so free that the wheels touch the skate plate. After adjustment, the action nut must be re-tightened against the skate plate.

Any other ideas for making your skates roll free and safe?

Prominent US roller skate distributors were recently notified that Bont, a major manufacturer of inline speed skates, was discontinuing sales of their inline race products to the wholesale market in the United States.

Bont stated that the “US inline speed market is now officially dead”. I wonder if they mean that inline speed skating is dead because they have withdrawn from the market or was it dead before and that is why they are withdrawing?   Or — is this just a European opinion of the US market in general?

Bont also stated that another problem was “online shops…selling at wholesale prices” Now how does that hurt them since, in theory at least, they sell only at wholesale prices themselves? Looks to me like that is only evidence of a really competitive market here in the United States.

What do the rest of you think?

Kids always need a bag for this or that. When I was a kid I was involved in sports, dance and arts and crafts. My parents could barely keep my schedule straight.

No that I am older; I like to keep my kids busy with activities. I use skate bags to transport all their equipment from one place to another. This way they never lose anything!

More kids than ever are obese these days. That’s right – not just fat – obese. There’s no reason no to get your kids moving in the right direction. In most cases, the right direction is going to be out the front door.

Kids who get more exercise are much more likely to be fit adults than kids who are overweight. When kids are overweight it is hard for them to lose weight as adults. There are many activities kids can take part in that can help them maintain healthy weights. Start out with a pair of outdoor skates and teach your child to enjoy the freedom of rolling along the streets.