I think I found that skate to ski app on here a while back and was working my way through it. My plan was to get good enough when it was still dark that I was less of a liability when it got to the light evenings and I was easier to spot. It was actually really good. When I started skiing again a few years back the instructor kept asking if I skated, which I did loads as a kid. I wasn't sure why he was so convinced that I was a skater but after working through that app I can see why it's such a help with balance and control. If you can balance on skates then skis aren't such an issue.
Once my S20BB leg 'issue' is resolved I'll be back on the skates for sure. I bought some with 3 larger wheels, like 120mm I think, and they roll really smoothly. Really fun to skate on, I'd recommend checking out that style if you're buying some skates and not skating on super smooth surfaces.
I really need to work on stopping. I'd like to be able to hockey stop but got a long way to go before that I think.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Dubmuffin, Well done that Snowhead, I have only got the EoSB booked this year, so I have been keeping up skating to try and boost my fitness for that. Luckily I've been in the Australian sun and got the chance to cruise along the seafront at Manley and Glenelg which I can't complain about
I can turn 180s on ice but not so well on concrete, there is a never ending list of moves to practice
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Seahoob, Hope you enjoyed the bash - I think you even got some snow didn't you? Has skating in the Australian sun helped?
@B., Yes, I have that app too, the only issue I had was finding a space suitable to practice those slaloms! I'm not a good stopper either - snow plough is a useful technique, but I am t stopping a bit now too. I'm on 4 x 80mm softish wheels - beginner skates - but can see the benefit of the larger ones on uneven and rough ground - not ready to treat myself to an upgrade yet!
I've dropped in here to share my latest discovery. I've progressed from the park and tennis court to the newly surfaced side road which is a little less busy after about 7pm. I now have somewhere I can actually get up a bit of speed and attempt some turns (traffic permitting). I also took a trip to Crystal Palace last weekend as I heard it was a good surface to practice on, and I got a couple of tips from a skater there. I can now turn 180 at slow speeds, and yesterday I managed what I think was a proper slalom across the centre line in the tacmac - that's progress! I can also skate home on all the higgledy piggledy paving slabs but yet to skate out as they are downhill so a bit risky. I'm ready to remove the heel brake, just waiting for a shorter axle bolt to arrive - can't come soon enough.
Where did you go in Crystal Palace? The skate park? I was lapping Dulwich park, it's about 1400m I think, pretty flat but the surface isn't super smooth. Vibes in your boots but a good place to try and get some practice in - if it's quiet. Evening are usually fine. Sat morning is park run chaos.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Dubmuffin, Take care and practice your "T stops", something I dont do enough of.
Now the weather is geting better skaters are coming out of hibernation and there seem to be a few meet ups occuring.
I just need to build up my stamena and link up the patches of smooth tarmac to create a long distance route to practice on.
Found this video I filmed from back in 2002 when we used to skate around the mean streets of Paris - including William doing some nice spins on les Champs
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@B., It wasn't the skate park, it was the elevated bit by the entrance to the sports centre, I read somewhere it was smooth and dried quickly! It's not very long but reasonably wide so good for practising turns. I think a few people go there to skate so I was hoping to go and copy people with more skill than me.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Are you guys using the wheels rockered or flat? When my kids used to play roller hockey (ice hockey on Rollerblades) we used to change an insert on the middle two wheel bolts to make the wheels sit lower and make the skates easier to turn. You really need to be on top of your fore - aft balance when you have them set like this especially when others are crashing into you.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
There are some old Salomon inline skates that are the opposite to what you mention with the middle two wheels higher than front and back, these are supposedly the best for technical alpine ski training.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Glosterwolf wrote:
There are some old Salomon inline skates that are the opposite to what you mention with the middle two wheels higher than front and back, these are supposedly the best for technical alpine ski training.
Sounds a bit strange, no point in middle wheels on smooth ground. I would have thought with rockered set up weight forwarded to initiate turn and weight on the heels a little to accelerate out of the turn would be good much like SL/GS technique. Not disagreeing BTW but just doesn't seem logical at least on a smooth surface.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
No idea, was told this by a qualified race coach though. I guess they couldn't be much higher or they wouldn't even make contact with ground even when on edge as they don't flex like a ski. It was a few years ago and he did send me a link of the skates. The middle wheels did seem to be slightly higher but not much, they were also a different colour so could have been an optical illusion that led him and then consequently me to believe that was the case. Me and my daughters have inline skates but they are just 80mm and all level.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@davidof, Are you in any of the videos? There are some good skaters in the first video, but the numbers in the second look massive 1000+?
"I couldn't even stand up on inline skates now !"
Give it a go, Decathlon has skates for 60 Euros, it's the best thing i've ever done for improving my fitness and skiing.
@Glosterwolf, Yes rockered skates are thing, it shortens the wheelbase and improves the turning circle. It is often used with longer 5 wheel setups. A whole new Google wormhole to go down, wizard skating.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Seeing a Tom Moyse video linked here wasn't on my 2024 snow heads bingo card!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I just found the old camp group chat, salomon fsk was what he recommended and it looks like I misunderstood. It is infact the way @Chris_n, described with rocker. It must have been the colour of the wheels making them look the opposite to what they actually were.
A special case of a pre-rockered (or not) frame is the Salomon FSK EA series:
The Salomon FSK EA frames don't have the axle holes on the same level - this is what Salomon calls a 'HiLo' setup, but which, in reality, is a flat setup with different wheel sizes.
If you want to create any of the setups above on this frame you have to subtract twice the axle height difference (2mm on these frames) from the 'normal' wheel size (think about it... radius vs diameter..., e.g. the same proper HiLo from above requires 80-78-72-70 wheels now.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Seahoob wrote:
@davidof, Are you in any of the videos? There are some good skaters in the first video, but the numbers in the second look massive 1000+?
I took both videos and it was a bit "new" for people then to video stuff so no one wanted to take my camera - it was a chunky sony digital 8mm back in the day. I was nowhere near as good as William doing the 180s on les Champs but I used to skate back down there after work most days - it was great slalom practice but the side roads were "priority from the right" so you had to watch out for cars wizzing straight out onto the main road.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
, e.g. the same proper HiLo from above requires 80-78-72-70 wheels now.