Archive for May 2008
Wednesday night Skate with Sk8 M8’s
26/05/2008 by tim.
Rebecca and Max are regular attendees of the Wednesday night skates in London - and we thought it was time for the Sk8 M8’s to attend! If you are interested in this trip, the notice period will be short as the skate is weather dependant.
I recommend you plan for SEVERAL Wednesdays, so if we don’t make the first one there’s another opportunity the following week! Additionally we’d like everyone attending to be a confident street skater - having done the Sk8school Sk8 Streetwise would obviously be ideal! Also please be familiar with these rules:
The various people running street skates in London are not big on rules in general but those we have are for everybody’s safety and the smooth (and continued) running of these events.
As well as the following rules we also ask that:
You are aware of other park users when assembling at the start point. Please do not spread out all over Serpentine road but leave a clear path on the horse track side for cyclists etc. (If we upset the Parks authority we will be made to leave the park)
Do not spread out at junctions. Always leave room for the bike and marshals to pass. If there is not enough room for the bike and marshals to pass safely on your right then YOU are in the wrong place.
At the Vic: Do not spread out all over the road and pavements, keep noise to a minimum and respect the Vics neighbours. If there are many more complaints we will be banned from using this pub which is very close to our hearts.
New street skaters are requested to stay to the left at all times. If you are a bit wobbly it is much safer to stay on the curb side rather than on the white line until your skills have improved.
Skate with consideration when returning through the park at the end of the skate.
The Rules And Guidelines
• Participation is entirely at your own risk
• You must be over 16 years of age unless accompanied by a responsible adult
• You must be able to stop, turn and control your speed efficiently on skates
• Stay behind the lead Marshal
• Stay off the pavements
• Follow instructions from Marshals at all times
• KEEP TO THE LEFT unless otherwise instructed by a Marshal
• Always leave room for Marshals to pass on your right
• Skate with care and consideration for others and try not to cause obstruction
SKATERS THAT BEHAVE BADLY OR IGNORE THESE RULES WILL BE MADE TO LEAVE THE SKATE AND WILL BE PREVENTED FROM FUTURE PARTICIPATION
To prevent traffic entering the body of the skate we ask that you try to close gaps and stay in front of the rear marshal.
If you are having difficulties and fall behind the rear marshal you may be asked to leave the skate but are always welcome to come back to try again another week.
LondonSkate recommends that you wear protective equipment/clothing and that your skates are well maintained
• Check behind you before changing direction
• Be prepared to stop and move suddenly
• Keep up with the pack
• Try to refrain from holding hands
• Be aware of the Sound System especially when it is behind you
• Skate sensibly through the park especially in the dark
• Respect the city and its other road users; cyclists, we recommend that you learn to skate but if you do insist on coming along please stay behind the rear Marshal at all times
• Respect the volunteers that make this event possible
These rules are imperative for the running of and good name of these events.
-Taken from the Londonskate website.
Skating in the Rain and Wet
26/05/2008 by tim.
Very relevant for today!
Skating in wet conditions can be hazardous and cause damage to your bearings, if you don’t take care to dry them out properly afterwards, but it can be achieved safely with the right equipment. However if you don’t have a set of Water Wheels - you have only 2 options.
- Take off your skate and walk
- Adjust your skating technique to skate in the wet
Here’s some technique tips for skating in the rain.
- Try to keep on the top or centre edge of your skates, they have maximum grip when they are as upright as possible. You have considerably more grip upright than on an edge.
- Make short and even pushes when skating, keeping the skates under you. If you make long sudden pushes your skates will slip.
- Avoid wet, or even damp, leaves as these can be extremely slippery. Moss, leaves etc. are like ice!
- Learn a good wet weather stopping technique. Heel braking is good, T-stopping is a lot worse. If you can, try to learn the Forward T-stop / Soul Slide as it is highly effectively.
- Turning in the wet can be the most dangerous thing you will do: a parallel turn requires you to lean your skates onto corresponding edges and this, in turn, makes them open for sliding. If you can, reduce your speed considerably and try to make more gradual turns.
- If your wheels are brand new and still have the shine on them, do not skate. Take your skates off and walk. The shiny surface on new wheels makes them extremely slippery in the wet and you’re much much more likely to end up hurting yourself.
We’ll be talking a bit about how to clean your bearings in a later article but, for now, one of the best things you can do when you get out of the wet is to remove your wheels from the frames and wipe the outside of the bearings with a dry cloth or tissue paper. It’s likely that your bearings won’t spin as well after being used in the wet, sometimes even getting a little “crunchy”, but if you skate on them they should start to loosen up.
And, on the positive side of skating in the wet: it is easier to start learning some slides than if it was dry. For example, learning the Forward T-Stop / Soul Slide is much easier as the friction between your wheels and the ground is considerably reduced. However, be careful for exactly the same reason: you are going to slide, and you are likely to fall over. Wear safety gear to protect yourself as much as possible.
(original article from our colleagues in Skateinstructor.com)
Skate n Chips - Quad n Chips - Thursday 7:45
24/05/2008 by tim.
The 2nd Skate n Chips (or as John will have it Quad and Chips - damned quaddies!) will be this Thursday, starting at the Turning Circle at 7:45 prompt!
Bring all your friends (not you John!)
Another triumph for the Eastbourne Sk8 M8’s, another free Eastbourne Skating event. The Sk8 M8’s now run the most FREE Skate Events in Eastbourne! Wonderful and you don’t even need to buy a membership card or pay entry for free tips! DOH!
St. Andrews after School skate Club
23/05/2008 by tim.
Sk8school has run several after school skate clubs in and around Eastbourne and the latest one with a few photo’s is the St. Andrews after School Skate Club.
SK8School uses its successful Kids Club formula to teach children how to skate using games.
The next Eastbourne Breakfast skate is this Saturday!
21/05/2008 by tim.
Looking forward to some good weather and a good turn out for this Saturdays breakfast skate.
Certainly the seafront is seeing an increasing amount of skaters as the weather hots up and stays half reasonable into the evening. Roll on the summer proper!
Eastbourne Skate Lesson - Half Day Intensive - 10 ways to stop on skates
14/05/2008 by tim.
In one half day intensive course on May 24th 11am (Straight after the breakfast skate) we’re running another 10 ways to stop course. We will cover AT LEAST:
- Heel brake 1 2 and 3
- Snow plough, herringbone
- Spin stop (and backwards), t stop
- Lunge stop, forwards and backwards power-slide
- Hockey stop, jump stop, stamp stop and plant stop.
Sign up ASAP as there are only 15 places available!
LandRollers in Eastbourne - A Sk8school Review
06/05/2008 by tim.
Just take a look at this! It’s a similar skate to the “LandRoller” and as you can see the wheels are huge and at a big angle compared to “normal” skates!
Many thanks to Ken who brought a pair along - and he’d never been on skates before - let alone LandRoller skates! Marie taught him at the usual Turning Circle 11am Sunday Beginners class, whilst I ran the Kids Club - and then at the end of the lesson Ken was kind enough to let me have a go!
Don’t worry Ken - we always can lend you some skates from our “normal” skate hire!
I didn’t notice Ruth’s expression till I saw the photo! - Dont worry Ruth … I’m an “Expert”!
Note: they have the standard heel brake.
Skating the Crossover, was a little awkward at first, but Sk8school instructors can handle pretty much anything.
My big worry was that with the “lean” on the wheels already pretty severe - what would happen during crossovers? As I found out, it felt pretty much like “normal” skates! (Relief!)
Look how thin the rubber layer is over the Alloy hub! Hardly anything there!
Over all I don’t think I’ll be rushing to get any soon! They have some interesting design plusses and minuses which need to be carefully weighed up. Any one who’s done the Sk8school Theory Lesson will know all about the pro’s and Con’s of wheel size, rebound etc.
Sure they had virtually no vibration and could handle most bumps and dips without a hick-up, but they felt like my Water Wheels - quite a lot of Drag.
The solid boot was no great selling point either, though it could probably be replaced - however, that’s obviously even more expense!
The biggest concern was that the wheels are going to be pricey and I have no idea how long that preciously thin layer of rubber will last…
Here’s some short video’s of my short trial run…
Short LandRoller Demo - After Sk8school’s 11am Sunday Turning Circle Group Lesson
Tim of Sk8school doing a forward Crossover on LandRollers
Many thanks Ken!
