Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part1 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 1:  GENERAL Q&A Frequently Asked Questions for rec.skate (last changed July 22, 1993) Q: WHO IS THIS NEWSGROUP FOR? A: The charter for rec.skate is for all kinds of skating: traditional roller    skating, in-line skating (although often called rollerblading , Rollerblade    is the trademarked name of a particular brand of in-line skates) figure    skating, speed skating, and participants in hockey. Skating-related    discussions not held in rec.skate include pro and college hockey (held in    rec.sport.hockey) and skateboarding (held in alt.skate-board).    Cross-country skating skiing may be discussed either here or in rec.skiing.    Within the various disciplines of skating discussed here, most anything    goes: discussions about equipment, maintenance, technique, competetions,    access to skating areas, etc. are all welcome.    At this point, the majority of the discussion in rec.skate (and virtually    all of this FAQ) is about in-line skating due to the currently fast growth    of the in-line sport.  If you want to discuss something else, feel free to    discuss it. Q: WHY DON'T WE SPLIT REC.SKATE INTO SEPARATE GROUP FOR ICE, QUADS, AND    IN-LINES?    Rec.skate is still a fairly low-traffic group.  We normally get less    than 30 posts a day.    Additionally, it's not at all obvious how to split the group.  One way    is to split into ice, quad and in-lines.  But many skaters skate on    more than one kind of skate.  Another way would be to split into    speed, hockey, and dance.  But again, many skaters participate in all    kinds of skating.    Rec.skate tends to go through a seasonal cycle.  Usually in the    winter, while ice-skating articles are common, in-line related articles    drop dramatically...perhaps one a day at most.  If we had separate    newsgroups, we'd most likely end up with two or more groups, all of    which would be dead at different times of the year. Q: WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF IN-LINE SKATES? A: (Merged text from Wheel Excitement, The Complete Blader, and Blazing    Bladers)    The first in-line model was developed in the early 1700s by a    Dutchman who wanted to simulate ice skating in the summer by nailing wooden    spools to strips of wood and attaching them to his shoes.    The next in-line skate appeared in 1760 when Joseph Merlin, an    instrument maker in London, decided to dazzle a masquerade party by skating    in on _meta_l-wheeled boots while playing a violin.  He ended up skating into    a huge mirror at the end of the ballroom, not having learned to stop or    steer.    In 1823, Robert John Tyers of London designed a skate called a     rolito by placing five wheels in a row on the bottom of a shoe.  This    concept was considered a bit of whimsy and was not taken seriously at the    time.    In 1863, an American, James Plimpton, found a way to make a workable    skate.  He came up with a four-wheel skate with two pairs of wheels side by    side, and so the modern four-wheel roller skate was created.  Roller skates    allowed turns, and also forwards and backwards skating.  The invention of    ball bearing wheels in 1884 helped the sport even more.    Tyers' desgin did not go entirely unnoticed however.  In the    Netherlands, after the canals had melted, skeelers (5's) were used as a    means of dry-land cross training, competition and transportation for over    two decades.    Finally, in 1980 when two brothers from Minneapolis were rummaging    through a pile of equipment at a sporting goods store, they found an old    in-line skate.  Scott and Brennan Olson were ice hockey p_layer_s and so they    realized the cross-training potential of the in-line skate.    They redesigned the skate, using a hockey boot, polyurethane wheels    and adding a rubber heel brake, and found they could skate as they did on    ice.  Soon after, they began selling skates out of their home and    eventually Rollerblade Inc. was born.    (end merged text)    There were also some Soviet in-lines from around the same time. These    in-lines were being developed for Speed Skating dryland training. Besides    having inferior wheel material, they only had a single bearing cartridge    in each wheel.    The first mass-produced Rollerblade skates had two-part _meta_l runners.    The smaller skates had more overlap between the two _meta_l parts; the    large skates had less. The bushings were 4 plain vanilla washers per    wheel; they were cumbersome to assemble/remove and mechanically flawed:    dirt/sand would get between the inner washer and the bearing. Also, there    was just a washer's worth of clearance between the rail and the wheel: it    was very easy to trash a wheel by rubbing it against a rail. The holes    along the side of the runners were oval; the rock of the skate was    determined by how much you slid the bolt up or down when you tightened it.    Finally, the brakes were old roller skate toe stops

Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part2 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 2:  WHEELS, BEARINGS, AND BRAKES                                  Inline Wheels                                  

Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part3 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 3:  (ROLLER)HOCKEY (draft) Contents: - general hockey FAQ - info on sticks =========================================================================== =====                         Inline Hockey FAQ File                         This file reflects the observations of our small group's trial-and-error approach to organizing and playing hockey on inline skates, as well as advice from other rec.skate and rec.sport.hockey readers.  We've done a lot of experimenting with gear, play, etc. and it is hoped that our experiences will be helpful to others getting involved in this fun and fast-paced sport. Tony Chen, our besieged FAQ administrator here on rec.skate, has been good enough to take responsibility for posting this FAQ along with the other, less colloquial ones, being a more responsible person than myself.  So you are invited to Email him with praise.  If, however, you have comments or additions to the hockey FAQ, Email them to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                                                     Thomas Darling (RW) GEAR _________ Sticks //  Many of our p_layer_s use standard street hockey sticks, with ______//  wooden shafts and plastic blades.  These seem to survive the surface with minimal wear.  However, those more experienced p_layer_s (former ice hockey p_layer_s all) prefer wooden ice hockey sticks, with taped blades, for superior puck control.  These obviously wear down a lot faster than on ice, being scraped across concrete and leant on for power turns.  Once the blade is taped, a razor is used to trim off the bottom 1cm or so to prevent fraying. Perhaps the benefits of wooden ice hockey sticks are predominantly psychological, _base_d on the familiarity factor.  But to those of us who use them, they feel better and therefore give us better results. If you decide to use a plastic-bladed street hockey stick, you should make sure to get one long enough for you to use when on your skates; most street hockey sticks are designed to be used on foot.  There are many schools of thought on determining stick length, which like anything else, eventually comes down to matters of personal preference and _style_ of play. But as a rule of thumb for beginners, try to get a stick that comes up to somewhere between your chin and nose.  You can always cut it later if you wish. Todd < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it offers these additional suggestions: I work closely with some friends [who] own a Hockey store out here in the San Jose/San Francisco area; we have used several different types of sticks on the street surfaces.  One of the best sticks to use on any street surface is the KOHO 2200 Ultimate, with a poly-tech blade on the end of a wooden hockey stick.  It does not wear thin as quick as a mylec stick... Easton makes an aluminum street hockey stick...it is a good stick, but not better than regular hockey aluminum versions... The last stick to try is the Bauer Street Hockey stick: all wood with a poly-tech blade on the end, just for street hockey use. Mylec blades, you can go through 1-2 a month if playing 3-4 times a week. I've gone that route too. And this from Michael Quinn < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it : For a stick, I used an old ice hockey stick with a plastic replacement blade.  Incidentally, I was up in Boston last week and saw a neat looking rubber brake that screws onto the shaft of a hockey stick near the blade. I didn't get a chance to try one out though.  They sell them at Sports Etc. on Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington. Comments from anyone who has tried this stick-mounted brake would be appreciated. ________ Pucks //  Sun Hockey makes a nifty three-wheeled puck called the Hot _____//  Puck.  The puck is hard rubber, and the wheels are three teflon balls that protrude through the top and bottom.  Advantages: It appears to be regulation size and weight, and it feels great against the stick.  It's an extremely cool design.  Disadvantage: It doesn't work.  Even on the most ideal surface (we tried it on a tennis court-type deck), it bounces, flips, and ends up rolling on its edge more than on the wheels.  I really wish they'd come up with a better functioning design, because the feel and idea are sound. Since the Sun puck doesn't happen, we use Mylec street hockey balls.  They come in three different colours, coded for different temperatures.  The orange one works best so far; minimal bounce, but a bit light.  Be aware that the temperature type of the puck is important; we've heard of a warm-weather ball that shattered when used in cold weather. Also be aware that there are cheaper balls out there, and some of them suuuuuuck.  We've even encountered one that was unevenly weighted and textured.  Not good.  Since the Mylec balls are only a couple of dollars, there's no reason not to get the real thing. Nobody's completely happy with this compromise, but it's the best option we've seen so far for outside play. As for inside play, Marc < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it adds: When we play outside, we usually use an orange Mylec, but it bounces too much for inside play so there we use a Viceroy, which also weighs about twice as much.  They are made in Canada, and I don't know where you might get them other than a good well stocked hockey shop.  We all tend to use the Viceroy in tournaments. __________ Padding //  Checking is a bit less frequent in the inline game, which _______//  is good, because the summer heat makes heavy padding out of the question.  Hardshell knee pads are a necessity, because everyone occasionally collides with the boards or the ground.  Elbow pads are also highly recommended. Those nifty wristguards are probably a good idea for skating and training, but for all practical purposes it is impossible to hold a hockey stick with them.  This is OK, because you can use the stick to break your fall in many circumstances, and you can't build up huge speeds in a small rink anyway. Opinions vary on hand protection.  Some p_layer_s prefer ice hockey gloves. They provide superb protection against sticks, decent padding for when you get crunched, and enough finger coverage to make hand passes safe.  On the other hand, they tend to be very hot.  Many of us opt instead for weightlifting gloves, the fingerless mesh kind with leather palms.  These allow your hands to stay cool, yet prevent the loss of skin when you're knocked sprawling.  They allow good stick control.  Just don't go grabbing the puck with 'em, lest your fingers be rolled over/chopped off. (Note: Weightlifting gloves are difficult to dramatically throw down.  So if you get into a violent confrontation, you may incur a few bruises while trying frantically to peel them off.  If you play this way, be careful.) Another option is to use a cheap pair of Nylon hockey gloves.  They're still a bit warm, but considerably lighter than leather gloves and you're less apt to be concerned about beating them up. _________________ Eye Protection //  It's always been too hot to wear my helmet.  Ray-Bans ______________//  look cool, and are better than nothing.  Use one of those goofy ShadeStraps so they don't go flying when you get cross-checked from behind. ______________ Goalie Gear //  A good mask is essential, regardless of puck type.  Either ___________//  a cage-type ice hockey mask or an inexpensive Mylec mask will do.  An ice hockey stick is highly recommended, since they tend to be larger than their street hockey counterparts.  Any variety of blocker will suffice.  If you're playing with a ball of some kind rather than a puck, we've found that using a _base_ball glove for a catcher will give good results. In regards to leg pads, the cheapest Mylec ones appear to work the best. Since they're made of hard plastic, a goalie can slide on his knees in them, which improves effectiveness. Marc [ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ], a Texas hockey veteran, adds: When I goalie I usually wear a cage helmet (since I wear glasses), elbow pads, a blocker on the right hand and a catcher's mitt in the left, a catcher's chest protector on my chest and belly (with my Dead Wings jersey over that), a cup and the Mylec leg pads, along with the skates.  I usually wear a t-shirt under the chest pad, also.  I've suited up like that twice a week all summer down here and have lost about 10 pounds. Most other goalies in the Metroplex use either a large softball mitt or a regular goalie's mitt, but I had the catcher's mitt to begin with and find that I am used to it and can't use a regular glove very well. SKATES __________________ Choice of Skate //  ...depends on playing _style_ and the ever-important ice- _______________//  hockey familiarity factor.  As an ice-hockey p_layer_, I use Bauer XS/5's with the brake removed.  They're all laces, no buckles, and are nice and light.  They've got good bearings (hence decent speed) and strong _frame_s. The most popular skate among our skaters is the Rollerblade Zetra 303. It's a little heavy and clunky, but has an extremely durable boot, which is good if you like to plant yourself in front of the goalie and get your ankles whacked at a lot. I also might recommend the Gretzky Ultra Wings.  They're all buckles and kind of heavy, but durable enough to stand up to hockey abuse. The bottom line, really, is that you can make do with what you've got.  One of our best p_layer_s uses el cheapo skates (Phantoms?), yet still manages to come up with the breakaways and finesse plays. ____________ Rockering //  None of us rocker our _frame_s.  I know that every book in _________//  the world says that you should rocker them for hockey, but the difference in turning ability (especially at high speeds) is negligible.  All that appeared to be seriously
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Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part4 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 4:  WHAT AND WHERE TO BUY Table Contents   - list of in-line mail-order places   - After-market Add-ons   - poles   - ski buckle modification =========================================================================== =====                        LIST OF IN-LINE MAIL-ORDER PLACES                        

Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part5 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 5:  SKATE REVIEWS (last changed May 14, 1993) =========================================================================== =====                               IN-LINE SKATE REVIEWS                              

Posted-By: auto-faq 1.24 Archive-name: rec-skate-faq/part6 REC.SKATE FAQ - PART 6:  WHERE TO SKATE (Indoors) (last changed: May 5, 1993) (The listings are not really organized in any coherent fashion.  My apologies but I don't have time to take care of this.  If anyone else wants to do a quick editing job on it though...feel free 8-)  -T. Chen  )                          LISTING OF INDOOR SKATING RINKS