LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4106

Welcome!

Are you interested in much more powerful crossovers?
Do you want to improve your balance on skates?
Increase your confidence?

Why not join the LondonSkaters Speed Team at their March 27th technique session? Meet in front of the Albert Memorial at 14.00. The session lasts two hours and will be complete by 16.30. Session cancelled if the surfaces are wet.

How good do I have to be?
This session is aimed at skaters who can at a minimum parallel turn in both directions, and can skate a couple of lengths of the Serpentine Road easily, even if at a slow speed. You don't need lycra or 5 wheel skates as the techniques we'll cover work well on recreational skates too. One of the team's main goals is to promote speed and fitness skating through introducing recreational skaters to the sport.

What will be covered?

We'll break down the basics of crossovers.
We'll then work on a series of simple drills to improve each step, and will put it all back together.
The drills will start out easy and get progressively harder during the session.
The session is technique and drills oriented, and is not a test of your fitness or a race.
The drills will be videoed, and the video will be edited and commented on so you'll know exactly what to work on to improve further. The video experience is always a little humbling, but incredibly good for improving your technique.

What does it cost?
You will need at least a basic membership to take part, which costs £10 (£5 for students), and can sign up on the day. A single session like this would probably cost £20, but membership will entitle you to attend all the team technique sessions this year (5 are currently planned but not guaranteed). Team membership has a whole lot more benefits - see the website here:

http://www.londonspeedskaters.com/membership.php

If you feel you have a real need for speed you may want to consider full membership at £40 which entitles you to a team skinsuit, but this isn't mandatory. Note that membership fees go towards the running costs of the club, and the club is a separate entity to LondonSkaters.com, and run on a constitution basis. (I'm freely donating my time for these clinics to the club).

Disclaimer.
Skating is by nature a dangerous sport, and all risks you take are your own entirely, including those taken as a result of anything you may read here, or by attending this session. If you're thinking about training, be sure to consult your doctor and/or a physical trainer or skate instructor. Always start out training slow and easy, and build on this gradually over time - remember the goal is health and well-being, not injury.

Gav · Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:53 am Subject:

Topic on Serpentine Road forums
here

Christophe · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 1650

I'll be there hopefully and I promise (to try) not to be late.

LittleMissShy · Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Lovely London

Count me in too, too good an opportunity to miss. Smile

Gav · Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:30 am Subject:

Feel free to <bump> the topic on Serpentine Road linked above and post you're going to be there .. it'll be good for others on SR to see interest.

[Edit]
Darn!!! Just realised something that should have been very obvious to me. I leave that day for my snowboarding holiday - so can't make it Sad

And I really wanted to work on crossovers.

Etienne · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 1696 Location: Central Paris

TOMORROW SATURDAY 14:00 ALBERT MEMORIAL
===
NO ORGANISED 10:00 TATEM PARK SESSION. (THOUGH YOU CAN STILL TRY TO GO)

Alastair · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 8:19 am Subject:

Did this happen? I got back around 11:30 in the morning and looked at the wet roads then went promptly to bed. Woke up around 3 and noticed it was bone dry! Curses - I love those crossovers!

Etienne · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 1696 Location: Central Paris

I am afraid Alastair, this happenned, though I was really doubting on the way in as it was a bit drizling..... But surfaces still remainned dry enough to allow the course to happen.

Thanks Mike for this course and and I cannot wait for the double push one now that we we can do the underpush Smile

olivier · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 11:46 pm Subject:

I was in bed with the flu. I am gutted.

LittleMissShy · Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Lovely London

AAARRRRGGGHHH! I thought it would have been cancelled because it was wet! Damn I should have taken the chance and gone down...

But it WAS wet in the morning... *sob*

VERY annoyed at myself now! Evil or Very Mad

Mike I may need to book in some more time with you, seeing as though I missed that one - would really like to cover crossovers etc...

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4106

Yes it was a down the wire thing right until the last moment. I was about to cancel at 14.10, but then a bunch more people arrived by 14.15 and we went ahead with it. It had also started to drizzle but luckily that stayed light enough so the road stayed fairly dry, and then the drizzle stopped. We did have to move over to the Serpentine Road though.

LittleMissShy · Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Lovely London

Not a happy little bunny right now...

Oh well, hopefully I'll be there NEXT time!

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4106

I know, I know, horrible hey? And just think how much fun we all had skating around like loons. Wink

LittleMissShy · Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Lovely London

And that SOOOO helps me! I feel MUCH better for knowing that! Smile

Good on those of you who had to foresight to go down regardless of the weather..!!

Miki · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Tallinn, Estonia

that would be fun and i would be 100% there if i only could..
i kinda live in Estonia:D but it would be fun ..

that's sad that in estonia there is nothing like this.. we have only our friday night skate thing which is most welcome after a full work week on friday night:)

cheers:)