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SCENARIO: City Streets
what stops work best
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STOPS:
Heel brake,
Stepstop,
T-stop,
Snowplow,
Edgestop,
S-E Combo,
Powerslide
SURFACES:
New Concrete,
Old Concrete,
New Aspahlt,
Old Asphalt,
Asphalt with gravel,
Patched asphalt,
Asphalt prior to resurfacing,
grass,
Dirt,
Sand,
Grates,
metal gridding on bridges,
Train Tracks
TERRAIN:
Sidewalk,
Street,
Street with cars,
Hills,
Bridges
INTRO
So you're going to try your hand at skating in the city. Wonderful! It's can be a fun
and social time. But you are going to need to use caution as well as some smooth
skating skill.
Skating in a city is one of the more dangerous environments for skating.
Drivers and pedestrians are unpredictable. But the reward for learning
to handle this environment is fast, exciting skating on some very nice
surfaces. The excitement comes from the challenge of the varying terrain
and dynamic environment (e.g. tar patches, potholes and taxis). To get
a taste of this kind of skating before you go it alone (if ever), go on a
nightskate. You will meet many skaters with similar interests and get to
see them use the skills they've been honing for years. One of the best
ways to learn is to watch others and emulate what works.
So, how do you approach this environment? What are the physical and mental tools?
*Work toward skating (and stopping) becoming a reflex
*Become acutely aware of your environment (where are cars, where are skaters, where are potholes)
*Learn to use peripheral vision (most important)
*Know your limits (speed, req'd stopping time and distance) and skate within those limits
*Avoid potential problems (steer clear of anything that looks like it could be a problem)
Avoidance gives you the luxury of not having to use everything you've got to save your butt
*Plot your course and update it constantly
*IMPORTANT: Obey traffic rules and communicate your actions. Red light, you stop.
Don't walk, you stop. Green, you look, then you go. Be nice to pedestrians.
Like most woodland creatures, they are more afraid of you than you are of them.
And tell them where you are going, but don't expect them to know how to react.
Now that you have the mindset...
What are the skating tools (skills)?
*Maneuvering: parallel turns, lunge turns, side surf, skating on one foot,
shifting body weight and balance, and anything else you can use to accurately
change your direction as you intend.
*Stopping: See below.
*Acceleration, deceleration and knowing when to stay put.
*If you do collide with something (please don't), be flexible. Get yourself around it.
If not, move it temporarily out of the way, then put it back as if you did not have
to move it. For example, I ran into a friend. We were both on skates at low speed.
I held on to slightly push them out of the way, then pulled them back into the spot
they were in. It's akin to the Texas Chicken maneuver used in shipping (yes, as in
cargo ships along the Mississippi). And if you run into a pole (something you can't move)
turn your translation into rotation and back again (going forward, grab pole, spin around pole,
let go of pole, got forward again). This whole method is not ideal, but useful in an
emergency.
Used where you need to control speed or stop where there is not need for
lateral motion for avoidance. Can be used at all speeds.
Pro: easy and doesn't chew wheels
Con: leaves you in a static position
Used at crosswalks, and doors. Use at low speeds.
Pro: stops you cold right where you want to stop
Con: Not advised at anything more than low speed, and takes time to master
balance on the one foot (right between 2nd and 3rd wheel, and stays there).
Controlling speed in tight places. Used to get you down to a speed
where you can use another stop, or to where you have better control
and sufficient time to avoid problems.
Pro:
Con:
In my opinion, this stop puts your body in the best position to react to a situation.
Pro:
Con: Balance is an issue for those learning the stop, especially at speed.
Also, wide stance cannot be used on narrow paths or while between cars.
Done with both feet AND one foot (learn this)
Onefoot used at doors, in crowds, stepping up onto and off
of curbs. Glide and pivot foot out, about the 2nd wheel.
Think of the motion of the skate continuing to progress
perpendicular to the ankle, not toward the toes. Pressure
is then laterally applied tot he 3rd wheel. Most similar to
onefoot outside edge ice hockey stop. Yeah, the hard one that
looks sooooo cool. Remember this stop is done at low speeds and
the foot pivot is done quickly.
Pro:
Con:
Most useful for controlling speed and putting yourself into
a position from which you can go in either direction or stop.
Pro: Greater deceleration from speed than just a snowplow.
Con: May be difficult to learn. Balance during foot sweep at speed an issue.
This is the stop you need to make a reflex to use it most effectively.
Specifically, the forward powerslide.
Pro: You stop. You stop quick.
Con: Semi-static position, must commit to move. Exiting move blind.
To overcome this con takes much practice (i.e. exiting powerslide into
backward monoline or another stop such as powerslide with other foot,
backward snowplow, forward t-stop, or inverted NYstop.
NOW WHAT?
How do you use those tools?
*Have a plan
*Have a contingency plan to your plan
*repeat above steps until situation has passed.
Ack, tough discussing HOW to use them.
LOOK OUT!
What do you watch out for?
*pedestrians
*vehicles
*environment
*combinations of above
Listing below
TIME TO GO SKATING
-end-
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