Planet News Archive ... ... for the week of Feb. 26 - March 4, 2006 Monday
(Feb. 27, 2006)
Inliners Save Team USA! -  Former inline skaters accounted for nearly a third of all the medals won by the U.S. Olympic team. ... And here's the kicker: the U.S. Olympic Committee has cut off funding for the national governing body of inline skating! .... Hard to figure? (Go to the Planet story.) Talley, Jollif Win in Los Alamitos - Brian Talley and Ananda Jolliff were the winners of Saturday's Race on the Base in Los Alamitos, Calif. The 10K race saw more than its fair share of injuries with Rob Motta falling on his face and Mechele Busby breaking a finger. (Go to race photo.) Skate Bytes ...
Joey Cheek's grand gesture tops columnist's list of Top 10 Olympic moments. (Go to the Miami Herald story.) ... Early registration ($50) for the a2a Road Skate ends tomorrow. (Go to more info.) ... Roller Montreal is asking for help with its effort to restore inline skating to the Montreal Marathon. (Go to more info.) ... Olympic speed skater Kimberly Derrick's grandfather died while at the Winter Games. (Go to Scripps Howard story.) Tuesday
(Feb. 28, 2006)
Will Freestyle Be 'Fancied Rotten' in the USA? -  English freestyle champ Naomi Grigg says her cone-centric specialty is "a ludicrous pastime ... a dumb thing to do." But it's also a great thrill, she says, "like new love to a teenager." So far, this European invention hasn't caught on in the New World. But Grigg says it's just a matter of time. (Go to the Planet story.) Wednesday
(March 1, 2006)
Breakfast of Well Behaved Champions
 General Mills announced today that former inline skaters Joey Cheek and Apolo Anton Ohno will be featured on limited edition boxes of Wheaties. The company made no mention of Chad Hedrick and Shani Davis, who also won gold medals in Turin. Apparently they proved too controversial for the Breakfast of Champions. (Go to press release with photos.) Matzger Slowing Down? ... Don't Count on It - It's  going to be another busy year for skate legend Eddy Matzger. He tells the Planet that he's planning to hit all the major marathons once again. He also intends to defend his title at the Athens to Atlanta Road Skate, which was scratched last year. Aside from racing, he will be teaching 14 of his popular workshops, including three at his new Skate Farm in Virginia. (Go to Event Calendar for workshop listings.) Pushing Toward Paradise at Golden Gate Park - San  Francisco skaters are making strides in their effort to make Golden Gate Park more skate-friendly. On their urging, Supervisor Jake McGoldrick has introduced the "Healthy Saturdays Initiative." The plan would divert cars from Kennedy Drive on Saturdays. The street is already off-limits to cars on Sundays and holidays, making it a mecca for skaters and cyclists. Of course, D. Miles Jr. of the California Outdoor Rollerskating Association is leading the effort. (Go to note from Miles.) Skater Devises New Extreme Team Sport -  Skater Mike Gorse was looking for a high scoring sport without corners to slow down the action. He blended lacrosse and roller hockey and built a bowl-shaped roller rink in Santa Clarita, Calif. The result is Rokbol, a full-contact team sport. Gorse is forming a league and plans to stream games over the Internet. Viewers will be part of the action, picking teams, making rules and voting out players in mid-game. (Go to Rokbol web site.) (Go to Inline Edge!) Skate Bytes ...
Chad Hedrick returns to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno today. ... And then tomorrow, it's Apolo Anton Ohno's turn. Thursday
(March 2, 2006)
Publow Brings the Skate Camp Home
 Sign up for Barry Publow's SkateCamp Ottawa and you'll get technical training from one of the best along with eight days of fun in the Canadian's lovely hometown. "Aside from being a technical workshop, I really want it to be a fun vacation," Publow says. (Go to the Planet story.) Skate Bytes ...
K2 has updated its web site with its new skates and a beginners section by instructor Trish Alexander. (Go to web site.) ... The H.C. Andersen Marathon is set for Sept. 17th in Odense, Denmark. Inline skaters start at 9:30 a.m., a quarter hour before the wheelchair racers and a half hour before the runners. (Go to Fall Event Calendar.) ... Apolo Anton Ohno makes his appearance today on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Friday
(March 3, 2006)
Review: Rollerblade's New Crossfire 90
 The 2006 Rollerblade Crossfire 90s are comfortable, well balanced and fast. We put them through the paces, tallied the pros and cons and decided that these high-end rec skates deserve a four-star rating. (Go to the Planet review of the Crossfire 90s.) Skate Bytes ...
 Watch and Learn: D. Miles Jr. has posted video of the San Francisco Supes' meeting in which he pushed for more "recreational asphalt" in Golden Gate Park. (Go to video.) ... The 100-mile Pacific Coast Century skate and bike tour is scheduled for Saturday, June 17th. (Go to more info.) ... In some schools, the new Fitness for Life philosophy means kids are learning to skate. (Go to Philly story.) | 
