Planet News Archive ... ... for the week of March 5 - 11, 2006 Monday
(March 6, 2006)
Skating in Paradise
 Planet correspondent Ilene Kummer flew half way around the world—and then back again—to get us this report on the Tahiti Aito Inline Challenge. ... Yep, she did it just for us. Well, maybe she also liked the idea of spending another week in paradise. (Go to Ilene's report.) (March 6, 2006) Disney Joins Marathon Marketing Alliance
 The Disney World Inline Marathon is the newest member of the Skate a Marathon campaign. The St. Paul and Northshore marathons started the campaign last year to draw new skaters to events. With Disney, the campaign now includes the three largest skate marathons in the United States. The campaign sponsors the Skate a Marathon web site and today posted an 8-page webzine, which includes training tips by Eddy Matzger. (Go to webzine.) Hedrick Earns 1500 Meter Vindication
 Chad Hedrick turned the tables Sunday on Enrico Fabris and Shani Davis, out-skating both of them to win the 1500 meters at the final race of the World Cup of ice speed skating. The win in Heerenveen, Netherlands, gave the veteran inline champion the 1500-meter title. Hedrick did not fair as well in the event two weeks ago at the Torino Olympic Games. He finished third behind Fabris, who took the gold, and Davis, who took the silver. (Go to results.) Skate Bytes ...
Inline champion Franck  Cardin, 28, has quit racing and signed on as a Bont rep. in Europe. The Frenchman finished ninth in last year's World Inline Cup. Bonne chance, Franck! ... Disney World Canadian Randy Plett set a master's record on short track ice over the weekend. Now he's looking ahead to the inline marathon season. (Go to Winnipeg Sun story.) Tuesday
(March 7, 2006)
Tahiti: The Missing Photos
 So what does paradise look like? ... Well, Ilene Kummer's version, as revealed in her photos from the Tahiti Aito Inline Challenge, is lush and green and filled with flowers and smiling faces. (Go to Ilene's photos of the Tahiti Aito Inline Challenge.) On the Forum
Help a Newbie! - RollerBlade Pete is new to inline skating. He's looking for info on race rules, GPS devices and online shopping. Can you help him? (Go to his post.) Skate Bytes ...
Speed champs Pat and Chris Creveling will give a clinic on Saturday, March 11, in Trexlertown, Pa. (Go to Spring Event Calendar.) ... Discovery Channel has posted a video story about the 200K Sylvan Lake Marathon, the longest ice marathon in North America. (Go to video.) Wednesday
(March 8, 2006)
Hedrick Weighs His Options
 The asphalt has turned to gold for inline legend and now Olympic champion Chad Hedrick. With the Torino Games behind him, the endorsements, television appearances and movie scripts keep coming. But Hedrick is also looking for a way to give back to inline skating. (Go to the Planet story.) How Fast Are You?
 Lots of skaters use GPS devices these days to monitor their speed. But GPS may not be the only way to go. A New York company has come out with a non-GPS device which it claims accurately measures speed and distance for skaters. (Go to Planet story.) Skate Bytes ...
 Remember Rollerblade's 1995 Cats commercial that promoted the use of protective gear? It's back, at least on the web. (Watch the video.) ... Sports giant K2 Inc. says sales in its action sports division fell 2.5 percent in the final quarter of 2005. The drop was primarily due to falling paintball sales, though sales of inline skates and bikes also fell, the company says. (Go to quarterly report.) Thursday
(March 9, 2006)
Battle Gear for TRISTO
 Tim Monroe may be the most heavily armored skater in history. But then again, he should be. His 25-year quest to skate every inch of Oakland, Calif., (which he dubbed Tim's Radical Inline Skate Tour of Oakland) put him eye to eye with some of the steepest hills, toughest neighborhoods and meanest dogs on the Planet. So he wore the standard protective gear and then added on a bunch more, including shoulder pads, kevlar sleeves, slash guards and pepper spray. (For the full list with photos, go to his web site.) Skaters Added to Chesapeake Bike Tour
 It's a definite trend. More and more bike tours are opening up to inline skaters. The latest to roll out a welcome is the Chesapeake Bay Asthma Ride Bike Tour. The Maryland event (June 2-4) raises money for pulmonary research. Distances range from 10 to 100 miles on the two days (Saturday and Sunday) of road skates. You can choose to skate on one or both days. Those who skate both get free lodging at Salisbury University. (Go to more info.) Floridians Get More 10Ks
 Inline racing appears to be gaining more grip at the Publix Family Fitness Weekends in Florida. For the past few years, the grocery store-sponsored event series has included two 10K skate races. But this year there will be four: one each in St. Augustine (April 23), Ft. Lauderdale (July 16), Tierra Verde (Aug. 20) and Cypress Gardens (Oct. 8). (Go to the event web site.) Skate Bytes ...
 The powerful MMCmicro Salomon World Team is assembled in Italy this week for its annual training camp. The camp consists of two training sessions a day with meetings in the evening. (Go to press release.) ... A&E has dumped Rollergirls from its primetime spot and ceased production of new episodes. The three remaining shows will air April 2nd. Replacing the show next week on the schedule is a sure ratings booster: Inside Polygamy. (Go to Rollergirls petition.) Friday
(March 10, 2006)
Marathon Training for Advanced Skaters
 Are you ready to take your skating to the next level? Then read Barry Publow's advanced guide to marathon training. In the first installment, the Canadian skate coach and author explains why it's a mistake for skaters to train the way runners do. (Go to the Planet story.) On the Forum
Outdoor Racing: the Missing Manual! - Want to  find out what marathon skating is all about? Read this post by Kim Perkins. In a half dozen paragraphs, the ultramarathon champ pretty much lays out everything you need to know. (Go to the post.) Skate Bytes ...
One of the best opportunities for watching inline speed skating is the annual U.S. Outdoor Nationals in Colorado Springs. Racing this year starts on May 26th. (Go to Spring Event Calendar.) | 
