Skate skills:

SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip is actually two:

Commute on Skates
(and)
Quick Fixes for Ankle Pain

By Eddy Matzger
(Feb. 9, 2007)

Commute on Skates

Can't find time to work out? Skate to work! On your way, you'll be shaping your buns instead of sitting on them. If you live too far from work, leave a little earlier and park your car 30-40 minutes away by skates. You'll probably save time anyway as you whistle past cars stuck in traffic. Take a washcloth to work and you'll be smelling like a rose in the fresh clothes you've stashed in your desk.

Quick Fixes for Ankle Pain

I've been lucky about avoiding ankle issues, but sometimes after a long skate I can feel the carbon edge of my boot digging into my ankle bone and making it a bit sensitive. I don't have the patience to wait the days or weeks it takes to get back to normal, so I look for quick fixes.

One thing that helps is pulling the laces out of the top eyelets before tightening them up again. This decreases the support I get from the boot, but it relieves the pressure and allows me to skate free of pain.

Another thing that helps is to stick a 100m wheel lengthwise into the heel and cuff of the boot. This ever so slightly expands the boot as it sits overnight, waiting for the next time I take it for a ride. Besides, it's a lot less trouble than continuously heat-molding your boots.

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Eddy Matzger is one of the winningest skaters in the history of inline racing and leader of the popular SkateFarm workshops. He is currently (at least last we heard from him) in Hong Kong, where he stopped after his recent trip to Tanzania.

• Eddy's web site
• Skate Tip of the Week Archive