Planet News Archive Week of Nov. 27, 2005 Monday
(Nov. 28, 2005)
USA Fit Hands Off Instructors to USSG - It may seem like much  ado about alphabet soup. But in fact, it will be big news for inline instructors. For the last year, they've been adrift without strong leadership or support. Now they've got the United Skate Schools Group to hold on to. ... And the further good news is that USA Fit, which has a great plan for growing inline skating, isn't ready to give up on the sport. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 28, 2005) Downhill Racers Grab TV Spotlight in La-la Land - Downhill  racing hasn't gotten much TV time since the late-1990s when it lost its short-lived berth on the X Games. But it will be back on the tube this week in Los Angeles. The LTN cable show Dialed In will zoom in on downhill racing at 10:30 p.m. (PST) Wednesday. The show will feature the recent California Downhill Series event in San Dimas. Many of California's top downhill athletes competed in the event on inline skates, luge, skateboards and gravity bikes. (Go to announcement.) (Nov. 28, 2005) On the Forum
Chucky's In Love - Mark Farnsworth has campaigned far and wide to get skaters to give his new Gatorback brake a try. ... Well, Chucky did just that. Now he's a believer. (Go to his post.) Tuesday
(Nov. 29, 2005)
K2 Brings Out Bevy of 2006 Skates for the Holidays - You won't  have to wait until next year to buy many of K2's 2006 models. The company is launching a dozen of its new skates in time for the holidays. Among the early releases: the entry level Exo 2.1, the VO2 fitness models and the all-new Athena line for women. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 29, 2005) Wednesday
(Nov. 30, 2005)
Race on Base Scheduled for February in Southern California -  This year's Race on the Base is scheduled for Feb. 25th in Los Alamitos, Calif. The multi-sport event includes a 10K race for skaters. Start time is 8:50 a.m. Registration is $25. The event is on the Joint Forces Training Base outside of Los Angeles. Proceeds go to support the National Water Polo Aquatic Center. (Go to official press release.) (Read more event news.) On the Forum
Places to Skate Northwest of L.A.? - No, we're not talking cruise ships. We're looking for spots on dry land near Thousand Oaks, Calif. ... Do you know of any? (Post 'em here!) Thursday
(Dec. 1, 2005)
K2 Goes Hi-Lo in Update of Its Rec-Fitness Line - The changes  in K2's entry-level recreational skates for 2006 are mostly cosmetic: brighter colors, a new name, a few added features. But the company is also testing the market for hi-lo fitness skates with its new Athena and Exo 6.1s. (Go to the Planet preview.) First Skate ... Then Morph Into a Couch Potato - Super  Bowl Sunday (Feb. 5th) won't be a complete waste if you start your day with the Redondo Beach 10K in California. Yep, the organizers of this event have the right idea. You don't need steroidal gladiators to provide your fix of Sunday heroics. You can do it yourself! ... Race time is 7:30 a.m. Registration is $25. A sense of accomplishment is priceless! (Go to event web site.) Friday
(Dec. 2, 2005)
Inline Skaters Will Be Shooting Stars of Olympic Ceremonies - Inline skating may  not be an Olympic sport. But it will be a big part of the Olympic spectacle this February in Turin. During opening and closing ceremonies, an eight-member skate team will reportedly hurtle around the Olympic stadium at speeds of more than 40 mph with flames shooting from the backs of their helmets. And it won't only be the "Sparks of Passion" team members who will be skating. In all, 500 pairs of rollerblades will be used during the ceremonies, the organizer says. (Go to AP story.) Training Rink for Inline Champ to Be Converted to Salvage Yard - Theresa Cliff was all of five  months old, legend has it, when she started skating at Bloomfield Gardens, the roller rink her grandparents' owned in Cedar Springs, Mich. She took to skating like a world champion — and that's what she became, the winningest woman ever in inline speed skating. But the rink won't serve as training ground for any future champions. After years of being shut down, it is being converted into an auto salvage yard. (Go to story at Mlive.com.) (Dec. 2, 2005) Swiss Skate Site to Be Featured on Google Video Blog - The Skatetrix web  site is likely to be swamped by users in the next few weeks. According to the site, Google plans to feature it on its popular video blog. Skatetrix is a Swiss-based web site that features video clips of artistic and speed skaters. Google plans to feature a clip of Swiss artistic champion Nathalie Biedermann performing at a Zurich train station. (Go here to download the clip. ... Note: Mac users may have to download an avi player, like VLC, to view the clip.) Saturday
(Dec. 3, 2005)
K2 Puts a Little Polish on Its VO2 Models for 2006 - K2 isn't  making any big changes to its VO2 line of high-end fitness-rec skates for 2006. It decided not to mess with success. But it has made a few changes in the line, adding some new colors and improving the breathability of the skates. ... Want to take a look? (Go to the Planet preview.) (Dec. 3, 2005) On the Forum
What Kind of Events Would You Like to See More Of? - "What is this: some kind of Gallup poll?" ... No, it's a Planet poll. And the question is this, "What kind of events would you like to see more of: marathons, skate weekends, Friday Night Skates, skate tours or (fill in the blank)?" (Cast your vote here!) | 
