Inline Racing News Holiday Gift Idea: Chad Hedrick's Instructional (and Sometimes Goofy) DVD -  Got a speed skater on your list? If so, here's a great stocking stuffer: Push, Chad Hedrick's instructional DVD. It's short but worth the price. Not only do you get to hear the 50-time world champion explain his signature technique — the double-push — but you get an introduction to his wacky sense of humor. (Go to the Planet review.) (Dec. 8, 2005) Northern Europe, Asia May Be Home to New World Cup Events - According to the newly  posted 2006 World Inline Cup calendar, China will have its own event next year. So will Sweden, Denmark and the beer capital of Germany: Munich. ... But don't start dreaming of beer mugs yet. It's all very tentative. (Go to the Planet story.) (Dec. 7, 2005) First South American Cup Draws 1000 Skaters, 40,000 Spectators - The  organizers of the newly created South American Inline Cup must be feeling pretty good today. Their first-ever event was an apparent success. A thousand skaters laced up and 40,000 spectators lined the 2 kilometer road course. (Go to Planet story.) (Dec. 6, 2005) Never Mind! ... Wheel Size Limit Was A Mistake, Organizer Says - Not to worry. The wheel size limit for the World Inline Cup was just a translation error, the organizers say. "There's no limit of wheel size," said Daniel Wagner of Iguana Think Tank. ... Earlier today, the 2006 World Cup rule book posted on Iguana's web page included a "Wheels" subsection that said: "Wheels with a diameter of 80 mm to 110 mm will be allowed." By early afternoon, the wheel subsection had been removed. (Go to Iguana's message.) (Dec. 5, 2005) World Inline Cup Sets 110mm Limit on Wheels - Last year,  organizers rejected the idea of limiting the size of wheels for World Inline Cup races, such as the Northshore Inline Marathon. But this year, for reasons so far unexplained, the organizers have set a cap: 110mm. The size limit is one of the more interesting changes to be found in the ever-lengthening World Cup rule book. (Go to the Planet story.) (Dec. 5, 2005) 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) Growing Pains for the World Inline Cup ... A Second Team Drops Out  - The World Inline Cup has been one of the bright spots in the inline fabric in recent years. The growth of the race series has cheered skaters and surprised sceptics. But ironically, the growth is proving a challenge for team sponsors, who are finding it tough to keep up with rising costs. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 17, 2005) Nelson, Rookard win the Silver Strand - The Bont North American  racing team grabbed the top two spots in both the men's and women's divisions of today's Silver Strand Half Marathon in San Diego, Calif. Jilleanne Rookard and Stacey (Eldridge) Smith finished first and second among the women. Jordan Nelson and Norm Kirby finished first and second among the men. Brian Talley finished third. (Here's the official results.) A pack of 10 to 15 skaters (including Rookard and Smith) led for most of the race before Nelson and Kirby pulled away for the victory. (Go to Planet racing news) (Nov. 13, 2005) Winter Training For a World Champion - For Rollerblade's Diego Rosero,  winter is a time to identify weaknesses and fix them. His off-season training consists largely of slow and mid-speed workouts. But he also devotes some sessions to full-out sprints. (The body needs to be reminded about how to go fast, he says.) His typical week includes two afternoons of weight training and two days of cycling. When Sunday rolls around he's ready to rest, which means ice cream, popcorn and movies. (Go to Rosero's winter training guide on the Rollerblade site.) (Nov. 12, 2005) Silver Strand Promoter Wonders Where All the Skaters Are? -  Fewer skaters are signing up for this year's Silver Strand Half Marathon, which is Sunday in San Diego. That's bad news for the race promoter, but he promises to keep it going. (Go to the Planet story.) (Nov. 9, 2005) Fate of 2006 Cactus Classic Hangs on $$$ - Organizers are hoping to  resurrect the Cactus Classic inline marathon next year but have decided they need to raise $6000 before committing to the event. "It's not one of those things we've given up on ... that's for sure," said lead organizer Ed "Fast Eddie" Wachter. "But it costs money. ... If we can raise $6000 by January, that will be enough to get the ball rolling." The late-season event in Oro Valley, Ariz., was canceled this year after an unsuccessful search for new sponsors. (Go to story about this year's Cactus Classic.) (Nov. 7, 2005) Pro Master Recounts Breakaway, Chaotic Finish at Long Beach - The official results of the Long  Beach Marathon list Scott Swaney as the 25th pro master to cross the finish line. But in fact, the 57-year-old Culver City man was the second pro master to reach the finish. ... Much has been written about the chaotic finish of the race. Here's Swaney's account. (Go to the story.) (Oct. 31, 2005) Before the Train Wreck ... Pre-Finish Line Photos of the Long Beach Marathon - Skater and amateur  photographer Ken Cleaver of San Jose, Calif., stationed himself about a mile in front of the finish line of the Long Beach Marathon. As a result, he captured snapshots of what the race looked like before the chaotic final turn. ... What a difference a mile can make! Here's three of his photos. (Go to the photos.) (Oct. 26, 2005) What's This? ... Pascal Briand to Join Powerslide for 2006 World Cup - Powerslide seems to be getting  ready to step up its presence in the World Inline Cup. The company has confirmed that it has signed Pascal Briand to join its 2006 racing team. "We're working on forming a new team for next year's World Cup," said Powerslide's Joe Flesher. ... Briand, a 29-year-old Frenchman, led Saab-Salomon to a third-place finish in this year's World Cup. Meanwhile, Powerslide, despite the presence of several of the world's top skaters (Chad Hedrick, Joey Mantia, Julie Glass and Brittany Bowe), only competed in four World Cup events. (Go to the Planet's racing news department.) (Oct. 25, 2005) The Planet Podcast With World Champion Joey Mantia! - This year, the  young U.S. skater Joey Mantia proved himself to be one of the top inline racers in the world. Returning from a bout of mononucleosis, he won three individual gold medals at the Inline World Championships in China. In this, the Planet's first-ever podcast, Mantia talks about his early days as a rink rat, his skates, the World Championships and his plans for the future. (Go to the Joey Mantia podcast.) (Oct. 20, 2005) Canada Road Race Morphs Into Halloween Skate Weekend - Leave it to San Francisco's  Godfather of Skating, D. Miles Jr., to transform a simple road race into a four-day skate festival. What started out as a late season add-on to Miles' series of Canada Road races has become the "Halloween Inline Surprise," just one slice of a four-day festival of skating. The weekend starts with a special costumed edition of the Friday Night Skate (Oct. 28); continues Saturday with the Halloween Roller Disco in Redwood City; moves Sunday to Canada Road for road skates of 10, 30 and 50 kilometers; and ends Monday with a Halloween skate through the costumed masses of the Castro. ... Amazing! (Here's the Godfather's announcement.) (Oct. 20, 2005) Matzger, Shechter Win North American Marathon Series - Twincam's  Eddy Matzger and K2-Empire's Naomi Shechter finished on top of the first annual North American Inline Marathon Series. The series, organized by Race & Roll magazine, awarded points to registered skaters based on their finish in seven U.S. and Canadian marathons. Matzger and Shechter, both 39, finished on top in the pro divisions. Among the other winners was K2-Empire's Miguel Patino in the pro masters division. ... The winners will split $1100 in prize money. (Go to final NAIMS standings.) (Oct. 18, 2005) Official Motorcycle Led Master Men to Wrong Finish Line! - Members of the lead pack of master  men report that an official event motorcycle led them to the wrong finish line of Sunday's Long Beach Marathon. As a result, they were not included as part of the race results. The four members of the pack were Grant Foster, Dennis Humphrey, Scott Swaney and Andy Zack. Humphrey reached the finish line first. The four were reportedly at least 15 seconds ahead of the next group of master men, which was led by Chris Adams, the official winner of the division. (Go to the Forum discussion.) (Oct. 17, 2005) Lewis, Sayasane Win Long Beach Marathon - Dane Lewis and Sara  Sayasane won today's Long Beach Inline Marathon in California. The race was marred again this year by problems caused by putting skaters and cyclists on the racecourse at the same time. (Go to the Planet story ... with finish line photos!) (See list of Top Finishers.) (Oct. 16, 2005) Godfather Schedules Late Season 50 K in Calif., Sets Date for Napa Marathon - D. Miles Jr. has  added a late season event to the California skate calendar: a 50 K race in San Mateo on Sunday, Oct. 30 (the day before Halloween). The race will be on a closed portion of Canada Road at the Crystal Springs Reservoir. No starting time has been announced. But Miles, the self-appointed Godfather of Skating, usually starts Canada Road races at 9:15 a.m. ... Miles has also announced a date for next year's Napa Valley Inline Marathon: June 11. ... Get your wine glasses ready! (Read more event news from the Planet.) (Oct. 5, 2005 Fila Manager Says World Cup Should Do More To Promote Itself - Fila's skate manager Claudio  Balconi says the organizers of the World Inline Cup should do more to spread the word about the race series. As it stands, he points out, few people outside of Switzerland have ever heard of it. ... Balconi made the comments in response to the Planet's request for more information about Fila's decision to leave the World Cup. (Go here to read Balconi's statement.) (Oct. 4, 2005) Fila Says World Cup Didn't Provide Enough Visibility - Fila has released  an official statement explaining its reasons for taking a "vacation" from the World Inline Cup. It says the World Cup's "structure and organization" didn't provide enough visibility, making it difficult to attract co-sponors. (Go to Fila's statement.) (Oct. 3, 2005) Grow Inline Speed Posts Comprehensive Race Calendar - The  Grow Inline Speed web site has gotten off to a fast start with its new inline speed skating calendar. In all, the calendar lists about 70 races and training seminars. For October alone, it lists 13 events. Included are both indoor and outdoor races and links, when available, to more information. ... It's easily the most comprehensive race calendar on the web. (Go to Grow Inline Speed's calendar.) (Oct. 3, 2005) Buenos Aires to Host First South American Inline Cup - The Inline Cup  concept will get its first test on South American soil on Dec. 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The one-day event will feature separate 42K marathons for men and women. Prize money will be $15,000 (U.S.). The day will also include separate 8K races for pro and fitness skaters and a kid's race. ... The event is the only race so far on the schedule of the South American Inline Cup. The series is being organized under the umbrella of Iguana Think Tank's World Inline Cup. (Go to the announcement.) (Oct. 1, 2005) Alabama Skater Takes Aim at 24-Hour Record - Brian Tilley of Albertville, Ala., is preparing himself for a long skate. In two weeks, he will attempt to break the world record for the most miles skated in 24 hours. Tilley, 24, will set off on Oct. 12 at the Tennessee border north of Huntsville, Ala. From there, he will follow secondary highways until he hits the Florida Panhandle. The route is more than 320 miles. The current 24-hour record is 315 miles, set by Sandy Snakenberg in 1999. Tilley is the manger of the Mega Skate rink in Albertville. His trainer will follow him in a support vehicle. The record attempt will not be independently verified. (Read the story in the Sand Mountain Reporter.) (Oct. 1, 2005) Anyone Want to Skate 50 Ks on Canada Road on Oct. 2? - San Francisco  event promotor D. Miles Jr., is considering organizing a 50 K race on Canada Road in San Mateo, Calif., on Oct. 2. "What I need to know is do you skaters want to do this?" he says. Distances would be 10, 30 and 50 K. The entry fee would be $20 for members of any recognized skate club; $30 for others. (Email the Godfather.) (Sept. 26, 2005) Fila To Abandon World Inline Cup in 2006 - Fila has decided to pull the plug on its World Inline Cup team, according to a report in the Duluth News Tribune. The company has decided that it can no longer afford the team's $200,000 annual budget. It informed team coach Danilo Sinigaglia of its decision on Monday. ... The Fila racing team won last year's World Cup. With one race left this year (next week's Berlin Marathon), the team is in second place behind Rollerblade. (Go to the News-Tribune story.) (Sept. 18, 2005) Saggiorato, Baena Win the Northshore Marathon - Today's Northshore Inline Marathon ended in a large field sprint with Fila's Luca  Saggiorato finishing just ahead of teammater Max Presti. ... Hyper's Cecilia Baena won the women's race, just ahead of the young U.S. racer Brittany Bowe. Protests were filed over the women's finish, which Bont's Bill Begg described as a "grab fest." (Read the Planet's report!) (Sept. 17, 2005) Top Finishers in the Northshore Inline Marathon - Both the men's and women's finish in today's Northshore Inline Marathon came down to tightly -bunched field sprints. (Here's the list of today's top finishers.) (Sept. 17, 2005) Dutch Skater Sets One-Hour Skate Record - Dutchman Frank Fiers set a world record last week by  skating 36.512 kilometers (22.688 miles) in one hour. Fiers shaved 52 meters off the old mark of 36.460 kilometers set by Frenchman Tristan Loy in 2000. Fiers set the record on a 400-meter indoor track in Groningen, Netherlands. He appeared to be skating on a hybrid 100mm frame. (See the announcement on the Dutch-language Skate Bond Netherland page.) (Sept. 14, 2005) ESPN Signs on As Sponsor of Northshore Marathon - The Northshore  Inline Marathon is in great shape once again this year. Not only is it the biggest and richest inline marathon in North America, but it has an impressive new sponsor: the cable sports giant ESPN. (Read the Planet story!) (Sept. 12, 2005) Brittany Bowe, Joey Mantia Win on Final Day of Worlds - USA's Brittany  Bowe and Joey Mantia won the marathon on the final day of the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. Their golds pushed the United States into third place. But the day belonged to Colombia, which won seven medals and the right to call itself the top inline speed skating country in the world. (Here's the Planet's Final Day Coverage of the 2005 World Championships!) (Here's the final medal count.) (Sept. 2, 2005) U.S. Junior Women Keep Winning; Argentine Women Send Rival to Hospital - The U.S. girls and Colombian women continued their domination of the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships today in Suzhou, China. ... Meanwhile, the U.S. men win a bronze, and the Argentine women get a little agitato and come out swinging. (Here's the Planet's Day Six Coverage of the World Speed Skating Championships!) (Sept. 1, 2005) Colombia Takes the Lead; USA Collects 3 More Golds - Colombia took  over the lead at the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships today by outscoring Italy eight medals to four. The United States also had a good day. Junior women Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe both won their third individual gold medals; and senior man Joey Mantia won his second while almost losing it. (Here's the Planet's Day Five Coverage of the World Champsionships. (Here's the medal tally so far.) (Aug. 31, 2005) 200 Meter Records Fall at World Championships - Despite the  proliferation of 100-mm wheels, no records for speed were set last week on the flat, sticky track in Suzhou, China. But today, as the World Speed Skating Championships moved to the road, world records were set in the men's and women's 200-meter time trials, in both cases by Italian sprinters. ... The time posted by U.S. junior woman Brittany Bowe was off the world-record pace but fast enough to earn her second individual gold medal. She has now won five medals at the championships. (Here's the Planet's Day Four Coverage of the World Championships!) (Aug. 30, 2005) Italy and Colombia Vie for Lead in Suzhou - Italy remains in the lead overall at the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships. Its athletes have collected 24 medals so far. But Colombia is just behind it with 22, including the largest haul of golds: 10. (Here's the medal tally after four days of racing.) (Aug. 30, 2005) Shaun Thompson Loses Battle With Cancer - Former junior world champion  Shaun Thompson died today after a two year battle with cancer. The young Australian was the top junior men's skater at the 2002 World Speed Skating Championships. He was also a member of Bont's international racing team. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 when doctors found a malignant cyst in his lungs. (Here's Bont's announcement.) (Aug. 30, 2005) USA Wins Four Gold Medals on Third Day of World Championships - The young  U.S. team won seven medals today, including four golds, at the World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. Heather Richardson collected her second gold while Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia both won their first. ... After an off day Saturday, the U.S. junior women returned to form and dominated the track. So far, they have won all the junior women's gold medals, except one. (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 28, 2005 Koreans Win Three Medals on Second Day of Worlds - After being shut  out on the first day of the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships, South Korea came back strong today, winning three medals, including a gold. The story was just the opposite for the U.S. team. After winning big Friday, the team missed the podium on the rain-shortened second day of racing in Suzhou, China. (Here's the Planet's coverage of Day Two of the World Championships!) (Aug. 27, 2005) U.S. Junior Women Win Four Medals on First Day of Championships - The U.S. junior  women showed surprising depth on the first day of the World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. U.S. girls won both of today's events and collected two other medals. Heather Richardson of High Point, N.C. won the 300-meter time trial. Emily Scott of Belleview, Fla., won the 15,000-meter elimination. (Here's the Planet story, including commentary by U.S. World Team manager Linda Wood!) (Aug. 26, 2005) Italians Lead Medal Count at World Speed Championships - After the first day of racing, Italy holds a slim  lead in the medal count at the World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. Italian skaters rolled away with seven medals today, including two golds. Right behind Italy in the medal count was Colombia with six medals, including three golds. Then came the USA with four medals, all won by the junior women. (Here's the Planet's World Championship page with the complete medal tally and news!) (Aug. 26, 2005) Speed Skaters Converge for Smaller World Championships -  They've got a new name. And they are smaller than last year. But nonetheless, the World Speed Skating Championships promise to be just as exciting as ever with the top inline racers in the world -- including USA's Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia -- competing for gold, silver and bronze on track and road. (Here's the Planet Preview!) (Aug. 25, 2005) Spokane Race Director Hopes for Growth in Second Year - Last year, 109  skaters laced up for the inaugural Spokane Centennial Trail Skate in Washington State. This year, race director Marla Emde is hoping for 140 to 150 skaters. The event, which starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, is a bargain: only $50 for the marathon and $30 for the 10 K, including late registration fees. And if you reach the podium in any of the numerous divisions, you win a spectacular handmade trophy by sculptor-skater Mario Marcella. ... Get out there and roll, skaters. This is one of the few inline marathons in the Pacific Northwest! (Official event page.) (Aug. 25, 2005) Joey Mantia Is Reportedly Fully Recovered and Ready for Worlds - U.S. speed skater Joey Mantia has  recovered from mononucleosis and is skating well in practices in Souzhou, China, said his coach, Renee Hildebrand of Team Florida. "I fully expect Joey to be on the podium," she said. The U.S. team is in Suzhou preparing for the World Championships, which start there Friday. Mantia's fitness was in question after his bout with mono forced him to skip the team's training camp in Colorado earlier this month. Mantia, 19, was the top U.S. men's skater at last year's Inline World Championships, winning two gold, three silver and two bronze medals. (More racing news.) (Aug. 24, 2005) Pouring Rain, Hard Falls and Steep Climbs at the St. Gallen One-Eleven - The St. Gallen One-Eleven is the  top ultra-distance marathon in Europe and maybe the world. One of the top U.S. ultra-distance skaters, Louis Beaudoin of Berkeley, Calif., competed in the 68 mile event for the first time on Sunday. The 24-year-old electrical engineer sent back an epic report, recounting the frenzied start, his nasty spill, his fight back for position, and the daunting 20 K final hill. It's a great read! (Read it here!) (Aug. 23, 2005) Schedule Conflict Keeps Chad Hedrick From St. Paul - A meeting with  potential sponsors in Houston kept inline-to-ice champion Chad Hedrick from competing in Sunday's St. Paul Inline Marathon, his main sponsor, Powerslide USA, said. Hedrick, who is training for the 2006 Winter Olympics, had a meeting with some of Houston's top business leaders, including the head of Compaq-HP, said Powerslide's Joe Flesher. ... As part of its St. Paul coverage, ESPN had planned to put together a feature story about Hedrick, who was registered for the race. When he didn't show up, it shifted its attention to skate great Eddy Matzger. ESPN's brief coverage also included interviews with Bret Whitman, who won the marathon, and a one-legged skater. (Here's last week's story about ESPN's planned coverage.) (Aug. 22, 2005) Bret Whitman, Jessica Smith Win the St. Paul Marathon - The Hyper  Racing Team showed its strength today at the St. Paul Inline Marathon, taking the first two spots in both the men's and women's races. Bret Whitman finished first in the men's race with Dane Lewis in second. Jessica Smith won the women's race with Cecilia Baena in second. (Here's the Planet story including observations from Bont's Glenn Koshi, who was in the pace car!) (Aug. 21, 2005) Watch ESPN Sunday for Highlights of the St. Paul Marathon - Inline skating will grab a sliver of  the media spotlight this weekend as the ESPN cable sports network broadcasts live from the finish line of the St. Paul Inline Marathon. We talked to ESPN producer Marc Weiner today about the coverage. He filled us in on what to expect. (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 18, 2005) Replacement a2a Will Have Everything But a Road Skate - The organizers  of the Athens to Atlanta Road Skate have announced an "alternative program" to replace this year's a2a. The program packs three days of skating and social events into what was supposed to have been the a2a weekend: Oct. 6-8. Included is a Friday night "fun and adventure" skate, a Skate Hash (described as "kind of a treasure hunt on wheels"), a dinner, a barbecue -- and for hard-core a2a skaters, a timed training skate at Stone Mountain. "Choose your own distance," the organizers say while noting that 16 laps of the course will equal the full a2a distance: 87 miles. (Here's the alternative a2a info.) (Aug. 18, 2005) Group Announces an 'Old School' Athens to Atlanta Group Skate - It will be similar  to the first Athens to Atlanta Road Skate in 1982: a group of skaters taking on the challenges of 80-some miles of open road. There will be no traffic control, no timing devices, no official results. "This is not a race; more a group skate with lots of hills," says organizer Bruce Belden of the Atlanta Peachtree Roadrollers Skate Club. The club is organizing the Oct. 2nd event to help fill the void left by the cancellation of the 2005 a2a. (Here's more info.) (Aug. 17, 2005) Online Registration Ends Tonight for St. Paul Inline Marathon - The number of skaters signed  up so far for Sunday's St. Paul Inline Marathon is in the mid-1500. ... That's a healthy number. But organizers hope to register at least as many skaters (1800) as they did last year, the first year of the event. ... Event organizer Mike Cofrin suspects that Minnesota's hotter than usual summer has discouraged some skaters from signing up. But he points out that Sunday's forecast is near perfect: sunny skies with a high of 77 degrees. ... Get there if you can! Online registration ends Wednesday but you can still sign up in person at Saturday's Skate Expo at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel. (Here's the official web site!) (Aug. 15, 2005) Disney Selects Earlier Date for Inline Marathon - Disney has moved its  inline marathon to an early spot on the race calendar, perhaps to avoid the late spring rains that played havoc with this year's event. The date for the 2006 Disney World Inline Marathon is April 2nd. ... This year's race was scheduled for May 1st but canceled as the result of thunderstorms. May is a wetter month than April in Orlando, Fla. The chance of rain during the first week of May is 23 percent, compared to 11 percent for the first week of April, according to the Weather Underground. (Here's the official site.) (Aug. 15, 2005) Italians Finish on Top in the Swiss Inline Cup - Rollerblade's Laura Lardani  won the final race of the Swiss Inline Cup on Saturday to capture the 2005 title. Fila's Max Presti had an off day in Bern; he finishing 20th in the 30-kilometer race. But he still had enough points to narrowly win the men's title. ... Rollerblade's Jorge Botero finished second in the rankings. The Colombian needed a sixth-place finish Saturday to catch Presti but only managed 16th with Presti less than a second behind him. (Here are the full results.) (Aug. 15, 2005) U.S. World Team Climbs the Incline! - The U.S. World Team has finished its  two-week training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Top men's skater Joey Mantia, down with mononucleosis, never made it to camp. But on the bright side, the team eventually found a road course (dubbed "Hell's Kitchen" because of its steep climb) after getting tossed off a trail in Denver for speeding. ... On the last day of practice, the team had an off-skate session that involved climbing the infamous Incline trail near Pikes Peak. Team manager Linda Wood sent us a photo. ... It's pretty but I bet nobody was humming, "Stairway to Heaven." (Here's the photo!) (Aug. 13, 2005) Italy Wins Medal Count While France Takes More Golds at European Championships - Italy rolled  away from the recent European Senior Championships with the most medals (28). But France collected the most golds (13) and had two skaters (Alexis Contin and Estelle Flourens) win three events each. Winning the marathon was Michaela Neuling of Germany and Nicolas Iten of Switzerland. The championships were held in the Teltow-Flaeming suburbs of Berlin. Teams from 17 countries competed. (Here's the official web site in German.) (Aug. 12, 2005) Organizers Cancel 2005 New York 100K - The organizers of the 2005 New York 100K have been unable to arrange a new date for the event and have decided to cancel it. "They couldn't get a date before November, so they decided to regroup and come back next year," one of the former organizers told the Planet. ... The event was apparently the victim of a change in management. A new group of skaters took over the event this year from the Empire Skate Club. But the group was unable to secure the required permits for the event, which was scheduled for Sept. 26 in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. This year would have marked the 15th year for the event. (Here's last week's story about the event being postponed.) (Aug. 11, 2005) Long Beach Changes: Lots More Skaters, New Finish Line - Skaters  continue to rally around the Long Beach Inline Marathon. Registration for the event is on track to top 1000 this year. In fact, the organizers say, skaters are registering for the race at about double last year's pace. ... Long Beach asked for help. Skaters responded! (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 10, 2005) Grand Finish Planned for Upcoming Montreal Marathon - Inline skaters  won't have to wait for Olympic recognition for their chance to roll to victory in an Olympic stadium. The finish line for the Montreal International Marathon will be in the city's spectacular Olympic Stadium next month. Built for the 1976 Olympic Games, the stadium features the tallest leaning tower in the world. ... The marathon (Sept. 11) is part of the Festival de la Sante, a large multi-sports event for runners, skaters and cyclists. (Here's the official web site.) (Aug. 10, 2005) Dan Burger Captures the Action at the Napa Inline Marathon - Injured skater Dan Burger may  not be racing right now. But he's still actively involved in the Northern California skating community. He was taking photos and cooking burgers at Sunday's Napa Valley Inline Marathon. ... He clearly has an eye for photography. (And the burgers weren't bad, either!) ... He was kind enough to share some of his photos with the Planet. (Here they are! ... And thanks, Dan.) (Aug. 9, 2005) Top U.S. Women's Champ to Quit Inline Skating in Pursuit of Olympic Dream - Theresa Cliff-Ryan  says she is leaving skating next year to devote herself full-time to cycling. "There is nothing left for me to do in skating -- I have won everything I could," she told the Grand Rapids, Mich., Press. "My goal is to be an Olympian, and that is why I am moving to cycling." ... The 27-year-old Michigan native has won 29 gold medals at world inline speed skating championships. Last year, she topped it off by finishing first in the World Inline Cup. ... A member of Kia Motors' inline racing team, she says she spends half her time training on a bike. She won the Delta Imports Ada Bicycle Criterium in Michigan on Sunday (Here's the Press story.) (Aug. 9, 2005) New York 100K Can't Use Date Left Open by Canceled a2a - Organizers of the New York 100K are still without a date despite the hole in the race calendar left by the cancellation of the Athens to Atlanta Road Skate. Brooklyn's Prospect Park, where the 100K is held, is already booked for the weekend of Oct. 8, said Doug Fessenden of the Empire Skate Club. Fessenden is helping the organizers of the 100K secure permits for the event. The next possible date is Oct. 23, although it is not clear yet whether the park is available. "It's possible the 100K won't happen this year," Fessenden lamented. (Here's last week's story on the postponed 100K.) (Aug. 9, 2005) Orlando, Fla., Promoter Schedules Several Inline Events - Buttar has several  inline events on its late summer and fall calendar. First up is the Moonlight Ramble (Aug. 20), which includes an unusual evening half marathon. Then there's the Orlando Cup Inline Half Marathon (Sept. 21). Next, two more back-to-back half marathons that are part of the Great Orlando Stage Race (Sept. 24-25). And finally, the Valencia 5K Fun Run, Walk and Roll (Oct. 1). ... (Here's Buttar's calendar.) (Aug. 8, 2005) Louis Beaudoin Wins Big in the Napa Valley Marathon - Twenty- four-year-old Louis Beaudoin pulled away from the pack shortly after the midway point in today's Napa Valley Inline Marathon and went on to win by more than a minute and a half. Finishing behind him in second and third were two members of the Hyper Racing Team: Dane Lewis and Troy Atwell. ... Naomi Shechter won the women's race. (Here's the Planet story!) Organizers Cancel 2005 a2a Ultra-Marathon But Plan for 2006 Event - The organizing committee of the  Athens to Atlanta Road Skate announced today that it has canceled this year's ultra-marathon, which would have been the 24th annual, but hopes to bring it back in 2006. "We simply have too few people registered and not enough funds," the organizers said. "We need to regroup, re-think, and revise this event to make it more viable and ensure its success in the future." (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 6, 2005) New York 100K Gets Put on Hold While Organizers Search for New Date - One of the world's premier ultra-marathons, the New York 100 K, has been put on hold while organizers look for a new date. "We have every intention of running an event, but we haven't got a date yet," said Robert Kaskel, president of the Empire Skate Club. The club is helping the event's organizer to find a new date ... which could be as late as early November. Brrrrr! (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 4, 2005) Veteran Ohio Skater Wins the 2005 Summer Classic - Lamar Melton  outsprinted the field last weekend to win the 2005 Summer Classic in New Albany, Ohio. Thirty-three skaters competed in the 16 kilometer road race, which was decided in the final sprint by eight skaters. Melton, 32, finished two seconds in front. His Newark Speed teammate Buddy Gurr was second; Pyro Apparel's Michael Sherman was third. (Here's the official results.) (Aug. 4, 2005) The Napa Marathon Rolls This Weekend Through Wine Country! - The Napa Valley  Inline Marathon doesn't attract the crowds. But don't let that stop you from coming out this Sunday to support one of the finest inline marathons on the West Coast -- and an event that has the potential to be one of the best inline marathons anywhere! (Here's the Planet preview!) (Aug. 3, 2005) World Team Fund Drive Nets More than $10,000 - Skate mom Martha  Polston and her team of volunteers has raised $10,400 so far for the U.S. World Team. The money came from Internet sales ($4200) of calendars and trading cards and fundraising at last month's Indoor National Championships in Pensacola, Fla. "It's less than we had hoped for, which was $15,000," Polston said. "But not too shabby for eight weeks of promotions and selling." ... Next week, Polston plans to send checks of roughly $285 to each of the 31 World Team speed skaters. The money will help them pay their way to the World Inline Championships, which start Aug. 26th in Suzhou, China. (Here's the Planet story about Martha's fund drive!) (Aug. 2, 2005) U.S. Coach Seeks Equipment for Mexican Skate Kids - U.S. World Team  manager Linda Wood will be volunteering her time in Mexico City this September to coach a fledgling children's skate team. But there's one problem: Most of the 25 children have little, if any, equipment. ... Do you have any closet clutter you can spare? (Here's the Planet storylet!) (Aug. 1, 2005) Joey Mantia To Miss a Week or More of U.S. Training Camp - Joey Mantia  is recovering from infectious mononucleosis and will miss at least the first week of training with the U.S. World Team. The 20-year-old from Ocala, Fla., is the top men's skater on the U.S. team. The team started a two-week training camp Friday in Colorado in preparation for the Inline World Championships, which start late this month in Suzhou, China. Mantia won two gold, three silver and two bronze medals at last year's World Championships. (More Racing News.) (Aug. 1, 2005) Team USA Gets Booted From Denver Park! - A Denver police officer today  threatened to write the U.S. World Team a speeding ticket! The team's marathon squad was training on a trail at Washington Park when the officer ordered them to stop, said team manager Linda Wood. The officer said he clocked the team skating in excess of 25 miles per hour. "We were asked to leave the park and to 'please' not come back," Wood said. (Here's the Planet story!) (July 29, 2005) The Planet Interview With a2a Champ Kim Perkins - No one, least of all  Kim, would have predicted her transformation from geek to chain-smoker to ultra-marathon champion. But somehow that's what happened to the skinny kid from Cleveland, Ohio. She started life as a gym class-reject and went on to win the Athens to Atlanta Road Skate three years in a row. (Here's the first installment of the Planet Interview with a2a champ Kim Perkins!) (July 26, 2005) The Week of Tumbling Records at Indoor Nationals - The 2005 U.S. Indoor Nationals turned into a free-for-all of record smashing. New U.S. speed marks were set in three of the six pro-elite events: the women's 100 meters (Brittany Bowe); the men's 500 meters (Jeremy Anderson); and the women's 5000 meters (Jessica Smith). Although Anderson and Smith reigned as the overall champions at the event, the 17-year-old Bowe was the top record-breaker. Aside from setting the record in the 100 meters, she was part of the Team Florida relay squads that set new marks in the 4-person mixed 4000-meters and the 2-person mixed 3000-meters. (July 24, 2005) Colombia, France and Korea Finish Strong at World Games - French skaters  proved their strength today at the close of the speed skating event at the 2005 World Games. But their efforts were matched by the powerful Colombian squad, which won as many medals today as any other team managed to collect for the whole event. (Here's the Planet story!... and here's the final medal tally!) (July 21, 2005) New Zealand Skater Steals the Show at World Games - New Zealand  speed skater Kalon Dobbin won his second gold medal today at the 2005 World Games in Duisberg, Germany. The win came in the finals of the 500 meters. So far, Dobbin has medaled in every speed skating event at the sub-Olympic World Games. Nonetheless, Argentina commands a big lead in the medal totals at the halfway point of the event. (Here's the Planet story!) (July 20, 2005) Jeremy Anderson Wins Second Event, Sets 500 Meter Record - Veteran inline speed skater Jeremy Anderson broke his own U.S. record Tuesday in the 500 meters. The 29-year-old from Federal Way, Wash., sprinted the distance in 45.15 seconds, shaving 4 hundredths off the old mark. The new record was the second set at the U.S. National Indoor Championships in Pensacola, Fla. A day earlier, Brittany Bowe set a U.S. record in the 100 meters. Anderson of Pattison's Team North also won Monday's 1500 meters. (Here's USA Roller Sports' results page.) (July 20, 2005) Argentina Leads in Speed Skating After First Day of World Games - Argentina's Andrea Gonzalez  won a gold medal today to give her country a lead in speed skating at the 2005 World Games. Gonzalez, a member of the Kia Motors team, won the 1000 meters in a time of one minute and 47.98 seconds. Argentina collected three medals (a gold, a silver and a bronze) in the first four events. Italy was close behind with two gold medals. The closest the USA came to a medal was a fifth place finish by Jordan Nelson in the men's 1000 meter. ... The speed skating event runs for two more days. (Here's the medal total so far!) (July 19, 2005) Brittany Bowe Sets U.S. Record in 100 Meters - Seventeen-year-old Brittany Bowe set  a U.S. record Monday in the 100 meter time trial during the first day of the U.S. National Indoor Speed Skating Championships in Pensacola, Fla. The Team Florida speedster skated the distance in 10.742 seconds. Her time broke the old mark, set by Julie Glass in 2002, by 18 hundredths of a second. (Here's the Planet report on the first day of Indoor Nationals!) (July 19, 2005) Many of the Top Inline Speed Skaters Snub the World Games - After  tomorrow's marathon in Zug, Switzerland, many of the weary and battered World Inline Cup skaters will get a welcome vacation. But a handful of the skaters, tired or not, will be heading straight to Duisberg, Germany, to represent their countries in the World Games. The World Games are said to be the second largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Olympics. But many of the top skaters in the world are not impressed. (Here's the Planet story!) (July 15, 2005) Former Champ Cheryl Ezzell To Poke Her Head Out of Retirement Next Week - Cheryl Ezzell was one  hot skater in the 1990s. Among her awards were 12 gold medals collected at various World Championships. But then the slender Texan hung up her speed skates. ... Well, not exactly. "She still skates on country roads to keep in shape," her mom, Cara Ezzell tells us. ... Cheryl is a mom herself these days. But she will be taking a break next week to attend the National Indoor Speedskating Championships in Florida, where she will be inducted into the USA Roller Sports Hall of Fame. (Here's the Planet story!) (July 14, 2005) (More racing news ...) | 
