Inline Racing News archives

Dec. 13, 2005 - March 1, 2006

Matzger Ready to Retire? ... Don't County 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.) (March 1, 2006)

Colombian Wins Season's First Marathon
Colombian champion Julian Rivera pulled away from the pack near the finish line to win today's Mardi Gras Marathon in Lafayette, La. U.S. junior world team member Courtney Bellais won the women's race. (Go to the Planet story.) (Feb. 25, 2006)

U.S. Racer Faces Long Recovery

One of USA's top inline speed skaters is facing an uncertain future after suffering multiple fractures in a work accident. Bret Whitman, winner of last year's St. Paul Inline Marathon, fell from a two-story roof on Monday. (Go to the Planet story.) (Feb. 22, 2006)

New Faces Vital to Team Rollerblade

Rollerblade team faces two big challenges in the World Inline Cup this year. The first is how to hold its own against the mighty new Salomon team. The second is how to fill the void left by the defection of the rising French star Alexis Contin. (Go to the Planet story.) (Feb. 20, 2006)

Inliners Poised for Their Olympic Moment - Rejected as an Olympic sport, inline skating will nonetheless provide a subplot for the Torino Games, as commentators talk about the new-found strength of the inline-fortified U.S. speed skating team. (Go to Planet story.)

Talley Wins Redondo 10K - The outdoor racing season opened Sunday in California with Brian Talley winning the Super Bowl Sunday 10K in Redondo Beach. Right behind him was the always competitive Howard Yeh. The two Southern Californians broke away midway through the race and finished about a minute ahead of the chase pack. (Go to race photo and storylet.) (Feb. 6, 2006)

Toronto Skate Blues - Money woes have scuttled the 2006 Toronto Inline Race Weekend. The event ended up $6000 in the hole last year, and organizers have been unable to find new sponsors. But don't panic, says event founder Peter Doucet. "We just need to figure out a way to organize races that cost less and put together (or find) a source to fund them." (Go to Peter's announcement.) (Feb. 2, 2006)

Skaters Cut From Montreal Marathon - Inline skaters will not be part of the 2006 Montreal International Marathon. "Unfortunately, we canceled all inline skating activities," said event registrar Dominique Arsenault. No reason was given. Skaters have made up only a small portion of the marathon. Last year, 112 raced (up from 87 in 2004). Meanwhile, 4480 athletes competed in the event's four running races: a full and half marathon and a 5 and 10 K. (Jan. 24, 2006)

Zepto Looks for Better Finish in 2006 - The German-based Zepto World team finished 12th in last year's World Inline Cup. This year, it would like to break into the top six. The team has added three new skaters—all hungry for glory: Wayne Begg, 26, of New Zealand; Nico Wiedulit, 23, of Germany; and Jon Van Loon, 20, of the Netherlands. The team gets its name from the Scandinavian computer maker. It is cosponsored by the European skate maker Hudora. Bont will be providing the team's custom boots and frames. (Go to the Zepto site, in German.) (Jan. 20, 2006)

Salomon Goes for the Win - Salomon is serious about winning the World Inline Cup this year. The team it announced today is the strongest (at least on paper) that anyone has put together in years. Topping its roster are the two top WIC skaters from last year. Rollerblade may have a hard time keeping up. (Go to the Planet story.) (Jan. 13, 2006)

Salomon Partners With Bont, Hyper; Dumps Supersonic - The new name of Salomon's racing team is a mouthful: the MMCmicro Salomon World Team. The "MMCmicro" is shorthand for the team's new cosponsor: the MultiMediaCard Association. ... Salomon has yet to unveil the roster for the new team. But it revealed today that Bont will be supplying the team's boots and Hyper, the wheels. Apparently, Salomon has ended its relationship with the wheel maker Supersonic, which was founded by former Salomon team members. (Go to Salomon's announcement.) (Jan. 6, 2006)

Two Inline Races Set for Long Beach - Long Beach may be without an inline marathon in 2006. But it won't be without skate races. Audrey Winthrop of the Beach Bladers Inline Skate Team is producing two Long Beach events this year, including the Parkinson's Open Road Race on Oct. 1st. (Go to Planet story.) (Jan. 3, 2006)

Long Beach Drops Its Inline Marathon - Inline skating is no longer a part of the Long Beach Marathon. After a bruised inline history, organizers have decided to drop skaters from the 2006 event. They cited safety and racecourse logistics as the reasons. (Go to the Planet story.) (Dec. 15, 2005)

Memory Card Group Signs on as Sponsor of Salomon World Cup Team - The MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) has signed on as sponsor of Salomon's World Inline Cup team. The association sets standards for memory cards used in cell phones and other mobile devices. "There's a lot in common between our memory cards and Salomon's inline skating team, including speed, performance, dependability and that indefinable 'coolness' factor," said MMCA chair Yves Leonard. So far, there has been no word on whether Saab will continue to sponsor the team in 2006. (Go to Salomon press release.) (Dec. 15, 2005)

Organizers Push Ahead With Plans for 2006 A2A - The Athens to Atlanta Road Skate looks like a go for 2006. Organizers have set an Oct. 1st date for the event and have developed a multi-tiered approach to entry fees which they hope will help resurrect the 25-year-old event. (Go to the Planet story.) (Dec. 13, 2005)

(Go to

.)