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The Planet Interview with Jamie Hess: The Nordic Skater Would Like You to Give Ice Marathons a Try (Part 3 of 3) Robert: What do you wear for an ice marathon? Jamie: Usually, you wear a long-sleeve cycling or cross-country skiing outfit Robert: But no helmet? Jamie: Never a helmet. That would increase your wind resistance. ... Some skaters wear very thin knee pads, maybe a quarter inch thick. That is all you need to protect yourself from a fall on the ice. Robert: What kind of skates do the skaters wear? Jamie: You can use standard ice speed skates or Nordic skates. Robert: What are Nordic skates? Jamie: They are skates that use a cross-country type boot with a detachable blade. The blades clip on and off. The boots are warm and comfortable and have good ankle support. You can put them on indoors, walk around in them, drive a car, do anything in them. Robert: And you use the same boots for cross-country skiing? Jamie: Of course. ... You can even get an inline skate attachment for the boots. Robert: How much does it cost to attend an event like yours? Jamie: They are pretty inexpensive. The entry fee for our event last year was $35, and you can get a complete lodging and meal package, including two nights lodging and six meals, for $125. ... It will be a little more than that this year. But it will still be under $200 for the weekend. Robert: Can a recreational inline skater participate in one of these events without first learning how to ice skate? Jamie: Yes, by all means. I think that ice skating is easier than inline skating. It certainly feels like less work to me ... and it's less dangerous. Ice is more forgiving than asphalt if you fall. It's slippery; asphalt isn't. My feeling is that if you can inline skate "x" number of kilometers, you can ice skate the same number or more. I would not only encourage inline skaters to come to these events, but also cross-country skiers, cyclists, mountain bikers, runners -- just about anyone who enjoys an endurance event and who might like to bring the family and let their kids do a short distance sprint. There's something for everyone. Talk About this Article ... Why don't more inline skaters give ice a chance?
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... Copyright © 2006 by Robert Burnson | ||
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