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Roller skiing

 
Roller Skiing

 
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Roller skiing
 
 
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Roller skiing is a non-snow
Snow

Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. The process of this precipitation is called snowfall....
 equivalent to cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. It is popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and the Upper Midwest....
. Emulating ski
Ski

A ski is a long, flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now primarily used for recreational and sporting purposes....
s, elongated inline skates
Inline skates

Inline skates are a type of Roller skates used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which are configured with two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line....
, with wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
s at the ends, are used on tarmac
Tarmac

Tarmac is a type of pavement , pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in around 1820. Strictly speaking, Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901....
. The skating/skiing action is very similar to actual cross-country skiing on snow.

First created as a summer training alternative, roller skiing has now grown into a competitive sport
Competition

Competition is a rivalry between individuals, groups, nations, or animals, for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. It arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared....
 in its own right.






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Rollski A
Roller skiing is a non-snow
Snow

Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. The process of this precipitation is called snowfall....
 equivalent to cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. It is popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and the Upper Midwest....
. Emulating ski
Ski

A ski is a long, flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now primarily used for recreational and sporting purposes....
s, elongated inline skates
Inline skates

Inline skates are a type of Roller skates used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which are configured with two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line....
, with wheel
Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
s at the ends, are used on tarmac
Tarmac

Tarmac is a type of pavement , pioneered by John Loudon McAdam in around 1820. Strictly speaking, Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901....
. The skating/skiing action is very similar to actual cross-country skiing on snow.

First created as a summer training alternative, roller skiing has now grown into a competitive sport
Competition

Competition is a rivalry between individuals, groups, nations, or animals, for territory, a niche, or allocation of resources. It arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared....
 in its own right. Annual championships are held in various locations around the world. Most, if not all, national cross-country ski teams around the world roller ski during the off-season to simulate the ski motion.

The skiing technique applied on roller skis is very similar to the technique used on snow conditions. The back kick in classic technique is slightly different because the roller skis does not slide backwards.

Equipment


Roller skis for "classic" and "skate" style skiing are used. Also another type of roller ski is added called an off road roller ski. This type of roller ski is designed to take harsher conditions.

For classic style roller skiing the skis usually have wider wheels, and a rachet mechanism on one of the wheels, normally the front. This front wheel only rolls in the forward direction and provides resistance on the "kick"—comparable to grip wax
Ski wax

Ski wax is a material applied to the bottom of skis or snowboards to help them perform better on snow....
 on snow.

For skate skiing, the roller skis usually have narrower wheels (similar to those used on inline skates), with both wheels rolling freely.

There are also types of roller skis that have both thin and thick wheels, with a thin one on the tip, a slightly thicker wheel in front of the binding, and two thick wheels at the very back.

Roller skis with pneumatic tires are also available for rough pavement and off-road use.

Normal cross-country ski binding
Ski binding

In skiing, a ski binding is an attachment which anchors the ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing:...
s and ski boot
Ski boot

Ski boots are specialized footwear that are used in skiing to provide a way to attach the skier to skis using ski bindings. This ski-boot-binding combination is used to effectively transmit control inputs from the skier to the snow....
s are used with most roller skis. Cross-country ski pole
Ski pole

Ski poles are used by skiing to improve balance, speed and acceleration. They probably evolved from walking sticks carried while traveling, and possibly from spears as well....
s are also used, with the "basket" replaced by a tungsten carbide
Tungsten carbide

Tungsten carbide, WC, or tungsten semicarbide, W2C, is a chemical compound containing tungsten and carbon, similar to titanium carbide....
 spike.

Extra protective clothing is recommended (glove
Glove

A glove is a type of garment which covers the hand of a human. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves"....
s, helmet
Helmet

A helmet is a form of protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries, a variation of the hat. The oldest use of helmets was by Ancient Greek soldiers, who wore thick leather or bronze helmets to protect the head from sword blows and arrows....
, knee and elbow pads). Many ski training programs require the use of helmets while roller skiing. Most roller skis don't have bona fide brakes, except for a relatively new calf-activated brake pioneered by Len Johnson of V2 Jenex. Speed reducers, available on some models, work by providing different levels of friction against the wheels. There are also techniques for slowing down without the use of speed reducers. The most common of which is a motion similar to a snowplow on snow skis where pressure is applied to the outside edge of the roller ski and the skis pointed in an inward fashion.

Popular manufacturers of rollerskis are: V2 Jenex (US), Marwe (Finland), Start (Finland), Pro Ski (Norway), SkiSkett (Italy), Eagle Sport (The Netherlands)

Roller skiing is most popular in Europe (France, Italy, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Russia) where there are many serious races and even a . In North America, rollerskiing is popular in areas with many Nordic skiers such as Canmore
Canmore, Alberta

Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located in the Bow Valley with a permanent population of 12,005 . The non-permanent population is about 5,567 or 31.6% ....
, Alberta
Alberta

Alberta is one of Canada Canadian Prairies Provinces and territories of Canada. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S....
, Alaska
Alaska

Alaska is the largest U.S. state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait....
, New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
, Vermont
Vermont

Vermont is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....
, Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
, Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. state in the United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States. It borders two of the five Great Lakes and four U.S....
.

Safety


Roller skiing requires balance, flexibility, upper and lower body strength, good condition of lungs for breathing. Just like other extreme sports you are subject to proper body coordination. Safety equipment should be worn always while roller skiing.

It is recommended to wear reflective clothing and flashing red lights to increase visibility in dark areas. Safety equipment such as a helmet is recommended.

Nordic blading

Nordic bladingis a sport which uses ski poles with special tips and inline skates
Inline skates

Inline skates are a type of Roller skates used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which are configured with two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line....
 or roller skis to train the total body for skiing. The sport has been practiced for over 80 years by elite cross-country skiers in the off season and is now being redescovered by the masses through blading. It is much like Nordic Ski walking, the only difference being that skates/roller skis are used. The benefits of Nordic blading are similar to that of cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles. It is popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily Northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and the Upper Midwest....
 if performed correctly. Nordic Blading has also been proven more risky than inline skating as the poles constitute extra coordination challenges. By using the poles, the user can also expect to develop upper and core body strength.

Types of techniques used

  • one-skate
  • two-skate
  • offset
  • free skate
  • double poling
  • diagonal Stride
  • Step-double pole
  • downhill (tuck, Slalom etc)

Equipment needed

  • Helmet
  • Gloves
  • Poles
  • Inline skates / Roller skis


Resources



See also

Nordic walking
Nordic walking

Nordic walking, also known as ski walking, pole walking or fitness walking, is a form of exercise consisting of walking with poles similar to ski poles....