Grand Fond Preview, Inline Planet News, Ohno Zone News, Strange New Technologies, MISC News, Hear Ye! Hear Ye! World LT Champs Are Coming!, New Link

Grand Fond Preview: The Grand Fond is the event that serves as the French championships for distance and time trials. The event is set for March 24th and 25th in Damgan, France. Click here for a list of who's skating.


2006 Grand Fond- photo from Francois & Marie
Inline Planet News: The Inline Planet features a review of the Matter G-Shock Wheels. I am currently skating on the Matter yellow’s (they look like a light green colour) and they perform really well. Hopefully, Matter can give me some free wheels for plugging their product!


German skater Matthias Schwierz using matter wheels in the 200-meter final
When you venture over to the Inline Planet’s forum, you’ll find a few posts including one about an idiot doctor (who I’d like to punch in the nose, no, in the throat, no, both places!) who sued an 11 year old inline skater and a post with a photo of Terry Holm with a mystery object in his hands.


Terry Holm with the horse thing in his hands- Photo from The Inline Planet
Ohno Zone News: There’s a lot of news and videos coming from Ohno Zone: OZ is reporting that Chad Hedrick spilled the beans about the US short track team will be moving its base from Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City, Utah. OZ has also posted a YouTube video of the 1000-meter final from the US short track championships (I won’t embed the video on my site). The final bit of news to come out from OZ that I'd like to link to is with regards to China’s Wang Meng public criticism of coach Li Yan- OZ is reporting that she is banned from skating at this weekend’s world short track championships.

Strange New Technologies: Upon exploring the website Inventist, you might come upon the Outlines. I won’t comment on that technology, but I will say that the AquaSkipper looks really cool.


Outlines- photo from Inventist
MISC News: There has been a lot of smut being posted lately on Hyper’s Message Board. Strange messages about naked this, topless that, Brittany Spears this, porno star that; these have been all over the board. There’s now a notice about the recent problems and a new Hyper Bulletin Board Address.

This is important because in case you haven’t been reading up on the board, there’s a post about Darren Kauffman’s injury- he was injured in a car crash this past weekend and a lot of well wishers have left their thoughts and prayers. I’ve seen him raced and talked with him some; he’s a good person and a good skater; I wish you the best a promptest recovery.


Darren Kauffman with Venezuela's world champion Fabio Arcilla on his right
Roadskater.net has posted a piece called More Skate Wheel Polyurethane, Less Plastic Hub Perhaps in which the discussion is focused on wheel comfort.

Paisley Perrie was honoured recently by Harriston Mayor David Anderson for her on-ice accomplishments at the North American LT Championships.


Left to right: Mayor David Anderson, Paisley Perrie, Alex Perrie- Photo from CITC
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! World LT Champs Are Coming!: I love how Andrew Love write about his excitement and his description of how the upcoming single distance long track championships are being prepared in his entry The World Cup Circus. Better yet, Andrew’s most recent post called 2 Laptops talks mentions a new website speedskatingworld.org, which is an online subscription magazine. I’ve been in contact with the Irene Postma, the webmaster/ editor of the magazine and some of our conversation revolved around our similar website addresses. If you’re looking for Speed Skating World Online Magazine, this isn’t it; go back to the last link and click on the link.

New Link: Inlajn.cz- lots of goodies when you click around the website.


Photo from Inlajn.cz