Highlights from 2003 Disney Inline Marathon Expo
Eddy Matzger on Skating
During the 2003 Disney Inline Marathon Expo, Eddy Matzger was giving a nice little talk on various aspects of inline skating. Regardless of your skating level, I think you'll learn a lot of extermely useful tips to make your skating better, more efficient and more fun.
Eddy talks about a large variety of topics, from the most basic to some fairly advanced concepts:
- Part 1 (9.5 minutes, 33MB)
- Do the least amount of work necessary, i.e., conserving energy during skating (like in a race)
- Skating stance - Nose, knees and toes
- Get power and avoid blisters - push through your heels
- The basic skating push - duck to pigeon stance
- Avoid sore back - skate in the "air chair"
- Part 2 (9.5 minutes, 36MB)
- Balance on one skate at a time
- Look up while skating, keeps your weight back on your heels
- Proper arm swing
- 90% of your power comes from gravity not your muscles
- Delay putting your foot down
- The Double-Push
- Skating in the rain
- Part 3 (9.5 minutes, 35MB)
- Skating in the rain (cont.)
- Don't tire out at the beginning
- Taking turn at speed
- Race strategy: start, middle, end
- Part 4 (9.5 minutes, 30MB)
- Knee angle
- Rest even while skating
- Eating while skating - Eddy likes sweet potatos (bake at 425 for an hour)
- Slalom for speed control, it's the opposite of a push (See the SkateFAQ section on Braking & Stopping Technique Guide for more)
- Eddy skates on 100mm+84mm wheels
- Durometer (See the SkateFAQ section onWheels for more general wheel information)
- Part 5 (8.25 minutes, 25MB)
- Skating up hills
- Drafting tactics