Hills

I am not a big fan of hills on inline skates.  The point between being in control and passing that point where you can slalom your way down or easily stop comes faster than you might think.  At least it does for me, maybe I just need more hill practice?

I am in luck, sounds like there is some hill practice in store for me.

Got an email from Asha:

I wrote to you on Wednesday after we had route checked the Saturday skate and yesterday we skated the Sunday route. Saturday is longer (25km) with fewer hills, although some significant ones both up and down, and Sunday is shorter (14km but with lots of hills and more lesson time). I want to make sure you are aware that downhill stopping is a needed and necessary skill, but also that we will be working and training that throughout the weekend. We will begin on Saturday morning (after Introductions etc) with downhill stopping technique and I’ll be assessing your method(s) and improving them form the get-go.

When somebody who has been skating their entire life says a hill is significant, that sounds terrifying.

Where we do have a significant slope (or one that makes you nervous) we do have a way to assist getting you down the slope safely with mine or the marshalls’ help. We will demo and practice this also on Saturday morning. However even this method relies on you doing most of the work and doing the right thing technically so the marshall can stop you. But it’s important that you ask for help if you think you may need it. better to ask for help before the slope than to discover half way down that you need help!

Significant enough to offer special assistance.

My personal technique when forced to go down a hill is to go really slowly.  This depends on the terrain though.  Lot of people or obstacles and slaloming does not work.  Surface with cracks or dirt and sticks and the heel break does not work well.  Dragging a skate doesn’t work particularly well if the surface is bad or the hill is really steep.

This is my opportunity to show the other skaters my unique hill technique: crawling.