Roller blading is a name that has been applied to the inline skating sport as a result of the large role that the “Rollerblade Company” played in creating popularity out of the inline skating sport. Rollerblade, Inc. was not responsible for inventing, manufacturing or designing the very first inline skates. However, the Rollerblade Company or Rollerblade, Inc. was so successful in their endeavor to market inline skates and inline skating equipment, that it led to the term “rollerblading” becoming extremely popular when referring to sports involving inline skates. Not only was this popular at the time, but the term rollerblading is still being used today to refer to the sport, even though the official name for the sport of using inline skates is simply “inline skating”.

Regardless of which inline skate manufacturing company is responsible for building a specific pair of inline skates, most inline skates are simply known as rollerblades in this day and age. The name Rollerblade has become the symbol of inline skating for most people, unfortunately overshadowing a large number of inline skate manufacturers as well as leaving out a lot of information pertaining to the history of inline skating and rollerblading. Many people, despite having skated for years, are unaware of the true history of inline skating, attributing the design and invention of inline skates to Rollerblade, Inc. when they are not actually responsible for the design of the sport.

The official name for all rollerblading or for “blading” sporting is actually inline roller skating or inline skating. The correct name for any rollerblades that are manufactured by a company other than Rollerblade, Inc. is inline skates or simply skates, rather than rollerblades or blades. If you are actually using Rollerblade, Inc. brand skates, then you really are rollerblading. If you are using any other type of skates, then the proper description for the sport is skating or inline skating. The difference between typical skating and inline skating is, of course, the arrangement of the wheels on your skates. This is because inline skates are skates where four wheels are arranged in a straight line from front to back. Roller skates or quad skates also possess four wheels, but they are arranged in the four corners of the skate instead.

Learning more about the history of inline skating is a good way to generate an appreciation for the sport. You might be surprised at what you learn about how inline skating sports came to be and how the Rollerblade, Inc company managed to successfully market them to the point where “rollerblading” became the common name for the inline skating sport and the true inventors behind the inline skate fell to the wayside.

Photo Credits: Murky1

Originally posted 2009-08-26 03:17:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Understanding the benefits of surfing will help you determine whether or not this is the right water sport for you.

First and foremost, do you know what surfing is?

Surfing is a unique activity involving the riding on a wave or riding along a wave using a surfboard. One of the best methods of cross training for the purpose of surfing is to take up swimming. Most of your surfing time is actually going to be spend paddling and swimming than actually riding any waves, and this is an important consideration if you are serious about taking up the sport and seeing what it has to offer you.

Now, what are the benefits of going surfing?

Surfing is a truly excellent fitness activity. The sport of surfing is capable of providing both aerobic and anaerobic exercise components. It requires that the surfer make excellent use of his or her upper body as a result of stroking through the waves, getting out on the waves and then balancing the lower body and the legs in order to ride the wave all the way into shore. Surfing, then, demands a great deal of body balance and body control, and these demands are going to strengthen the interaction that exists between your mind and your body. The surfing environment, the open ocean, is going to help to protect you from injury that occurs as a result of error.

People that go surfing are going to develop a back that is fit and square, shoulders that are strong, back muscles that are strong and legs and arms that are strong.

In order to get all of the full benefits associated with using surfing as a method of exercise, there are a number of skills that you are going to need to develop. The skills that need to be developed for the purpose of surfing include:

• Improvements in balance, because you will rely heavily upon balance while standing on the board,
• Paddling and swimming, because you will spend more time paddling and swimming than you will spend on the board riding waves when it comes to surfing,
• Duck Diving, because this is how to ride through waves or to prepare for an oncoming wave,
• Spring Paddling right into a wave, which is an important part of surfing,
• Standing up quickly and with balance on the board, so that you do not end up wrecking before you even get to ride your wave,
• Turning on the board without falling,
• Controlling the movement of the board as well as exiting the wave in question,

If you do not already know how to swim or need to improve your swimming capabilities, taking lessons in a surf school is typically a good way for you to go.

Photo Credits: Svedek

Originally posted 2009-08-24 03:13:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

There are a wide variety of different skateboarding tricks that you can try to perform out there. They range significantly in terms of level of difficulty. There are a wide variety of different tricks that you can learn, depending on what your own skateboarding skills are and what types of tricks you are actually interested in. If you decide that you want to compete in different competitions then you are going to want to learn a number of different skateboarding tricks so that you will have a much greater chance of earning lots of points and potentially winning the competition.

For the people who are just learning skateboarding tricks for the first time, or if you do not have access to a skate park where you can learn, one of the more common types of skateboarding tricks is called lip tricks. Lip skateboarding tricks involve using a ramp that you can purchase for relatively cheap, or that you can build on your own if you so choose. It is going to take some time for you to get the speed and angle combination down when it comes to building ramps for skateboarding tricks, so keep this in mind and make sure that you are doing your research on the angle of the ramp and the angle of your board, otherwise you may end up having more difficulty with the trick performance. Performing skateboarding tricks is all about having the angles right, and having a bad ramp is only going to make it that much harder for you in the long run.

Another worthwhile category of skateboarding tricks for you to consider is flip tricks. You can easily master these types of skateboarding tricks, and then as you build up your own confidence level you will be able to try out other skateboarding tricks as well. The most popular of all skateboarding tricks is the Ollie, which fits into the category of flip tricks. Another type of flip trick is the kick flip. You are going to find a number of more advanced skateboarding tricks fall into this category as well, especially with more rotations than the basic tricks offer as well.

Another category of skateboarding tricks is pressure tricks, which involve placing pressure on different parts of the board such as the nose of the tail. You need to be really precise when it comes to these skateboarding tricks if you want to get them right the first time. Manual tricks also fall along these same basic lines, allowing you to have good control over the board if you are not moving quickly while you are performing them.

If you want your skateboarding tricks to make you feel exhilarated, what you might try is aerial skateboarding tricks. It will take you time to learn how to get the most out of aerial skateboarding tricks, but if you master what these tricks have to offer, they can be truly amazing. Keep this in mind when it comes to learning different skateboarding tricks and getting the most out of what the skateboarding tricks you learn have to offer.

Photo Credits: Jackson J Hillman

Originally posted 2009-08-21 03:39:49. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Rollerblading is a truly wonderful sport and it provides for great exercise, keeping you in shape. People from all over the world and all kinds of walks of life can enjoy rollerblading simply because its very nature is fun and easy. Coupled with the enjoyment of the sport of rollerblading, however, you also have some important safety measures that need to be followed if you want to avoid accidents, falls and injuries.

Certain rollerblading situations are going to be beyond your control, and knowing this is important. However, this does not mean that you should simply throw all caution to the wind. You may have to take a nasty spill occasionally while rollerblading, but you’ll likely only suffer minor scrapes and injuries if you are careful. You may also crash while rollerblading, which can result in a concussion or serious injuries if you are not careful. It is vitally important, as you can tell, that you use the proper rollerblading gear when you go out so that you can either completely avoid these injuries, or at least lessen how badly they injure you when they do happen.

First and foremost, the most important piece of protective equipment for rollerblading that you can have in your arsenal is a rollerblading helmet. You should absolutely never, ever go rollerblading without first securing your helmet properly on your head. It should fit your head adequately and it should be tightly attached in order to protect your head. If your rollerblading helmet is oversized or too tight, it will not help you. Oversized rollerblading helmets are not going to provide any kind of protection whatsoever, and on the other hand small helmets will be too uncomfortable, too tight and may even restrict your vision. The interior lining inside your rollerblading helmet is also important, as you need cushioning and padding in order to maintain protection and comfort.

You also need to make sure that you have the complete package when it comes to your protective gear for rollerblading, meaning that you should also have elbow pads, knee pads and wrist guards in order to keep yourself safe when you go rollerblading.

It is also vital that you learn the basics of rollerblading before you hit the streets. If you want to avoid rollerblading accidents then you need to be willing to practice all of the basics including rollerblading forward, rollerblading backward, stopping, turning and even falling. Do this before you hit the streets, because they are far less forgiving when it comes to crashing or potentially hurting yourself.

Other things matter as well. For example, you need to watch out for potholes and cracks in the road, you need to watch out for water and slippery oil, and you need to watch out for road hazards and road signs. The more aware of your surroundings that you are, the better off you will be in the long run. Rollerblading is not really a dangerous sport, but it can be if you are not careful.

Photo Credits: aprilzosia

Originally posted 2009-08-18 03:38:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Channel Island Biscuit surfboard is a unique 5′ 2″ surfboard that is surprisingly short for what it is, thicker than you may expect, but is still full of plenty of surprises. Don’t believe me? Try riding the Channel Island Biscuit surfboard for yourself and see what you think.

If you haven’t ridden a 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit yet, it may benefit you to test out this unique board. The stock version of the 5′ 2″ Biscuit features a bit of light glassing and its dimensions are 5′ 2″ length by 19.75″ width by 2.75″ thickness. This board has a three fin configuration. When you first look at it, you may be taken aback by the amount of volume that is there considering the short length, but this board makes it completely possible to surf with something that is shorter than what you are used to. The Channel Island Biscuit may look like a stubby little disk with its wide point forward, but for such a small and thick board you will be pleasantly surprised to see how well it surfs for yourself. This is one of the flattest rockers that is out there right now, especially in comparison to all the retro fishes that are on the market right now.

Another perk of this 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit surfboard is that it makes paddling pretty easy. You’re going to find that paddling with this particular board is a lot like paddling on a retro fish, but a few inches larger. The board does seem to take a little bit more energy in order to get going, but once you get going, you have more than enough power to get you moving, and you shouldn’t have trouble catching your dream waves.

The level of maneuverability that the 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit offers is average to above average. You can’t really get this Channel Island Biscuit surfboard to turn on a dime unless you have a really decent wave under you. The 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit may not turn as well as the Xanadu Wave Rocket does, but it is still a worthwhile board. If you haven’t ridden one yet, it would benefit you to at least try out what this unique board has to offer.

Channel Island is promoting this board as what is essentially a small wave groveler. It may be expected to fly but it falls a little flat on the promises. Still, although the Xanadu Wave Rocket is faster than the 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit right off the bat, and offers greater speed and maneuverability, don’t count the 5′ 2″ Channel Island Biscuit out as a decent board. This board does perform, and is definitely going to be well worth checking out if you are looking for a good performance board whether you are surfing in Hawaii or California.

Photo Credits: Calweb

Originally posted 2009-08-14 05:10:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Skateboarding goes back a lot farther than people might think. The roots of the sport can be traced back to roughly some point in the late 1940′s to the early 1950′s. It started as a past time for surfers when there were no good waves to ride. The early boards were home made creations made from boards or parts of wooden crates with the wheels off of roller skated placed on the bottom. In the 1960′s a surf shop in Los Angeles, CA, created the first manufactured boards. Skateboarding enjoyed an early popularity from 1963 through 1965, but then died off around 1966. In part this was due to the unfortunate fact that at this time the available wheels to use were all made of clay which had the nasty tendency to stop very suddenly when they hit small rocks or other common minor obstacles found on roads and sidewalks.

However, in 1972 an invention was made that brought skateboarding back from the dead. The polyurethane wheel was developed by Frank Nasworthy who brought the Cadillac wheel to the market that year. Named Cadillac to express the vastly improved ride over the older clay wheels, the new wheels made such an improvement in traction and handling that it can be said that they might be the main reason skateboarding is still around to this day.

New materials weren’t just kept to the wheels though, the ’70′s also brought about a revolution in design for the decks too. Maple plywood was still the most common deck material, but aluminum and fiberglass entered the market too. Another design was the Banana Board, a board made of polypropylene with ribs on the bottom, this thin board was very flexible and came in a wide range of colors. Another innovation in board design was the creation of trucks (axles) designed specifically for skateboards.

With the new materials providing much more capable boards, much more elaborate tricks were developed by skateboarders. From the ’70′s, the Z-Boys are possibly the most famous skateboarders of the era. Sponsored by the Zephyr surf shop, which provided the Z in their name, they have had several documentaries and even a feature film created about them. They quite possibly are responsible for the trend of vert skateboarding when California was hit by a drought in 1976. Due to the regulations during that time, home owners were unable to fill or maintain the water level in their in ground swimming pools and many of them sat empty. The Z-Boys noticed this and realized that an empty swimming pool could provide them with a new way to ride. Hunting down empty pools with no one at home, or eventually partially empty ones that they could drain, they created a new style that gave them more speed, and more control, and a whole new world of tricks that could be performed. Skateboarding as we know it now had been born in this outlaw environment, and that’s all before the eighties started.

Photo Credits: empTV

Originally posted 2009-12-10 03:31:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Indo Fish

The Indo Fish by Tim Stamps came about when the designer of the board was wondering how a fish board could work in the waves surrounding a boating trip in Indonesia, or any good waves anywhere else on the planet for that matter. The decision was to keep the fish lines, just changing up the details a little in order to see what could happen. The entire outline of the board was narrowed up quite a bit and some more nose rocker was added as well. This has become a good fish board for handling waves as a result, and it can handle point, reef and beach break. The board was originally set up to be a twin keel but you can also find it available in a quad format as well.

This is a nice board with a lot of potential, especially if you like the standard fish shape and the potential for a good wave board. The dimensions are solid, and this board is available as long as 6’10″ if you need the length.

Typical Board Dimensions: 5’8″ 15 1/2″ Tall by 20 3/8″ Wide by 15″N 2 1/2″ Thick
Typical Board Size Range: 5’2″ to 6’10″

The Bing Single Wing Quad

If you enjoyed the MR twin-fin that was popular during the latter half of the 1970s, then you will like the Bing Single Wing Quad, which is a nod to this oldie but goodie. The Bing Single Wing Quad was designed in order to be a modification on the MR Twin-Fin, but it is offering a rocker that is slightly fatter and an outline that is naturally fuller. Progressing away from the original set up with twin fins, Matt Calvani decided to add on two smaller back fins which is going to allow the board to have more control as well as more responsiveness.

The Bing Single Wing Quad works well in every day types of conditions including knee high waves as well as double overhead waves, making this an excellent choice in a surf board for long boarders that are looking to rid a smaller to mid length board that offers a lot of glide. This board generally should be ridden between 4 inches and 6 inches longer than traditional twin fin fish boards. Currently Bing is offering the Bing Single Wing Quad with future fins, Pro Box fiberglass fins and Canard fins.

Typical Board Size Range: The standard sizes for this board are between 5′ 10″ and 7′ 6″
Typical Board Dimensions: The nose is 18″, the middle is between 19″ and 23 ” and the tail is 16″. You are also looking at a thickness of between 2.5″ and 2 7/8″.

If you are looking for a sturdy long board with plenty of glide, then the Bing Single Wing Quad is definitely going to be a solid way to go, especially if you’ve ridden and enjoyed the twin-fin of years past.

Photo Credits: adjustafresh

Originally posted 2009-08-11 05:02:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Before you can learn how to duck dive, you may need to learn what duck diving is and what it is all about. Any breaking wave that is more than two feet high is going to require that you duck underneath the wave rather than floating right over it, and this is where the duck dive term comes from. Duck diving is not something people really learn how to do when they are first learning how to surf, because most beginning surfers are surfing the smaller waves anyway. In fact, most people that learn how to duck dive do so through necessity because they end up having to tackle a wave that was larger than what they were expecting. Still, it may be a good idea for you to learn how to duck dive before you even learn how to stand up on the board.

This way, when you do encounter a wave that is too large for you to simply float over, you will know what to do rather than having to learn very quickly at the worst possible time through necessity.

As you are padding and approaching an oncoming wave, you should be shooting to have as much speed as you possibly can. Approximately two feet before you make contact with the white water, you need to grab both of the rails, or the side edges of the board, particularly about halfway between the midpoint of the board and the nose, and you should push all of the weight in your upper body onto your hands and your arms until you feel as if the nose of the board is about to go under the water. Now you should point your head down, allowing your body to follow suit.

Once your body has gone just below the surface, the next step in the process is to bend your dominant leg, using the knee of your dominant leg to push the tail of your board under the water. The momentum that you create should be enough for you to be quickly thrust under the wave which is passing quickly over you, only requiring you to be under the water for a short period of time. As the wave begins to pass you overhead, you can let the natural flotation of your board to bring you back up to the surface. Now you should have the necessary skill to paddle yourself to the lineup, or you can paddle up to the next wave and duck dive underneath it as well.

It’s not really a difficult process to learn, but it can go a long way in preparing you for real surfing. Once you know how to duck dive to line yourself up for big waves, you can begin to surf the big ones. Practice this technique until you become comfortable, and then you can go out and tackle the big ones, showing your friends that yes, you really can learn to surf on the internet!

Photo Credits: colmsurf

Originally posted 2009-08-07 05:03:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Paddling out is one of the first things that you need to learn when it comes to learning how to surf, and for obvious reasons as well. Paddling out sounds like such a simple process, but in reality, in surfing situations, you also have to be simultaneously balancing your body on the water, which is moving, and you need to keep yourself afloat while you are dodging breaking waves. So padding out sounds really simple before you get on your board, and then you find yourself learning how to surf and everything seems so overwhelming. Remember that you need to be willing to start small, and you need to find water where there aren’t any big waves so that you can spend some real quality time learning how to paddle out without getting knocked around too badly on your old surfboard.

The first thing that you are going to want to do is to walk out into the water with your board until you are in the water up to your waist or chest level. You should lay your body across the deck of your board, and you should take special care to make sure that you are centering your weight on the board’s middle in order to keep yourself properly balanced. The natural tendency for most people is to lean back against the board’s tail, but this will cause the surfboard’s nose to rise up and this can create unnecessary resistance when you are trying to move yourself forward.

Instead, what you should do is to keep your chest just a little above the board’s center point. Once you are feeling stable, you can lean forward so that the nose and the tail of the surfboard are allowed to level out. Once you level out, you are ready to get going. Now you should be cupping your hands and alternately paddling your arms. The more resistance that you feel, the faster you will go. As you begin to hit choppy or bumpy water, what you are going to want to do is lightly lift your chest, lessening the weight that you are placing on the board in order to keep your nose and your rails from going under.

You need to remember that you need to be balancing many aspects of your body. Your right side, your left side, your head and your legs all need to maintain a proper level of balance while you are simultaneously paddling yourself out to the line up for a wave. You should practice until you feel comfortable paddling out, because this is one of the most vital skills for you to know. Once you know how to paddle out, you can catch waves and ride them back to shore good and proper. If you never learn to paddle out properly, you will end up nose diving before you hit the wave, and that’s no way to impress your friends.

Photo Credits: mikebaird

Originally posted 2009-08-04 05:59:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Understanding the benefits of surfing is important if you want to get the most out of this unique endeavor. Here is a look at some of the benefits that are associated with surfing.

As you have probably seen, surfing is a sport whereby a person stands on a surfboard, and proceeds to try to ride waves. There are a plethora of maneuverings and tricks that can be learned and performed. Surfing is capable of being great fun, but there are some precautions one should take as the ocean is not predictable at all.

Some people might think surfing is crazy, but the majority of surfers will say it is more than that. You make a connection with nature. You leave all of your worries behind while you are out riding the waves. The great power and magnitude of the ocean helps to reinforce the basic ideas we have of health and happiness, and what is really important in our lives.

Surfing can be greatly beneficial, both for body and mind. We all pretty much know the effects that surfing can have on the mind, so let us look to the benefits surfing has for the body. As I am sure you can imagine, riding the waves cannot be that easy. You have to be very fit. Where did you think the terms “washboard abs” and “surfer bodies” came from? Surfing provides excellent cardio since you use your entire body. You use your upper body to paddle out, to wade through the water, and to dive through the waves or duck under them. You use your lower body to control the board one you are up on the waves and riding in.

It is not just that surfing keeps one fit, but you must be in great shape in general because you have to carry your body weight. Since surfing is very cardio intensive, it is good for the heart, and helps to boost energy all around. You get good muscle tone, and your endurance increases. It has been said that surfers who live to their 70′s and beyond tend to defy age with ease. This is because surfing is a great stress reducer, helping you to stay young. So in a nutshell, not only is surfing great for your body, but it is also an immensely fun and popular sport that is very addictive. Once you learn to surf, you will never want to stop.

The beaches all along Hawaii, Florida and California as well as Australia all happen to be excellent hot spots for the purpose of surfing. Surfing really has its very own unique culture and a way of life about it. One of the absolute biggest perks associated with surfing is all of the great bonds and the friendships that you can build up all along the way. Surfing is capable of bringing people together and then it simply keeps people together.

Photo Credits: San Diego Shooter

Originally posted 2009-12-03 03:28:42. Republished by Blog Post Promoter