Fast Or Pretty – Choose Your Game When You Choose Your Roller Hockey Skates

By Terry Price

Inline hockey, which is played on inline or roller hockey skates, is a bit different than regular ice hockey. You’ll find that just about every piece of equipment is a bit different from the sticks, which are often made of aluminum to the skates, which are on rollers instead of on blades. Usually you’ll find that the cost of the equipment is a good bit cheaper than gear for ice hockey, but you’ll still pay a decent price, starting at about $100 for the right skates for the game. Before you start playing, there are a variety of different things that you need to know, so here is some relevant information that you need to be aware of first.

One of the first things that you need to know is that there is a difference between roller hockey skates that are used for outdoor and indoor use. Of course, you’ll find that most things are essentially them same, but you’ll find that the outdoor ones are going to have wheels that are a whole lot softer. They are designed in this way to help you make sure that you can get a good grip and they also keep you upright even when you skate over pebbles and cracks as well. Usually the indoor wheels are quite a bit harder, since they don’t usually have to go over cracks or pebbles and you don’t need the grip as much indoors.

Another thing that you need to consider is the difference between quad and inline skates when you’re making your choice. Basically this all comes down to personal choice, since some find that quad roller hockey skates are easier for them to balance on. Others find that inlines are a whole lot faster. So, you’ll have to check out both to decide which ones really work the best for you. Who knows, you may even end up liking both styles and enjoy using them both from time to time.

So, as you can see, it really can make a difference when you’re making your choice as to whether or not you are planning to plan outside or indoors. Make sure you get the right skates for where you are planning to play. Also, you’ll want to figure out whether you are more comfortable with quads or inlines as well before you buy. With this information, you’ll be better equipped to purchase the right roller hockey skates for your needs and comfort.

Terry Price is a regular contributor to HockeyEquipmentSticks.com which is an informational website offering many exciting new Hockey Sticks NHL Hockey Cards and great hockey advice.

Roller Derby in Austin

By Ki Gray and Dane Smith

In 2001, what started as an idea at the smoky 6th street club Casino El Camino, quickly gained steam among like-minded women of Austin, and the roller derby was reborn. Though many of those who started up the comeback hadn’t skated for decades, the gung ho spirit spawned one of Austin’s favorite new events.

The original roller derby league, under the name Bad Girl Good Woman (BGGW), had their first bout at Skate World in 2001 to 400 fans. By the end of the first season, they were skating to a fan base of 1300. BGGW was guided by four She-E-Os (derby talk for CEOs), but after one player had a serious injury in 2003, 80% of the BGGW broke off from the league to start their own. The new league, now known as the Texas Rollergirls, ran a democratic organization with each player having a say in decisions. The original Bad Girl Good Woman players regrouped as TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, resulting in Austin being the proud owner of two separate Roller Derby Leagues.

Though the rules in each league vary slightly, both are based on the roller skating endurance race created by promoter Leo Seltzer in the 1930s. There are four 10 minute periods with two teams racing around the track with flashy outfits, tough-girl names, and tons of attitude and antics, which sometimes include impromptu pillow fights and spanking line penalties. In keeping with the punk attitude of the event, rock and roll bands play during every half time. The main difference between the two leagues is the track itself. The Texas Rollergirls race on flat tracks with audience members lined up inches away from the track, which can result in many rollergirl/audience member collisions. The TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls purchased an original roller derby banked track used in the 70s and 80s, making them the first all-girl league to ever skate on a banked track (the original roller derbies were coed.)

The buzz of the roller derbies made for exciting news stories, and soon rollergirls were on the radio, television, and in local papers. A couple years later, Austin’s roller derbies became national news, and an article from the New York Times spawned interest among TV production companies who wanted to tell their story. In 2006, the Lonestar Rollergirls were featured in a 13 part series on A&E called “Rollergirls”, which followed team members and showcased the dichotomy between their roller skating personas, and their normal, every day lives. Local film company Crashcam Films also documented the rollergirls and released a movie titled “Hell On Wheels”, which has played at over 10 film festivals worldwide.

Soon, women from around the country began to show interest in starting their own leagues, and contacted the Texas Rollergirls for guidance. The Austin women created a United League Committee to set the groundwork for a national flat-track league, and personally shared tips and ideas with budding leagues to help get them up to speed. In 2007, Austin hosted the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Championship Tournament. Three thousand skaters and fans came from all over the world to watch as eight U.S. teams battle it out on the track. Though the Kansas City Roller Warriors took home the prize, it made Austin’s Rollergirls proud. What was just a fun idea started by a group of friends had blossomed into a revived national goodtime sport.

scape Realty provides information on their website about Austin real estate. They post up to date analysis on their Austin real estate blog along with a Austin MLS search for home buyers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ki_Gray

Abec Bearings

By Christoff Rumaxon

What are abec bearings? Well, they are something that every hockey player should know about. Actually that’s only partly true. Every Inline or Roller hockey player should know about them. When I first started playing roller hockey I didn’t think much about my skates, that was until the wheels broke. It was when I took them off and discovered for the first time what made my wheels actually work. What gave them their speed and their smoothness. These were the skating bearings. Now, the brand that was used were Abec bearings. The reason I’m mentioning abec and hockey is because you will find alot of hockey skates come with abec bearings. If you don’t believe, just get an alan wrench and take off the wheels. You can actually replace your skate bearings with other ones too.

This brand of bearing comes in ratings. The cheaper skates tend to come with what are called abec 3s. This is an alright type of hockey skate bearing for beginners, but for more advanced players you will want a higher rating. I tend to think the more speedier hockey players will want to go for an abec rating of 5 or above. When I was younger, I noticed a huge difference in speed and smoothness of skating between the two different types.

Basically, hockey boils down to one thing. Your hockey skates and your speed that you achieve with those skates. In roller hockey, you need these skate bearings. They are what enhance your speed and can make you a better player in an all around sense. You can actually look for skates with these types of hockey bearings in them. If you don’t want to spend too much money right away, you can always buy the ones with a cheaper and lower rating, then upgrade later. It isn’t too hard to change out the hockey skate bearings yourself.

Christoff Rumaxon thinks abec bearings are best for hockey skates.