cross-training on inline skates

I'd like to get my feet on some grass skis..

But I can't find any readily available in the US..

I tried it many years ago.  Cumbersome, hurts a lot when you fall too.  I'd still like to have some though..

not really a good cross training activety IMO. Inline skating or even grass skiing doesnt come anywhere close to skiing thought patterns of react and being active on 3d terrain in 3d snow conditions. there is a sport that does though....

I've never used them, but Harb Carvers were designed for this purpose and reportedly do a pretty good job of it.  Periodically you'll see a pair show up in the Gear Swap forum.

Might be worth a shot?

Water skiing is always fun.  I actually prefer two footed skiing to slalom just because it feels more like "skiing" to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metaphor_ 
Anyone care to comment on their experiences? Things that do work and don't work? Any progressions you would suggest for improving?  Or suggestions of ways to make inline skating effective for developing your skiing skills? 

I have many years of experience practicing on inline skates. Though it is not exactly the same but you could concentrate on some of the important similarities with skiing. I ll say getting back to neutral is very important for inline as it is so much shorter, I feel that if you are not forward when starting the turn you definitely have to resort to twisting your skates in order to turn. Second thing I would concentrate on is trusting your inline on getting it turn on its own. That would require some exaggerated tipping of your inline. Thirdly I would concentrate on outside skate dominant. I still working on this one. It is very easy to fall inside as a safe measure, as it is very painful to fall on concrete.   Here is a vid of me practicing on inline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEgAUWmbZWI

 Kent Rychel (CBA Head coach and former US team downhiller) and Jim Schanzenbaker (PSIA demo team and Aspen staff trainer / examiner) both swore by them. I am also a big proponent of inline skates, ice skating and hockey. Ask any coach, or instructor about hockey players and skaters who take up skiing. I do uphill parallel turns while wearing a weight vest, and slalom cones heading back down the hill. Skate parks are another venue that can help you with your 3D movements.

Quote:

Originally Posted by litterbug 

I've been intrigued by these ever since I saw a guy using them in a local park several years ago. They're geared towards Nordic training but I think they'd help prepare for Alpine skiing.

http://www.rollerskishop.com/ecart/rollerskis.php
http://www.nordicskater.com/rolski/index.html

Edit: they do require cross-country ski boots.

They're not a bad form of cross-training, but not as close to alpine as freeride MTB which has been alluded to a few times in this thread.  A great workout though.
 

I think it is a good balance practice but the turn mechanics are different. I can tip my inlines to the left and turn right. On inlines and skates you lead the turn with one skate and use that as a leverage to turn the other one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by litterbug 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

not really a good cross training activety IMO. Inline skating or even grass skiing doesnt come anywhere close to skiing thought patterns of react and being active on 3d terrain in 3d snow conditions. there is a sport that does though....

So......?

Mountain Biking. From a tactical, and thinking while you go though terrain stand point it is hand down the best, and the only thing that really mimics what a skier has to think about. Not only that but alot of the movement are the same or similar. you pedal your feet though your turns, you separate your upper and lower body, you actively absorb and extend and sometimes even prejump obstacles. There have been years where I have gotten better at skiing though out the summer due to the confidence and skills both mental and physical from mountain biking. Lastly it teaches you good vision techniques as well.

this just covers absorption and extension but does not get into turns. when you start combing everything on a MTBing, when riding singletrack, you start to mimic the thought process of ripping bumps,trees, or steeps.

I am also not only one who believes tons of A list, Freeskier and the USA ski team also subscribe to the same train of thought. Lastly its fun and is sure to whip people into shape. Youd be hard press to find anyone who can out last me skiing off trail terrain especially when you start hiking to it. I am no better than anyone its just MTBing has given me the chance to go hard all day on skis.

Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

I'd like to get my feet on some grass skis..

 

 

 

But I can't find any readily available in the US..

 

 

I tried it many years ago.  Cumbersome, hurts a lot when you fall too.  I'd still like to have some though..

 

Wonder if Bryce Resort has any to sell? (The only grass skiing resort in the US?) haha

http://www.bryceresort.com/adventure-sports/grass-skiing-boarding/

BWPA: Mountain Biking. From a tactical, and thinking while you go though terrain stand point it is hand down the best, and the only thing that really mimics what a skier has to think about.

I agree about the tactical, but to me the movements are quite different. IMHO, in-line skating or grass skiing are more relevant. I do both and have raced mountain bikes for years, but I have yet to feel much benefit other than the superior fitness I have at the beginning of the ski season.

Freestyle hiking is also pretty good cross training.

pdiddy's right though.    

If Bush hasn't taken the heel brake off and street-skated in a hilly city, if Bush hasn't done multi-story garages and staircases, if Bush hasn't raced, all he's done is the inline equivalent of taking a road bike on a 12mph paved trail.   In sneakers.

Simply skating in the rain is more critical of stacking, balance, tactics and edging prowess than anything a non-competitive MTB rider is likely to do.   Want to learn tactics, anticipation and projecting your mind forward?   Take the heel brake off.

While I agree to a point about bikes it should be pointed out that a wider variety of activities and training is superior to one activity. I suspect if you asked those same A teamers they would tell you their regimine includes so much more than riding a bike.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cantunamunch 

pdiddy's right though.    

 

If Bush hasn't taken the heel brake off and street-skated in a hilly city, if Bush hasn't done multi-story garages and staircases, if Bush hasn't raced, all he's done is the inline equivalent of taking a road bike on a 12mph paved trail.   In sneakers.

 

Simply skating in the rain is more critical of stacking, balance, tactics and edging prowess than anything a non-competitive MTB rider is likely to do.   Want to learn tactics, anticipation and projecting your mind forward?   Take the heel brake off.

I still aggresive inline from time to time I love riding ramps, you sound much better than me though as staircases handrails scare the hell out of me but give me a fun skate park and its a blast.

Beside Metaphor is not talking about aggresive or freestyle on ramps on street inline. He was talking about straight up inline like what you guys are describing what I do. The reason I started skiing was to practice inline in the first place. IMO park skiers and aggresive inliner have alot of cross training and alot in common. Normal inline and skiing though have very little cross over.

I do find it funny that you guys tell me to take the heal brake off....how am I suppose to stop then! ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherskipro 

While I agree to a point about bikes it should be pointed out that a wider variety of activities and training is superior to one activity. I suspect if you asked those same A teamers they would tell you their regimine includes so much more than riding a bike.

weight lifting, some sort of streatching(yoga), running elect. I know a couple of the Utahn guys personally and can tell you they all MTB a ton. I dont think any of them just rollerblade down roads though........

Bush, skating has it's place, just like biking does. A program that includes both and the weight, plyo, and stretching you mentioned is superior to any one of those activities alone.

Keep checking ebay. That's wher I found my grass skis.

"You don't grow too old to play, you grow old because you stop playing"

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

weight lifting, some sort of streatching(yoga), running elect. I know a couple of the Utahn guys personally and can tell you they all MTB a ton. I dont think any of them just rollerblade down roads though........

 

nobody said anything about just rollerblading down roads.  it was you who said roller blading was not a good cross training tool.  How can any cross training not be good?????   

I also noticed that you now support mtb while standing?   about a half year ago you said it wasn't good and it was misinformation to suggest that standing and riding a mtb is good cross training for skiing.  
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdiddy 

nobody said anything about just rollerblading down roads.  it was you who said roller blading was not a good cross training tool.  How can any cross training not be good?????   

I also noticed that you now support mtb while standing?   about a half year ago you said it wasn't good and it was misinformation to suggest that standing and riding a mtb is good cross training for skiing.  
 

 

dude first you have no crediabilty, you know noone, and dont post stoke. Its going to be an uphill battle for you especially while attacking me. From metaphor post he is rollerblading down road, he is not I repeat going to be on ramps. Trust me on this, I have read his post prior to this one before and he is old person stuck in a younger person body to him the thought of ramps scares him. You on the other hand sound really hard core, much more than me. Maybe you can post up some rollerblading stoke?

I am not sure where I endorse standing on a MTBing? to pump.. yes, good luck pumping sitting down. So that was you that got his panties in a wad. I personally had totally forgotten about it. My point of counter pointing you was to tell people to stand up the entire ride is really bad advice, at the same time telling someone to sit down the entire ride is really bad advice. I am sure I never said to sit down the entire ride. I may have said learning to sit down while pedaling and learning to stay there is the fastest most efficient way of pedaling even on a Single Speed. I stand tons during rides to get around turns, go downhill, and to clear tech features, but I strive to sit down while pedaling so I can keep going longer and longer. I know work as a MTBing instructor so someone liked what I have to say about biking. Id say go get try to get a job teaching people to ride XC/trails and suggest they stand up all the time and see how far you get.

BTW I know this is thread drift, but I did not take it there. It cool you hate me Pdiddy but the deal is untill we see something from you, your hate is just hate with no substance to back it up. You could be an alias for all we know.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metaphor_ 

 I can see there are some pretty fundamental differences between inline skating and skiing... 

 

Anyone care to comment on their experiences? Things that do work and don't work? Any progressions you would suggest for improving?  Or suggestions of ways to make inline skating effective for developing your skiing skills? 

Back on track here folks: I was fortunate enough to have a summer job working for rollerblade (like 20 years ago......).  I spent 2 summers teaching camps / instruction & also had access to a 1/3 mile pitched well wide paved road at an elementary school that got no traffic in the summer.  I ran GS all summer long on the pitch.

I was shocked that my skiing really didn't get any better.  There were a thousand confounding factors, yet I was sure that running gates all summer would allow me to crush all winter.  I did not feel that the genrealization was there to my skiing.  That being said, here is what worked (then & now)

 1) 5 wheel model, way better!

 2) I was fitter for the skating, yet feel that trail running, soccer, XC mtn biking & lift served biking all provided a better workout.

 3) focus on the non feet skill w/ the blade....timing, pole plants, looking ahead, calm upper body

 4) depending on your level of fitness is where these fit in ; if you are general pop looking to gain fitness, these may be your ticket.  If you are a trained athlete in a stop & go / burst sport (skiing, mtn biking, soccer, lax....) these are great for your mellow workout days

 5) if you are a speed skater, road cyclist or XC skier - well this may be your training tool, but is far to aerobic for the burst sports crowd

 6) try sprint or short SL courses to better mirror skiing ; the smooth rolling & lack of ground force reactions limit the impact to generalization

 7) these are a great tool for a return from injury (unless you are new to skating / can' t skate )
 8) you don't need gates, buy some cones or cut old tennis balls in half & focus on changes to the turn radius, funnel drills while keeping # 3 in mind

 good luck!

In addition to helping me with fore and aft balance, I also found in-line skating helpful for working on simultaneous edge change.  Several years ago I was trying to get rid of a big flaw in my skiing...sequential edge change (first one, then the other).  Practicing skating down hills in the summer months concentrating on tipping the feet at the same time was extremely helpful practice for me and crossed over to my skiing quite well the next season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinelander 

"You don't grow too old to play, you grow old because you stop playing"

I can relate to that !

Bryce Mt in Virginia has had grass skiing for at least 20 years.

Back then I tried their grass skiing once.  Very hard to turn. At the lift you had to walk them

thru a tray of oily water to lubricate the suckers.

I even entered a race.  Grasstar  (like Nastar) !  I was going too fast and found I could not turn.

This was quickly leading toward two outcomes - either getting a medal or seriously busting my ass

in a bad fall.  I got the medal !  Decided then and there to quit this stuff

hth