Saturday August 25, 2007
THE BEGINNER
By DEBBIE
CHAN
debbie@thestar.com.my
TOMORROW is the big day and things are getting exciting! I will
be going for my final class today to brush up on my skating and to
get all the last minute tips I can from my instructors.
Some of the basic tips that I have learnt on manoeuvring slopes
in-clude pushing and kicking sideways to propel myself forward while
going uphill because it makes it easier and helps save energy and to
lock my feet in a wide frame and lean forward while going down hill.
I tried practicing these techniques on a small slope near my
house and I seemed to manage without losing my balance. And of
course, I will have to remember the tip of bending my knees.
While I am getting the jitters think-ing about the challenge
tomorrow, there are many enthusiastic skaters who have signed up to
participate in the Subang Jaya 10 KM Run with me.
The group varies from amateur skaters to professional skaters and
will include my instructors from Skateline Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
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All set: Debbie (left) joins in for
a group photograph with some fellow
skaters. |
These enthusiastic skaters
will jump at the opportunity of partici-pating in any running event
that welcomes skaters or events organized specifically for skaters
like Saturday Night Skate and 24 Skate.
Some of them also venture into different skating activities like
inline hockey, speed skating and extreme skating.
Among some of the major events they have participated in recently
include the Kiwanis Charity Run, 24 Skate, an international event
held in Putrajaya, and, of course, the PJ Half Marathon.
For 28-year-old Colin Chow who began skating a year ago, this
will be his second time participating in the Subang Jaya 10KM Run.
“I started last year and I tried to skate on my own but it was
too difficult so I decided to take classes and it really helped
because the structured classes gave me a step-by-step perspective,”
said Chow.
Chow goes skating on weekends whenever he can to maintain fitness
and has also participated in many events including 24 Skate.
“24 Skate is interesting because you see skating enthusiasts from
all around the world dedicating their time to skate for charity,” he
said.
For Chow, 10km for tomorrow’s run is no big deal because it is
not a long distance to cover on skates.
“It is quite easy and it is a good route for intermediate
skaters. Be-sides being a community event to bring people together,
I also hope to see some interesting displays of patriotism from the
participants since Merdeka is just round the corner,” Chow said.
Nik Noor Anita, 40, started skating classes two years ago and
remem-bered that she participated in the PJ Half Marathon 2005
within a month of the commencement of her classes.
“It was really fun and not unnerving at all. I actually bought my
skates in 1999 and tried to pick it up on my own but when I fell, I
just stopped until I decided to take classes,” said the stockbroker.
Anita avidly takes part in as many events as possible so long as
the organisers allow skaters to participate. Tomorrow’s run will be
an exciting one for her because she missed the previous few runs due
to work commitments.
“It’s basically to have fun and to exercise and it is also easier
to skate at events because the routes have been cleared for the
runners,” she said.
Samuel Ong started skating on ice at the Sunway Pyramid rink but
decided to switch to inline skating because it was cheaper and more
convenient.
Ong has participated in a few runs and tomorrow’s run will be an
opportunity for him to catch up with his friends.
“I’m not nervous because I’m quite used to it. I’m just there to
have fun and chill out with my friends,” the 18 year old said.
With so many skaters to join me tomorrow, I am pretty sure that
the challenge will be a fun and interesting one. If you are
interested, just bring your skates tomorrow and come join us at the
starting line.
You can also explore many other events and activities that
skating has to offer at http://www.skateline.com.my/ or learn more
about the inline hockey team at underdogsmalaysia.blogspot.com
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