Hyperion High School

Bucharest

English Language Certificate Inline Skating

Coordinator teacher: Andreea Sanda

Student: Ovidiu Tudoran

2011

Table of contents
Argument...................2 Chapter I : History of Inline Skating 1.1 The History of Inline Skate Development.........3 1.2 The National Museum of Roller Skating......4 1.3 John Joseph Merlin: Father of Inline Skating.....6 Chapter II : Inline Skating Styles and Disciplines 2.1 Find An Inline Sport That Is Just Right For You.......7 2.1.1 Recreational Inline Skating: Discover Social Activities on Inline Skates......7 2.1.2 Inline Fitness Skating: Skate Your Way Into Good Health.............8 2.1.3 Inline Speed Skating: A Sport for Those With a Need for Speed..............8 2.1.4 Inline Marathon Skating: Marathon Skaters Are All Over the World.............10 2.1.5 Inline Figure Skating: Learn About Figure Skating On Dry Land.............11 2.1.6 Inline Hockey Skating: Inline Hockey is a Popular Year-Round Sport................12 2.1.7 Aggressive Inline Skating: Three Aggressive Skating Activities........14 2.1.8 Urban Inline Skating: Skating for Thrilling Urban Transit..................15 2.1.9 Downhill Inline Skating: Downhill Skaters Need Advanced Skating Skills................16 2.1.10 Off Road and All Terrain Inline Skating: Skating Beyond the Smooth Road................17 Chapter III : Distinguished Athletes and Coaches 3.1 Jean-Pierre Faugre - Inline Figure Coach and Promoter........18 3.2 Linda Wood - USA Roller Sports Inline Racing Coach.19 3.3 Susie Jackson - USA Roller Sports Adult Inline Speed Skating Champion.................................................................................................20 Chapter IV : Development of Competitive Events 4.1 The Federation Internationale de Roller Sports - Origins of the FIRS Organization.22 4.2 Inline Speed Skaters Switch to Ice for Olympics - Inline Racers Slide in Through the Ice Door..24 4.3 The Olympic Status of Inline and Roller Sports - What Does It Take to Get Roller Sports Into the Olympics?...........................................................25 Conclusion............................26

Annexes........................27 Bibliography........................31

Argument
It is said that sport is a good activity to keep you in shape. But what does it really mean in shape? To build a body of envy, beautifully carved with strong muscles such as one can see in ancient Greek sculptures or Michelangelos paintings and sculptures or simply watching the Olympics? Or could also be a state of mind, a kind of feeling alive, energetic, and spirited, enjoying life and ready to accomplish your purposes? In my point of view both perspectives are important because they reveal two paramount, inherent characteristics of human nature: mans craving for beauty which could be decoded as a strong reminiscent remembrance of the Paradise Lost when man was incorruptible and, at the same time, his specially designed for moving body. As soon as you have stopped moving you begin slowly turning into a huge mass of flaccid flesh oppressing your spirit. And I cannot help thinking of those strange cases of people who one day, for some reason or another, did not get out of bed and grew into an enormous bulk of meat encompassing, engulfing the very bed they laid on within two years or so. This is nothing but an apocalyptic image for me. Therefore one should never forget that sport is a means for being in a good form both physically and psychically. Just look up the word sport in a thesaurus dictionary and you will find out its complex and numerous meanings in English. For example: 1. (Entertainment) Syn. diversion, play, amusement, merrymaking, jollification, festivity, revelry, revel, Saturnalia, carnival, pastime, pleasure, enjoyment; 2. (A joke) Syn. raillery, pleasantry, mockery, jest, jesting, mirth, joking, mummery, antics, trifling, tomfoolery, nonsense, jollity, laughter, drollery, practical joke. 3. (Athletic or competitive amusement) Syn. game, competition, contest, athletic event, amateur sport, professional sport. Consequently I intend to describe my favourite sport, inline skating, which is more than a pastime for me, that is to say a life style. Why inline skating and not another amusement? Simply because it can be challenging, aggressive, and extreme by pushing your body and mind to the limit. All you have to do is to practice and improve your skills once you

have acquired them. It is a way of expressing your inner need of freedom, feeling alive and celebrating life.

Chapter I History of Inline Skating

Many technological improvements led to the equipment used by skaters today. Skates were refined, skating techniques improved and the number of activities grew. These articles show where inline skating came from and where it is going.

1.1 The History of Inline Skate Development

The Evolution of Inline Roller Skates - 18th Century Beginnings
Inline skates may have originated in Scandinavia or Northern Europe where ice skating was an easy way to travel short distances. By the early 17th century, ice skating was a popular method of transportation for these early Dutch who called themselves "skeelers" and skated on frozen canals in the winter. They eventually used a primitive form of roller skate, made by attaching wooden spools to a platform to allow similar travel in warmer weather. The first officially documented inline skate actually appeared in London in 1760. The progression from transportation, to a substitute for on stage ice skating, to recreational skating, to fitness skating and eventually to inline competitive sports has been closely linked to the development of inline skate technology. Let's follow the developments and technological improvements that have been made to the original inline skates that lead to the comfortable and sometimes highly specialized equipment used by inline skaters today.

1743
First documented reference to inline or roller skating was left by a London stage

performer. The inventor of these skates, which were probably an inline design, is unknown and is lost in history.

1760
The first known inventor of an inline roller skate was John Joseph Merlin. Merlin was born September 17, 1735, in Huys, Belgium and became a musical instrument maker and mechanical inventor. One of his inventions was a pair of skates with single line of small metal wheels. He wore the skates as a publicity stunt to promote his museum, and from the beginning, stopping was a problem. It is believed that one of his ballroom stunts ended in a dramatic crash into a mirrored wall because of this defect. For the next century roller skate wheels followed the inline design alignment.

1789
The inline skate idea made its way to France in 1789 with Lodewijik Maximilian Van Lede and his skate that he called the patin a terre which translates from French to land skates or "earth skates". Van Lede's skates consisted of an iron plate with wooden wheels attached. He was a sculptor at the Academy Bruges in Paris and was considered as very eccentric.

1.2 The National Museum of Roller Skating

Roll Through Inline and Roller Sports History
The National Museum of Roller Skating is the home of the largest collection of historical and antique inline and roller skates, dating back to 1819, in the world. Museum exhibits showcase people and artifacts from roller skating history. During a trip to the museum you can walk through the evolution of inline and roller skates.

Museum Collections
The museum collections include patents, medals, trophies, photographs, artworks, films, videos, costumes, libraries, archives and inline and roller sports memorabilia. There are approximately 1,500 volumes of roller skating books and periodicals, including over 125

American and foreign titles in the museum's periodical collection. The archives also includes over 8,000 photographs; personal papers of individuals prominent in roller skating from 1800 to the present; programs and archival material for local, regional, national, and international roller skating competitions; and miscellaneous articles and images related to roller skating. Exhibits of interest include:

The first patented roller skate Plimpton's first "rocking skates" from the James L. Plimpton family collection A selection of nineteenth-century roller skate patents Stilt skates, 2-wheel skates, 3-wheel skates, and even skates designed for animals The complete evolution of the roller skate since the 1700s Inline skates dating from 1819 to present Leading skate manufacturing companies and innovators Photographs and memorabilia from clubs, organizations, celebrities and rinks Speed skating, artistic skating and roller hockey history Highlights of roller skating competitions Roller Sports Hall of Fame

Museum Store and Gift Shop

There is a museum store in the exhibit gallery with souvenirs like tee-shirts, pens, pencils, patches, postcards and paperweights. Several museum publications are available, too:

The Evolution of the Roller Skate: 1820-Present The History of Roller Skating Awards & Honors of the Roller Skating Association International The Allure of the Rink: Roller Skating at the Arena Gardens, 1935-1953

The museum is a little off the beaten path, but Lincoln is a friendly city, the home of roller sports history and the national hub for current USA Roller Sports activities. The National Museum of Roller Skating is located at 4730 South Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506 and is open Monday through Friday with free admission.

1.3 John Joseph Merlin: Father of Inline Skating

Merlin was an Imaginative Inventor
The first documented inventor of an inline skate, John Joseph Merlin was born on September 17, 1735 in the city of Huys, Belgium. As a young man he worked in Paris where he made museum-quality clocks, watches, musical instruments and other delicate mathematical instruments.

Inlines Were Not His Only Invention

Merlin was a musician, a mechanical genius and an inventor who opened Merlins Mechanical Museum when he moved to London in 1760 at age 25. His museum, located in Hanover Square, was entertaining and became a popular place to visit as well as a showroom for his mechanical and musical inventions. Guests could play with a gambling machine, see perpetual motion clocks and mobile bird cages, listen to music boxes and even try the wheeled chair for few shillings. In that same year, he created the first roller known skates, which consisted of a small row of metal inline wheels. It is believed that Merlin wore his skates as part of the publicity stunts he often used to promote his inventions and the museum. Stopping and maneuvering were a problem that Merlin couldnt resolve with skating skill or inventions, so he exhibited and demonstrated his roller skates but did not patent them. For the next century other skate designs would continue to follow this inline wheel alignment.

Some of Merlins Other Inventions:

Maneuverable sedan-type wheelchair for people with gout Dutch oven Perpetual motion machine that ran on atmospheric pressure changes Weighing machines

Harpsichord with pianoforte action Barrel organ Compound harpsichord

Chapter II

Inline Skating Styles and Disciplines

2.1 Find An Inline Sport That Is Just Right For You

2.1.1 Recreational Inline Skating: Discover Social Activities on Inline Skates
Inline skating styles include recreational, fitness and competitive disciplines, and can even be used as transportation. Inline skating is a practical choice for anyone in search of a sport, because it can be done almost anywhere or anytime. And if you have your own equipment, most paths, parks, courts, driveways and trails make great free training grounds. The kind of skating that interests you will determine the type of training, skates and gear you will need for these roller sports: Recreational Skating Fitness Skating Speed and Inline Racing Marathon Skating Freestyle Slalom Skating Inline Figure Skating Aggressive and Stunt Skating Urban Skating Off Road and All Terrain Skating Downhill Racing

Use this guide for a brief overview of inline skating sports. If you are not sure that your interests will be dedicated to a specific skating type, start by building a good foundation in recreational or fitness activities and training.

2.1.2 Inline Fitness Skating: Skate Your Way Into Good Health
No matter how young or old you are or what shape you are in at the moment, inline fitness skating helps you get or stay in shape and have fun while doing it. Inline fitness skating combines serious skating for medical, mental or physical benefits with fun skating for pure pleasure. Fitness skating is a great low-impact replacement for running, because you can burn lots of calories without wear-and-tear on your joints. Regardless of your fitness program, fitness skating can be of great benefits as an addition to your existing exercise routine. Improve balance and coordination Weight loss and maintenance Stress reduction Aerobic cardiovascular fitness and endurance Anaerobic muscle development

Inline skating is a great way to participate in a fitness activity that benefits both your body and your mind and can be done at any location that recreational skating can. It is one of the easiest to get to, low-impact, high aerobic sports youll find. Since its fun and provides opportunities for socialization and networking, most fitness and recreational inline skaters roll for longer periods of time than participants in other similar activities. This extra skating time will increase the effectiveness of all of the fitness and mental health benefits listed below.

2.1.3 Inline Speed Skating: A Sport for Those with a Need for Speed
Regardless of age, speed skating participants share one thing - a desire to fly as fast and as far as they can on small round wings.

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Speed skating began about 1880 when rinks conducted professional quad races to attract spectators and amateur quad races to attract skaters. In 1937, skaters raced in quads at the first Roller Skating World Championships. By 1992, inline skates came into use for international roller race competitions. Today, inline speed skates have replaced quad skates, and inline speed skating sometimes called inline racing - is a fun and challenging low impact aerobic activity as well as an internationally recognized roller sport.

Either name describes it accurately, since this is the sport of racing on inline skates sometimes at speeds of 30 to 50 kilometers per hour. Inline racing grew from quad racing, but it is enough like ice speed skating to allow athletes to cross over between the ice and inline speed skating disciplines. There are even transfer camps to help inline racers make this transition. Inline speed skating is an extremely competitive international sport that can be conducted using short or long distance races. These races can be held on a variety of surfaces including indoor rinks, sports facilities, outdoor road circuits and banked tracks. In this inline sport the athletes wear high-tech inline speed skates and aerodynamically designed skin suits which are both designed to facilitate speed. Safety helmets are always worn and gloves are added for road competitions. People choose inline speed skating as their sport for many reasons: Speed skating is fun Speed skaters want to achieve fitness goals Racing has social benefits Medals can be won and records can be broken There are many opportunities to travel Speed skating can be a family activity Racing is an on-going challenge

Speed skaters can join a team, skate with friends or skate alone. Equipment can be expensive, but new entry level skates or carefully selected used equipment is

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affordable. You should learn the basics first, then enjoy years of skill development and athletic achievements as an inline speed skater.

2.1.4 Inline Marathon Skating: Marathon Skaters Are All Over the World
Over 2,490 years ago Phidippides ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to alert the city about a military victory. His trip would have been easier on inlines. The marathon trend is sweeping the inline skating world. Marathons have appeared and are planned in locations all over the world. There are many excellent training programs designed to help athletes prepare to skate marathons, and many marathons have thousands of inline skating participants. One interesting thing about marathons is that although they attract many competitive and professional speed skaters, the majority of marathon participants are recreational and fitness skaters. Much like inline speed skating, inline marathon racing is a fun and challenging low impact aerobic activity and roller sport. Inline marathon skating is an extremely competitive international sport that is usually conducted using 26 mile distance races. Some events offer half-marathon events to accommodate newer and younger skaters, too. These races are usually held on outdoor road circuits through cities, scenic terrain, farmland or a combination of areas that have clean, safe, paved roads running through them. In this inline sport the athletes wear high-tech inline speed skates with durable outdoor wheels and aerodynamically designed skin suits which are both designed to facilitate long distance speed. Safety helmets are always worn and gloves are added for these road competitions.

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People choose inline marathon skating as their sport for many of the same reasons that they choose speed: Marathon skating is fun Marathon skaters want to achieve fitness goals Racing has international social benefits Medals can be won and records can be broken There are many opportunities to travel Marathon skating can be a family activity Marathon skating is an on-going challenge

Marathon participants can represent a team or sign up as an individual. Equipment can be expensive, but new entry level skates or carefully selected used equipment is affordable. You should learn the basics first, then enjoy all of the local, regional, national and international marathon skating opportunities.

2.1.5 Inline Figure Skating: Learn About Figure Skating On Dry Land
Inline figure skating is a roller sport which includes competitive and cross-training activities for ice and roller sports enthusiasts.

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Inline figure skating is a branch of roller figure skating (often called artistic skating) which emerged as a competitive discipline very slowly. In the 1880s, ice skating instructors were hired by roller rinks to teach skating basics to beginners and figure skating maneuvers to advanced skaters on quad skates. Figure skating on inlines has appeared at various times since then for ice cross-training, but did not get recognition as a sport in its own right until 2002, when inline free skating events for women and men were included as part of the World Roller Figure Skating Championships in Germany for the first time. Today's roller sports include inline figure skating on skate frames that support 3 or 4 wheels in a line with a rubber toe-stop or toe-pick, mounted on figure skating boots. The popularity of inline figure skating has grown with the development of high quality inline figure skating equipment and customizations that allow each skater to attempt more difficult maneuvers. In this sport, the competitors execute program requirements on inline skates. Many championships are combined with roller figure skating, since both disciplines can use the same type of skating surface with similar free skating, dance and creative events. But there are also inline only events like the Paris Open. Inline figure skating is currently governed by the Fdration Internationale de Roller Sports, which includes it as an artistic roller skating sport on inline skates at its world championships. Inline figure skaters around the world are now performing double and triple jumps, a range of spins, interesting choreography and all of the senior level dances while using inline skates. Ice figure skating federation members often use inline figure skating for cost effective off-ice training. Roller and ice enthusiasts choose inline figure skating for many reasons: Inline figure skating is fun Inline figure skating can be done on many surfaces at many locations Inline figure skaters can achieve cross-training goals Inline figure has competitive opportunities There are opportunities to travel Inline figure can be an on-going non-competitive activity

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Inline figure skaters can join a club, skate with friends or skate alone. Inline figure skates are expensive, but new entry level skates or carefully selected used equipment is affordable. You should learn the basics first, then benefit from cross-training or competitive activities in inline figure skating.

2.1.6 Inline Hockey Skating: Inline Hockey is a Popular Year-Round Sport

Inline hockey is a good recreational or competitive sport for adults or kids of any age. It can also be used to train for ice hockey during the off-season. Inline hockey is a form of roller hockey that is a lot like ice hockey. This team sport is best played on a smooth plastic surface that creates minimal friction for the puck and good traction for inline hockey wheels. The game is played by two teams, consisting of four skaters and one goalie, on a rink divided in half by a center line, with a net at each end of the rink. The game is played in three 15-minute periods. On the competitive level, Inline hockey follows the rules of a national or international governing body. Recreational hockey leagues often make rule changes to accommodate local needs like the size of the rink or timing for periods and penalties. Inline hockey is a good recreational sport for adults or kids of any age or gender who want a team activity that requires a combination of speed, maneuverability and quick thinking. This roller sport can also be used to train for ice hockey during the off-season. In order to play either recreational, cross-training or professional inline hockey, players need special inline skates and other gear:

Inline hockey skates Elbow pads Helmet and protective gear Hockey stick

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Hockey puck

Inline hockey is a popular year-round sport at amateur, scholastic, and professional levels in areas that have inline hockey rinks with the correct playing surface. In some countries, the inline hockey is also played on wooden floors in indoor sports halls. Since it can be played on any smooth dry surface, inline hockey can be played for fun in almost any sports center. Inline hockey is known by many names depending on which region of the world it is played, variations on equipment use and the game surface location. Inline hockey Roller hockey Long stick hockey Deck hockey Road hockey Street hockey Ball hockey Skater hockey

Professional inline hockey has existed in North America since 1993 with teams in the United States and Canada. In the United States, inline hockey is currently organized by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which is part of USA Roller Sports, and USA Hockey Inline. There are two types of governing bodies for inline hockey. Some belong to the rollers sports community and others belong to the ice hockey community. Inline hockey is governed on the international level by International Ice Hockey Federation, which organizes IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships and the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports which organizes FIRS Inline Hockey World Championships.

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2.1.7 Aggressive Inline Skating: Three Aggressive Skating Activities

Aggressive skaters enjoy finding ways to defy gravity in any way humanly possible. Aggressive inline skating is a form of inline skating where stunts and tricks like jumps, grinds, slides and flips are the foundation for all of the skating maneuvers. Aggressive skaters slide on edges and ledges, jump over barriers, fly around and onto structures, rotate in the air like gymnasts and defy gravity in any way humanly possible. These maneuvers can be very dangerous, which is what gives this skating discipline an extreme, sometimes called "X," sport classification. There are three types of aggressive inline skating. Vert skating includes aerial stunts and maneuvers in a half pipe structure that becomes vertical at the top. Street skating is when city street, plaza and campus objects or architectural elements are used as skating surfaces and take-off points for aggressive tricks. Park skating uses special areas at indoor and outdoor skate parks for aggressive stunts. Aggressive skating and safety are an unusual combination, so more attention should be given to the use of protective gear for this stunt based sport. Skaters usually wear long loose jeans which look cool and allow unrestricted movement, but the heavy fabric weight also provides an extra layer of protection from abrasions. Special skates and boots have been developed to accommodate sliding the skate surface on rails and ledges. These stunts, tricks, and maneuvers require a very advanced level of skating skills and a thorough knowledge of how to fall safely to perform them properly and with some degree of safety. Aggressive inline skating activities are attractive to younger skaters and thrill-seekers that do it for recreation or participate in extreme sports competitions.

2.1.8 Urban Inline Skating: Skating for Thrilling Urban Transit

If your aggressive skating leaves the park and is used more like alternative transportation, you are an urban skater.

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Urban inline skating is a discipline that merges aggressive and recreational skating. Urban skaters use aggressive maneuvers to travel through cities on a combination of streets, sidewalks and available structures to reach a destination using the shortest or fastest methods possible. Urban inline skating is also called free skating or free riding and incorporates aggressive styled tricks including sliding, grinding and jumping. They use firm boots for good support like the aggressive skaters, short frames for maneuverability like slalom skaters use, but often need bigger wheels for a little more speed since they are really using these skates for transportation. Like aggressive skating, safety and the use of protective gear and protective clothing is recommended for this stunt based form of transportation. Loose jeans will allow unrestricted movement, and the denim fabric will provides an extra layer of protection from abrasions. These stunts, tricks, and maneuvers through the city will require a very advanced level of skating skills and a thorough knowledge of how to fall safely. Urban inline skating is a great activity for young or young-at-heart thrill-seekers who can do it for recreation, transportation and a unique way to get away from urban traffic. It will also be important for urban skaters to know their own local laws governing traffic and safety issues for inline skaters, bikes and other human-powered vehicles.

2.1.9 Downhill Inline Skating: Downhill Skaters Need Advanced Skating Skills
Thrill seekers, skiers and speed demons will like downhill inline skating. Downhill inline skating is a variation of the inline roller sports that is similar to the Alpine downhill ski racing. The biggest difference is that these racers cover a downhill distance on paved mountain roads using inline skates instead of skis on a snow covered mountain.

Technical Downhill

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Technical downhill skating requires inline skating down steep city streets. This downhill discipline is done with or without using ski poles and demands perfect turns on each curve of the road to prevent skidding.

Downhill Inline Racing In downhill inline racing, four to six racers start each race at the same time, so drafting and passing strategies are a very important part of each race. Any athlete who chooses a downhill inline skating discipline should understand that advanced skating skills are required, including turning, braking and balancing at speeds that can easily reach 35mph and in some cases have gone over 75mph. Speed enthusiasts, thrill seekers and athletes looking for cross training activities for skiing are good candidates for downhill inline skating activities.

2.1.10 Off Road and All Terrain Inline Skating: Skating Beyond the
Smooth Road Off road and all terrain skating is a combination of mountain biking, skiing and inline skating squeezed into one roller sport. Off road and all terrain skating is a good activity for anyone who needs a more exciting inline skating activity without becoming an aggressive inliner. Off road and all terrain skaters use special skates with over-sized and often pneumatic wheels that allow them to skate on dirt paths, sand, mountain trails and rocky roads.

Off road inline skating is exciting and fun for people who want to try skating on a variety of outdoor landscapes. People who love extreme sports

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Skaters who like new adventures Anyone who enjoys skiing or mountain biking People who enjoy off-road activities

All terrain inline skates include several types of skate with a soft or hard boot and a reliable closure system. There are also models that are attached to your shoes or boots. Most all terrain skates have a long wheelbase and pneumatic wheels that can roll over many surfaces. Some models even come with a hand activated braking system for speed control easy stopping. These off road inline skates ride over smooth or rough terrain and let you go where inline skating could not go before.

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Chapter III Distinguished Athletes and Coaches

There are many contributors to the inline roller sports. Discover the athletes, coaches and officials who work hard to support, develop and participate in inline skating events. Find out how some individuals leave their own mark on our sport.

3.1 Jean-Pierre Faugre

Inline Figure Coach and Promoter
Jean-Pierre is the Founder of G.R.I.P. As the founder of G.R.I.P., Glace et Roller Inline de Paris, Jean-Pierre Faugre promotes ice figure skating and inline figure skating as identical sports. Jean-Pierre Faugre teaches both ice and inline roller figure skating. He organizes classes and provides private instruction for enthusiasts in both disciplines at G.R.I.P. He also promotes inline and ice skating competitions and events for freestyle and dance skaters. . Jean-Pierre Faugre has an impressive figure skating resume:

Ex-Champion - French Professional Ice Dancing Third Place - World Championship Professional Ice Dancing

Grand Gold Medal - Ice Dancing

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Silver Medal - Youth and Sports

Board Member - International Inline Figure Skating Federation

Board Member and Treasurer - Committee of Paris Roller Skating

Board Member - Regional Committee of Figure Skating

Board Member - League of Ile de France Roller Skating

Head of the Technical Commission for Figure Skating and Inline Dance Skating Board Member - Office of Sport Movement in the 15th Arrondissement of Paris

Jean-Pierre Faugre Loves All Figure Skating: A pure love of figure skating gives Jean-Pierre Faugre the ability to teach skating to both ice and inline skaters. He believes that ice skating and skating on roller blades are compatible and uses his knowledge of both to train skaters of all ages. Jean-Pierre also promotes figure skating and dance on ice, inline and quads. He is an important part of the organizational structure for events, competitions and exhibitions in all of these disciplines.

3.2 Linda Wood

USA Roller Sports Inline Racing Coach

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Linda Wood coaches the Triad Racing speed team in Citrus Heights, California and has many other skating accomplishments. Linda was the 2007 USARS Developmental Coach of the Year.

She was also the Team USA Speed Coach in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

Linda competed in figure skating for 17 years.

She taught artistic skating for 11 years.

Seminars and Training Services: Linda and son Josh Wood from California also conduct outdoor speed skating clinics and teach at inline racing seminars. Inline Racing and Roller Sports Promotion: Linda Wood promotes inline racing and roller sports in many ways. Her "Speed Skating Spectator" site provides a look into the USA Outdoor Racing Championships. She writes articles and tips for the Inline Planet and for USA Roller Sports. Linda's inline speed event photography can be seen all over the web.

Linda Wood is a Lifetime Coach and Skater: Linda Wood started skating when she was two years old. It was less expensive for her parents to take her skating with them than it was to pay a babysitter. Skating has been a part of her life for over 45 years and has given her chance to coach skaters of all ages.

Linda was a figure skater for 17 years, taught artistic skating for 11 years and now coaches inline racing. She is currently the coach of the Triad Racing speed team in Citrus Heights, California, and the mother of three skaters, including Josh Wood. She

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coached the 2006 U.S. Junior World Team that competed in the World Speed Skating Championships in An yang, South Korea and was the team manager in 2005. Linda's goal is to see roller sports make it into the Olympics. She feels that the sport and the athletes who participate in it deserve to skate under the Olympic rings.

3.3 Susie Jackson

USA Roller Sports Adult Inline Speed Skating Champion
Susie Jackson is a Dedicated Rink Mom: Susie Jackson of Canton, Michigan is more than a dedicated USARS inline speed skating champion. She is a rink operator, consulting coach and skate mom. Susie Sets Inline Speed Records and a Good Example: Susie disciplines herself in inline speed skating and sets a good training example for her teammates as well as her son. Her dedication has resulted in speed skating skills that have broken records in the past and set new records recently. Boot sizing problems didn't slow Susie down in the 2007 season. Her very small sized adult feet are hard to fit properly, but Susie actually managed to skate in oversized skates at an important event.

Susie Jackson is married to rink operator and former speed champion, Chuck Jackson. Their son Nathan is a promising young speed skater, too.

Susie Jackson of Canton, Michigan looks, talks and giggles like just about every other speed team mom in the rink. Her fun loving exterior isn't overshadowed by her responsibilities as a USARS inline speed skating champion, rink operator, coach and skate mom to her son, Nathan, who is also an SS2Racing Team speed skater.

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Susie won the Senior Ladies National quad speed skating title in 1987. But she forfeited a world speed team tryout in 1988 to marry Chuck Jackson and start a family. She gave birth to her son, Nathan, in 1989 and returned to speed skating in the mid - 1990s. Inline skating equipment now dominated the speed skating sports, and it took a while for her to make the transition from traditional quad speed skates to the new inline skating equipment. Hard work paid off at the 2007 USARS National Speed Championship where Susie Jackson skated against many of her peers from the 1987 national speed event and won the Grand Masters Ladies Inline Speed event. In the seven lap final, she won the start by more than eight feet and set the record for the event. Susie Jackson currently skates, does consulting coaching and is a rink operator at the Skatin' Station 2 Skating Center in Canton, Michigan. The rink that she owns with husband, Chuck Jackson, is dedicated to encouraging both inline speed and artistic USARS and world roller sports activities.

Chapter IV Development of Competitive Events

4.1 The Federation Internationale de Roller Sports

Origins of the FIRS Organization
The Federation Internationale de Patinage a Roulettes (FIPR) was started as an international sport organization designed to oversee roller hockey events between the existing national federations in western Europe at that time. The group had a hockey focus and originated in Montreux, Switzerland in April of 1924 by two Swiss sportsmen, Fred Renkewitz, the first President of FIPR, and Otto Myer, who was the International Olympic Committee Chancellor and four European countries (Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany and France) were at the first meeting.

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The first World Championship organized by FIPR was for Rink Hockey (Ball and Cane) in 1936, hosted by Stuttgart, Germany.

The next world championship was conducted in 1937 in Monza, Italy for Roller Speed Skating on the Road.

In 1938 a FIPR World Championship was held in London, England for Track Roller Speed Skating and in Ferrara, Italy for the second Road Speed Skating World Championship.

In 1939, the second Rink Hockey world championship for FIPR was held in Montreux, Switzerland, after which all World roller skating championships were interrupted by World War II and did not resume again until 1947.

In 1947 Rink Hockey returned with its third world championships in Lisbon, Portugal.

Artistic Roller Skating conducted its first FIPR World Championships in Washington, USA also in 1947.

From that time on, the three skating disciplines of FIPR conducted annual World Championships and expanded to include all of the continents of the world. Under the Presidency of Victoriano Oliveras de la Riva (1964 to 1973), FIPR changed its name to Federation Internationale de Roller Skating (FIRS) and became officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the mid 1960's as the international governing body for all roller skating. There was a lot of interest in getting roller sports into the Olympic Games. The IOC recognition was a first step toward inclusion in the Olympic Games. In the 1970s, the General Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF) gave similar membership recognition to FIRS.

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Under FIRS, roller hockey became a Demonstration Sport at the 1992 Olympic Games of Barcelona. Then, the fourth discipline of roller sports, Inline Roller Hockey organized the first Inline Roller Hockey World Championship in Chicago, Illinois, USA during the summer of 1995. The FIRS membership authorized a second title change for the International Federation, substituting Roller Sports for the previous description Roller Skating, at the same time retaining the FIRS acronym, but replacing the former globe logo with the current logo during the June 2000 Congress in Zell Am See, Austria. This early history of FIRS can be substantiated in the book Roller Skating History and Introduction published by FIRS in 1982. This history was written by Rolf Noess of Freiburg, Germany, who was then the Secretary/General of FIRS, and Camille Fetler of Bordeaux, France who served as President of the FIRS Rink Hockey from 1958 until 1976 and was awarded with a FIRS Honorary Lifetime Membership.

4.2 Inline Speed Skaters Switch to Ice for Olympics

Inline Racers Slide in Through the Ice Door
Efforts by the roller sports world governing body, the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), to earn Olympic status for inline speed skating or any of its disciplines were limited at the end of the 20th century. FIRS didnt push the promotional envelope when quad hockey was a demonstration sport in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. FIRS attempts to get Olympic status became most active around 2000, when inline speed skating was promoted as the most suitable roller sport for the Olympics. Competition from at least 20 other sports also seeking entry into the Olympics at a time when they were trying to reduce the number of participating sports kept chances of entry very slim. Since inline racing did not get Olympic status, many inline speed skaters have successfully switched to ice speed skating to get a shot at Olympic participation.

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In 1993, KC Boutiette was the first inline speed skater to switch to ice and skate in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. In 2002, three Team USA inline speed skaters (Derek Parra, Jennifer Rodriguez and Joey Cheek) won five medals in long track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Chad Hedrick, another American inline speed champion, switched to ice in 2002 and won the World All Around Speed Skating Championships in 2004.

Joey Cheek won two medals (a gold and silver) in Torino at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

Chad Hedrick won three medals (a gold, silver and bronze) in Torino. Apolo Anton Ohno, who won three medals in Torino (a gold and two bronzes), also began skating on inline skates.

Now, many other inline racers cross train on ice to open up Olympic opportunities that may not develop for them in inline speed skating. USA Roller Sports has even offered inline to ice transition camps to help inline skaters learn skating techniques specific to competitive long and short track ice speed skating, to explain the similarities and differences between elite level inline racing and ice speed skating and to provide off ice exercise programs including dry land, slide board and weight training.

4.3 The Olympic Status of Inline and Roller Sports

What Does It Take to Get Roller Sports Into the Olympics?

Every sport wants Olympic status and roller sports (including inline) are among them. Climbing, bridge, golf, roller sports and surfing are among the sports that are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The International Sports Federations that govern these sports have to make sure that their rules, practices and activities adhere to the Olympic Charter.

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Efforts by the roller sports world governing body, the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), to earn Olympic status for any of its disciplines were limited at the end of the 20th century. FIRS didn't push the promotional envelope when quad hockey was a demonstration sport in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Now, in the U.K., the British Inline Skater Hockey Association (BiSHA) is working with other disciplines to form one governing body with the aim of achieving Olympic status. BiSHA has now achieved Sports Council recognition and forms part of British Roller Sports Federation (BRSF) the governing body for roller skating disciplines. FIRS' attempts to get Olympic status became most active around 2000, when inline speed skating was promoted as the most suitable roller sport for the Olympics. Competition from at least 20 other sports also seeking entry into the Olympics at a time when they were trying to reduce the number of participating sports kept chances of entry very slim. Since inline racing didn't get Olympic status, many inline speed skaters have switched to ice speed skating to get a shot at Olympic participation. Recently, softball and baseball were seeking reinstatement after being voted off the agenda for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Roller sports joined them in the battle for two spots on the Olympic program for 2016. Golf, squash, karate and seven-a-side rugby were the other contenders. All seven sport federations received letters, requesting their presentations of their sport in October of 2009, when the International Olympic Committee assembles at Copenhagen. At this time, golf and rugby appear to be the sports of choice.

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Conclusion

In conclusion,practicing a sport is beneficial for everyone because it makes you have a healthy lifestyle and a good spiritual state.We always hear on TV that we have to do 30 minutes of exercises daily and we should listen that advice.However,many people have an unhealthy lifestyle and they are subject of high risks in terms of their healh over time. Many beautiful events are created based on the sport in general and many people are happy to attend or watch these events.We have some famous athletes like Nadia Comaneci or Ilie Nastase that made us proud to be Romanian.

Annexes

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http://inlineskating.about.com/od/competitiveinlineskating/p/faugere.htm http://inlineskating.about.com/od/speedmarathonskating/p/linda_wood.htm http://inlineskating.about.com/od/competitiveinlineskating/p/suzy_jackson.htm http://inlineskating.about.com/od/competitiveinlineskating/a/firs.htm http://inlineskating.about.com/od/competitiveinlineskating/a/olympic_skaters.htm http://inlineskating.about.com/od/competitiveinlineskating/a/olympics.htm

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