Zen and the Art of Speedskating

He must have followed us, snuck into a suitcase, or knew where we were going. The masked one wanted more from this sport.

El Blue Demon has had a taste of speedskating, and he accepts only the greatest challenges.

And across the ice, a challenger appears, skating like the wind…

No, actually, IT IS THE WIND. Normally, the wind is an invisible force, but this is a special wind. You can see the Opening Ceremonies for the 2002 Olympic Games on youtube here, that is where this wind is from. This was the last “gust” in that whole line of winds (they appear right at the beginning, 38 seconds into the video).

The wind catches up to El Blue Demon

Immediately they start racing, one man vs the wind. Every speedskater knows that fighting the wind is the greatest challenge outside of your own mind & body

(to be precise, according to Dutch research, ice speedskaters face roughly 80% wind resistance & 20% frictional forces. And as they go faster, the wind-resitance percentage cubes in relation to velocity)

They raced and raced, and finally ended up in hand-to-hand combat. A total contest of willpower vs windpower, muscle vs nature.

But this match was a draw, for wind cannot break the heart of a mentally strong athlete, and no athlete can ever truly overcome the constant pushback of wind.

The two exhausted warriors coasted next to each other, in the silent respect born from total effort.

Later, after the evening of racing (it was the Utah State winter games at the oval on this day) the public filled the ice, unaware of the titanic struggle that had taken place earlier.

Maybe that is for the best.

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If there is a kind of speedskating that is on the opposite spectrum from short track, it is natural ice distance skating.

Instead of all corners, it’s no corners.

THERE IS ICE IN HOLLAND RIGHT NOW… for the first time in a LONG TIME, this is a country that is crazy about distance skating, specifically outdoors on the canals.

Imagine if the USA’s relationship to baseball was hampered by the fact that baseball diamonds only rarely appeared, and sometimes, not for years on end.

There are lots of clips on Youtube, showing what the sound, sensation, & magic of this is. Just click here and see the search results for yourself.

There are LOTS of clips (ignore the first one in the search results) the only constant between the clips is the sound of skates on Naturrijs (how do you pronounce that?)

For example:

Older fellows skating quite fast

Is there a mysical, aspect to skating in quiet places?

This guy climbing out after falling in the water

I like a particular follow shot of this this fast lady, even if I have to crane my neck to watch the first half (they do get it right for the second bit).

I wonder what they are talking about… Probably not about people, many thousands of miles away, watching in amazement, & listening to that unique sound.

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At the Wasatch Speedskating Club pack races last night, lots of low-key, laid back racing.

I’ve been working so much, I need this to get SOME kind of ice feel back. 14 days till US LT nationals begins, and although I finally have new blades that are absolutely outstanding, It has been a month since I could skate fast on the long track.

So I have lost my top speed, as well as my medium speed too. Oh well…

But seriously, I realized that now I have a “critical mass” of old Viking blades too trashed to be skateable. What should I do with these?

I am thinking maybe wind chimes? Candleholders? Any creative ideas would be appreciated.

It’s too bad blades can’t be planted, like tulip bulbs under the snow, and new fresh skates bloom over the summer, like this photo I took in a Napa Valley vineyard last July.

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Why is it that the first snowstorm of the year never really “feels” too cold?

Could it be that the sense of wonder at how much the world can change overwhelms the protesting nerves?

We pass by this street sign every time we do the Salt Lake City Friday night skate. As I looked at this snow-spattered sign, it made me think of evenings where where the asphalt feels soft & sticky after baking in 100+ degree sun all day long.

I like the moon in the upper left corner of this shot & the blue, snow filled clouds encasing it. I did not notice the moon as I was taking the picture, but that is the fun thing about writing, photography, speedskating, or life. Sometimes if you keep your senses open, you discover surprising things along the way.

It’s waaay too early in the morning, and I am writing & photoshopping instead of crawling to the gym like I originally intended to.

Choices… Choices…. Choices… Much of life, like the turn of season, has nothing to do with our choices, but what we do during the day & early morning, we do have at least that….

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Like the graphic? I actually skate on these “old school” classic Viking hardtails every now and then. They are a ton of fun.

But seriously, this is the title graphic I made for a race I am organizing in Milwaukee on January 5th & 6th.

Here is the entry form & race info: - WORD DOC - .PDF

The ENTRY DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 17th

If you are over 30, Masters International events are a lot of fun! as easygoing or intense as you want them to be. All levels of skater are welcome. This is going to be a complete blast!

(If you are under 30, this is proof that skating is a true lifetime sport! Also if you are under 30, you can still race this weekend, just in your own category).

Several committed Masters skaters in Milwaukee have found some nice sponsor support for this event. Check out the entry form for more information, including who is hosting the traditional Saturday night party/gathering!

One thing that is not on the entry form, but is appropriate to mention here, is that as the primary organizer of this event I will get to do something I’ve always wanted to do:

All the officials, volunteers & timers at the Pettit will get a NICE breakfast on race day. It’s not an exaggeration to say events would not happen without these good folks spending the early morning hours of their weekends standing in the cold. This is my small way of saying THANKS!

There are 2 other noteworthy events in North America that are also Masters International (IMSSC) events.

The Masters International Canadian Open in Calgary
(metric, 500-1000-1500-3000)
February 9th-10th
Here is the Entry form, the entry deadline is December 8th, I have a 50-50 chance of being there.

The Masters International Packstyle in Milwaukee
(Metric 500-1500, Pack 500-1000-1500-3000, open 5k)
February 16th-17th

(they have not released their entry yet, but this meet is more racing than you can imagine in one weekend).

You can see the whole International schedule of master’s events at the IMSSC and IMSSG websites. As well as articles, pictures, & descriptions. For those who want to check out the fascinating European race circuits, I can personally recommend the events in Inzell, Hamar, and Davos as absolutely wonderful experiences.

Many talk about growing speedskating & how to do it; but mostly it’s just talk. The IMSSC was started in Germany, and has been wildly successful at creating new events in Europe over the past 16 years. In Germany, Holland, and Norway, the IMSSC has helped masters become an essential & respected part of their national organizations.

After last year’s very successful Masters worlds in Calgary (the largest gathering of master’s speedskaters EVER), several of us are trying to keep the momentum with new events in North America, also to compliment the long running & very successful Masters International packstyle race in February.

The Canadian rep, Bret Arnason, and I would love to see the 2 new masters Olympic-style events, the Canadian Open and the American Sprint, eventually become the North American Masters Metric Championships.

But it will not happen unless SKATERS decide these are events are worth attending, & this kind of thing worth growing. So come on out & join us for some insanely good skating fun with the skate tribe.

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