Toys for Skaters

Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

Back in 1994, I only had a crude gadget to research trail distances for the first printed edition of California Inline Skating, the Complete Guide to the Best Places to Skate (now a web site). It consisted of a tiny magnet shoved inside one wheel hub, with a wire running from the frame opposite that wheel to a computer about the size of a fat quarter that was attached to the toe of my boot.

By leaning forward to squint at my foot, I could barely read my speed and distance on the liquid crystal display, as long as the sun wasn't glaring off the glass of the LCD. Mileage accuracy depended on frequent re calibrations using a car's odometer to account for shrinkage as the urethane on my wheels wore down. Sometimes the road vibrations cleared all my trip data from the tiny computer, leaving me with zero route length information.

Today GPS technology has advanced enough that you can buy a skate-specific model like the Navman S300 Sport (sold on Amazon.com) to track your distance and miles per hour. Find a skater-oriented GPS Buying Guide on Kathy Fry's Skatelog web site or get really greedy and view her entire Gadgets link catalog.

Sports Sunglasses

For skating outdoors, your sunglasses should be made of lightweight, flexible and durable materials, with no-slip components that do not fail in the heat of the moment. Lens type and quality both contribute to safety and performance according to useful online info about performance and sport sunglasses.

I have felt way cool teaching in my chic Coach prescription sunglasses for the past two years. Predictably, that feeling is waning now that shades are going back to retro large.  Whether you’re looking for designer or sport, men's or ladies, you can find decent discount  sunglasses at Hisunglasses.com, the newest addition to my Skate Links page.

Other August 2007 Stories

Skating Pre-Requisites - Not a natural athlete? Here’s how to build the three advantages they have as beginners.

SF Inline Marathon - The
San Francisco full and half marathons benefit the Savant Group.

The Brake of My Dreams - Virtually invisible, quiet, effective, and easy. It's been invented, but is not yet sold.

Dan Skates Shanghai - Taking to the streets means going with the flow of bikes, scooters and more.

Passing on the Left - Success stories from past and present Get Rolling Skate School students.

Perfecting the A-Frame Turn - Written for Inline Planet, biomechanics any skater can use.

Santa Clara’s San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail offers smooth pavement with views of wildlife and distant mountains ringing the valley.