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With perennial favorite pro inline skater Kara Peterson of the Adam's Inline Race Team in the lead, Rebecca
George (left) of Baxter, Minnesota, leads the women's chase pack up the first hill during last year's inaugural Hayward Inline Marathon in northwest Wisconsin. Next to George is Tracy Yde (in the RollerBob jersey) of Nashotah, Wisconsin, and behind them is Marcy Turek of Loves Park, Illinois. George, racing in her first full marathon, edged out Peterson and the others for the win. (See print magazine for a Q&A with 24-year-old George.) by Darlene Prois The two largest races on the continent – the North Shore Inline Marathon and the St. Paul Inline Marathon – continue to draw thousands of skaters to Minnesota each year. Another half dozen regional races are also thriving, and last year's new races (the Wolverine Inline Marathon in Detroit, Michigan; Road America Inline 20K and 13K in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin; and the Hayward Inline Marathon in the Hayward, Wisconsin, area) all made successful debuts. So it shouldn't come as a surprise when Robert Burnson says a disproportionate number of visitors to his California-based website, InlinePlanet.com, hail from the upper Midwest, especially Minnesota. "The upper Midwest has served as the keeper of the flame for inline skating," Burnson asserts. And well we should. Rollerblades, the popular modern version of the inline skate, began in Minnesota. In the 1980s, Rollerblades were listed by Time magazine among the 100 coolest products of the 20th century (alongside computers, cell phones and Post-It notes). For years, rollerblading defined the sport. Since other skate makers have cashed in on the craze, it's now more commonly referred to as inline skating. No matter the name, regional loyalty to the sport remains. "Minnesota is the largest market for inline skating, per capita," said Glenn Koshi, director of North
American marketing and promotions for Bont Skates International. "Rollerblade spent a lot of time and money promoting the craze, and its residual effect remains." New 39-mile Hayward Inline Challenge The Hayward Inline Challenge, a new 39-mile event, has been added to this summer's second annual Hayward Inline Marathon and Half Marathon. The new ultramarathon, set for August 11, is a natural fit for the Hayward area, already a Mecca for silent sports enthusiasts who insist on testing the limits of their endurance. "This will become our signature race," said race co-director Dave Prois. "We want people to feel like they've accomplished something special by finishing it, just as they do the Birkie or Fat Tire." Registration numbers are already ahead of last year's participation, which drew 250 skaters. A good number of early registrants are signing up for the challenge, including last year's women's winner, Rebecca George. But the longer distance also appeals to recreational skaters like Laura Frater, a 40-year-old former runner who took up skating four years ago. "I want to push my level of endurance," said Frater, who lives in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. "Having a 39-mile challenge in early August will give me incentive to train harder and more often as I also prepare for September's North Shore Inline Marathon. But it's also about bragging rights. When I finish, I can say that I skated 39 miles and am here to tell my story." For more information about the Hayward race, go to www.haywardinlinemarathon.com.
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