Skate sailing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skate sailing is a sport where people on skates are propelled by a sail. Traditionally ice skates are used, but other kinds, such as roller skates can also be used.
Skate sailing is using a sail and the wind to propel yourself across any relatively flat, hard surface. Skate sailing can be done in summer on roller blades, roller skis, cross skates, etc. Winter sailing can be enjoyed on downhill skis, snow blades, ice skates, basically anything that slides. You just need the wind, a sail, and a surface to slide or roll on, and you'll be skate sailing.
Skate sailing is not a new sport. Drawings of skaters holding sails in Europe go back to the 1700s or perhaps 1600s. Skate sailing does not require a lot of expensive equipment or many lessons. It helps to know how to skate or ski and familiarity with sailing is a plus, but this knowledge is not required. Basically, to learn skate sailing, you learn to maneuver the sail so that you travel only as fast as you feel comfortable, and you learn how to stop. After that, it is simply a matter of gaining experience and confidence.[citation needed]
In the US, a California based company[citation needed] has been custom building skatesailors for years. Skate sailing as a derivative of windsurfing. By bringing some of the best built parts already available on the market into their designs without re-inventing the wheel so to speak, they have been able to keep a small renegade sport alive for the past 20 years.[citation needed] Streetsailing can and will improve your windsurfing on the water.[citation needed]It is an all season sport and requires a minimum amount of wind and space. A 5mph breeze on hard surfaces will do with an average sail size of 5.0 square meters. A 10mph average is required on hard packed sand with the same sail size. Protective gear is recommended for beginners as well as advanced sailors. Land is definitely harder than water. For more information, go to www.streetsailing.com.
