Linda goes fast on her skates! She marshals street-skates and is a member of the London Speedskating Team.

Click here for inline skating lessons & beginner group rollerblade courses.

You’ll often see me out marshalling the organised London street skates. I started leisure skating in 1997 in Paris where I participated in its massive, police-escorted, street skates that draw about 10,000+ skaters. Our London street skates are tiny in comparison.

Some people like the thrill and possibly the danger of skating on the streets. I like street skates, because they are organised large social events and it gives me a feeling of being part of something. There’s a powerful, appeal to skating through central London in a pack with music blaring! That’s not to mention the entertainment value of bemused tourists and onlookers faces. Irresistible! I suppose it’s akin to driving around in a big convertible with the wind in your hair – except that skating requires more skill and less money! Being involved in the organisation and marshalling allows me to give back to the skate, by helping everyone to have enormous fun more safely. It also means I get to go faster.

I also enjoy racing and am a member of the First Ladies London speedskating team. I first tried a few races just to test the limits of my strength and endurance. Now I know better since as far as speed-skating goes, its not fitness but ‘technique’ that counts as much as anything. I‘ve now discovered; recovery, D-shapes, pulling, pushing, double pushing, gliding, setting down, falling…..a wealth of jargon and schools of thought attached to ‘Technique’.

I don’t enjoy risk for the sake of it. Secretly, (sshh) I’m actually a bit of a wus – I’m terrified of down hills! Much of the excitement for me is the social aspect. I love going off to compete in international events with fellow club mates. It can be a bonding experience even though you compete individually. I recently completed a 111km race with a club mate and we supported each other all the way (over 5 hours of it).

Because the sport is still fairly small, you get to participate in the same races as top skating athletes. You try to emulate the way they fly past you with style and grace and as you improve you find yourself whizzing by more and more skaters yourself.

Inline races are very diverse in their settings and conditions. Some might take place in a city with the streets blocked off - just like a running marathon. Some might take place on nice smooth courses made for bikes or even cars, such as the Goodwood roller marathon or the Le Mans track in France where an annual 24 hour relay is held for around 6,000 skaters.

The Le Mans 24 hrs is a team event that many UK skaters have attended at varying degrees of competitiveness. The idea is to sprint around the 3 mile circuit at your gut-busting, hardest speed possible so that your lungs are fit to burst by the time you pass the baton to your team mate who will do the same. The team with the most laps after 24 hours wins. Constant timings and checking of positions against the other teams keep up the excitement all night and day. If you are determined and stubborn enough, this is a gruelling event and tensions run high. But the reward and sense of achievement at the end will make your head spin (not just the exhaustion!). Four teams from my club competed at Le Mans this year – five if you count Hans Solo who did it on his own. In 2005 our ladies LondonSpeedSkaters team bagged a third place on the podium. In 2006, our man Hans took second place in the Solo event. ! Oh, the pride! - the emotion! They remain some of my most memorable moments ever!

I mainly like Speed-skating because it gives me focus. Something to aim for. Unlike artistic skating, your progress is easily measurable. You either get faster or you don’t!

Author: Linda Harrison

Streetskate Marshall, speed-demon and all round lovely person.