In-Line Skating

Speed, excitement and fun are all part of the experience when enthusiasts strap on a pair of in-line skates. What began as an off-season training activity has exploded onto the world's sporting scene, with participation growing more than 500 percent in the last 5 years.

In the follow-up to the highly successful first edition, In-Line Skating (Second Edition) has been updated and expanded in its coverage of what makes in-line so exciting: roller hockey, racing, and aggressive skating.

For skaters new to the sport, In-Line Skating provides five step-by-step chapters on how to master skating technique. The millions of skaters looking for new trends in the sport can brush up on their technique, train for a race, pick up roller hockey, or learn how to try some of the trick skating they see on TV.

The book's highlights include:

- advice on the latest in-line equipment
- 104 photos and illustrations showing skating technique
- 39 drills, and exercises
- two race training programs for in-line skating
- roller hockey rules, drills, and descriptions of necessary equipment
- tips on street and vertical skating

This book combines the skating and fitness expertise of Mark Powell with the skills of one of the leading skate designers in the world, former in-line racer John Svensson. Together they explain and show the skills and thrills that make in-line so appealing to skaters of all ages and abilities.

Mark Powell has competed in freestyle skiing, skateboarding, in-line skating, and triathlon events over the last 20-plus years. In 1978 he was the Intermountain Skateboarding Champion. In the first edition of In-Line Skating, Powell and co-author John Svensson shared techniques on learning how to in-line skate that were based on the methods used to teach downhill skiing.

Powell is a realtor and freelance writer who has had one other book and numerous magazine articles published. He lives in Redmond, Washington, with his wife Jo. Together they enjoy a variety of outdoor sports.

John Svensson is the director of development for the in-line skating division of K2 Corporation. He began in-line skating in 1979 and has raced for both the Rollerblade and Ultrawheels road teams. He was also a member of the U.S. National Ski Team (Nordic) for six years.

Svensson is a former world record holder for downhill speed on in-lines, having reached a speed of 72 miles per hour on skates he designed and built. His father Einer is a World Masters Cross-Country Ski Champion.

Svensson lives on Vashon Island, off the coast of Seattle, with his wife Yvette and his children, Gunde and Anika.