Roller skating is a popular sport among kids and adults alike, combining adrenaline-pumping excitement with exercise. The latest craze to hit the skating rink is the introduction of the elliptical cross trainer. While the traditional form of the sport has not been eliminated, it has been significantly altered to fit the modern lifestyle. Here are some of the changes that have been made to make roller skating a bit safer and more convenient.
The Latest Technology
If there is one thing that is certain about roller skating, it is that technology has found its way into the sport. Thanks to companies like MotionWorx, the modern rink is filled with the latest hardware and software for keeping track of lap times, analyzing fitness, and providing an immersive gaming experience. This is also making the sport a bit safer, as inexperienced skaters can improve their skills with the help of fitness trackers and lap timers.
However, even experienced skaters can benefit from the latest technology when it comes to analyzing their fitness and tracking their results. For instance, experienced skaters using the MAPS Roller Skating app can track their progress and share their results with friends and family. This is also a social media platform, making it possible to connect and share with others while also improving one’s own fitness.
No More Manual Skating
One of the primary ways that roller skating has evolved is through the elimination of manual skating. Traditional roller skates are completely manual, which means that the skater has to continuously look down to guide their speed and direction. Thanks to advancements in technology, this is no longer necessary, as most roller skates are equipped with a computer or console that provides speed and direction through buttons or a touch screen. This reduces the possibility of injuries from falling or crashing, as the risk of injuries through manual skating is virtually eliminated.
However, this does not mean that manual skating has been completely phased out. There are still isolated cases of people playing hockey and using their hands to guide the puck. In addition, the occasional carnival rink or backyard ice hockey game still exists, where players use their hands to shoot, pass, and maneuver the puck. While these are fun for the players, they are dangerous in that they put the human body in direct contact with the puck. Inevitably, this leads to injuries. For these reasons, it is still advisable for kids to learn how to skate on a treadmill rather than on the ground.
Rerouting For Safety
In most cases, injuries and accidents on the ice occur as a result of falling down or being tripped up by a skate blade. To reduce the risk of these accidents, many rinks have changed the path that the skaters take when they circle the track. For example, hockey rinks generally have a center red line around the rink, with the outer edge marked by a white line. When a player is on the blue line, they are considered to be in their own zone, while a player that is on the red line is in the opponents’ zone. This changes the game, as the intent is to prevent players from getting hurt.
Rerouting For Convenience
In addition to reducing injuries on the ice, rink managers also want to make the game more convenient for the customers. The main issue that they face is that there are several hundred thousand skaters that want to use the rink every day, which means that there has to be some sort of schedule in place to manage the traffic. In most cases, this leads to long waiting times before the game, as well as a significant amount of overcrowding near the doors and the bathrooms. The solution to these problems is rerouting the skaters, so that they use the elevator or stairs rather than the ramps to get to their desired location.
Rerouting For Fun
Even though the main concern is maintaining safety and convenience, most rinks will still allow some degree of manual skating, as it is still fun for the customers. This means that the paths that the skaters take around the rink may still be determined by their hands, rather than by sensors. In these cases, the game is still about controlling speed and direction through body movements and positioning, rather than through taps on a screen.
In summary, the latest changes to the sport of roller skating have made it a bit safer and more convenient for the athletes and participants. In most cases, this has occurred through the introduction of new technology, particularly in the form of automated scoring systems, automated lap timers, and automated fitness trackers. The elimination of manual skating has also made it more convenient for the customers.