Roller skiing

Roller skiing is an off-snow equivalent to cross-country skiing. Roller skis have wheels on their ends and are used on tarmac to emulate cross-country skiing. The skiing techniques used are very similar to techniques used in cross-country skiing on snow.

First created as a summer training exercise, roller skiing has now grown into a competitive sport in its own right. Annual championships are held in various locations around the world. Most, if not all, national cross-country ski teams around the world roller ski during the off-season for specific physical training simulating winter skiing. In Norway, separate roller ski facilities have been constructed to allow exercise off public roads.

The first roller skis were built in the mid-1930s in Italy and North Europe.

In the early 1950s, when cross-country skiing started to evolve to a serious competition sport, the necessity for good summer training grew. All around the world from 1950s to 1970s people experimented with skis on wheels.

In the 1970s, something of a standard emerged and the first races took place. At this time all roller skis had one wheel in front and two wheels at the back. The metal frame was between 70 and 100 centimetres (2'4" and 3'4") long.

Athletes felt they could start to engage themselves in competitions. In 1976, Giustino Del Vecchio, an air pilot, established a record in Monza by doing 240.5 km in 24 hours thanks to the roller skis he had designed, using material and technologies from the aircraft industry; narrow solid wheels with hard tread, reverse lock-up ball bearings to enable push forward.

In 1987, Mark Richardson (b.25 May 1962) roller skied From Chamonix, France to Canterbury, England from 6–21 May, a distance of approximately 1000 km (621 miles) unsupported. See 1989 Guinness book of World Records 1989 page 279.

In 1988, June 25 - August 1, ski instructor 'Chalky' White (b. 11 May 1947) raised approximately 25,000 British Pounds for the spinal injuries charity BackUp, by roller skiing between the two extreme-points of Great Britain, official distance of 911 miles; though 'Chalky' covered more distance than the official because of forced diversions. The journey was from John O'Groats in north east Scotland to Lands End in South West England. Although not recorded in the Guinness Book of Records 'Chalky' White's G.B Roller Ski was witnessed by several charity fundraisers. Following the end of each day's skiing, 'Chalky' was seen to pick up his roller skis at the very point that he finished skiing and to take them ten of his own walked steps, back, from where he had just travelled; that place was marked on the road to make sure that every inch or more of the official 911 miles and more was covered by 'Chalky' on his roller skis.

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