So Danica Patrick didn't do so well in her NASCAR debut. Ah, well. At least she wasn't hurt.
Speaking of NASCAR, and in keeping with our Olympics theme, has anyone else noticed that speed-skating is essentially just NASCAR on ice--without cars, though, which makes it infinitely more interesting. We don't understand people who refer to NASCAR drivers as athletes. It takes no athletic skill to make a hish-speed left turn. Maybe if they were propelling themselves around the track at a hundred miles an hour without benefit of internal-combustion engines. . . .
If speed-skating is NASCAR, then short-track speed-skating is roller-derby. When people tell us that Apolo Ohno wins a race, we just take their word for it, 'cause we have no idea how anyone can keep track of who's ahead of whom in that venue.
How does someone decide to devote him/herself to speed-skating? It does look kind of cool, but when you come right down to it, it's really just skating in a big circle really really fast. Are speed-skaters just aspiring hockey players who don't know how to handle their sticks?
Snort!
MORE FROM THE RESEARCH DEPT: Speed Skating and Ice Hockey require a higher level of expertise in different skills. For example, the skate for the two sports is different to reflect the needs of the two separate but related sports.
ReplyDeleteThere are three basic types of ice skates: hockey skates, figure skates, and speed skates. Speed skates are designed for optimum swiftness in one direction, with the skater moving right foot over left. The speed skate features a straight blade up to 18 inches (46 cm) long and 0.03-0.06 inch (0.08-0.15 cm) wide. The blade is reinforced with hollow steel tubing. The boot is constructed of very light, thin leather.
Hockey skates are constructed to allow the skater to move both right foot over left and left foot over right. The blade, usually 0.06 inch (0.15 cm) wide, is also reinforced with hollow tubing. The boot is short, measuring 4-5 inches (10-13 cm) from the sole, and reinforced with plastic caps and extra layers of leather at the toe. This protects the skaters' feet from the blades of other skates. The original hockey skate was made of leather with a plasticized sole, a safety tip at the rear, and a hard toe. A ballistic-proof nylon was then introduced that provided even greater protection against cutting. The newest innovation features a plastic molded boot with plastic stanchions and plastic tubing. A heavily padded, removable liner helps to control the fit.
Figure skates are fitted with a 0.125-inch (0.32 cm) steel blade designed for spinning. The blade is hollow on the bottom so that only the outer edges touch the ice. A series of sharp angles at the front of the blade called toe picks facilitate landing from toe jumps. The figure skate has a high boot, measuring 7-8 inches (18-20 cm) from the sole to the top, completely covering the ankle.
We almost feel guilty that the research department is spending so much more time on our posts than we do.
ReplyDeleteAlmost.
First: If golfers can be considered athletes, ANYONE, even you and I, can be considered an athlete (and auto racing IS grueling and, sometimes, fatal.
ReplyDeleteSecond:Speed skating is one of the few Winter O sports that is NOT a variation on, well, to oversimplify only slightly, FALLING DOWN A HILL, so, give it a break
Go guilt-free. The Research Department is used to researching, and therefore is adept and very quick at the task. Thanks for the compliment by thinking that a good deal of time was taken.It wasn't. We gets the job done fast. :)
ReplyDeleteThey all have really nice butts.
ReplyDelete