THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507270041
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: FITNESS QUEST
SOURCE: BY STEPHANIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 140 lines
BURT WASSERMAN turns abruptly on his in-line skates and catches himself. He's running late, so he whips off his skates, takes off his T-shirt, jumps in the ocean to cool off and then bolts.
``Gotta get to work,'' Wasserman shouts over his shoulder.
Get to work?
Isn't in-line skating, also known as ``Rollerblading,'' for Olympic speed skaters in training and the way-cool grunge kids in big boxy pants and shaggy hair?
Not anymore. The 40ish Wasserman, a mental-health counselor from Virginia Beach, and other middle-age adults are beginning to take over this popular sport. For some, it's exercise that's not too painful on the knees; for others it's a new motivation to get fit.
In-line skating may not immediately create buns of steel, but it has its benefits. A beginning skater who simply cruises at 9 mph for a half hour can sweat away 210 calories. A skilled skater who pumps up hills would lose more - and maybe earn a muscly rear in the process.
``As far as making you a highly trained individual, I don't know,'' said Jonie DeSmet, an exercise specialist at the Lifestyle Fitness Center, a part of Chesapeake General Hospital. ``But say you're sedentary. Anything that gets you off the couch is going to help.''
Some experts suggest taking it easy on the first few outings. In-line skaters can relate their war stories. The muscles they never knew existed - in their thighs and buttocks - got their revenge the next day.
``The great thing about rollerblading is that it's lateral motion as opposed to forward motion,'' DeSmet said. ``This makes it a good way to cross-train because you're going to be using muscles you usually don't use.''
DeSmet also likes that in-line skating doesn't jolt, bang and crunch the knees. ``There is not a lot of stress on the joints. There's a very good reason to switch over from jogging to in-line skating.''
Jennie DeBenedittis, 20, a Virginia Tech student from Herndon, Va. agrees. She makes skating part of her weekend trips to Virginia Beach. ``You feel like you're still getting a workout, but it's not as much effort as running,'' she said.
But DeSmet stops short of recommending the sport. She says she wouldn't feel comfortable promoting in-line skating partly because it is sometimes hard to learn. But more importantly, she worries that in-line skaters might trip over the pavement. Or worse, they might lose a battle with an oncoming car.
Obviously, walking inside your house is much safer than in-line skating. But there's something about gliding over the pavement that's so exhilarating. All of a sudden, you're going faster and faster.. . .
Yes, it can be dangerous.
While bicycle injuries are still No. 1, banged-up in-line skaters occasionally find their way into the emergency room. They usually have one thing in common, says Dr. Francis Watson, who works in the hospital's emergency department. ``The ones we've seen said they did not have on protective gear,'' he said.
Nationally, there were 76,000 in-line skating injuries requiring emergency-room treatment and at least 14 deaths last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Most of the deaths involved automobiles, and more than two-thirds of the injured and killed skaters were not wearing protective pads.
``The human body isn't much defense against a car, even at a slow speed,'' Watson says.
In South Hampton Roads, there have been no known in-line skating deaths but scores of injuries instead. Fractured wrists are among the more common serious injuries, said Watson of Chesapeake General.
With in-line skating, spending extra money and relying on common sense can save a trip to the emergency room, says Don Drew, owner of Corner Twenty-Four Surf Shop in Virginia Beach.
For less than $75, skaters can buy knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. A bicycle helmet, which costs $30 on up, also is a good investment.
Drew says two factors are often involved in serious accidents: traffic and speedy skating. He recommends that skaters avoid busy roads and stick to their subdivisions, parks and bike paths.
In-line skaters - both beginners and experts - can easily go out of control. For beginners, acceleration comes easy, especially when they haven't learned to use the brake. Even those who've mastered their 'blades can spill and splatter. All it takes is a fast trip down a hill or a pebble on the pavement.
Developing into an in-line skating ace takes time. Until then, where can true beginners go to wobble on wheels without humiliation?
``When I first started doing this, I asked myself, `Where's an old guy like me go to do this without looking like a jerk?' '' said Ron Miller, a 53-year-old electrician from Johnstown, Pa.
For Miller, finding that place was easy: He went on vacation where no one recognized him as he teetered over the Boardwalk. Then, once he learned the ABCs of in-line skating, he traveled more assuredly through his own neighborhood.
That's not to say that Miller can now fly over pavement like Bonnie Blair on ice.
On one recent morning, he was glistening with perspiration, barely focusing on the shirtless teens who whooshed by him on in-line skates. Instead, he concentrated on his own stride - sometimes a gliding motion, but often not.
``I'm kind of shaky,'' said Miller, laughing as he winded his way through the crowd at the Boardwalk.
Before skating, remember there are fun places to in-line skate and there are legal places. The two aren't necessarily the same.
Strictly off-limits are the interstates and most busy roads. Other taboo skating arenas include some military bases. It might be pure bliss to skate through Fort Story on weekends because of the lack of traffic and smooth pavement. But military police at the Virginia Beach Army base say it's uncool.
City codes also forbid skating in many places. In Virginia Beach, for example, it's taboo to skate almost everywhere at the Oceanfront during the summer. You can't skate from Pacific Avenue to the shore with the exception of the Boardwalk.
If you're thinking of slipping on by, think again.
``Everywhere I go, I get a cop on me,'' said Brent Deering, 19, who works at East Coast Skate Connection in Virginia Beach. ``I got a ticket when I crossed the street, even though it was in the crosswalk.''
Aside from the Boardwalk and the neighborhood, in-line skaters can exercise at several other places.
Beginners with the jitters might consider scouting the area near their home, looking for smooth, flat surfaces away from traffic. Also, consider skating near grassy areas. That way, if you fall, you'll feel it much less.
Wide bike paths also are a good bet, as are some local roller-skating rinks. Several cities, like Norfolk and Chesapeake, have set aside properties for in-line skaters. As the sport continues to win over more people, local parks and recreation officials have begun to accommodate.
Still, in-line skating is far from converting everyone.
``No way I'd try it,'' says Mike Vecchio, a 34-year-old West Virginia tourist jogging in Virginia Beach. ``It's for kids. I'd kill myself.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
BETH BERGMAN
Staff
Virginia Tech student Jennie DeBenedittis, of Herndon, Va. skates
along the Boardwalk.
BETH BERGMAN
Staff
Kenny Laing, 13, of Pittsburgh glides along the Boardwalk in his
in-line skates.
TIPS FOR BUYING SKATES: PAGE E6
by CNB