05 January 2010

The Trainer Skates


For the Christmas and New Year period, an ice rink had been installed in the Jardin Biovès. Alongside was a small children's training area - the surface wasn't ice but had a slippery surface.

Young children wear these skates - not ice skates, not roller blades but special training skates. I'd never seen these before. Have you?

23 comments:

  1. He looks like he is on the kitchen floor! Do they cut up the surface like real skates?

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  2. Julie, it's smooth like marble and cold. But certainly it didn't mark or show any cuts so must be some specific surface for these skates.

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  3. Je n'ai jamais vu ce genre de patin , c'est peut-être utile pour les débutants ?

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  4. The twin blades are obviously more stable than the single ones, but I've never seen anything like it. Looks like the ideal option for beginners : cheap, easy to affix to your regular shoes, and fun!

    I like the idea of a hard surface that isn't ice. Seems more eco-friendly.

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  5. I also wasn't sure what they were as I was riding around the area! Everyone seemed to be having fun though ;-)

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  6. I have training skates with two blades before, but never this wide apart. These are like training wheels on a bicycle.

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  7. Yes, I've seen them; very common around here. Perhaps it's because we have colder weather, long skating season, hockey, etc. Never bought them for my kids, tho; they went directly into single blades. Son is a fantastic ice skater. Played hockey, but never quite aggressive enough. He took lessons from a former Olympic medal winner who lives here...a fantastic person.

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  8. I have seen this sort of skate but never this sort of surface.

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  9. Skates with a similar design have been around since the early 1950's. We refered to them as "sled skates" since they looked like a Flexible Flyer sled.

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  10. I'd like some of those! Might not fall over so much:)

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  11. In Canada they are quite common, and are called cheese cutters. Not being a native of Montreal, I don't have an explanation for this funny name.

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  12. No, this is new to me! Very interesting.

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  13. Well I"ve not seen these either but it must be easier for the little ones to learn on. Like the cool green sneakers as well. My Davis would love these!
    V

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  14. This is a first and could induce me to try skating, if I weren't too ashamed to wear them!

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  15. I began my skating life on these, in Holland. My father had brought back a pair from America. I remember they had red laces.

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  16. Poor Mentonnais ! They don't even have a taste of real ice rink ! Hey, you all, let's change, come in Paris, you'll see what real ice is. In exchange, I would like your blue sky of yesterday. I offer you skate new or traditional against a Kite of dreams.

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  17. Catherine

    This little area is next to the real ice rink. This is a training area for very young children. So the poor Mentonnais did have an ice rink!

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  18. That's my fault, Jilly. I didn't pay attention at the word "alongside"....
    Anyway, I'm jealous.....here, we get all conditions to get real ice and we lack skates to go with. And training.

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  19. Well to make you feel better, the ice rink has now been dismantled.

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  20. no I haven't seen them before but they seem to be a good idea, I remember growing up we had roller skates that were similar

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  21. My first pair of ice skates looked just like these. We are talking 1956 in the Midwest United States. My mistake was to have just one on and try to skate down a small ice-covered slope of icy brick alley..... I fell, I broke my arm, I cried all the way home!

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  22. P.S. I am sure there was no plastic on mine!

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  23. Not only have I seen them, but I had a pair as a child...and that was eons ago...!

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