About the team
Everett Express Inline Speed Skating Team is based out of Everett, WA and practices 4-6 days each week at the Everett Skate Deck (www.everettskatedeck.com). Team members range in age from 3-40+ at this time with several families represented by multiple generations.
The team became a non-profit corporation filed with the State of Washington (UBI # 602-921-707) on May 7, 2009 and registered as a Charity with the State of Washington on the same date (registration # 27133). The federal tax identification number is 90-0447899.
Mission of the team
To encourage, educate and develop the skating and racing capabilities of each skater; to provide a well organized racing team for inline speed skaters interested in competing at a local, national and international level; to promote our team sponsors; to increase public awareness of inline speed skating as a legitimate, exciting, and healthy competitive sport.
Long range goal
To generate national champions who will be ready to move on to Olympic competition when the sport is recognized as a new Olympic sport. Roller sports are currently one of the top contenders as a new Olympic Sport to be included in the 2016 Olympic Games. The decision will be made in the fall of 2009.
Primary objective of the team
The objective of the team is to promote the sport of speed skating, including the instruction of speed skating, racing, and conditioning, care of equipment, character building and sportsmanship.
Most of our athletes, who are training for national competition and beyond, will train 5-6 days each week which includes practice on the skate deck floor, outdoor inline skating, light weight training (if age appropriate), conditioning, isometrics and good nutrition. Some of our skaters cross train with other sports such as cycling.
In 2009, the team began their public outreach and community promotion of the sport of inline speed skating which is one of the primary objectives of the team as written in the the team bylaws. The team worked with 6 cities in coordination with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County and representatives from the US Olympic Committee to raise awareness of Olympic Day which is celebrated in more than 160 countries to commemorating the birth of the modern Olympic Games. Olympic Day is not only a celebration, but an international effort to promote fitness and well-being in addition to Olympic ideals of fair play, perseverance, respect, and sportsmanship…all of which are key ideals at the center of Everett Express Inline Speed Skating Team’s success.
In addition to Olympic Day, the team promotes the sport by providing beginning speed skating clinics in conjunction with special events. Future planned events include regional parades and inline speed skating demonstrations.
The growth and success of the team and its skaters have been highlighted throughout the 2009 season in newspapers such as the Everett Herald, Bellingham Herald, Stanwood/Camano News, Mill Creek Enterprise, North County Outlook and the Woodinville Weekly. The team grew from 2 national qualifiers for the USA Roller Sports national inline speed skating competition in 2008 to seventeen (17) in 2009. 100% of the Junior Club skaters qualified for nationals in 2009, setting the team up for an exciting 2010 season to come.
The annual budget for the team is nearly $60,000 which includes competition registration fees, private training times at the skate deck, equipment, advertisement, uniforms, website and travel expenses. The average cost to send a skater to national competition is $1000 which includes meet fees and travel expenses.
We are actively soliciting donations which can be made directly to our website www.everett-express.com and are in the process of securing our 2010 team sponsors. The complete listing of sponsor levels and related benefits can be found on our team website at www.everett-express.com
About the sport
Speed skating began about 1880 when rinks conducted professional quad races
to attract spectators and amateur quad races to attract skaters. Now, inline
speed skating - sometimes called inline racing - is a fun and challenging low
impact aerobic activity and roller sport. Either name describes it accurately,
since this is the sport of racing on inline skates - sometimes at speeds of 30
to 50 kilometers per hour. Inline racing grew from quad racing, but it is
enough like ice speed skating to allow athletes to cross over between the ice
and inline speed skating disciplines.
Inline speed skating is an extremely competitive international sport that
can be conducted using short or long distance races. These races can be held
on a variety of surfaces including indoor rinks, sports facilities, outdoor
road circuits and banked tracks. In this inline sport the athletes wear
high-tech inline speed skates and aerodynamically designed skin suits which
are both designed to facilitate speed. Safety helmets are always worn and
gloves are added for road competitions.
source: www.about.com
Why participate in Inline Speed Skating?
No Restrictions
Every member of the family who can walk can participate in inline skating
activities at the same time and in the same location. In fact, everyone from
toddlers to grandparents can go to the skating center together. The Everett
Express Inline Speed Skating Team consists of multiple families who have more
than one member of their family participating. One of our families has 3
generations involved. The 2009 racing team consisted of team members who
ranged in age from 3 to over 50. People over the age of 60 participate in
our training program.
Popular Cross Training
The modern version of inline speed skating re-emerged as an off-ice
training tool for hockey players. Now, they are used by ice speed skaters,
figure skaters, downhill skiers, cyclists and runners as part of their fitness
and training protocol. In fact, many athletes can benefit from cross training
on inline speed skates, because it puts less stress on joints than running and
jogging but provides the same aerobic benefit.
Physical and Mental Fitness
Inline speed skating is an excellent aerobic activity for people of all ages. Six important health benefits will result from a regular program of inline skating activities. Muscle endurance and strength will improve, flexibility will increase with a little help, body composition will change due to calories burned, cardio and respiratory endurance will increase, balance and coordination will improve and mental clarity and connectivity will get better. These improvements will carry over to other activities in your life, too.
Inline skating provides aerobic benefits that compare to running and biking and delivers a better cardiovascular workout than stair-stepping equipment. The anaerobic benefits are actually better than running or biking, because it provides a natural and smooth side-to-side movement that exercises adductor (inner thigh) and abductor (buttocks) muscles that may be ignored by other activities.
Mental fitness is improved with inline speed skating. It helps our bodies reduce the bad hormones like cortisol and wakes up the good endorphins. These endorphins normally work as a pain relieving protein in our brain.
Competitive Opportunities
Regional competitions with teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Canada. USA Roller Sports Regional Competition and National Qualifier is held in May.
National competitions with teams from across the United Sates. USA Roller Sports National Competition taking place in July each year.
World Competition
There are more than 50 countries who participate in the sport of inline speed skating (source: USA Roller Sports)
Become a sponsor
Sponsorship information is located on the Contact page.