Popularity of the inline skating game is increasing day by day all over the world. Teenagers and children especially love inline skating, but more and more adults are taking up the sport.
History Of Inline Skating
The first roller skates were invented by John Joseph Merlin. He was born in Belgium in 1735. He is also famous for various kinds of musical instrument inventions. There are many categories of roller skates and inline skates are one of them. Frenchman, Louis Legrange is the inventor of inline skate. He invented them in 1849, for an opera. Actors used inline skates to simulate ice skating on the stage. In the USA, manufacturing of the modern inline skate began in 1953. From 1970s, many companies started to supply equipment for inline skating.
Inline Skating Equipment
The inline skating boot is fixed to a frame that also holds the wheels. Bearings permit the wheels to spin loosely around an axle. A rubber brake is usually added to the frame of the right boot.
Inline Skating Safety Equipment
Inline skaters should always wear a helmet to protect them from the inevitable crash. Additional crash protection equipment can include knee and elbow pads plus a fitted mouthguard. To be extra safe inline skaters should always wear long pants and long sleeved shirts.
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Inline Skating Dangers
A collision between two skaters or colliding with some type of object is a common incident. Loosing balance or falling on hard surface is another common accident for skaters.
Inline skaters should take special care not to collide with pedestrians or innocent bystanders. Always skate under control and be aware of tricky terrain ahead.
Inline Skating Competitions
As the popularity of inline skating grew so did the need for competitions. Some famous inline skating events are: World Championships, X Games, Dew Tour, Street League, Copenhagen Pro, Tampa Pro, Simple Sessions, Mystic Cup, PS4 Series, and the Adrenalin Games to name a few.
Best Places To Skate In The USA
Top 10 areas in USA for inline skating adventures:
Click and run photography, at least to me, is when you go out via any mode of transportation with a camera and photograph anything and everything you happen to come across. This is my favorite type of photography, because you never know what you will see to shoot.
Required Equipment For Click And Run Photography
I always keep a backpack stocked and ready to go with impromptu gear that hopefully will cover any shooting situation I get myself into at any time. I will generally store the backpack in my car for quick, anytime access.
Backpack
The backpack must be comfortable enough to hike several miles and have enough storage space for all your gear. I like lots of pockets on my backpack to help separate my gear. My backpack has rubberized shoulder straps that are stretchable to help ease the load of all my gear. I also require a waist strap on my backpack to help ease the burden during long hikes.
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Tripod
Normally on click and run photography trips I carry my camera attached to a carbon fiber tripod. With this setup I can quickly set up and shoot, then get moving to the next subject. On longer walks I will sling the tripod over my shoulder for an easier carry. Make darn sure your camera is securely fastened to your tripod, and your lens is locked if you are shooting a zoom lens or your trip will be over as soon as your camera hits the deck. (LINK to a great tripod article by TTS).
Neck Strap
There are times a tripod is cumbersome or just plain not allowed. For example in heavy crowds, museums, churches, or other places that tripods are not allowed I keep a rubberized, stretchable neck strap in my backpack. However, when ever possible, use a tripod. Your photos will be much better.
Lenses
Personally, I use the 28-300mm Nikon lens for click and run photography adventures. Most major manufacturers have a similar size lens. This lens gives me a wide variety of shooting options. (LINK to a great TTS article about the 28-300mm lens).
When weight is not going to be an issue, I will also carry the Nikon, 105mm macro lens. The 28-300mm lens with extender tubes will do a decent job of macro shots, but for crystal clear, macro shots the 105mm is incredible.
Additional lens equipment may include extender tubes for macro shots or range extenders for longer shots. I also carry a variable, neutral density filter mostly for water or monochrome shots, a selection of graduated filters, and a circular polarized filter.
Be sure to carry a small lens cleaning kit. You never know when you might need to clean your lens or filters.
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Camera
Any DSLR camera body will work for click and run photography trips. One thing to keep in mind is the security of the area you are going to shoot. When I am in a dicey area I will leave my Nikon D810 in the car or hotel and pull out my old D7000. That way if I get mugged, I will not lose an expensive camera body. Cameras are easy targets and easy to sell for thieves.
Flash
I always carry a Yongnuo manual flash. It is cheap and easy to use. There have been many times during click and run shoots that just a bit more light came in handy.
Additional Equipment
I always carry a small water bottle. I use it mainly to create water droplets on flowers, but a lot of potential subjects can be enhanced by a quick spray of water.
Mainly for flowers, but a stout folder filled with various colors of construction paper can be very useful. The folder not only keeps the construction paper safe, but can also provide a wind break for macro shoots. The construction paper can be used for a color specific background that matches the color of your subject.
Always carry a couple of plastic garbage bags in your backpack. These bags can be used to cover your camera gear during a rainstorm, carry interesting objects for a setup shot, or just in case you ate a gas station burrito an hour before the shoot. (LINKto a great TTS article about the importance of plastic bags).
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I always carry a pair of knee pads on all photo adventures. Especially in macro photography, a photographer always seems to be on their knees. It is nice to keep you slacks clean and knee pads will increase your comfort level for those hard to reach subjects. (LINKto a great TTS article about knee pads).
Be sure to carry a water bottle and snack in your backpack. You should always stay well hydrated and snack will perk you up and keep you in the field longer for more chances to capture great shots.
Sample Click And Run Shoot
This is just a sample of a click and run photo shoot. There are an unlimited amount of ways this type of shoot can go, but here is an example of my most common type of click and run photo shoot.
Backpack filled with all my gear is loaded in the car. I grab my camera already attached to my tripod, a travel mug of coffee and head out the door just before daybreak. Don’t forget to eat, because a grumbly belly will ruin a click and run photo shoot at just the wrong time.
I jump in the car and head down the road with my head on a swivel for anything cool to shoot as the sun breaks over the horizon. As I drive by a river, I notice there is a lot of fog that would make for some incredible, foggy sunrise, river photos. I strap on a variable, neutral density filter to slow the shutter speed and start clicking. As the fog burns off and the sun begins to climb over the horizon it is time to move on. But, before I start walking I take the neutral density filter off my lens and reset my camera back to neutral. (LINK to a great TTS article about setting your camera back to neutral).
As I am walking back to the car I notice a beautiful, purple flower. The morning light is still decent. Time for macro flower shots and quickly change to my 105 mm macro lens. I strap on my knee pads and mist the flower down with the small, spray bottle. I use a piece of yellow construction paper as the background. After shooting the beautiful flower in every possible angle it is time to head for the car.
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With my camera set up for macro shots, I am very limited to what I can shoot on the walk back to the car. I make sure to change the macro lens back to my more useful 28 -300 mm lens, set the camera to neutral, and stow my knee pads in my backpack.
On the walk back to the back to the car a gorgeous butterfly lands on a tree. Quickly, before the butterfly starts to fly again I start clicking like a madman. I leave my tripod attached to the camera, but release the camera to swivel freely. Ideally I would take the camera off the tripod, but time is a factor and start shooting with the camera still attached to the tripod. After my heart rate slows down, I tighten the necessary screws to secure the camera firmly on the tripod.
By now the sun is up and casting a nasty light. However I notice in a nearby field an old, rusty truck. The light is not ideal, but I figure the old truck may look better with a touch of photo shopping anyway, so capturing the image is the goal, not nailing the light.
Finally I make my way back to my car. In roughly three hours and two miles of walking I have managed to shoot a foggy, river scene, flower, butterfly, and old truck. All four subjects required a different setup and photography technique. Plus I still have the whole day ahead of me to find more interesting subjects.
Summary
Click and run photography can offer a variety of subjects to photograph, get you off the couch, and exploring new and exciting places. So get your gear organized and head out for an exciting click and run photography adventure.
Durian:This fruit, when cut into, smells like an unfiltered open air sewer mixed with 100 proof body odor stemming from worst, imaginable dirty feet and underarms all rolled into one, and I am not exaggerating even a little bit. When cut into on the ground floor of a hotel, the nauseating smell can primate all the way to at least the 15th floor and travels much faster then a hotel elevator. It makes me wonder what the poor sucker did that his punishment was to be the first to taste one of these overpowering, smelly fruits. I think he had to have been somebody’s slave of ancient times that was being severely punished. Inside the fruit, you will find a yellow pudding-like texture and an intense sweet, tropical flavor similar to passion fruit. The locals love it, and I will take their word for it, because I’ll have to admit didn’t try even a little bit. I do have limits. But I did see a lot of it at vendor street stalls and growing on trees. These suckers can get as big as an average sized Asian person and have a really thick shell. Its interesting to note that anywhere the tourist stays whether it be a hotel, hostel, homeroom (rent-a-room in a local’s house), or other touristy accommodation, Durian is not allowed to be kept, brought in or cut into, and that’s the case in all three countries I visited. Nummy!
Lychee Nut:Technically a fruit, but looks like a nut before it is peeled. Actually, I think it looks like a 2in diameter bug. It’s red and stickery and threatening looking. It looks like it could make uncovered tourist fingers bleed if touched, but it’s just kidding. Its outside peel is really soft and thin. A nice ripe one can be easily peeled without a knife. The inside fruit is the consistency and color of fresh eyeball and wonderfully sweet and juicy. Yes, I did have many, many, many of these. The first one I tried was at the Holiday Inn Resort and Spa on Kho (means island in Thai) Phi Phi (h is silent) where the not-so-great movie, “The Beach” was filmed and starred a very young Leonardo DiCaprio. The wonderful Thai island scenery (not to mention Leo) makes the movie somewhat worth watching. I was seating on a beautiful deck facing the very calm turquoise water sipping an outstanding Lychee Nut (technically a fruit) martini. I don’t think it was the Lychee Nut, but something in the drink made me a little tipsy – I had more than one, but lost count. The vision of this place still pops up when I least expect it in my fondest daydreams. Nummy, really nummy! I did not pass up a chance to have another Lychee Nut (technically a fruit) for the rest of the entire trip.
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2. Nuts (pine nuts, cashews, peanuts, and deep fried bugs)
Pine Nuts, Unsalted Cashews, and Asian Peanuts:A staple in SE Asian cooking. SE Asian cooks hide nuts in everything from fried rice to noodle soup to stir-fry to satay (chicken on stick), to papaya salad (hottest, spiciest dish on the planet), to most very numerous, very delectable, very delicious SE Asian sauces. I will guarantee you; you will be served nuts when you least expect it. If you are allergic to nuts, you will probably either get very hungry on your trip, should stay home (that is pretty extreme), or only eat at the tourist places where they speak English. It would be like not eating rice, which I don’t think can be done in SE Asia unless you pack your own food, and what fun is that?
Coconut:This is the building block nut and mainstay of SE Asia. They do not waste one thing on a coconut. Coconuts are as important to the SE Asian culture as rice, water buffalo, or tuk-tuks (mode of transportation any guidebook will go on and on about). Some things made from coconut are baskets, rugs, spoons, bikini bras, candy (pictured below), soup, charcoal, building foundation, monkey climbing trees, cat climbing trees, roofs, animal feed, people feed, medicine, musical instruments, electrical poles and fences, tourist trinkets, sculpture and not to mention awesome alcohol refreshment, which I particularly enjoyed.
Deep-fried Bugs:Technically not a fruit or a nut, but let’s not get technical here. Deep fried bugs are a delicacy in Cambodia. Now, SE Asia does not have the corner on deep fried bugs. I have been to several countries, i.e. Mexico, Bolivia, Costa Rico, some islands in the Caribbean that farm beetles, grasshoppers, and ants. They dry and spice them and serve them to the unsuspecting tourist with beers and cocktails – of course you will pay for them and they are not cheap, but if you have enough beers you won’t know the difference. However, in Cambodia, they dug up bugs along the banks of muddy rivers, and I swear these are the biggest, toughest, scariest looking creatures I have ever seen. They are about 2 to 3 inches long, but to me, they looked about as big a hairless chihuahua and bad, bad, bad. I’ll tell you what, if Cambodian deep fried bugs were the only things I had to snack on, I would give up snacking for good, and that would be great plus for some much needed weight loss. Believe me, I neither helped the local folks dig em up, put em in buckets, dry em or eat em. It messed with mind just taking a picture of them. I’ll take my beer without snacks, please. Actually, I was told these bugs are a delicacy for local boys (drinking age) only. I don’t know for sure, but that’s just what I was told.
Myth:In the three SE Asia countries I visited, I was told they do not eat dogs, cats, or serve road kill to tourists. That’s what I was told, and I believe it. I saw a whole bunch of dogs and cats running around in every neighborhood and every tourist site we visited. Dogs and cats were present in open-air bars and beach restaurants. But these were very well behaved dogs and cats unlike in the USA. For the most part, they didn’t beg (unless you had beach barbeque chicken satay), they didn’t jump on your table; they didn’t chase the tourists, they didn’t follow you home, or didn’t understand English. But in Vietnam, the rats and snakes have been hunted almost to extinction. It turns out, rats and snakes like to hang out and cause all sorts of destruction in rice fields. Well that’s a big no no. If you mess with the rice fields, you die. But, it also turns out the local folks like to eat rats and snakes. They say they are very nourishing, like a complete food source with all the protein, vitamins, and minerals one needs. So guess what? They farm them – excellent problem solving – now they have a continuous supply. Nummy! Not sure what this has to do with fruits and nuts, but it’s an interesting fact, sort of.
A really dumb tourist behavioris not to eat the fruit and nuts in SE Asia. And you really can’t avoid them anyway. To eat a French croissant isn’t a bad idea either. Vietnam was a French colony in the 1800s to early 1900s, and the local folks never forgot how to make croissants or crepes. I don’t know where they get the flour, as I didn’t see any wheat growing anywhere. Maybe they just import the croissants fresh daily from France? Pictured below is a lychee nut in the top right part of the plate that I am getting ready to down (it’s the red, stickery looking thing). What looks like a grapefruit is not. I don’t know what it is, but it’s about 4 times larger than a grapefruit segment in the USA and tastes like a grapefruit, but when I asked a local person he said something in Thai that I didn’t understand so I took that mean it was not grapefruit. Also, fried rice is served for all meals and snacks and delicious isn’t even a good word for how wonderful it is. Oh another thing, you can leave your chopsticks at home. Locals use forks, knives, and spoons except for noodles. But I did witnessed some tourists eating noodles with their fingers, so no sweat if you don’t pack the chopsticks – just takes up extra room.
With that said, this is the end of my SE Asia series. I hope you got something out of my ramblings – if not factual (I never claimed to be) then maybe you can get a clue of what not to do. And for those of you who can’t read, hopefully you will at least looked at the pictures.
Please, Please Remember, don’t be a fruit or nut by dancing or singing with the SE Asian native performers. They know how to do this, and they don’t need your help! Besides, you would really look and sound goofy.
I am hoping to post a 3 part “not-to-be missed” series entitled, “Ramblings of a Cuba Traveler” soon. I’ll see how this first series goes.
So for now, happy travels wherever you might end up.
