If you want to skate or get a family member started in roller sports and find that your budget does not agree, don't walk away from skating. First look for dependable new multi-purpose inline skates from known manufacturers of affordable recreational skating equipment for entry level inline skating and training. Most come with a similar list of features, and these low budget skates can be a good option for new skaters, skaters who have not committed to a skating discipline or when expensive premium inline fitness skate equipment is just not an affordable or practical solution for recreational skating adventures.

If that doesn't work there are other cheap inline skating equipment options, including used, borrowed and rental skates. At a later date, you can buy the skates that you really want.

It's better to be a selective cheap skate for a little while than never to skate at all. Are you a successful cheap skater? Share your inline skate experience with us.

Are you ready for the "Open International de Paris" - a well known annual inline artistic dance and figure skating competition that will skate on January 30th and 31st in 2010? See photos that were taken during the event from January 31-February 1, 2009 in the Gymnasium de la Plaine 13 Rue du Général Guillaumat 75015 Paris, France. There are also photos of previous "Coupe de Paris 2007" and "Coupe de Paris 2008" inline figure skating events.

Then, if your entry is not already submitted, hurry up and get additional information and submit your entry to the Glace et Roller Inline de Paris (G.R.I.P.) association.

Photo Courtesy of Glace et Roller Inline de Paris

The inline freeskating participants at the 2009 World Championship in Freiburg, Germany wiil enjoy the support of teammates and be greeted by an enthusiastic German crowd. Young Vivian Moreira from Brazil is back, and I'm anxious to see how she is growing in this sport. This is the skating lineup, so far:

Women's Inline Participants to Date

• Aleesha Hanczakowski, Australia
• Vivian Moreira, Brazil
• Nesa Hassanzadeh, Iran
• Sara Zadmehr, Iran
• Silvia Marangoni, Italy
• Laura McKenzie, New Zealand
• Chen, I-Ching, Taiwan
• Hsin Chia-Ling, Taiwan
• Courtney Donovan, United States
• Natalie Motley, United States

Men's Inline Participants to Date

• Carlos Urquia, Argentina
• Andrew Bassi, Australia
• Gustavo Casado De Melo, Brazil
• Diego Dores, Brazil
• Eric Traounez, France
• Anup Kumar Yama, India
• Marco Viotto, Italy
• Lee Chun, Taiwan

The next big inline figure skating event will be the Open International de Paris in January, 2010. Hopefully, many of the World competitors will support this event, hosted by Jean-Pierre Faugère, to increase their competitive experience and grow the inline figure sports.

If you have links to any of these or other inline figure skating events or performances in any discipline, feel free to send them via email for possible inclusion in the inlineskating site.

If your name is Jilleanne Rookard, it is very hard to be a great speed skater. Jilleanne surprised everyone at the U.S. Speedskating Trials in Milwaukee by winning the 5,000 meter race last Sunday as well as winning the 3,000 earlier. She claimed positions on the World Cup Team in the 1,500 and the 1,000 to qualify her to skate as many as four events in Vancouver. Her position on the Olympic Team appears to be secure after her performance at the Pettit National Ice Center, even though the Olympic team will be picked based on the results of five World Cup meets.

The hard part of this story is that Rookard, a former inline skater, is experiencing very difficult financial times since her father passed away eight years ago and now her mother has cancer. But Jilleanne is a tough inline-to-ice survivor, and hopes to find Olympic success in spite of her current circumstances.