We all know someone who could use it. Skating has been around for over a decade and was the fastest growing sport of the 90s. It is a sport that frees the mind, works the body, and energizes the spirit. Still, there are those out there who never bought skates or who never learned to use the pair they did buy. There was always the desire but never the will or the time. Now there is help, a sort of Basic Training for skaters. Skate Camp!

Zephyr Inline Skate Tours is offering two Skate Camps for beginner skaters of all ages who want to learn to skate. Skate Camp I on July 15th is for spanking new beginners and limited to women only. Skate Camp II on August 20th is for advanced beginner skaters, both men and women, those who can move forward fairly easily but aren’t confident braking, on hills, or in rough terrain.

Zephyr is now in its fourth season of running skate tours. The company started in 1997 with three small tours in The Netherlands but has now expanded to include 19 tour dates in seven U.S. and European locations. The Skate Camp idea grew out of this and was a direct suggestion from participants in a Beginner Tour last year.

The theory behind skate camp is simple. Many people who want to learn to skate but don’t are nervous about the sport – nervous about braking, about falling, or about learning in front of other people. Zephyr aims to minimize all these concerns by holding Skate Camps in non-competitive vacation settings.

The 2000 Skate Camps are both being held in Lanesboro, Minnesota. Granted, Minnesota isn’t considered a “vacation setting”. Lanesboro, though, is one of the prettiest towns in the Midwest. With the Root River splitting the town, limestone bluffs towering over it, and a 60-mile paved bike path running right through it, Lanesboro is a picturesque setting. It also was voted one of the Top 100 Small Arts Towns in America and boasts a winery, several good restaurants, and a top-quality small-town playhouse theater. All told, a perfect place to enjoy yourself learning to skate!

Zephyr’s Camp instructors are Minnesota-based Mike Merriman and this author from California, both dedicated to covering all the basics in a safe and supportive setting. Camp I starts with familiarization of equipment, stretching and non-rolling grass drills. It then moves to basic forward motion, stopping, and turns. Camp II covers everything included in Camp I plus more advanced concepts such as alternative braking methods, intermediate striding, and parallel turning. Both Camps end with a day tour on one of the smoothest trails in the nation, the Cannon Valley Trail.

The women’s-only camp is appealing because everybody starts out on equal footing. Even if some are athletically inclined and others not, they all tend to bond through laughter and shared fears during that first humbling hour on skates. The great thing about a multi-day camp is that before they go home everybody will have the skills that conquer those fears and lead to years of confident cruising.

Participants progress at their own speed, and the emphasis is just as much on fun as on learning. The instructor to student ratio is never greater than eight to one. Plus, like all Zephyr’s tours, one of the greatest rewards is getting to know other skaters from all over the United States and the world. Skate Camp participants will be lodged in a small family-run hotel, the Cottage House Inn. Lodging, most meals, instruction, local transportation, and some alternative activities are included in the price.

For more information, contact Zephyr at 888-SK8-TOUR or visit www.skatetour.com More of a vacation camp than a boot camp, this is a great way to learn to skate.

Liz Miller is a noted skate author and instructor from Danville, CA. She is the author of Get Rolling: The Beginner’s Guide to Inline Skating, California Inline Skating , and the upcoming Advanced Inline Skating. Liz has been guiding for Zephyr for two years and is the Lead Instructor at both Skate Camps this summer.