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Skating Finline 2004 (July 2004)
In July 2004, a group of Russian skaters skated all Finline
2004. Together with skaters from Finland, the Netherlands and Japan. For
the first time we took part in this great skate event across the country.
Totally, during five days we skated about 400 km (from Kajaani to Kuopio).
In Finland there is an inline skating club called Katukiitajat
(Street Gliders - http://www.katukiitajat.fi).
Its members organize different skating events. One of them is a famous
Finline, which is held annually in July. During a week, participants skate
from one village to another one. A luggage is transported by a service
bus. This is not a competition, but an excellent way to see a country
within a group of many inline skating 'maniacs' (sorry, 'proper maniacs').
After skating in general 40 to 80 km every day, there is a sauna. And
various night parties (including beach volley and/or dancing, ...).
| Russian skater team at the ferry. We are going to Helsinki from
St.Petersburg, Russia. For all of us it will be the first Finline.
We are 6 skaters: Gena, Alexey, Sergey, Ivan, Oleg (as a photographer)
and Igor (as usual, in a bar). |
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Russian skater team in unique T-shirts. The day before Finline starts. |
| Skate maintenance. |
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Skating a bike path. One of skater groups started to a destination. |
| Skating a road. Bike paths are available within city areas only.
So we often skated low traffic roads. |
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Skating one of ski tracks. Good combination of up- and downhills. |
| Everyday, after skating we relaxed in sauna. A meeting outside a
smoke sauna |
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Skating when raining. Skating in such conditions is not obligatory.
But many skaters decided to skate rather then go by bus.
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| Reaching one of destinations. |
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| Skating a group. You can not skate alone, but in a group. |
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Finnish farm. |
A small museum of military equipment is a forest. Skaters decided
to visit it on skates. |
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| You have to wear your helmet. And your T-shirt. Igor was a single
exception. |
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Hurry up. Soon we will have a time out. |
| Preliminary stop. We often used such places to swim and relax. |
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Sauna games. A world record attempt in a jacuzzi. Everybody was
alive. Facilities were not destroyed. |
| Skating near a heap of … I do not remember its contents… |
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Reaching a final destination of Kuopio.
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Finline is a great event. Thank you, everybody! See you next year!
Ivan Kotov
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