Charlie Brown On Skates

Sunday was our annual Team Meeting, which I was really looking forward to since this would be my first meeting (I joined too late last year to attend). We had quite a crowd, with a fair amount of new faces, which is great. I spoke to one new member named Dirk who is a triathlete who is adding skating to his routine. We chatted, had some dinner and then listened as Cale updated us on the team news. Our main sponsor is still Hyper, and the news is they should be coming out with their new wheels in mid-summer. They apparently will be somewhat like the Matter compounds. Jim Larson told us the names, but I can’t remember them offhand.

The news on the Chicagoland Inline Marathon is good, the race continues to pick up sponsorship and support, and the course is all but set now. It will be 3 laps on a 8-ish mile loop.  Interest is high and we are expecting good numbers this year. Cale is hopeful for about 350 skaters. We’ll be really reaching out to the recreation/fitness skating community, so I hope we can actually push that number closer to 400 - we’ll see. It’s going to be a great race. Here are some pics of the event.

Liz collects the dough with another woman whose name I have forgotten. Peter, Liz’s husband, chows down nearby.

Just folks milling about, eating and chatting. You can see Jim Larson in the background doing custom molds. “Pip Squeak” is one of our Roller Girl friends, she’ll be doing some races with us this year and has been practicing with us regularly.

A closer look of Jim Larson doing molds. He molded a bunch of people at the party.

John and April chat as Guy hangs out.

The Major leads the paceline to the grub.

Lots of skaters enjoying dinner.

Cale Carvell gives us the skinny on the 2008 season.

Sorry for the graininess of the pictures, there’s not much light in the rink. Looking forward to a great 2008 season, this year we’re going to have a great race and we hope to sending even more people to races than last year.