On the skates
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Hello there, Kepa!
KEPA CABALLERO; skater:Hello, good afternoon!
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Is there a professional in these skating matters?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: There are already: People who live in South America and America, here, on a European level, in Italy, in France, and especially in Holland, because then in winter they have the opportunity to do it on ice.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:Did you come to live from this?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater:No, I didn't come to live on this.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Are you training here?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: Yeah, this is my place normally if it doesn't rain. You see, I have extraordinary views and, frankly, it's a luxury to train here.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:Shall we go to the track?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater:Come on, let's go!
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:It also requires a braking technique, right?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater:Yes, as you can see, we don’t have brakes, our goal is speed, and braking is also a technique to learn.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: And the most difficult technically?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: The hardest thing in our sport is always the curve. It seeks a great inclination of the body, at that moment the feet cross, it must be done very quickly, at high speed... And you get a higher speed if you have a good technique.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:And what speed do you take in such tests?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: We usually walk 40 miles an hour, that’s where we often go. We put ourselves in an attack at 58 kilometers an hour. A sprinter in a good circuit takes 60 kilometers per hour and passes. Imagine if there was a fall at that speed... Besides, we're on the team, there's a lot of contact...
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Do you play together when you are in a group?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: Touch it, push it, grab it... There are referees to set boundaries.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Now, we have a historic skate show here.
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: More or less, yes.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: The older ones are the ones we used to hang out with when we were kids.
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: I started competing with these. And many have changed. Actually, I started with these, but I was pretty bad with these skates.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:Is it a different technique?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: The technique was very important with this skate. And with this one it is also important but one with strength can walk in front of it. As I recall, I ran the last race in 1993 with these skates, and in full compliance in 1994 with these, the line skates.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:Was it a big jump?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: That was the biggest jump. We were walking at a much higher speed. At first, as you can see here, we had five roberts, small roberts; and little by little the roberts grew larger.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Yours are too big now!
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: They are used by the elite. we started with 80 millimeter wheels, and now we're at 110. The difference is great: much higher speed, improving records...
This is a custom made boot. They take a mold out of your foot with the plaster, and then they make it out of carbon fiber. It is very hard and light. And this gives you one more point when you are in the elite: it is more reactive because of its hardness.
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation: Will the foot suffer in here?
KEPA CABALLERO; skater: It's a big deal! You have a lot of freedom in your ankles, but you have to control it. It takes many hours to get in. The foot must get used to it because it is really narrow. There are injuries...
NAGORE REMENTERIA; Elhuyar Foundation:Thanks Kepa for showing me all this.
KEPA CABALLERO; skater:To you guys!
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