Those that know him speak of his epic training schedule. It’s a schedule even the most well-trained athletes in our sport look at and say, “Dayum, son!” So we wanted to get inside the mind of this current Grand Champion to find out what makes him tick. NSC Newsdesk caught up with Jarrett in between events to go behind the scenes with Silky Smooth himself:

On the top, where he belongs.

NSC Newsdesk: Congratulations on your crown! You’ve worked long and hard to achieve it. Everyone who knows you says you’re the guy who should have owned this title long before now. They say that of all the skaters on the floor, you work harder than most, skate smarter than almost everyone, and yet, you were always coming up a podium wrung shy of where you’ve belonged. That’s had to have been frustrating. What’s it been that’s kept you going this long? That’s enabled you to finally step up and take your spot among the greats?

Jarrett Paul: First off, thanks. The title means a lot to me. But what you’re asking, it really has to do with what drove me to finally win this event. Well, what really pushed me over the edge was Miguel and the rest of the NSC guys talk smack to me. They would call me Mr. January because I was always strong in January, but then I’d fall off; then they were calling me Mr. 2nd place because I would never take the risky pass when it came down to winning it all. Honestly, I was always satisfied with being second best. But, you know, I got tired of losing. Most of all though, I got tired of Miguel talking crap to me. @#$%^ guy is unrelenting. After all of the teasing, I stepped my game up. I got sick of being that guy that “could have”. So, I trained harder than ever before and developed a burning desire to win. I wanted to make it known that if you were going to beat me, you would have to take it from me.

NSC: Sounds like Miguel can take credit for your success then…

Paul: No, not at all. Not him. No, I found that once you start winning, it becomes easier to win again, and again. The barriers of “I can’t” have been removed, and you’re left with the gold. You get a taste for success, and nothing feels better than being on top. So now, this is what drives the workouts in the gym. It is what pushes me through the pain when I think about quitting. At this point, I can’t go backwards, the bar has been set too high, and anything less is unacceptable. The expectations have been set, and now I have to live up to them.

NSC: Well, we know now you’ve taken care of proving Miguel wrong, so tell us, of everyone you’ve skated against in NSC, who stands out as the toughest competition you’ve faced? Why?

Paul: I would have to say Justin Stelly. He really got in my head the first few seasons. (Jarrett has been skating NSC since it’s inception.) No matter what I did, he always seemed to beat me. If I had the lead coming into the last lap, he would throw a crazy pass, and always get by somehow. If I had a gap, he would chase me down, and throw another crazy pass. Even if the pass wasn’t there, he was throwing it! (Laughs) The common factor being the crazy pass at the end, and I was always the victim. I could never get away from it. Well, I’m a victim no more.

NSC: Would you race Miguel if he issued a challenge?

Paul: Bring it on.

NSC: OK – no feuding here…lest I be accused of trying to turn NSC into a WWE-style Side Show. So seriously, now that you’ve achieved Grand Champion status, what’s  you’re next skating career goal? Where does Silky Smooth go from here?

A lifelong goal is that world gold medal.

Paul: I want to win a gold at the World Championships. It’s been a dream of mine since I was six years old.

NSC: Ever thought about ice?

Paul: After my gold at Worlds, after I accomplish that, I would love to try ice. I want to see what it’s all about. It would be a new challenge for sure.

NSC: Well, now that you are reigning NSC Grand Champion,  what are the pressures and or benefits of wearing the crown?

Paul: There is definitely a level of respect you get when you become Grand Champion. With that respect comes a target on your back. Everyone wants the title of Grand Champion. (Laughs) The thousand-dollar prize tends to fuel that fire. This means that I have to go home and train even harder. I ’ve got to bring my “A” game every time I set foot in Seattle to race at the NSC.

NSC: What’s it like when you skate other events now? Are people treating you differently?

Paul: Well, I’ve been to one other race, in Roanoke, VA, since I’ve become the Grand Champion. Yeah, now, every time we stepped up to the starting line, they all knew I was there to race. Now it’s like, if I’m going to lose, you’ll have to take it from me. It is a good feeling. It makes me want to retain this title even more.

NSC: Let’s talk about the kind of work you need to do to be on your level. What’s your weekly training schedule like, on skate and off? What roles do diet, sleep, and training play in your program?

Workin', workin', workin' day and night.

Paul: Alright, here’s the secret sauce…Because I work in sales, my shifts are always different. This really makes my training interesting. With a schedule like mine, you’ve really got to have a goal and you’ve really got to want to achieve it. I never have a set schedule for training on the days I don’t train with my team. A “typical” (laughs) week goes something like this…

- Tuesday starts my training week. I hit the gym around three or four and do legs  – squats, weighted lunges, leg curls – mixed with some upper body – dips, pull ups, and bench – finally I skate outdoor twelve to eighteen miles with a few teammates. It’s usually around eight pm by the time we get done skating outdoor and I get home.

- Wednesday after work I head to indoor practice around seven pm. We go behind the rink and do about thirty minutes of plyos. After that we skate indoor for about two hours.

- Thursday I try to open at work and repeat Tuesdays workout. If I have to close at work, my workouts start earlier in the day, so I’ll go to the gym and do legs, then skate twelve to eighteen miles on my own. If I plan it out correctly, I will have just enough time to quickly get ready and head into work.

- Friday I generally work a closing shift, so I’ll skate a ten k or go cycle for an hour. Fridays are my active recovery day before a hard weekend of training with my team.

- Saturday I get to the rink around six am and do an hour of various plyometric drills. We’ll do a half hour of plyos, then skate till nine am. After indoor we skate outdoor for an hour and a half. From there, I go home, sleep for a few hours, then go to work.

- Sunday we cycle as a team for two hours, then hit the rink. Practice begins with another half hour of plyos, then we skate for an hour and a half. Depending on the time of year, we’ll skate an outdoor practice afterwards. Then, you know, I head out to work.
- Monday is my off day. I am supposed to do little to no exercise. Generally, I work six to nine hours. So if I do anything, it’ll be a light ride, an hour in the gym doing upper body, or an easy skate.

As far as a diet goes…(laughs) well, I consume anything and everything in front of me. A twenty piece chicken nugget and medium fry is by far my favorite thing to eat before training or racing, besides pasta. I really need to work out some type of diet. And because I’m lactose intolerant, I can’t have any dairy before I train or race. Working around that is the closest thing to a diet I have in place.

NSC: Dayum, son! That’s a lot of training.

Paul: How bad do you want it?

NSC: Not as bad as you do, Superman! So…your nickname is Silky Smooth. I can take that a couple of ways. I’ll get to the point, you said you were going to give us the “secret sauce”, but you didn’t tell us anything about what you do when you’re training and skating for and hour and a half at a time. C’mon man, pony up - tell us about your technique drills. What are the best drills that develop that Silky Smooth indoor form?

Yeah man - how bad do you want it?

Paul: (Laughs) Ah, you caught me. OK…here’s the deal. Every moment of every drill, I’m focusing on my form. Because I’m in the back of the pace line, it gives me hundreds of laps to slow things down and work on my corners. As I enter the corner, I pay attention to where my hip positioning is - is my butt low enough? Am I placing all the pressure on my left skate? – and things like where the pressure is being placed through my skate, and how much pressure is being applied. I always try and feel everything that’s happening when I’m training. Eventually everything becomes second nature. Here’s some insight – some of the best technical drills begin with plyometrics. You mimic your form off skates in skating position. It then translates to your skates. But on skates, I like circle sprints. Do this: split the floor in half with pylons and skate in a constant circle. The drill lasts for ten minutes. You have a thirty second pace, and thirty second sprint. It’s non-stop crossing. You can’t help but work on form. We do another drill where you roll up the straight away, and limit how many crosses you can take in the corner. For freshman and above, you’re only allowed to take two crosses in the corner. Elementary and bellow can do three crosses. It forces you to slow everything down and be efficient with you strokes. One more drill we do is crossing the entire floor. Three crosses in the corner and one to two crosses up the straightaway. Your feet never stop moving. It’ll teach you to set up for your corner and enter without scrubbing speed. How’s that, man?

NSC: We’ll take it. That’s good stuff right there. So tell me, as we wrap this up, what do you have to say to beginners and those guys who’ve been doing this a while but are maybe frustrated with where they’re at? What’s it gonna take to get on your level?

Paul: There are two aspects to my training that have helped me achieve success. With persistence and a training program I believe in, it’s all come together. I’m Grand Champion. I trust and believe in my coaches. I also wholeheartedly believe in our training program. Without the proper program, you’re just spinning your tires…should I have said wheels? (Laughs) The best advice I can give is to never give up on your dreams. It’s taken me several years to finally get to this point. It took me a very long time to decide what I really wanted. When you finally figure out what you want, it becomes easy. Make a plan, be willing to make the sacrifices, and dedicate everything to it. If you want it bad enough, the people you need to help you become successful will fall into your lap, and everything else in between.

Only room for one GC with the initials JP at the top - current Grand Champion Jarrett Paul with former GC Jake Powers.

NSC: Speaking of the people that make this sport great, tell us about those that mean something to you.

Paul: I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing people. There are many successful people that take part in our sport from all walks of life. I have learned a lot from these people. They have helped guide me through the toughest times in my life. Without this sport and the people that are a part of it, I may not be here today. To answer the question, I found a family, and for that, I am very thankful.

NSC: Even when you’re slapping at your brother Miguel?

Paul: Especially when I’m smackin’ Miguel down! (Laughs) Can’t wait to see him this week.

The world will see if Silky Smooth Jarrett Paul can retain his title this Thursday night when it goes on the line, live right here at ProNSC.com. The free live feed starts with the Pre-Race Show at 6:15 PST.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (FEDERAL WAY, WA) – National Speedskating Circuit (NSC), the pre-eminent professional inline speed skating league, today announced a major sponsorship deal with pioneering international speed skating powerhouse CadoMotus. According to league CEO Miguel Jose, “CadoMotus and the NSC are a great match. It was apparent early in our negotiations that both CadoMotus and the NSC had a very similar vision for our sport, and together we hope to take it there.”

Long-term dedication to the sport is perhaps at the top of the list of attributes both NSC and CadoMotus share. The team at CadoMotus has been behind radical departures from tradition that have redefined skating on many levels for decades. From the ground-breaking design technology of the Dual-Box® inline speed skating frame of the early 1990’s, through to the evolution of the new Dogma Lightspeed lines of carbon-based boot/frame set-ups, CadoMotus is known for pushing the envelope of design and relation, and choosing partners that have one thing in common: a passion for driving the sport further ahead, and faster than previously known.

“What you have in CadoMotus is a company made up of skaters and designers who have a long record of turning innovative concepts into equipment used by elite athletes to shatter world speed skating records, both inline and ice,” said Jose. He went on to say that what he sees in this partnership is “a chance to bring attention to the CadoMotus brand in America and also to broaden the NSC fan-base internationally.”

As well-known as CadoMotus is on the international speed skating scene, across all disciplines, here in the US, they’ve been a “best-kept secret” among the world-class set, and those that aspire to be there. “Currently in the NSC, we’ve got a few of powerful skaters (Wesley Gandy, Ryan Weiderhold and Dr. BJ Steketee) sponsored by CadoMotus US, but the company hasn’t made the same play for market-share here that they’ve made in the rest of the world,” Jose said. He continued, “For us, that’s opportunity for mutual growth. NSC and CadoMotus are perfectly poised to take the sport to the next level this season, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do, together.”

“With CadoMotus, we have seized the opportunity to continue the work of building the league,” said Joey Mantia, league co-founder and 28 time world champion inline speed skater. “What fuels our fans and athletes is progression. On the floor, that’s the next standing record to fall, or the next up-and-comer knocking one of the more established guys off the podium. For CadoMotus, they’re always thinking about the physical motion of speed skating, and they’re designing their products and working with partners who consider how all the parts of active speed skating motion come together to make the most efficient and intelligent use of the energy a skater creates. With CadoMotus, we’re harnessing the energy of our momentum to keep the sport growing and moving in the right direction.”

Look for a full card of events sponsored by CadoMotus this season. Running from January through June, the action all starts with the season opener this Thursday night, January 3, 2013 at Pattison’s West Skating Center in Federal Way, Washington. Doors open at 6:00 PST with racing getting underway at 6:45 pm. The live internet feed will be preceded by a pre-game show, starting at 6:15 pm PST. Hosted by league personalities, the show will take fans inside the NSC like never before. Watch live at www.pronsc.com.

For more information about CadoMotus, visit http://www.cadomotus.us.

“Anyone who’s been skating seriously for any amount of time knows the name Bones. They’re the gold-standard of inline speed skating bearings, and we couldn’t be happier to have them on board this season,” said Miguel Jose, NSC CEO and league co-founder.

“Our skaters are so technical and at this level having the best equipment is very important. Having top notch bearings could be that extra advantage needed to break records ” Expanding on the thought, Jose continued,”When you’re skating as fast as we are in NSC, the roll your bearings provide can mean the difference between 1st and 4th, in the blink of an eye. The right bearings can get you out of heats and into finals as much as luck or ability. By having all of our skaters on Bones Bearings, everyone gains speed and loses equipment advantage, making the action that much more intense.”

Indeed, Bones have a reputation for roll, particularly in the winner’s circle. Since 1983, they’ve been the premiere label in high-performance inline speed skating bearings. Manufactured to withstand heavier side and vertical loads applied by pro skaters, Bones Bearings roll faster and hotter than standard bearings. They’re the only bearings with Skate Rated(TM) clearances, tolerances, materials and lubricant, providing the best performance and durability possible.

“With NSC skaters rolling exclusively on Bones Swiss, we know the intensity just jumped up a notch, and we’re still a week out from the first starter pistol shot,” said Jose, with a look of great anticipation. He went on to wrap up by saying, “The Bones sponsorship is a match that was meant to be, and we’re really pleased to have them on the team. The timing is perfect, considering some of the other things we have in the works. Nothing thrills NSC fans like top-speed and tight competition. Bones Swiss is adding fuel to the fire, and fans won’t know what hit them when we start racing again the night of January 3rd!”

The new season launches off the line on January 3rd at 6:30 pm PST. Tune in live to watch the event for FREE right here at www.pronsc.com.

Argentinian powerhouse Juan Cruz Araldi

NSC News-desk caught up with Juan to get the inside scoop on why he’s coming here, what it’s like where he’s from, and what he hopes to accomplish by skating NSC this season.

NSC News-desk: First of all Juan, welcome to the NSC, we’re really excited to have such an esteemed skater as yourself join our ranks this year.

Juan Cruz Araldi: Thank you! From me to you, one big hug!

NSC: How long have you been skating Juan?

Araldi: I’ve been skating since I was a little boy. In 2002, I left the skating world for four years, returning in 2006. I’ve competed at both Worlds and Pan-American games over the years.

NSC: What’s the inline speed skating scene like in Argentina?

Araldi: Here it isn’t a very popular sport. We don’t really have a big number of skaters at this point, but at least I feel like it’s somewhat growing again. It was more popular in the ´90s, but in 2000 Argentina had a crisis and many skaters left the sport. For those of us still in it, this is a new start, a chance to finally make inline speed skating a big sport in Argentina, like it is in the rest of South America.

NSC: Don’t know that many people remember the crisis, so we won’t get into it here. For today’s Argentinian skaters, where do they do most of their training – indoor, outdoor, track, road?

Araldi: We do most of our training on outdoor tracks, sometimes road. We do have many banked tracks, but they’re very old. Like you guys in the U.S., we don’t have tracks like they do at worlds.

NSC: Do you guys have state financial support for the sport or is it all local / individual club support?

Araldi: Yes, we do have state support for all the tournaments we run with the national team. The states pays for us to fly to competitions, picks up our hotel bills, buys our wheels, uniforms…those kinds of things. And many of the skaters on the national team received a state salary. It isn’t a lot of money, but it helped me a lot!

NSC: These national tournaments, how big are they?

Araldi: They’re not really big events, not like other countries in South America. For instance, we have no more than maybe 30 skaters in the senior men’s division.

NSC: Well, we know you’ve been skating these events for years. What are some of your better distances and times?

Juan with With Luciano Rollykite Zurro at 2012 Worlds in Italy.

Araldi: My best 300 TT is :24.8 and my best 1,000m is 1:21.6 in Guarne 2010.

NSC: Do you consider yourself a sprinter or endurance athlete or both?

Araldi: Well, I´m a sprinter, but I like the one thousand and the relays too.

NSC: So tell us, why are you coming all this way to skate NSC?

Araldi: Why wouldn’t I? I like the NSC races! It’s a spectacular show. The the dynamic of the races look to be incredible. I also really want to feel the experience of racing with the better indoor inline speed skaters.

NSC: Yes, that’s for sure. NSC skaters are the fastest in the world on the indoor short track. With that in mind, when you think about who you’re coming here to race against, who are the NSC skaters that you most respect?

Araldi: I know many of the guys from skating against them at worlds. I think they’re all great skaters, but I think (Michael Cheek) Cheex and Justin (Stelly) in distance, and William Bowen in sprint are the guys I have the most respect for. I’m sorry I won’t be able to race William, but I look forward to seeing everyone.

NSC: Let’s talk about how you’re preparing for all of this. It’s only a couple of weeks away. How many days a week / workouts a day do you do?

Araldi: I make two times a day, six a week. I alternate gym, skating, jumps and cycling.

NSC: Time to man-up. Are you coming here to win or just have a good time?

Juan takes it to the line every time

Araldi: I really just want to enjoy this new experience in NSC, but you know, I wanna win – always. I know it’s going to be hard, but I also know that nothing is impossible!

NSC: Smart! In terms of just getting to know a little more about you, tell us who are your personal heroes?

Araldi: My only personal hero is my Dad. He’s the best example of a man in my life. I learn something from him every day. He really is the best person in my life. But other than that, I admire some skaters, like Joey Mantia, Pedro Causil and Kalon Dobbin.

NSC: When it comes to speed skating, what’s your long-term goal with the sport?

Araldi: I wanna be a world champion someday. Again, I know that this too won’t be easy, but I training with the intention of making it real.

NSC: Over the past few years, there have been doping scandals that have rocked some South American teams. What is your view of performance enhancing drugs in the world of inline speed skating?

Araldi: I think it’s a big problem because we don’t have a really good way to control it. It’s the worst part of the sport actually. I think this is one of the many reasons we are not in the Olympics.

NSC: That’s a great one to end on, that is, why should inline speed skating be an Olympic sport?

Araldi: Because we give the public a spectacular show! It’s a very attractive and competitive sport, much like many Olympic sports with all the different race situations in track, sprints and marathons. And it’s thrilling, the speed, the spills and crashes, the team dynamics etc. We know, we’ve made many mistakes in the international organization, and we really need to improve controls, but we really should be in the Olympics. It’s the dream of all the skaters out there competing today.

NSC: We totally agree, man. And with that, thanks for taking the time to share with us. We’re looking forward to having you here, and we wish you all the best of luck and happy holidays in the meantime!

Araldi: Thank you and I can’t wait to be there. Thanks for this opportunity. One big hug to everyone in America!

Well, it may not be Athens, but on January 3rd, Juan will be competing with the Titans of Speed in the NSC. In the spirit of welcoming him like a true visiting State Champion, we present an Argentinian fight song:

In Spanish:

Vamos, vamos Argentina, vamos, vamos a ganar, que esta barra quilombera, no te deja, no te deja de alentar.

English translation:

Let’s go, let’s go Argentina, we’re gonna win, we’re gonna win, for these rowdy supporters, won’t stop, won’t stop cheering you.

While this is traditionally a football (soccer) song, and the word quilombera may be…um, questionable in certain company, the spirit is clear. Juan comes from a proud people who love a good show and are in it to win. We’ll see what he’s got when he get’s here with us, and we’re as eager as he is to get the season under way!

The date: January 3rd, 6:45 pm PST. Tune in live to watch the event for FREE right here at www.pronsc.com.

NSC Newsdesk caught up with Mantia as he was preparing to make his way back to Salt Lake City, Utah, to the Olympic Training Center there, where he’s chasing a different spot on a different team…

NSC: OK, first things first. What are you up to these days? We haven’t seen you in public since the last NSC event.

Joey Mantia: Man, it’s been intense. Since we came back to the oval here in Kearns (Utah, the Utah Olympic Oval) I’m working out six to eight hours a day, six days a week.

NSC: So how is your ice training going? The 2014 Winter Olympics aren’t that far away, from a training standpoint.

Mantia: Its great, but the reality is that it’s just not inlines. I’m just over here for one reason.

Mantia on ice in the Longtrack Time Trials, October, 2011. (Image: T.Frank)

NSC: And we know you’re going to do it. But since you brought it up, what’s up with you and your inlines? Are you inline skating much these days?

Mantia: I’ve been skating a ton of inlines as a matter of fact, which makes me miss the sport more than ever. Every Wednesday I skate a solo twenty-four mile time trial for endurance training, usually right around an hour.

NSC: Did I see in your twitter feed (@JRMantia) that you did 24 miles in 52 minutes?

Mantia: (Laughs) Not quite as fast as that! But you know, I’m a hammerhead, so I can still pound it out.

NSC: With that kind of training, are you going to make the trip to Colorado Springs to grab a spot on the World Team and get that free trip to Italy this year?

Top of the Worlds and aiming even higher.

Mantia: Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it to outdoor nationals. Didn’t skate indoor nationals either. It will be the first time since I began skating in 1995 that I won’t be attending at least one or the other.

NSC: You’ve got your sights set higher, we all understand that. So does this mean you’ve officially retired from inline competition?

Mantia: Nope. I haven’t retired. I still plan on skating some races in the future. I don’t think I really want to just hang up the inlines, as I see a huge benefit on the ice from maintaining parts of my inline program.

NSC: OK, well, Miguel (Jose – NSC co-founder and President and 2012 National Indoor Inline medalist) is going to wonder why he paid me this mound of money to talk to you on the NSC site if we’re not talking NSC, so…the 2012 NCS season. It kicked butt on so many levels! As the man who was calling the play-by-play, you had the best seat in the house this entire season. In your opinion, what were the top three events you got to call?

Mantia: The first race that comes to mind is the 100m flying time trial from event four. For the most part, I remember each skater posting a faster time than the previous, which resulted in a Colosseum like roar from the crowd, building the momentum and anxiety with each athlete’s performance. In the end, it was William Bowen that laid down an unheard of 8.26, pretty much walking away with the title of fastest man in the history of the sport. Simply amazing.

Cheex becomes Grand Champion

The next race that sticks out in my mind is the season finale Grand Champion’s race. There was so much build up to this event; so many questions to be answered, and this was the race that would do that. I remember calling the athlete introductions for this race and thinking to myself, ‘wow, this field is absolutely crazy.’ Conclusively, it was the veteran Michael Cheek who was smart enough to hold back in his 1000m to rest up for the 800m Grand Champion’s Finale, ultimately defeating the world’s best indoor skaters to become the NSC season three Grand Champion.

Finally, the 500m race of the final event of the season was perhaps the most impressive example of indoor racing I have ever witnessed. Typically, we see Bowen win the start and hold the lead from start to finish. Admittedly, as a racer, this a dominating fashion, and where you want to be. But as a spectator, it’s a little boring to witness. That said, this 500m was anything but boring. There was a ton of passing, sliding out, pushing, and everything else that makes you want to get out of your seat and lose your mind when watching a sprint final in the NSC. Jeremy Anderson, who is probably the best passer in the history of the sport at such high speeds, threw the nastiest bomb to come away with the victory over Bowen. It was a breathtaking performance.

NSC: Yes, the season finale was like you guys had saved the best for the last. But we know it doesn’t work that way. The athletes were just getting stronger and stronger, all season long. When you consider the field we finished the season with, who are the skaters you most enjoy watching?

Mantia: When it comes to passing, no other skater makes it look more effortless and fluid than Jeremy “The Hammering Husky” Anderson. By the way, don’t call him “The Stick”. That’s just wrong. He’s already got a nickname.

Another one is my good friend Michael Cheek. He has the an extremely impressive corner entry, which allows him to carry his speed better than any other skater in the league.

William Bowen has an acceleration that is absolutely second to none; an impressive combination of power and snap. Glad I didn’t have to face that this year.

As far as pure entertainment, I have never seen a skater please the crowd more than Justin Stelly. He is never afraid to throw the most outlandish passes or hawks at the line.

NSC: OK, you’ve been skating with those guys for years. Think about the new talent. When you consider the first year guys, who shows the most promise for next season?

A rising star...

Mantia: Donovan Sellers has some very impressive traits as an up and coming star in my opinion. Winning the flying time trial in event number three and constantly finding himself in the top five in that event proves he has the speed to race our top athletes, but just lacks some experience and perhaps the ability to take those “(Justin) Stelly-Style” risks.

NSC: Admittedly, we all think the Grand Champion races were the stand-out races of the season, from every event. How do you think the new Grand Champion qualification system worked this year?

Mantia: Well, you know, the NSC is constantly evolving and looking for that Nirvana between what’s best for the athletes and what’s best for the crowd, which isn’t always the easiest thing to find. That said though, the athletes seem more passionate than ever about our sport, which means they believe in what we’re doing and can see the big picture. All that to say, I think the new system worked very well and as of now, we’ll use the same format next season.

NSC: We know NSC was at Indoor Nationals this year scouting talent, so when are the trials for next year, season four going to happen?

Mantia: Glad you asked…co-owner and president of the NSC, Miguel Jose, was at Indoor Nationals, skating and scouting. He was watching all of the races and we’ve got our sights set on seeing some of the new talent come out for tryouts. The NSC prides itself on signing the sport’s top athletes, so we’re always scouting for the new talent looking to showcase their abilities in front of the masses. NSC Trials are November 3rd and 4th this year out at Pattison’s (Pattison’s West – official home rink of the league in Federal Way, Washington.) We’ll have info here on the website in the next two weeks or so. As soon as Miguel gets off his lazy…I mean, you know, real soon.

NSC: Cool man. And we’ll be ready to broadcast it live too, so everyone can see the excitement for themselves. So as we wrap this up, I just have to say, it’s not just a coincidence that the world’s fastest skaters are skating on Simmons Pro M1′s (the stock boot Mantia designed with legendary inline speed boot maker David Simmons). We know you put a lot of brain power into the design of that boot. Many are calling it the smartest boot in the sport. Is there anything new you’re working on with any skate manufacturers that you can tell us about?

Mantia: Thanks man. We really tried with that boot and I think we scored, big time. Just nailed it. I re-signed with Simmons/Schankel for 2 more years. I’ve built a really good relationship with Dave Simmons and would like to maintain that as long as I’m skating on inlines if possible. As of right now though, there’s not really anything top secret going on… or is there?

No, he's not selling his leg workout routine, but you can buy the skates!

We guess we’ll wait and see. But if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that our sport and the world have not heard the last from Mantia. Not by a long shot. Olympic aspirations aside, we’re happy to have Mantia here with us helping to call the shots as NSC continues to grow and expand.

All of us here at NSC wish all of our NSC skaters, and all of the nation’s best amateurs, the best of luck this week as they hit the track in Colorado Springs.

NSC Newsdesk caught up with Cheex as he was preparing to make his way to Lincoln Nebraska for the 2012 USARS National Inline Speedskating Championships.

NSC Newsdesk: The odds of “going pro” in any sport are slim to none for most, yet here you stand, not only a pro, but the best of the best, the NSC Grand Champion. You’ve had a heck of a year!

Michael Cheek: Thanks! It’s been incredible, and it’s not over yet.

NSC: You’ve been doing this for a long time. When did you start speed skating?

Cheex: I started speed skating at the end 1989, I was 8 or 9 yrs old.

NSC: Wow – 23 years ago. You’re skating against kids younger than that! At what point did you decide this was something you wanted to do full-time?

Cheex: That’s just something that evolved. I knew I loved skating and wanted to do it as long as I could. Sponsor opportunities came along, and it was just like, “Oh, I can do this and make money doing something I love!” I just jumped at it when the opportunity materialized.

NSC: Ah, but we all know you had to work really hard, for many years, to position yourself in the way of those opportunities. You’ve never had anything handed to you, despite what the rumor mills used to say. Guess this was the year you were able to prove all the naysayers wrong. As you were coming up, who were your coaches?

Cheex: I’ve been lucky to work with some great coaches. My first coaches were Jody Peeden and Ken Edwards, and I really feel sorry for them having to put up with me! I was young, dumb and lazy, and for some reason I thought it was cool to not work hard. I guess I felt like if I didn’t work hard and lost it was OK, because “I could have done better if I had actually trained.” I never would have been able to coach myself when I was younger. And over the last few years I’ve been lucky to work with some great coaches; Tony Smith, Shannon Shuskey, Chris Tidwell, Charlie Lucas, and honestly too many to name. They’ve all worked with me and helped me continue to grow and learn, even at 31 yrs old.

NSC: Wow – that’s quite a list. Which coach stands out as your “coach of all coaches” and what’s their distinctive?

Cheex: As an athlete, sometimes you find a coach that can inspire you and push you to a new level. A lot of it has to do with timing and personality, and for me I found that in former World Champion Scott Hiatt. Scott taught me how to succeed as a skater and a person. He would not accept anything but 100% when the team trained. He expected everyone to conduct themselves with class, and taught me how to be a leader. Scott was my coach for 6 yrs, and the last time he coached me, I still wanted to impress him. I think if you’re lucky enough to find a coach that inspires you to the point where you want to impress them and will do anything to not disappoint them, you will reach goals you never thought possible.

NSC: And when you consider that you came of age amongst a field of so many dominate skaters, both indoor and outdoor, it’s incredible that you’re still here, doing what you do, and doing it so well on both the short and road tracks.

Cheex: Another thing that is amazing with our sport is you always learn from your peers. Joey Mantia, Kalon Dobbin, Scott Arlidge, Wouter Hebbrecht and pretty much everyone that I’ve skated with has helped me in one way or another with all the different disciplines in our sport.

NSC: What’s the most memorable / inspirational thing a coach ever shared with you?

Cheex: Scott taught me that no matter what you accomplish in skating, the thing people will remember most is the person you are. Winning is important, but it’s just as important to conduct yourself in a way that you want to be remembered.

NSC: That’s the stuff of greatness right there. Speaking of being remembered, let’s reach into your memory bank. Of your career in NSC, what are your most memorable races?

Cheex: It’s simple. The NSC races that mean the most to me are my 5 Grand Champion wins. I honestly don’t care how many other races I win. If I win both endurance races and the 100m, but lose the champions race, I feel like I didn’t reach a goal. I can still remember everything that happened, every lap of every Champions Race I won, and those that I lost too.

NSC: You’re certainly no stranger to the podium or the post-race-mike-in-your-face with Mantia. Let’s look at the bigger Cheex story…when you think about your entire career, was there a stand-out race, or races, where you walked away learning something new about yourself and your limits?

Cheex: Very few people have a single race that changed their life, but I do. In 2004, I raced a 20K race that I actually got talked into skating. I wasn’t in shape, but I really lucked into a second place, because I was on a break away and no one chased it. It gave me enough points to sneak into a spot on the World Team! Making the World Team was good, but getting the opportunity to train with people like Jordan Malone, Josh Wood, Joey Mantia, and all of the top skaters, showed me what it really meant to work hard. That was the most important thing that’s ever happened in my career.

NSC: You heard it here first folks, he attributes his big break to luck! That’s an incredible story. You were on the right line when opportunity attacked, and you drafted your way onto the World Team! Awesome. That really speaks right to that thing you hear some other pro athletes talk about, that it wasn’t the time they won the “big game” or “big title” that most defined them as an athlete, but some other, less noteworthy event. Other than this “big break” you caught, was there something else like that for you too?

Cheex: You know, I really hope that I’m not defined by a single race. I hope that when people think about me as a skater they say, “Well, he didn’t suck too bad, and he really seemed to love it”.

NSC: Yeah…5 time NSC Grand Champion, he could have sucked worse! You really seem to have the right perspective on all of this stuff. So tell us, what’s it like being the Grand Champion?

Cheex: I don’t think anyone in the US realizes that the NSC is the biggest thing internationally to happen to indoor skating. People all over the world get to watch what we do, and they love it. I was racing all over Europe recently, and everywhere I went people were congratulating me on NSC wins.

NSC: Kinda like being a rock-star I’d imagine. But which one? Anyway…on being Grand Champion, do you find that your win record and title are added intimidation factors that help you on the line at the start of a race?

Cheex: No, I’m not big on intimidation. If people are intimidated, I don’t see it. But I’m not really looking for it.

NSC: So you’re just a fun-lovin’ Master of the Universe then. Is it fun up there at the top? That wasn’t a tall joke, by the way…

Cheex: Is it fun… ummm yes. Put it this way, if I had to chose between being Grand Champion and not being Grand Champion, I’d take the former.

NSC: What are the rewards you take away from carrying this title around?

Cheex: My rewards are simple, I get to do what I love every day. I’ve gotten to see all over the world, and meet thousands of new people. I honestly feel like I have to be stuck in some dream, and any day I’m going to wake up and none of this really happened.

NSC: Well…maybe it didn’t. Or maybe it’s a dream within a dream, within a dream, and the only way out is to skate around the earth in reverse at the speed of light. And…and…ah, forget it. On to a more serious topic. You’ve had on and off years due to injuries. Some were even saying you might be calling it quits at the end of last season, but you came back to become Grand Champion this year. Tell us about what was really happening with you last year.

Cheex: Well, what I went through last year was a herniated disk that pinched a nerve. My leg was numb, and I was in a whole lot of pain for about a month. The pain I could handle, but the hardest part was I couldn’t do anything sports related for about 2 months. And when I finally got back on my skates, nothing felt right. I couldn’t get my left leg to do what it was supposed to do. I couldn’t stay in skating position for very long, it was just a tough time for my body.

NSC: But isn’t it true that you had some other physical obstacles you’ve had to endure? What are some of those things and what have you done to overcome them?

Cheex: Other physical obstacles go like this; I’m 32, with a bad back, hips, and knees. I’m super tall in a sport that is made for short people, and a lot of the guys I’m racing are 10 yrs younger than me. But the thing is, none of that matters. If I go to the starting line I’m just like everyone else. I know if I work just as hard as the people I’m racing, I will lose. So I know I have to get up every day and work as harder than everyone in the NSC. And guess what, I still might lose. I can handle getting beat by someone who is better than me, I can’t handle getting beat because I didn’t do everything in my ability to be the best I can be.

NSC: True grit. It’s what sets you apart. And you may be tough physically like that, but when you’re battling back from a physical injury, many times you’re also fighting a mental battle. Did that happen for you?

Cheex: Oh man, it was bad. I wasn’t just getting beat, I was getting killed. I was pretty much humiliated every race. No one realizes how close I was to walking away from the sport. A lot of people were telling me it was over, and I honestly started to believe them. But it was my mother, my brother (Olympic Gold Medalist Joey Cheek), my girlfriend, and all of my friends at home kept me going. And I can’t even begin to tell you how much the rest of the NSC guys helped. The guys that I was used to battling on the track, they were the ones telling me to not give up. Will Bowen, Justin Stelly, Jake Powers, S. Dot Carter, and pretty much every guy there told me to keep working and I would get back to where I was. For me that’s how I got through it, it was never about me proving the naysayers wrong. I wanted to work my butt off so I could do this interview and say thanks to everyone who helped me when I was down. So they know I’ll never forget a single word of encouragement they gave me.

NSC: Wow. And let’s be clear, these are guys you’re going to be racing against next week and next month at both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals. We really are all one family in this sport, aren’t we? So speaking of Nationals, tell us, what are your goals going into Indoor Nationals this year?

Cheex: I hope I skate well, but it’s just brutal timing. We have Indoor Nationals, then 11 days later we have Outdoor Nationals and World Team trials, and then like 2 weeks later World Championships start. It’s really hard for me to get ready for Indoor Nationals, because this time of year I have to concentrate on skating longer distances. To me the most important thing is really talking to people and getting everyone to see the Powerslide/Matter brand. Powerslide is the top skating company in the world, and it’s because they have the top skating products in the world. I think once everyone gives Powerslide and Matter a try, it won’t take long for them to realize what the rest of the world has known for years.

NSC: No doubt! So you’re really keyed up on outdoor and Worlds. So then, what are your goals going into Outdoor Nationals this year? Do you just focus on points for team qualification or are you going for titles or both?

Cheex: I just worry about making the team. I could careless if I’m the first guy or the sixth guy. To me winning at trials really isn’t important, it goes back to the timing of Worlds. There’s no way you can be peaking at trials, and stay up at that level for 2 weeks to be on the top of your game for Worlds.

NSC: So you’re at the top of the professional league, and now you’ve got your sights set on the world. So then, how important are national titles to you?

Cheex: Well, it’s no secret that my biggest goal this year was to win the NSC title. Every race I skate I want to win, but at almost 32 yrs old you have to pick and choose your battles. I think it would be awesome to win every national title this year, but if you offered me a chance to win all four Indoor National titles and all 12 Outdoor National titles or the NSC Grand Championship… I’ll just hold on to my NSC title.

NSC: So it sounds like skating in NSC has changed the way you approach races through USARS or FIRS or WIC. Is that accurate?

Cheex: To me, indoor skating and outdoor skating are two different sports. It’s a lot like short track and long track ice. So NSC makes the other indoor events feel a little bit less important, but really doesn’t change much for outdoor races at all.

NSC: OK, so having said that, what does Worlds look like for you this year?

Cheex: Worlds is going to be tough, just like it always is. Somehow I ended up getting old, and the rest of the world continues to get better and better. I have the ability to win indoor races when I’m not at my best, just by being more experienced. Outdoor racing at Worlds is so different, because I’m usually one of the least seasoned skaters in the race. I hope my training goes great through the summer, and I stay injury free, and hopefully I can have some good results this year.

NSC: OK, let’s stir things up a little bit…on the subject of Worlds and the World Team, how are things looking for the team this year from a financial standpoint, in your opinion?

Cheex: You know, I really wish the team was supported financially, but I guess right now that’s not an option. It’s part of the struggle our sport is going through in the US right now, I just hope soon it will get better.

NSC: There seemed to be a lot of noise last year about Team USA not being able to send everyone who should have gone, and that there was very little time for training for the team before leaving. Do you think the lack of residency last year played a part in the team’s overall performance, or was it more than that?

Cheex: As far as residency goes, I think it would have helped for sure, but we have a lot of problems that need to be addressed. It seems like everyone just wants to say, “we need to go back to the way things were in the late 90′s”, but it’s not that easy. Most the skaters in the US only race outdoor races 2 or 3 times a year, and by races I mean races akin to what we race at Worlds, not marathons. There’s probably not many more than 10 coaches that have even seen a world championship in person in the last 10 years. We need leaders, who realize that the rest of the world is training hours and hours a day. We don’t even have a coated flat track in the US, the kind of track that’s used at the World Championships. Most of the Americans at Worlds this year will go into it without having skated on a Worlds-style track since the last World Championship. There’s lots and lots of things that need to change if we ever want to get back to being one of the top countries at Worlds. I just hope there are people that are willing to make those changes.

NSC: A lot of your friends and fellow competitors have made the jump to ice skating, but yet you’ve never made the attempt, despite your brother’s success, why is that?

Cheex: Really? Oh man, I get this all the time, and to me it’s really simple. I’ve watched my brother skate in 2 Olympic Games and win 3 Olympic Medals, and I was really excited for him. I was lucky to see a lot of the journey for him, the good and the bad. I think a lot of inline skaters just see the video’s of Chad or Derrick winning a gold medal and think, “that’s what I want to do”. The final picture looks great, but because of my brother I got to see the entire sport. And ice skating just isn’t for me. I don’t like the idea of only racing the clock in long track, and I think short track has way too much of a chance for blade-to-face contact, not to mention that I might be just a little bit too tall. Inline skating is truly my passion, something I love. To switch to ice I would be trading my passion for a chance at glory, and the Rocky Soundtrack told me that’s the wrong thing to do. If I ever wanted to switch sports, I think it would have been much more likely that I tried running or cycling. Ice skating would have been way down the list. I would never try and change anyone’s mind about making the jump to ice, but I’m just not a huge fan of the sport.

NSC: You’re a lot like a certain friend of yours (Joey Mantia) who we hear really only sees the ice as a means to an end. Unfortunate that we won’t see him on inlines at Indoor or Outdoor Nationals this year, but that’s how it goes when you’re dedicated to a goal. So as we wrap this up, I’ve always wanted to know what’s going through your head before the starter gun fires. I’ve noticed that you look deadly serious when you’re on the line. What do you do to prepare yourself before a big race mentally?

Cheex: If I look super serious before a race it’s completely by accident. I’ve never been the kinda person to get super pumped up or psyched up for a race. To me the calmer you are going into a race, the easier it is to react to things that happen. I think if you’re a 300m or a 500m guy you really have to pump yourself up because you need to be super explosive, but for myself I need to be relaxed. If I go into a race too pumped up, I’ll be tired with 10 laps to go.

For Michael Cheek, it’s all about measuring up to his own very high standards, on the track and off. And while it’s a humble narrative when he says he doesn’t care about how many national medals he takes home over the next few weeks, he’s also made it clear that if there’s one on the line, he’s not going to back down from going after it, if having it fits into his plan. Cheex is a master strategist, superior skater and all-around ambassador for this thing we do. And make no mistake, Michael Cheek is going into the 2012 Worlds season at the top of his game. If you’re out there skating against him, we wish you well. If you’re in the stands, we know you’re going to cheer louder for him, because he’s a hero for our time, who’s come along at just the right time, when our sport needs him most. We wish Cheex all the best for this coming chapter, because we know he’s going to finish this season just like he started, with the fire and passion to be king of the world.

Who's it gonna be?

Tonight, it’s all on the line for the season title in the Grand Champion Finale, and you know it’ll be a full-on Clash of the Titans of inline speed. The speeds are faster, the stakes are higher, and it’s a field as stacked as it gets. Guaranteed spots for tonight’s Grand Champion final are.

Michael Cheek

Will Bowen

Jake Powers

Jarrett Paul

Jeremy Anderson

Donavon Sellers

But that’s not all. NSC Fans can count on a night of excitement, because there are two wild card slots up for grabs, meaning that a long-shot or outsider can come along and win it all by making it into the final race.

And just who has that potential? This season has seen a whole host of upsets and stand out performances that make your guess as good as anyone else. Brandon Hall is an odds-on favorite, but so is veteran Stephen Carter. But who’s to say Teague Knapton or Eben Jackson couldn’t pull it out and make the cut? It’s really up for grabs, and you’ve really got to want it and win to make it.

A wild card Grand Champion? It could happen tonight.

The wild cards work like this…the first wild card goes to the athlete with the highest placement in sprints or endurance. But there’s always a catch…catch is you have to place in the top three. This is where it gets tricky. Follow this example…if two guys tie and both place second in sprints and endurance, than the tie breaker will be the 100m Fastest Man contest. This means it’s going to be every man racing to hit that line before the next with more determination than they’ve skated with all season. Expect to see the most aggressive skating and the craziest passing of the year tonight.

The second wild card spot goes to the 100m time trial winner. And this ain’t no cake-skate. It’s peak performance time in NSC, the skaters are skating harder and faster than at any other point in the season. In the last event, the top 10 skaters all skated a 8.51 second lap or less, with Will Bowen setting an all-time record of 8.26. How low can they go is really the only question you can ask yourself.

Racing starts at 6:40 PST and will be streaming live on-line right here at pronsc.com.

NSC is also giving away free tickets to the event itself. If you’re in Federal Way, WA and are among the first 500 to sign up here on the site, you’re in with no charge. But you’ll need to be quick, spots are almost full!

Click the flyer to register now!

Register now and print the email confirmation you get. Bring it to the door and you’re in.

It’s turn and burn time, when the saints and the sinners, losers and the winners take the line for the season finale. This is the event to watch. Be there or be left out!