Today I tried Alpina roller skis for the first time. I took a pair of Alpina ESR skate rollerskis for a two and a half hour skate on the local roads and they handled everything from the smooth new tar of the Glenmore road to the potholed, chipped, uneven surface of the wee back roads with ease. The large diameter wheels and wood / fibreglass chassis took the kick out of the bumps while remaining stiff enough not to lose any of the power I was trying to put through them. They didn’t slip out sideways once despite it sleeting for half an hour while I was out and my route involving some four inch deep puddles covering the whole road. They didn’t ‘banana’ off in one direction or another on downhills, holding a line very well, and cornered as easily as any other roller ski’s I’ve ever used. Speed wise, I thought they were similar to Start Skates or Marwe 610’s but maybe slightly faster than them. All in all, a really good ski for pretty much anyone who wants to skate.

The classic ski I used was the SCR 76, not the top race model but was still plenty good enough. Its front wheel ratchet meant I still had to concentrate slightly on technique rather than falling back on the stand up and shuffle method some roller skis allow. On descents they held their line and didn’t wobble due to the fairly hard rubber of the wheels. Despite this rubber, they didn’t slip on wet tar which impressed me. The solid aluminium frame meant they were a little rigid over rougher tarmac, although this did stop me worrying about breaking them, as I have on other rollerskis. Overall I found them a good classic roller ski to train on for the real thing, but maybe a bit chunky to race on. I’m sure the ECR 76’s, the composite model, will take care of that though.

Alpina rollerskis

Alpina rollerski packages

Calum is a member of the Cairngorm Biathlon & Nordic Ski Club. In 2011 he became the youngest ever GB Rollerski Champion, aged only 17. He's competed for GB in biathlon on the IBU Cup, and in cross-country skiing and biathlon at the European Youth Olympics.