- Title: NETHERLANDS: NEW SPEED SKATE UNVEILED
- Date: 27th September 1995
- Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 27, 1995) 1. OUTSIDE SHOT OF THE UITHOF, THE SKATING CENTER OF THE HAGUE 2. WIDE SHOT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE 3. CLOSE UP OF THE SKATE SHOE 5. CUT AWAY OF JOURNALIST WRITING 6. THEO LUIJENDIJK SHOWING THE MECHANISM OF THE SHOE 7. SKATERS SHOWING SPEED AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SKATES 8. DIEDERIK HOL EXPLAINING HOW HE HAD THIS IDEA 9. SKATER RACING IN SLOW MOTION 10. THEO LUIJENDIJK EXPLAINING THAT IT IS NOT THE MATERIAL THAT'S NEW, BUT THE COMBINATION OF IT WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SKATE 11. SKATERS SKATING TOWARDS CAMERA Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 12th October 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
- City:
- Country: Netherlands
- Reuters ID: LVAC09DB7H57N84TMCYA2B1V6EOV
- Story Text: A new concept in speed skates was unveiled on Thursday (September 27) in The Hague.
A student and a professor from the Technical University at Delft presented their invention, the Rotrax, which uses suspension and a freed heel to focus the foot's energy on the toes, thus allowing greater power to come from the legs.
The Industrial Design student, Diederik Hol, said that by liberating the heel, the skater could feel like he was "walking on the ice." Reader of the faculty of Chemical Engineering and Material Science Theo Luijendijk, said the mechanism was heavy so the skate had been built from tjhe same aluminium used in aircraft construction.
Some Dutch speed skating champions demonstrated the Rotrax and seemed to enjoy the comfort, the freedom of movement and increased speed. The skates took half a year to develop and could be on the market next a year.
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