December Skater of the Month

Name: Brian Shicoff Nickname: Shicoff (a result of too many Brians) Age: 32 Marital Status: Single Length of Time Skating: 7 years speedskating since June 2002, but learned to skate on the streets of NYC while in college Equipment Brand and Type: Simmons boots (custom) Matter Juice wheels (100mm, green - 83A or white - 85A) Tru-Rev 4x100 frames Zero Drag Ultimate bearings Favorite Skating Gadgets: I love accessories! Present collection includes a Garmin 405 GPS, an Apple iPod shuffle, Ezeefit ankle booties, and a Road ID bracelet. Life Philosophy: Survive and Thrive! Favorite Time to Skate: Nighttime!

Favorite Events: 24-hour Roller Montreal, the Miami EsSkate social skating weekend, the Squiggy Classic marathon in Tampa, FL, and of course the Texas Road Rash!

Biggest Adventures: I have 4 events I love to share stories about:

• My first event: an 8-mile skate in 2002 called the Easter Seals Roll that included the Lincoln tunnel between NY and NJ. Yeah, just 8 miles, but we all start somewhere!
• Finishing my first MS150 (Houston to Austin) in 2004. Came across the finish line in Austin after 170 miles to thousands of cheers, and with a little blood dripping from my shin.
• The 24-hour race in Montreal. Have completed about 200 miles in two separate solo attempts in '07 and '08. And still have lots of room for improvement!
• The *weekly* Friday night skate in Paris, France, which gets over 10,000 skaters every Friday, and the weekly Wednesday and Friday night skates in London. So much fun!

Awards/Wins:

• 2009 National Roller Cup Advanced Senior Men's Champion
• 8th place in the 24-hour inline race in Montreal (2007) and 13th place (2008)
• 3-time finisher of the Houston-to-Austin MS150 on skates! (2004-2006)
• other age group placements at a number of indoor and outdoor races

Want to Accomplish: In 2010, I want to place in the top 3 in the Montreal 24-hour race. And repeat as NROC champion for the Advanced Senior group.

Other Sports/Hobbies: rowing, cycling, chess, and discussing pop psychology

Mentors: Eddy Matzger and my dear friend Alice who helped me retun to skating in 2002

Helpful Advice to Beginners: I tell beginners, 'Do not to give up too soon: you have many unused and stabilizing leg muscles that need just a little bit of time to warmup'. Oh, and wear a helmet!

Favorite Quote: "Even if you�re on the right track, you�ll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers