My sponsors recently allowed me to tour the world on skates. I reveled in my good fortune and embarked on a great adventure which took me through the streets of Kyoto and Tokyo, Hanoi and Saigon, Surin and Bangkok, Bombay and New Delhi.

Skating was the common thread I was able to weave through my newest tapestry of vastly disparate experiences in completely different cultures. So much of the joy I derived from my travels came from the time I spent meeting people and seeing sights while on skates.

It used to be that the only tangible proof I had for my sponsors of having skated the frozen canals of Holland, the Great Wall of China, or the grand boulevards of Bogota was an occasional postcard, a magazine cover, or maybe a snapshot or two brought to a trade show.

This time, though, I decided I wanted a more permanent way of saying thanks to my sponsors. I commissioned a painting of myself that could spend time in their offices.

The oil painting is actually a recreation of a photograph taken at the Taj Mahal, an edifice to love and loyalty which has come to stand as a symbol for India.

Through the soft haze of smoke from dried dung-cake cooking fires, the Taj Mahal shimmers like a mirage, less real than a movie set backdrop. But there it is, defining itself in ever clearer lines as you approach the inner sanctum. Some people spend days getting to know the Taj Mahal, coming at all hours to get to know her many moods. I chose to have my picture taken in the gourmet light of sunrise, when the blanched facade is bathed in an eerie yellow-orange light.

You might think that the Indian government would hesitate to admit a tourist on skates to a national monument, considering it inappropriate or disrespectful. This was not quite the case. At the security checkpoint, the skates got the OK, but the helmet didn't.

Refused entry but insistent on getting in anyway, I was ushered to a dark portico where the head of security sat sternly at a table. After I explained my situation, his crossed arms unfolded and thumped menacingly on the wooden table as he reiterated what I had already known: I could go in with skates and pose for pictures, but the helmet was out of the question. He objected to the little yellow PowerBar sticker on the front and the big Specialized lettering on the sides, fearing that I intended to make some sort of commercial advertisement.

This guy was beyond moral reproach; no amount of baksheesh was going to resolve this impasse. The situation seemed desperate; the sun was threatening to break over the horizon and security was not pleased with my persistence. I explained what an essential piece of safety equipment a helmet is, that I never skate anywhere without one. No go.


In a last-ditch effort at compromise I proposed that I remove the offending stickers. After what seemed an hour of agonizing deliberation, the stern security chief gave a simple nod. I honestly tried to start picking away at the yellow sticker but was having a hard time of it. The magical light of the new day was dawning, and here I was fruitlessly trying to remove a logo that seemed to be engraved onto my helmet.

The chief gave a simple flick of the wrist to indicate that he didn't want me buzzing around in his soup anymore. Two of his guards grabbed me by the arm and led me through the central doors -- normally reserved only for dignitaries -- and unceremoniously dumped me inside the walled monument. Face to face with arguably the most gorgeous architectural wonder of the world, I was suddenly free to do as I pleased.

I have arrived at many a race with barely a moment to spare before the gun went off, so I know the routine. But here I was distracted by the reflection of the Taj Mahal in a long pool of still water. I was mesmerized by the changing quality of the light in the faintly shimmering upside-down image. Trying to maintain focus, however, I rushed to suit up in advance of the sun's grand appearance.

I double knotted my laces and moved into place just as the sun's sentinel rays spilled out over the horizon. Everything came to life. Just one shot out of the roll was all it took to capture the old and the new caressed by the sun, blending harmoniously together. Boy, was I glad I had brought my skates along -- and thankful that I could wear my helmet.


Tips for Traveling with Skates

1. Take recreational skates. If you're a true skate tourist, you'll be spending countless hours sightseeing on your skates. You're feet will thank you at the end of the day if they haven't been crammed into a tight-as-a-glove racing boot. I prefer a well-ventilated skate - although if you're caught in the rain you'll wish you either had a solid shell or duct tape to cover the holes.

2. Install high-rebound wheels . Chances are that the pavement you'll encounter on your skate odyssey won't always be of choice smoothness. Soft wheels with a durometer of 78 -- and high rebound -- are the most comfortable and forgiving of all. The difference between skating all day on hard wheels versus softer ones is like walking all day on leather-soled dress shoes versus Air Jordans. Now which would you choose?

3. Take a backpack to carry your skates. It can be a hassle to carry your skates in both hands while strolling through the museum or taking the subway. I prefer a backpack that has side pockets for my skates, a central compartment for food, water, and extra clothes, and two handy smaller pockets for my camera, pens and paper, travel guides, and any other odds and ends. This way, I can transport everything I need for a trip, including skates and a helmet, in a single bag and still have it fit into the overhead compartment of the airplane.

4. Bring a tool. It's a bummer when your skate needs a 1/8" hex head and you're in a country that uses the metric system. A tool is insurance that when something goes wrong you'll be able to fix it before it gets out of hand. Too many times I've had to wedge a sharp rock into the hex head of a bolt and try and tighten it every ten minutes, or place a sticker over a rattling bolt to keep it from falling out.

5. Take extra hardware. Just a bolt or two will do, but carrying a little extra weight around the world with you beats having to skate without a wheel or two. Bolts and washers seem to walk off the most.

6. Install gel filled bearings before you go. A gel filled bearing is virtually maintenance free for at least the length of your trip. I train and race on the same exact bearings for nearly a whole year before changing them. Plus, gel -- as opposed to grease -- is hydrophobic, so it can stand up to lots of inclement weather before starting to squeak

7. Take skates that have a removable liner. When you're traveling in countries that are hot and humid, skates have a tendency to stay wet and breed odors. After using my skates I always remove the liners so they dry out faster, preferably setting them in the sun so they're dry by the time I'm done with lunch, for example. Also, being able to take out your liners and soak them in soapy water or bleach can be a godsend, especially if you have a traveling companion whose nose is sensitive.

8. Take lightweight socks. Thin socks are essential in hot climates, and also dry out quickly after washing. I always do my laundry in the washbasin before going to bed. I basically learned to pack my clothes based on their drying times. When I travel I live in nylon soccer shorts with little cotton liners, mesh tank tops, and thin socks.

9. Bring stickers to pass out to curious kids. You have to realize that when you skate in foreign countries you're basically creating a disturbance ( albeit a pleasant one) for thousands of kids and adults fascinated by your mode of transportation. You will send everybody who lays eyes on your funny shoes to bed dreaming about one day having a pair like your own. You can't give them all skates, but you can give them a sticker or two by which they can remember the dream ( My personal favorite is the one of a padlock which says underneath: "UNLOCK YOUR BRAIN"

10. Always bring a camera. This last point hardly needs any explanation, but suffice it to say that serendipity's going to come knockin' aplenty while on vacation. What better way to capture her than in a Kodak moment? On canvas did you say?


Eddy Matzger, holder of numerous in-line speed and distance world records, just recently activated a toll-free number for his weekend workshops (1-888-WRK-SHOP). He commissioned his oil painting from Recreations of the Masters , an art gallery in Los Angeles owned by skater Jonathan Kent. Mr. Kent proposes to announce a skating art contest soon. For more information call (310) 657-5727.