I have been fortunate enough to enjoy a close relationship with the skateschool MadridPatina in Madrid since june last year. I first went in june 2008 with ICP to certify over 25 instructors in that one school. They are by far the largest, most organised and professional skateschool in the world, enjoying the meteoric rise that inline skating is experiencing in Madrid and all over spain. The fact that I speak spanish obviously helps and has meant a continued working connection with them.

Once again I was invited to attend their internal instructor training where I was asked to give 2 workshops and the rest of the time I could be a student. I find it so useful to be a student, to watch another instructor manage a large group, to learn new skills and new class handling methods as well as skate on a lovely indoor surface for 3 days.

The course was held in a small village outside Madrid and our group of 23 took over an entire self catering centre where we had shared rooms, cooked meals in rotas and played hilarious games late into the night.
I am writing this in the sunny courtyard of our ‘skate den’ while we wait for the final farewell dinner. I am exhausted, my body aches in places I didn’t know exist but I am happy and satisfied and feel as if I have been away from my normal skate life for at least a week (and it’s only been 4 days).

We started on friday afternoon with an intensive skills training session from Javi, MadridPatinas founding instructor. He manages MP along with 4 other full time instructors who share all the administartive tasks as well as teach. Javi is an amazing skater and instructor and has the infectious highly enthusiastic personality of someone always joking and making people laugh. My stomach muscles hurt from so much laughing.
I enjoyed the session and learned to do a magic slide (like an A frame but sliding sideways). Obviously the smooth polished concrete floor really helps with learning slides. At the end of the session I fell nastily after a great slide and ended up in strange (painful) A frame splits. We also did a bunch of fast sprints which killed everyones quads and groin muscles, the joke of the whole weekend was that most of us can’t lift our legs to get into the car or step over something. I also learned some great exercises for advanced skaters to improve their backwards 1 leg glides. I have also learned a different way of naming various skills which makes more sense than some previous names.

Saturday we had another skills session followed by a video skills session where I was shocked how difficlt some skills were on such a smooth floor (and how accostomed I am to rough grippy tarmac). Watching the video skills was excellent at showing faults and noting my basic positioning and skating style.

Cooking and eating all our meals together was another exercise in team work and belly clenching laughter. The unity and friendships within MadridPatina are exceptional and it feels like being part of a tight group of friends with numerous private jokes.

For the first time in my life I was able to take advantage of the scheduled siesta (from 2.30pm – 5.00pm) and I slept (normally I can’t sleep during the day). I woke up feeling like it was morning and realising how tired I had been before I even got to spain.

My skate dance workshop was in the evening for 2 hours and it went down well. Like me MadridPatina have only just started to teach skate dance so it was useful for them to see how I structure a class and build a choreography. Teaching instructors is always a fairly easy task as they pick things up quickly so this means I could go through more material. We all had fun and everyone was very positive. They don’t use chalk in their teaching and they were impressed by how useful it is and how clearly it allows me to explain dance steps. This exchange of ideas is what is so useful for all of us.

On saturday night we watched the video footage of the dance class and then played games and sang silly songs. I like the spanish culture and its flamboyant atmosphere and lack of insecurity. They really don’t mind making fools of themselves. I went to bed exhausted but happy.

Sunday was more of the same. I gave a SkateFIT workshop as they are wanting to incorporate more fitness skating into their syllabus. Afterwards the boys enjoyed a frantic game of rollerfootball. I have learned that although I love this game, it is extremely risky and too dangerous for a tired instructor who doesn’t want to get injured at the end of a big skate weekend. Watching and shouting unhelpful comments from the sidelines with the girls was much more fun!
One final farewell late lunch eaten in the courtyard and we were done. Saying goodbye to everyone takes ages, as everyone hugs and kisses everyone, so it’s a lovely bundle of hugs and warmth and genuine feeling. I look forward to seeing them again in 2010. We will probably try to coordinate our next international trips so that we can skate together again. I do feel like MadridPatina are like my sister skate school, always supportive and friendly and ultimately benficial for both side.
Hasta luego mis amigos!