Kangoo time
Long ago I use to participate in exciting 10 mile rollerblade skates in Philadelphia. That was before I had a couple back surgeries. Since that time, I’ve missed skating but there’s no way I’m risking a back injury. Instead I do yoga and ride a recumbent stationary bike while reading. Both are good for me, I know, but neither are particularly exciting and lately I’ve been falling out of the habit.
This past Friday while at a meeting at The Parkinson Alliance, I noticed a pair of what I thought were rollerblades. Carol, the CEO, said they were Kangoo Jumps, a very cool hybrid of a rollerblade-type boot with a low impact, springy, jumpy thing (very technical) attached to the bottom of the boot.”How low impact?” She said very.
Eventually I had to try them on. First impression: Stilts. I immediately grew in height! They felt strange. Sort of springy, but controllable. I felt a bit tentative, but I started to get a feel for it.
Next thing, I was doing a slow jog down the hallway. However, it didn’t take may steps to realize you can absolutely fly in these things!
Aren’t they wild looking?
Carol said she and others from Team Parkinson (another organization under The Parkinson Alliance umbrella based in California) went jogging in them. Terri said she has a pair and loves them. We looked at their website. Once home, I went through it more. Here is the official Kangoo Jumps website. I bought a pair. I plan on using them in the house. The website says you only need a couple meters of space to get a good workout. Carol says we’ll jog in her neighborhood. Good. I use to rollerblade in my neighborhood and some 14 years later people still say, “Aren’t you the person who use to skate around the neighborhood?” I don’t need people asking me years from now if I’m the one that went bouncing by! :)
August 10th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Oh, wow! There is always something new. Looks like fun. I think you should go out and give the neighborhood something to talk about!!
August 10th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Oh thanks. :)
I have one of those big birthdays coming up at the end of October. It’s one of the first of many presents I’ll be buying myself.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Ohhhh this looks fun! I had to learn to roller blade so I could teach it to my gym classes and thought it was a blast. Recently a saw a lady using one of those scooters at QBL and that looked fun too! Anything and everything to get my exercise in – is a good motto! Thanks!
August 11th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
It does look fun. I’m going to use it in the house. I’m getting the limited edition black ones because the black w/orange is on backorder until later in Sept. I’m thinking of using them in the neighborhood at night. We’ll see!
August 14th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Ah, so that’s what those things are!! At Easter we saw some guy flying down the street in those things, with rabbit ears on. I laughed so hard. Looks like a good work out though!
August 14th, 2009 at 11:21 am
With rabbit ears on? That must have been hysterical!