Competitions
Speed Skating competitions are held at varying levels throughout the skating season, which runs from August to June. Competitions offer an opportunity to put your new and developing skating skills to the test in a fun, refereed sporting environment together with your peers. They are a social opportunity to meet with skaters from other clubs and states and a competitive arena rewarding everyone for effort and recognizing the fastest of the fast.
At a State Level, the Speed Branch offers inter-club competitions throughout the season, as well as special 1-day or Weekend Meets, that progress towards a State Championship. Selection to your State Team opens the door to the National Championship – held annually in any of our major cities. Racing at State Level can be categorized on peer or ability-level, as well as age-division.
For all sanctioned racing events in Victoria, the following wheel restrictions apply:
Skaters age as at the 31st Dec. Max wheel size in diameter mm
Up to 7 years 3 x 90
8 - 9 years 4 x 90 or 3 x 100
10 - 11 years 4 x 100 or 3 x 110
12 - 13 years 4 x 110
14 + years OPEN
Indoor (Track)
Indoor racing is held on a skating rink (non-Championship) or indoor sports hall or stadium, on a 100m rectangular circuit around 4 corner pylons. The 100m layout used for Indoor Racing is the most standardized of skating circuits. Indoor events are skated on painted concrete or coated timber floors. The level of grip available on the floor depends on a combination of surface material (paint composition), surface cleanliness and surface temperature – adding interesting variables to a standardized competition format.
Indoor events range from Sprints (including individual time trials raced against the clock, and heat-based short sprint races), through to Distance events (such as 15, 30 and 50-lap mass-start races) and Relays (where teams of skaters race each other in a turn-based event). Distances for children range from 300m to 3 km and for adults from 300m to 10 km.
Speed Skaterz takes part in the following indoor racing:
Regular Club Competitions - For club members approved to race.
Skate Australia Victoria Speed Competitions - Events competing against other Clubs across Victoria.
Skate Victoria Competitions - Open to all Clubs in Victoria.
State Championships - Go up against the best skaters in Victoria.
National Championships - If selected to represent Victoria, go up against the best skaters in Australia.
Outdoor (Road)
Outdoor racing (sometimes known as Road Racing) is held on a range of open-air venues, ranging from purpose-built circuits, closed public streets, parking lots and outdoor sports complexes. Following international guidelines, Outdoor Racing usually takes place on non-symmetrical circuits of between 400m and 600m in length. The layout of Outdoor circuits varies greatly. Outdoor events are skated mostly on asphalt and occasionally on concrete or similar surfaces. The level of grip available depends on a combination of surface grain (amount of surface available to contact the wheels), cleanliness and temperature.
Outdoor events range from Sprints (including individual time trials raced against the clock and heat-based short sprint races), through to Distance events (such as 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 km mass start races). Outdoor distance events often use unique race formats, such as Points Racing (where competitors race to accumulate the most points scored through intermediate sprints), Elimination Racing (where competitors race to stay at the head of the group while the rearmost skaters are eliminated through intermediate sprints) and Points-Elimination Racing (a high-action combination of the two formats). Relay events (teams racing in a turn-based format) also form part of Outdoor competition.
Speed Skaterz takes part in the following outdoor racing:
Skate Australia Victoria Speed Competitions - Events competing against other Clubs across Victoria.
State Championships - Go up against the best skaters in Victoria.
National Championships - If selected to represent Victoria, go up against the best skaters in Australia.
Oceania Championships - If selected to represent Australia, compete against the best in New Zealand.
World Team - If selected to represent the Australian Team, compete against the best in the world and go for World Champion. Daniel Greig, a member of Speed Skaterz is currently the only Australian ever to become World Champion for our country in Barcelona, 2019.