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Local in-line skaters are on some kind of roll photo by Jim Craven By Kevin Goff The need for speed is what spurred Ashley DuBrey and Richard Snapp to swap their recreational skates for a spot in in-line speed skating competition. Snapp, who will be freshman at North Medford High, and DuBrey, in the same class at Klamath Union High, are members of the Club Fresno in-line racing team that trains at Roller Odyssey in Medford and joins forces with teammates in Fresno, Calif., to compete in the Northern California League. The broad base of the team � four Southern Oregonians and 10 Californians � is the result of Sheldon Masterson�s connections. Masterson, who owns Roller Odyssey, also owns homes in Medford and Fresno. He has coached Club Fresno for eight years and managed to mesh skaters from both regions into a unit. The Southern Oregonians train here, the Fresno skaters train there, and they compete about once a month in league. They�ve done well enough that Snapp and DuBrey were among four Club Fresno skaters to qualify for trips to nationals July 31-Aug. 5 in Lincoln, Neb. Masterson moved to Fresno last year to help run a rink there. He left the assistant coaching duties here to Ashley�s father, Louis DuBrey. "Louis had been skating and doing some competition," says Masterson. "He really worked hard on learning the knowledge of the sport and has been helping out since my move." Louis DuBrey has helped the squad for two years now. "When Ashley first started, I didn�t even know this sport existed," says Louis DuBrey. "But it�s a lot of fun, and I have a good time coaching these kids." The season is nearly year-round, with practice beginning in September, league meets through the spring and regionals in late June. At regionals in Fresno June 24-25, Ashley DuBrey, 14, followed up her league championship with gold in the Junior Olympic Sophomore Ladies Division. She also was third overall in the Elite Division. Snapp, 13, took the silver medal at regionals in the Freshman Men�s Division. Together, DuBrey and Snapp placed fourth in the relay to make nationals. "They�re both good kids who work hard and are easy to coach," says Louis DuBrey. "I�m not a great skater, but I�m really into technique. I guess you could say I�m a nuts and bolts type of guy." Speed skating competition takes place in an indoor rink with a 100-meter oval track for individual and relay events. Distances and divisions are determined by age groups. In individual events, champions are determined by points they earn in the final races of each distance skated. Snapp first came upon the sport three years ago when attending a birthday party at Roller Odyssey. "There was a meet going on while we were there," says Snapp�s father, Richard Sr. "Richard looked at me and said, `I want to do that.�" Snapp Jr. has made nationals that past three years but has failed to make it out of the heat races. Ashley DuBrey was enticed into the sport after getting bored with recreational skating. "I was rec skating with some friends," she says. "And I just decided that I wanted to go faster." DuBrey is in her second year of racing. This will be her first appearance at nationals. "I�m just working on the basics," she says, "and trying to work on my stamina." Speed skating uses a five-wheeled in-line skate which replaced the quad-skate a few years ago in competition. "The sport has really evolved the past few years," says Masterson. "Ever since the switch to in-line, the speeds have dramatically improved. "We�re getting a good response, and Louis and I are trying to promote some and see if there are any new kids interested." Ashley DuBrey and Snapp Jr. will hone their skills for nationals by competing in the 15th annual Northwest Tandem Rally in Port Angeles, Wash., on Saturday. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA