Edea Spinner - what surfaces can it be used on?

[Christy]

I recently bought a spinner from Holy Salchow but it needs to be used on linoleum so I'm considering the Edea Spinner and wondering if that can be used on other types of flooring, such as tile or carpet, without causing any damage please?

[Query]

I'm not a great fan of spinners, though I have several, but have you thought about buying a suitable sized patch (say 1x1 or 2x2 meters or yards) of smooth flooring material? - it's pretty cheap.

Linoleum is now obsolete, and has largely been replaced by vinyl, because it requires less maintenance when used as a floor. Like Linoleum it can be bought in large sheets. Possibly it would work well. The most slippery hard surface material I have found is whiteboard material (also called dry erase board) - it was either at Lowes or Home Depot, though I don't know how strong it is. But a waxed hardwood sheet material might come close in slipperiness.

E.g., see

  http://www.homedepot.com/s/linoleum+sheet+flooring?NCNI-5

  http://www.homedepot.com/s/whiteboard?NCNI-5

If you search for "spinner" or "spinners" you will find many past threads on this disccusion board.

I haven't seen the Edea spinner, though based on the picture it too will require a hard slippery surface, which it too might scratch and mar. But several spinners in which the bottom is stationary exist, which can be used on any hard level floor. (Though I doubt it would work well on carpet, because you will tilt.) Unfortunately, most of the units I tried, even the very expensive "Gold Medal" brand spinners, had sticky bearings, which made them all but unusable. Don't buy one unless you have tested the exact unit (not another of the same brand and model, but the exact one) you buy at a store.

Someone here once posted pictures of one he made himself, by attaching wood to a turntable bearing. But I went to a store and checked - most turntable bearings I found at Walmart were sticky.

The closest I have come to a usable spinner was the twist board discussed here, widely available through eBay. Another possibility is slippery socks on any smooth floor.

I do suggest you only use any spinner in an area where there is lots of open space. You don't want to bang into a counter or wall. And wear somewhat thick padded clothing, all over your legs, arms and hands (e.g., gloves), because at first you will fall, or be thrown off the spinner with a fair amount of speed. A lot! Even if you spin without falling on the ice. A helmet might be appropriate too, at first.

Spinning on a surface with a definite stationary point is quite different from tracing around a small circle on a skate edge, which is how figure skating spins are supposed to work. Because of centrifugal force, even your balance point is a little different, though my former coach claimed you can simulate that by putting your foot off center on the spinner.

But then again, I'm a lousy spinner, so maybe you should ignore me.