Who is Adam Ornelles?
Adam is a long-distance skater based in Madison, Wisconsin. He will be competing at this year’s 2023 Ultra skate.
Some of you may know him from seeing him at podiums at various competitions, or through his social media page - @blueridgeproject, where he shares his adventures, various longboard experimentations (recently making studded wheels for skating in winter), and general long-distance skating shenanigans.
But notably, Adam has proved himself to be a podium contender time and again. He won the 2022 Ultra skate covering 280 miles at the event, and he podiumed at the 2022 Broadway Bomb - which is incredibly impressive considering was a first-timer at the event.
Adam will be one to watch at this year’s Ultra Skate, it will not be a surprise if that WR changes hands this year …
Where can you keep up with Adam?
You can follow Adam through the @blueridgeproject handle on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
I personally think Adam is one of the best longboard content creators out there. His content is unique and never fails to make me go “hmmm, didn’t think of that” or “that’s really cool”. Adam thinks outside the box and it’s incredibly refreshing to see. Make sure to give him a follow!
Adam Ornelles Interview
How are things going Adam?
I started a new job where I can skate to work. I make a lot of stressful decisions. Luckily I don’t have to take work home. I would like to make more videos and all, but trying to live a normal life and also skate 15-20 hours a week is my limit before I get burnt out on skating.
Where are you based at the moment?
I’m based in Madison Wisconsin, which is pleasantly surprising how nice it is. Live next to lakes, bike paths, good affordable diverse food, and many parks.
Is winter affecting your training for Ultraskate?
Winter makes training a lot harder. You want to train at the speed you race at, or faster, which is hard in the winter. Cold weather riding can knock 1 or 2 mph off a ride with the same exertion. So while you may get cardio, your muscles don’t get the optimal exercise. My definition of a cold ride used to be 35 and below. Now I would say I’ve adapted and 20 and below is cold. I do train indoors with a treadmill and a heater so I don’t get destroyed by the Miami heat but I generally do bad with heat.
How are you training for Ultraskate? How does someone get ready for ultra skate?
Ultraskate is a really muscular event. You use your cardiovascular system to go faster, but you can actually do quite well with just a decent muscular base. Which is why cross training like running worked so well for Joe Mazzone in the Colorado winters. The main thing in preparing for ultraskate is learning to find your pace you can hold for 24 hours, which usually takes a greater than 8 hour ride to force yourself to understand that concept, and finding what food you can hold down while doing that.
Any tips you can share? Specific workouts? What does your yearly training season looks like?
I spend most of my time skating, equal parts between hills, on an inclined treadmill in bad weather, and on the flats. I try to do 3 hard workouts Tuesday Wednesday Thursday. And then 2 very hard, and long workouts, on the weekend. Monday and Friday are good rest days, resting is the only time you actually improve, training breaks the muscles down but you have to heal. People tend to ignore quality over quantity. My yearly training is essentially 2-3 weeks after ultraskate. And maybe a week or two off in summer. 4 months before ultraskate is usually when I start training more seriously. 14+ hours a week. Otherwise it’s 50/50 workouts and just fun rides.
How do you simulate an ultra skate during a regular training session?
I like to pack all the food I would normally race with, and then do a 100 mile ride. It’s super important to use your long rides as a time for your body to learn how to function past the 3 hour mark. After 3 hours is really when you start tapping into your energy systems for long endurance. Usually at hour 6-8 is when you start to feel it if your food doesn’t agree with your body.
Do you train alone mostly? Do you try training with others?
One of the hard things is there’s not a lot of people I can ride with and also get a good workout with where I live. Geran and Gavin Conti are two riders who keep up well, in my area I tend to do long rides (Ladiga).
What’s the game plan when you show up on the day?
Any planned stops?
I don’t plan on stopping, it’s easier to do everything on the board and hold a slower pace than stop and have to hold a higher pace to accomplish the same distance.
Do you set a pace and stick to it?
I just try to hold a certain level of exertion and ignore pacing. Fighting the wind or working hard in the heat to hold a pace is a recipe for disaster. You just have to go with the flow. Ultraskate is definitely less of a race and more of a personal journey.
How do you deal with having to pee? Do you stop or what’s the solution?
You can stop at a porta potty on the backside of the track. I probably lost a mile out of 291 miles in my first ultraskate using the porta potty. Need to manage your hydration to avoid that.
What’s your emergency plan for explosive diarrhea
Hahahaha. Don’t eat fruits or eggs and eat some starches, and that won’t happen.
Do you have a draft team?
No but that would make a large difference.
What is your nutrition plan?
How much do you eat?
I think I ate 4 pounds of Mott’s gummies last time. You probably need around 40-50 grams of carbohydrates an hour for energy.
How do you hydrate?
Some people use mixes that put carbs in their drinks. I try to avoid that because if you need a lot of water you drink the wrong amount of sugar and want to throw up. Generally you need 2 bottles of water and hour if it’s hot, 0.5 to 1 bottle an hour at night.
Do you have any pre-race rituals?
Not really. I have some coffee early in the morning to get the system moving so you don’t need to use the porta potty later. That’s a ritual I got from bike racing.
Who are you watching out for?
I really don’t watch out for anyone since I go at my own pace. Last year I slowed down after I knew I could win because the weather made it impossible to get close to the record, so why hurt myself more.
Are you going for the record?
I’ve done all I can this year. The weather plays half the factor. If it’s a colder year I think I’ve got it, if it’s hot no way. Maybe in a year or two when I’m older I can really give it a shot. I still only have 3 years of skate racing under my belt, your muscles need to mature for endurance sports.
What setup are you going to use? Have you decided on a complete thing or still testing equipment?
I’m still not entirely sure. I try to keep my setup at similar angles and the same height so the muscles I use don’t change. Ultraskate setups are pretty boring, usually low angle rear high angle front. Easy pumping, less room for mistakes. It’s really easy to kick your wheel in a 24 hour race where you’re delirious so keep it simple.
What are you wearing?
Its nerdy but I wear a cycling jersey and running tights. There’s a reason why people wear it in races. You wouldn’t believe the chaffing you get with loose clothing if you sweat for 24 hrs. Cycling jerseys breath better than loose shirts. Another thing is the cycling jerseys have 3 extra large pockets on your back, so you can have food, a bottle, and your phone on you without anything jangling in your pockets, and no bag needed means no back sweat.
What are your favorite color socks to wear when riding?
Neon orange? Not sure why. Used to get factory second cycling socks on discount and I like that.
What is your shoe choice?
I like minimalist shoes, low zero drop shoes but with some foam, specifically altras I resole. It’s hard to run skate shoes for long rides because they don’t cushion your feet enough.
Do you always use the same pair or have a freshy ready for ultra skate?
I’ve had fresh shoes I’ve used, but generally speaking I know they won’t hurt my feet when they’re brand new. Ide probably do like one long ride to make sure you don’t get screwed up. One time I tried my shoelaces a little too tight, your feet swell after 24 hours, and those little bit tight shoe laces made my foot go numb for months.
How do you deal with friction issues? What do you do to stop chaffing?
Body glide works well. Fitted clothing is important. This has never been an issue to me even when I was a long distance runner while some other people would be dying.
Any advice for an Ultraskate first-timer?
You should have fun, and talk to people, you don’t have to take it too seriously. But still, save yourself so you can have fun the WHOLE race instead of sleeping at 2 am. The night shift is a hoot. Everyone is probably going out too fast. Everyone does. You gotta remember you’re going to be 10 hours into a ride, the longest ride you’ve probably ever done, and you’re literally not even halfway done.
Pumping vs pushing?
I love pushing. Lately I’ve been able to push QUITE fast downhill. There’s a lot left to pushing technique too, not just pumping. I hit 26-27mph all the time doing sprints around a track. If the sport ever found a professional talent-level athlete, like a 2:20 marathoner, you’d be amazed how fast they could be. I think Daniel Lindsey is the closest we’ve got from a talent perspective. Also a pushing-main. Pumping makes a lot of sense in longer rides though.
What inspires you to do LDP?
Originally, Paul Kent and Jeff Vyain. They still do of course. Now, it’s more my fiance Hannah who supports me, and I just love a good adventure. I would still be training and riding just as fast if there weren’t any races, maybe when I started I had external motivators, but everything is internal now for sure. Sometimes Ultraskate gets in the way of other things I want to do skating on my own, involving more downhill and mountains, even.
What setups are your favourite?
I like the pranayama a lot. Or the trip. Personally if I’m just having fun I like a symmetrical setup for sliding. I don’t really slide in workouts, other than gloves down, since I never wear protective gear.
How do you advise one to get started with LDP?
Riding point to point for a purpose is good. I grew up riding some extremely sketchy, not even bike safe, roads and sidewalks to get around where I grew up. It’s fun when it’s not on a bike path or there’s hills. I really like LDP because it’s an excuse to do downhill also, I used to be able to get away with some really dumb downhills since I can push up the hill first.
Would you ever come to Kenya to train in the high-altitude camps with the world-champion marathon runners? Could be fun hehe …
Haha sounds fun. I would really like to do more skate packing but I also can’t afford to just leave my job.
Are we gonna get an Adam Ornelles pro model one day?
We looked at a bracket board awhile ago, but to be honest I like setups I can downhill. The supersonic is almost everything I want, maybe too much flex and camber for skate packing in mountains. I don’t really know if that’ll ever be in the works.
Do you have a background in racing? You mentioned other endurance sports, have you raced in cycling, or done marathons before?
I used to like racing crits and cyclocross cycling, and running in highschool. I think I might get back into racing bikes, nailing corners and stuff is a good time.
What do you do professionally?
I work for the state of Wisconsin as a hydrogeologist, addressing contamination issues with private drinking water supplies.
How do you prepare for the mental challenges of ultra-skate?
Ultraskate is pretty brutal because the mental problems are always different. Last year I had a ripping headache for 12 hours and wanted to vomit. The year before I was tired and lost my balance. Doing stuff that challenges you and understanding it will pass prepares you for Ultraskate.
Proudest race wins?
Ultraskate last year was brutal despite it being a shorter distance than I’ve done before. Proud of not quitting.
Good luck Adam!
Thank you Adam for answering my questions and best of luck at Ultra skate! If you’d like to see similar interviews with some of your favorite riders, do let us know.