This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveler (UK).
January 18, 2022, 10:16am Japan Time — Before the pandemic, Skate Attack on Turnpike Lane, one of London’s oldest skate shops, was converting five pairs of ice skates into roller skates every day. Ta. A similar explosion of interest has been reported at Roller Nation, a skating rink in Bruce Grove. In 2020, his 10% of visitors owned their own skates, but that has since jumped to 70%. The rink is currently open on Monday and Sunday afternoons to accommodate the influx of sports enthusiasts. Nele van Bogart, instructor and founder of London’s Isle of Skate, explains: Instagram and his TikTok were full of skate content. ” This trend is also booming across Europe. Maya Zircher, self-proclaimed skating geek and founder of Rebel Rollers Helsinki, says: “The number of skaters is increasing significantly.According to the various skating groups I belong to, this is an international It’s a trend.” From skating on an abandoned train line in Helsinki to pirouetting around Berlin’s old airport, we explore her five European cities that are perfect for roller skating.
1. Helsinki, Finland
For coastal routes
Roller derby was launched in Helsinki in 2010, but Maya Zircher, founder of Rebel Rollers Helsinki, was not interested in the more aggressive nature of the contact sport, so she founded her own group. Rebel Rollers Helsinki holds indoor skating every Sunday at Merilahti Comprehensive School. Mr. Zircher also holds informal classes and tours at various locations such as the Swan, the Opera House, and the Art Café He Tide Terrassi, where he warms up on the west side of Törö Bay overlooking his 19th-century wooden villa. The eastern side is hilly and is only suitable for experienced skaters. A popular 6-mile circuit from Odi, he walks along the former railway line, Burna, now turned into a pedestrian and cycle path, to West He Harbor, around the Yatkasaari peninsula and back. I’ll come. There is little traffic and the roads are smooth and flat, making it ideal for beginners.
Odi Central Library in Helsinki, Finland.
Photo courtesy of Helsinki Marketing
Zircher also recommends the “legendary” coastal route from Esplanade Park to the skate ramp near Roley Sauna. In just 30 minutes, you’ll feel like you’ve left the city behind. Meanwhile, experienced skaters can join the Street His Glider Tour, which takes place every Wednesday from May to August from the Olympic Stadium.
London’s skating scene is centered around Emirates Stadium, Finsbury Park and Victoria Park. Hyde Park has skaters in their 40s who have been skating for many years, but there is a new generation behind the O2.
Photo courtesy of Roller Nation
2. London, UK
For all levels
Belgian-born inventor Joseph Merlin designed the first skate in London around 1760. He displayed them at a masquerade ball, where they collided with a mirror. The main requirement for participating in the free skating events in the British capital, London Friday Night Skate and Sunday Stroll, is knowing how to stop, turn and control speed. Both attract hundreds of skaters, who zip around routes ranging from 6 to 15 miles around Camden, Burns and Putney. Beginners can learn the basics from Nele Van Bogart at Roller Nation or practice on their own. Skate Attack’s Joebell says, “London’s skate scene is centered around Emirates Stadium, Finsbury Park and Victoria Park. Hyde Park has skaters in their 40s who have been skating for years, but new The generation is behind O2.”
Inline skates, which have four wheels in a row, are also popular in Berlin. In 2022, the experienced (inline) skater can take part in the Generali Berlin Half Marathon on April 3rd, Adidas Runners City Night on July 30th and his BMW Berlin Marathon on September 25th.
Photo provided by: SCC Events, Jiro Mochizuki
3. Berlin, Germany
For long distance skaters
Berlin-based Senegalese instructor Oumi Janta is credited with starting Berlin’s roller skating trend after her jam skating moves in buttercup yellow pants went viral on Instagram in 2020. Tourists who enjoy roller skating may spot Janta pirouetting around Tempelhofer’s Felt, Berlin’s former airport, which has a smooth surface, ramps and toilets. Skaters can also go around the Volkspark he Friedrichshain, the Teltow Canal, and Kronprinze-Sinnenweg, his 2.5-mile path through the lush Grünewald Forest. Or you can tour his Flaeming Skate, his network of eight asphalt passes designed for skaters south of the city. The route is 140 miles long through forests, meadows and villages, with loops ranging from about 7 miles to about 60 miles. Inline skates, which have four wheels in a row, are also popular. In 2022, the experienced (inline) skater can take part in the Generali Berlin Half Marathon on April 3rd, the Adidas Runners City Night on July 30th and his BMW Berlin Marathon on September 25th. “Only in Berlin can you skate through the city center and past all the tourist attractions,” says Gerte Buchheit, who is behind all three events. “The finish line is behind the Brandenburg Gate.”
Friday Night Skate is a political demonstration led by the Green Party in the late 1990s. The idea behind it was and is simple. It’s about taking back roads from cars.
Photo by Norbert Novak
4. Vienna, Austria
for eco warriors
In Vienna, more and more people are choosing roller skating as a sustainable means of transportation. Gerhard Radstetter organizes Friday Night Skate in Vienna, a free event that attracts 2,500 people from May to October. He said: “Friday Night Skate is a political demonstration led by the Green Party in the late 1990s. The idea behind it was and is simple: take back the roads from cars. Without burning fuel. ” On the skating course, participants will be accompanied by police and 20 so-called “rolling guards.” “When we started, the police wouldn’t allow us to demonstrate on skates without chants or banners,” he continues. “There is now a sophisticated coexistence between us.” The event begins at the Prince Eugen statue on Heldenplatz. Routes vary but are 10-15 miles. Beginners can choose between picnics and outdoor cafes along the Danube Canal (the section after Friedensbrücke is the quietest) or his three-mile route, the Praterhauptale, in the chestnut-lined Prater Park. You can also skate through it. Intermediate skaters can try their hand at Danubeinsel, a man-made island with well-kept gardens.
Amsterdam is famous for its cycling culture, and while many travelers choose to explore the city by bike, you can also roller skate and explore the city.
Photo courtesy of Skate a Round
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands
For skating tours
Amsterdam is famous for its cycling culture, and while many travelers choose to explore the city by bike, you can also roller skate and explore the city. Lex van Buuren, founder of Skate-A-Round, has been hosting lessons and tours around Amsterdam and beyond since the late 1990s, and volunteers at Friday Night Skate. The event will start from the Vondel CS TV studios in Vondelpark, which is twice the size of London’s St. James’s Park and has boulevards, lakes and an open-air theater, and will cover approximately 19 miles in approximately two hours. “Friday Night Skate used to be mass skating,” he explains. “Now, it’s a cozy event that brings together anywhere from 20 to 125 locals and skating enthusiasts from all over the world who have Amsterdam on their short vacation list. The city also has skate-friendly parks. There are a lot of them, smooth trails in the center of town, and it’s a real luxury. It’s a skater’s paradise.”
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