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From: [e-mail] (Tony Chen)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.skating.inline,rec.skate,rec.sport.skating.misc,news.answers,rec.answers
Subject: In-line Skating FAQ: Abroad (5.5)
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Date: 20 Sep 1996 14:27:13 GMT
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Archive-name: sports/skating/inline-faq/part18




   _r.s.s.inline FAQ: Where to Skate - Abroad_
     _________________________________________________________________

                            WHERE TO SKATE - ABROAD



   Last modified: Monday, September 16, 1996

   Recent changes include:
     * Added Japan info from K. Ochiai (6/6)
     * Added Hamburg, DE skating Web link (7/2)
     * Added Helsinki, FI skating Web link (7/2)
     * Added Amsterdam, NL info from Robert Schmunk (7/2)
     * Added Adelaide and Melbourne, AU info from Peter Milway (7/2)
     * Added Copenhagen, DK info from Jens Christian Sm?rum (7/25)
     * Added Amsterdam, NL info from Gavin Bell (9/16)

  Table of Contents
     * Europe
          + Austria
          + Denmark
          + Germany
          + Finland
          + The Netherlands
          + Norway
          + Spain
          + Sweden
          + United Kingdom
     * Asia
          + Hong Kong
          + Japan
          + Singapore
     * Australia
          + Australian Capital Territory
          + New South Wales
          + Queensland
          + South Australia
          + Victoria



   Other sections of Where to Skate are:
     * Western North America
          + California
     * Central North America
     * Northeastern North America
     * Southeastern North America


     _________________________________________________________________

Europe

  Austria



   Web sites for Austria info:
     * Inline Skaters' Corner Vienna (includes Graz and Linz info):
       http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e9126683/inline.htm


     _________________________________________________________________

  Denmark

    Copenhagen



   From: Jens Christian Sm?rum ([e-mail])
   Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 15:01:55 +0200

   _- The Common (Faelledparken)_
   Skatepark, situated next to the emergency room (!!), with both ramps,
   rails and misc stuff for all. Alot of the aggressive skaters of
   Copenhagen hang out here to practise and to meet, but also alot of
   newbies come here to watch and practise too. Next to the park is the
   Panum Institute, where you'll find some of the best stairs in the
   city.

   _- The Harbour Area (Langelinie)_
   In the harbour area of Copenhagen you have probably the best place to
   skate and meet other skaters. There is an old pier (500-600 meters
   long) with excellent asphalt. Only problem is that Cruise ships that
   visit Copenhagen 'parks' here so there is always alot of traffic and
   people to watch out for (Cruise ships comes by from May to September).
   The nearby yacht club provides the other part of the area. The smooth
   surface has made this spot the most visited place by skaters in
   Copenhagen. Excellent for freestyle and for overall practicing. Almost
   always improvised slalom tracks.

   _- Strandvejen_
   From the harbour of Copenhagen and about 20 kilometers north you have
   good bikepaths with smooth asphalt rigth next to the sea between
   Denmark and Sweden. On a clear day you can see all the way to Sweden,
   but most important you get a nice long run to one of the best beaches
   in the area. Next to the beach (Bellevue Beach) you can rent skates,
   and many come here to have fun on the weekends.

   _- Generally_
   We have lots of bikepaths in Copenhagen, most of them with excellent
   surfaces, only problem here is the bikes. But by law, skaters are
   pedestrians and can therefore only skate on the sidewalks (hmm...) But
   the police often just comment that you should get off the street and
   then drive on. The pedestrian street, called 'Stroeget', is sort of ok
   for skaters, but very crowded. There are several place where you can
   rent skates, so the problem isn't to big if you have forgotten your
   own skates. The price is about $10 for 2h.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Germany



   Web sites for Germany info:
     * Inline Skating Berlin:
       http://www.cs.tu-berlin.de/~paulusst/inline/
     * Inline Skating in Hamburg:
       http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Martin_Lucht/


     _________________________________________________________________

  Finland



   Web sites for Finland info:
     * Helsinki Inline Skating:
       http://www.sci.fi/~pasin/inline/


     _________________________________________________________________

  The Netherlands



   Web sites for Netherlands info:
     * Bonzo's Netherlands skate FAQ:
       http://www.nada.kth.se/~johannes/inline/
     * Lowlevels' Vert Page, Amsterdam skate sites:
       http://www.xs4all.nl/~lowlevel/skate/amsterdam.html
     * Dutch Skeeler Homepage rinks list:
       http://www.ph.tn.tudelft.nl/~aarnoud/speed/rinks.html

    Amsterdam



   From: [e-mail] (Robert Schmunk)
   Date: Tue, 02 Jul 96

   I took my skates along during a recent visit to Amsterdam. The weather
   wasn't particularly cooperative, but I did manage to get a half day of
   skating in. Here're some impressions:

   There are bike lanes all over Amsterdam, and there are also _lots_ of
   bicycles and motorscooters using them. Skaters also use them, but the
   ratio of bicyclists to skaters that I observed seemed on the order of
   500 to 1. (Note: These are cyclists using their one-speeds for
   transportation, not 18-speed warriors like you encounter in a lot of
   US citites.) Go ahead and use these lanes to skate, but keep an eye
   and ear open to make sure you're not blocking someone who wants to
   pass.

   Many of the bike lanes, sidewalks and streets are paved with brick. In
   many places the brick is close fitting, but in many places it has
   beveled edges and in a lot of places it's pretty worn. On the busier
   streets, you may also have trolley tracks to contend with. Don't hit
   the streets unless you know how to handle such terrain.

   The two particular places where I encountered a lot of skaters are
   Vondelpark and the Museumplein, both of which are WSW of Central
   Amsterdam and near the Rijksmuseum. Vondelpark is where recreational
   skaters go and do loops. Although the road in the park is fairly wide
   and auto-free, traffic is two-way and not everybody is paying
   attention to what they're doing. In other words, speedskating is
   probably not too wise here, as you never know when someone else is
   going to blunder into your path. The loop around the park is on the
   order of two-miles and absolutely flat; I was able to do it in 10
   minutes without having to put the hammer down.

   The Museumplein is where the aggro skaters hang out, as there's a
   miniramp and a really big halfpipe. The miniramp is in pretty crappy
   condition, with lots of loose plywood panels, but except for graffiti,
   the halfpipe looked to be in good shape.

   I had numerous recommendations that I should hit the bikepaths
   connecting Amsterdam to other Dutch cities, but again the weather was
   fairly cruddy while I was there and I wimped out. Haarlem is pretty
   close and the beach not far beyond; Rotterdam and Den Haag look like
   they'd make a good day skate.

   If you're looking to meet up with other skaters in Amsterdam, your
   best bet may be to drop in at one of the Rodolfo's skate shops. One is
   in the Magna shopping center, a block from the Dam; the other is on
   Sarphatistraat just off the Weesperplein.

   From: [e-mail] (Gavin Bell)
   Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 01:10:49 +0000

   The weather is pretty poor in Amsterdam, a mixture of torrential
   downpours followed by tempting sunshine, so be prepare to clean and
   dry off your skates each day. I managed to get in about a day and a
   half of not quite full time skating. Sort of skating and exploring the
   city....

   When I was there, late August there were lots of other skaters, mostly
   if not exclusively inline skates. It also seemed that one shop in ten
   sold skates, I must have seen about 20 odd shops selling skates. There
   are also lots of really good cafes selling wheat-beer, coffee and
   baguettes etc, which you can hide in if it pours.

   The cycle tracks are lovely and smooth, something UK cities could take
   notice off. Along the canal sides it is mainly cobbled, so this gives
   a bumpy ride, but it is not too bad. I watched some people take a real
   fall in the tram lanes, not a safe thing to do, as the trams see to
   stop for no-one, so be careful of them. On the whole Amsterdam is a
   really cool flat place to skate and you don't get too much hassle from
   people, just be polite.

   I saw some aggro skaters in the Museumplein and some speed skaters
   there on a Sunday working out in one of the carparks. Unfortuantely I
   didn't manage to get to the Vondelpark, but was told it was good to
   skate in. Just in front of the Centraal station I would recommend you
   avoid, far too many stoned people and too many trams and just no fun;
   it is also a horrendous tourist trap, try the Liedsplein instead for
   gentle skating and cafes too.

   I even managed to get into Vroom and Dreisman, a large department
   store, and skate about in there. Security didn't say boo to me, so it
   was fine just slowly zooming about. I even had lunch there on my
   skates. Basically I didn't get told to leave by anyone, but I didn't
   go too fast or skate everywhere. I did look at the art galleries and
   they are all very happy to take your skates and look after them, it is
   even free to store bags with security.

   On the whole Amsterdam is a good fun place to skate if you don't mind
   the occasional soaking.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Norway

    Oslo



   From: [e-mail]
   Date: Sat, 13 Jan 96 23:09:48 +0100

   In the short summer that we have there are some pretty good places to
   rollerblade. One place is Frogner Park where you can stairbash, jump &
   rail slide. There are huge areas to just skate around. There is a
   problem with people but it's legal.

   Around City Hall there are also some awesome places for stairbashing,
   grinds and big air.

   In Aker Brygge you can grind and 360 and there are some stairs. The
   surface in some parts is really good asphalt. You're not really
   allowed skate here but you can get away with it.

   At CC West below the parking lot there are seven foot drop offs and
   grinds. The good thing about that is that there are no people there.

   Oslo is a great city for skitching on the little trolleys (they're
   called trykks here) that are all over the city. People here are not
   used to it, so they get a little mad.

   The subway station in Oslo City (called Jernebanetorget) has some
   awesome stairs for stair bashing and rail sliding but again there is
   the factor of people.

   Right outside the Oslo Spektrum (sports arena) in a place called
   GronLand is a great place for learning how to get air. It's a raised
   circular area were you can learn to do 540s, if you crash you are
   saved by the grass.There is also a great place to learn how to
   railslide, it's a metal edge curve. We're really lucky because one of
   our dads manages the Spektrum and in the winter we skate along the
   concourse. Once in a awhile we skate on the main floor also. Their is
   a flight of thirty stairs outside the Spektrum, a few months ago I was
   stairbashing that same flight of stairs, and broke my arm.

   Norway is not the best place to buy rollerblades because they cost
   about 2 to 3 times as much as they would in America. There are no
   roller rinks or places to rent rollerblades in Oslo. I know of one
   halfpipe in oslo, and that's in Rykinn at Rykinn Hallen (sport's
   facilty).

   The street's of Oslo are overall pretty good.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Spain

    Costa del Sol



   From: [e-mail] (Marko Wirtanen)
   Date: 05 Nov 1995 08:19:37 GMT

   I visited Costa del Sol at the beginning of September. I had a good
   time with my skates. The town is Fuengirola which is located near
   Malaga. The town has an 8 kilometers long beach promenade covered with
   ceramic plates. It is smooth enough for sk8ing at most parts.

   During the week i saw surprigingly few people skating there, all of
   them were couple of youngsters. So i think that inlining is quite new
   thing for local people, because most of them I saw had quads.

   Anyway, the beach promenade is best road to skate there, because the
   mountains begin just behind the town. The best time to skate is in the
   mornings and during "siesta" time. In the evenings there is too much
   people walking around there.

   There are many sports good shops in the town, but only one is selling
   inline skates. They had a few pairs of the Rollerblades and some other
   "trade marks". [...]

   The travel guide said that there is one place in town, which rents the
   skates. It is open only at sundays.

   So my conclusion is that inlining is rather unknown thing for
   Andalucian people (southern part of Spain).
     _________________________________________________________________

  Sweden

    Stockholm



   From: [e-mail] (Mark Stockton)
   Date: 19 Jul 1995 20:51:32 +0200

   I just got back from holiday there... there are bicycle paths next to
   just about every road in Stockholm. I saw a few guys skating down them
   without helmets. The paths cover quite a distance, but are usually
   quite busy (it seems that half of Stockholm is cycling at any time).
   Don't know about any parks or specific places to blade.
     _________________________________________________________________

  United Kingdom
     * London
     * Brighton

    London



   From: [e-mail] (William Corr)
   Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 14:33:09 BST

   _Central London_
   Hyde Park - around the Serpentine (lake) is probably the mecca for
   London in-liners. The main part of the park itself is good for
   skating, but the paths tend to get a bit crowded with people.

   Finsbury Park - supposedly the mecca for in-line speed skaters. They
   meet on Sundays around 12pm.

   Stockwell/Brixton - there is an old skateboard park at the Brixton end
   of Stockwell road. Free entry, watch out for debris and dodgy
   characters.

   _South London_
   Dulwich Park - the central path ways are fairly smooth, but are
   usually too crowded. The perimeter road is pretty good; the cars are
   usually travelling very slowly so they don't mind the skaters. The
   spur road near the A205 is good for learners as it's smooth and
   blocked off as a parking area.

   Crystal Palace Park - very good, lots of smooth wide pathways (it used
   to be a car race track!). Watch out for the leaves in autumn.

   Herne Hill Cycle Track - 5 wheel heaven! Brand new banked track for
   bicycle racing. Probably free use if you speak nicely to the
   groundsman.

   _West London_
   Richmond Park - central paved paths are quite good. Can be very busy
   at weekends. Why do people go to a huge park and still walk on the
   paths when there is 5 square miles of grass? The perimeter road would
   be good for speed freaks, watch out for the steep hill ending at a
   junction. A perimeter bike path is rumoured to be under construction.

   Marble Hill Park - not bad, fairly smooth. Thames foot path is a bit
   rough towards the West.

   River Crane Walk, Twickenham - very smooth and flat pathway along the
   side of a stream. It leads into a nature reserve. Very pretty, but
   tends to get crowded with dog walkers.

   Norbiton, nr BR station - sightings of ramps and half pipes. No more
   details available yet.

   From: Simon Wood ([e-mail])
   Date: Wed, 16 Aug 1995 17:00:25 GMT

   This is sort of a review of Hyde Park (from the novice point of view):


   Last night a friend (Emma) and myself went skating in Hyde Park,
   London. It is the first time we have ventured to this 'Meca' of
   British skating and we were both plesently supprised.

   We arrived at about 7:30pm (due to work commitments) and had a little
   difficulty parking, eventually we got lucky and found a space on the
   spine road.

   After kitting up we headed down to the Serpentine and skated along the
   marked skate track, which runs east-west along the edge of the lake.
   There were quite a few familes with small children and prams, but
   these didn't prove too much of a obstical providing we kept our speed
   down to a gentle stroll.

   We then head to the west of the park, where we found the 'infamous'
   gritted tracks (park authorises have placed grit on some tacks/parts
   of tracks to discourage skaters), these were very effective at
   stopping skaters. Unfortunatly they also stop pedesitrians and
   cyclists as well, thus cramming everybody onto a narrower section of
   track. This proberbly causes MORE of a hazzard.

   The west corner of the park seemed to be a little hiller, but was
   fairly quite and it was easy to skate with confidence and not having
   to worry too much about running into people or be run into.

   By the Royal Albert Hall, there is a slamom track marked with yellow
   paint (two lanes), presumable the cones come out for the events. Emma
   had a go and did quite well, but I'm not that good (yet!).

   At about 9:00pm the police informed us the gardens (west half of the
   park ?) were closing and asked us to leave by the nearest exit. We
   then skated along the pavement of the spine road and back to the skate
   track next to the Serpentine (the east half of the park doesn't
   close), where we skated to about 10:00pm, had a drink from a burger
   stall and then went home for tea (!).

   In general the attitude of the skaters and pedestrians was very good,
   most gave each other plenty of space to pass although it was mildly
   annoying that some people walked 6 or 7 abreast. The only real problem
   I saw was a few teenagers who had been stopped by the police for
   skating too fast, I can't say how fast as I didn't see them before
   they were stopped.

   Overall the experience was a very positive one, two hours of skating
   on smooth roads is bound to improve your confidence and skill and I
   came away feeling really good about my skating. It was also fun to
   watch the other (better) skaters to get ideas of things to try later.
   It was also good to see some positive action for skaters such as the
   marking of a skate lane and a slamom course.

   The only down side is that I would imagine that the weekends would get
   far too busy, but the various competitions could be fun to sit and
   watch.

   Skating recomendation: 8 out of 10, good for learner and fair skaters.


   From: [e-mail] (Jeffers)
   Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 13:12:15 +0000

   Just thought I'd mention Richmond Park as a good venue for novice
   in-liners. There are several miles of undulating tarmac, that is
   traffic free and wide enough to practice stops, turns and even spins.
   Most of it is through grassland so _relatively_ soft landings/run-outs
   are available. I've yet to see more than half a dozen people there on
   skates, though cyclists (me included) and pedestrians are plentiful.
   Watch out for the gravel at Ham Gate and half way along the path from
   Ham Cross to Spanker's Hill Wood: which is the nicest section by far.

   So if you new/looking for an alternative to the central parks try
   Richmond: but not too many please! Hopefully the Dame Jennifer
   Jenkings review on the use of Royal Parks will not ban it. If you want
   to add your voice to consultation you can write to:

   The Dame Jennifer Jenkings Review Group
   The Royal Parks
   The Old Police House
   Hyde Park
   London W2 2UK.

   And add your views on the need for skate access to the parks.

    Brighton



   From: [e-mail] (mary lojkine)
   Date: 1 Nov 1995 19:54:10 GMT

   The front is supposed to be good for recreational skating, certainly
   at the Brighton end. Towards Hove I think it's more docks and
   industrial areas, but I could be wrong - I've not spent much time
   there.

   Some of the other promenades along the South Coast are also supposed
   to be good, for example Bognor and Worthing (all three places recently
   featured in an article in the new UK skate magazine, 1st In-line).
   However, the weather is pretty unpredictable - you should get some
   good days, but it could rain all the time. Sorry, this is England.
     _________________________________________________________________

Asia

  Hong Kong



   From: [e-mail] (Dirk Schlossmacher)
   Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 00:01:34 GMT

   I bought my coolblades there in August and couldn't stand to wait
   learning it till I would be back in Germany. So I started my skating
   experience on Nathan Road (on a sunday! ;) going down all the way to
   HK Island (taking the star ferry with the skates ;).

   The gratest place to skate was the landmark - very smooth floor! It
   seemed that I was the first skater in there and the security didn't
   really know what to do with me... In the Pacific Place Mall (much
   larger very smooth floor space!) I was stopped afetr a while by the
   security.

   From: [e-mail] (Curtis Ling)
   Date: 15 Mar 1996 06:13:27 GMT

   Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has a decent
   parking lot (or car park, to all you brits) for skating. It's larger
   than the size of a decent ice rink, and lit so you can skate in the
   evenings as well. Good place to play hockey, but there aren't many
   skaters among the faculty and students here. If I weren't so freaking
   busy I'd be there every evening, weather permitting.

   Elsewhere in Hong Kong, you can skate in Shatin along the canal, all
   the way north past Tai Mei Tuk, about 8 miles (I'm guessing) of
   relatively flat bike path. There are also a few more limited places to
   skate around Tsimshatsui. Various people have indicated to me that
   Bowen Road and certain parts of Discovery Bay are reasonably
   skateable, but don't expect miles of flat, perfect blacktop. You can
   also try skating along a 3-mile section of High Island Reservoir,
   where I run a lot.

   The smog here is highly overrated. Hong Kong can't hold a candle to
   LA.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Japan



   From: [e-mail] (K.Ochiai)
   Date: 17 Apr 1996 00:31:55 GMT

   In article [...] [e-mail] (AIM120a) writes:

     I'm moving to Yokosuka in a couple of months. Is there ANYONE out
     there who skates, and if so where?

in Tokyo...
 a) Ko-rakuen roller-skate rink:
       Inline available. for Roller-dance.
       at Eidan line - Ko-rakuen.
 b) Komazawa park:
       for Hockey and Aggressive skating.
       at Den-en line - Komazawa Daigaku(Komazawa Univ.).
 c) Kasai-Rinkai park:
       for Halfpipe, Aggressive, fitness.
       at Keiyou line - Kasai Rinkai Kouen(Kasai Rinkai park)
 d) Harajuku Hokoten:
       for Roller-dance.
       at JR line - Harajuku.
 e) ROX3:
       for Jump, Roller-dance.
       at Ginza line - Tawara-cho(Tawara machi??)

near Tokyo...
 f) Hikarigaoka park:
       for Halfpipe, Aggressive.
       in Saitama. at Toei 12th line - Hikarigaoka

  Singapore



   From: [e-mail] (Shariene)
   Date: 8 Nov 1995 22:45:52 +0800

   Hi, I'm Singaporean, and no, it is not that wonderful to skate in this
   country. You see, you can't skate in the CBD, 'coz the cops will come
   after you. If you're talking about grinding, I don't think the cops
   know much about it, but they certainly will not like people chipping
   bits off the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles. It's cool if you stick to
   the suburbs, I guess. But shops don't let skaters go in with their
   skates on. (then again, which shops do?)

   The skate scene here is definately growing. However, there isn't quite
   enough in the skating population to actually hold competitions for
   aggressive. Hockey, well, yeah, the scene here is pretty big. But not
   for aggro, no.

   I don't think this is the best place to skate in the world. I'm sure
   SanFran or LosAnge have better rails and stuff. One thing good about
   S'pore is that you don't have to take 2 hours to travel from one end
   to the other. But one setback is the absolute lack of ramps. If you
   find any ramps here, please tell me. I have to know. Thanx.
     _________________________________________________________________

Australia

     * Australian Capital Territory
     * New South Wales
     * Queensland
     * South Australia
     * Victoria

  Australian Capital Territory

    Canberra



   From: [e-mail] (Mark Purcell)
   Date: Unknown

   The network of bike paths is quite extensive, one can go from one end
   of the city to the other on bike paths. The paths are all >1.5m and
   made from hot mix, which makes them fast and ideal for pole work
   training for X-C.

   There is nothing like blading around the lake just as the sun is
   coming up over the mountains, with the smallest amount of mist over
   the lake, and only one or two joggers/cyclists to worry about.

   There are some problems though, before most road crossings there is a
   section of about 1.5-2 m of concrete bumps, which play like hell on
   the legs. It is possible to jump these but not the easiest.
     _________________________________________________________________

  New South Wales

    Sydney



   From: Hunter Craig Richard Tys ([e-mail])
   Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 17:45:31 GMT

   Manly has a nice 5 km track of smooth pavement that goes along the sea
   and around manly. Also if you follow the track around it takes ya to a
   small skate park. (Half pipe and a cement bowl) though it seems that
   it's always teeming with skateboarders. Manly blades store in manly,
   it's on the main road by the beach has a good selection of stuffs.
   There is also another store, also along the beach road.. but I forget
   it's name.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Queensland

    Brisbane



   From: [e-mail] (Michael Cheng)
   Date: 24 Oct 1994 10:25:56 GMT

   The Riverside bike path along Coronation drive: heads from the city to
   Toowong. It's a nice flat stretch, not really wide, but nice scenery.

   The Skate Ramp just off Hale St (almost next to Lang Park). The only
   times I've ever been there, its been packed out with truly excellent
   skaters (making me feel rather inadequate). Some of the stuff is just
   _awesome_. Once you get here, ask anyone, and I'm sure they'll be able
   to suggest more spots.

   I, myself, skate at the University of Queensland Campus. Rent a Cop
   security guards are continually on your case though.
     _________________________________________________________________

  South Australia

    Adelaide



   From: Peter Milway ([e-mail])
   Date: 22 Mar 1996 06:08:11 GMT

   A lot more restrictive [than Melbourne] - No skating in the CBD. No
   skating at night. Compulsary Helmets. Can't skate on bike tracks that
   are on the road. Can't skate on multi-lane roads.

   Along with these restrictions, the police are very heavy on
   enforcement. During a very large festival last month they nabbed
   skaters without helmets, and on main roads in the centre of the city.
   But these guys were performers on the way to their show - No excuse!

   One of the reasons for the crackdown is that soem kids on blades did a
   bag snatch sometime last year, and this is a reaction to it.
     _________________________________________________________________

  Victoria

    Melbourne



   Web sites with Melbourne info:
     * Joan McGalliard's "Melbourne Inline Resources":
       http://netspace.net.au/~jem/inline



   From: [e-mail] (Krensen)
   Date: 30 Jun 94 06:53:20 GMT

   There's a lot of great skating spots 'round here, but I'll tell of a
   cupla faves:
    1. The Swanston street walk thing.. It's the main street of Melbourne
       and it's about the smoothest in town... like marble! At one end is
       the Museum, at the other a train station and there's a slight
       downhill gradient between the two... The fun bit is getting in
       behind the trams and getting sucked along by the draft... it's
       also fairly good fun since skating in the CBD is illegal between
       7am and 10pm... :-)
    2. The trek between the Station and St. Kilda beach... Heaps of
       smooth road and footpath, slightly downhill, lots of businesses
       with steps/ramps/curbs at the front... St Kilda beach has a great
       track which goes for miles and is full of inline people... it's
       got a great vibe and heaps of grass to fall over on for learning
       those new tricks... Also lots of beginner skaters to crash into!



   From: Peter Milway ([e-mail])
   Date: 22 Mar 1996 06:08:11 GMT

   Skate where and when you like except for Melbourne CBD (during the day
   time only??), and inside of large shopping centres etc where the are
   signs to say you can't. You can use all and sundry bike tracks of
   which there are probably near 200+ Km's. And also on the road when you
   don't make a nuisance of yourself (ie messy collision with a car :-) I
   regularly skate past police, when on the road or footpath in my home
   town, and never have they said anything either way - but I am in a
   semi-country town. The most popular place for cruising is the StKilda
   beach forshore, where there is an 8Km long flat bike track along the
   the beach. It makes a nice 16Km round trip, and most of it is really
   smooth asphalt. There is also a very large public park that has heaps
   of bike tracks, and has no restrictions on skaters.

   Finally - no restrictions on clothing ie Helmets or pads etc. (And I
   am not getting into an argument over what should be compulsary :-)

   There is a group of extreme people who go through the Melbourne CBD on
   a Wednesday or Thursday night. Not sure when. They are either
   tolerated, or it is legal at night. They get 50+ people at times on
   their trips. Contact any skating shop in Melbourne, but I think that
   BladeWorx in Kew (920 Glenferrie Rd Ph 03-9819-9991) are the people
   who organise it - If not they will know who does.

   There are also one or two commercial skateparks around - Don't know
   the details. And also quite a few free public half pipes around.
     _________________________________________________________________



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