We had a smaller group for last week's Sunday Night Skate in Toronto mostly due to the rain that was coming down just before our meet up time of 6:30pm. Lucky for the ones that did show up, the rain did stop and surfaces dried up quickly. Being a smaller group, we were able to move quick and spontaneously through the city. Erik Burrow, our store manager at the Toronto shop, led us on an unforgettable inline urban exploration adventure. Here's a brief overview of some of the areas we passed through. You can find the complete route at the bottom of this post. However to fully experience the fun you can have with a group of good people sauntering through the city on inline skates, you have to join us on Sunday. Every Sunday (rain or shine) at 6:30pm we meet at our new Toronto storefront location in the amazing Canary District. The address is 446 Front Street East, we're on the corner of Front Street East and Rolling Mills Road. Hope to see you next week.
We headed west from the shop and south down to the waterfront. Skating along the Martin Goodman Trail when it's not busy is very enjoyable. Surfaces are smooth, and mostly flat.
It's very easy to get of the trail and get closer to the water, as we did, skating through Harbourfront Centre. These types of bricks are easy to roll on and create a unique rhythmic feeling under your feet. There's lots of places to stop and hang out along the way, making it a very relaxed place to skate. Afterall, we're just out here to have fun, we're not checking how many kilometers we crush every time we skate.
Inline skating can work up a thirst, so we stopped at the Amsterdam Brewhouse for some refreshments. We love exploring cities on skates, being so nimble on and off trails allows you to see more and react spontaneously. We think it's way funner than driving, biking, or taking transit through the city.
Not a bad evening to spend at the beach. The urban beach in HTO Park is a nice get away from the city if you're into sand, water and sunshine.
Taking a little break at HTO Park West, while Erik showed us a different way to get down stairs.
This technique of sliding down (usually referred to as simply "grinding") handrails can be a very effective way to avoid stairs. Erik's specific foot arrangement here is call a Negative Acid. There are many different foot positions that can be used, some are harder than others. Please do not try this on your own, it does take alot of practice to master the skill, and can be dangerous. If you'd like to learn that skill and more useful ones, we do offer lessons.
Turning off the Martin Goodman Trail and into Little Norway Park was a nice surprise. There are some fun little ramps tucked away under the trees here. Just be careful, when the surface is wet they are very slippery. If you are skating past an area that you never explored before, you better check it out. You never know what you could be missing out on. When we venture off the beaten path is when we usually have the most fun.
We started heading north and back east, which took us through Canoe Landing. Walking up stairs on inline skates is an essential skill to have. Without it you may be limiting yourself to where you can skate. It can be done very safely, we can show you how in a lesson or come out one Sunday and skate with us. The more you use your skates on various types of terrain and over obstacles the better skater you will be. You will also have alot more fun too.
Taking a refreshment break at Canoe Landing turned out to also be a good slalom spot. Josh, one of our dedicated part-timers, set up some cones and showed the local condo dwellers how to dance on inline skates.
We heard Metallica was in town, so we rolled on by the Sky Dome (Roger's Center) to vibe off some of the fans' energy, and man their levels were off the chart. Of course after the dome we had to skate around the CN Tower and get the classic tourist photo. Happy 150 Canada!
Skating along Front Street East from Yonge Street all the way back to the shop way a nice chill way to wind down from another eventful Sunday Night Skate. Please join us next week, rain or shine, at 6:30pm in front of what will soon be our new storefront in the Canary District. Again the address is 446 Front Street East, look for the inline skate near the corner of Front Street East and Rolling Mills Road. These are fun social skates that are open to everyone of all abilities.
If you are interested in taking a lesson with us you can book one online. Please follow this link for more info and to book your spot.