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Maple Leaf Park is the most beginner friendly pathway to skate in the Seattle area. If you are a little nervous about getting outside on your skates this is the perfect place to start out! It is a perfectly smooth, flat and relatively short loop that is wide and usually not very crowded. A couple laps around Maple Leaf and you'll be ready to take on some of the other great pathways around the city. Just because it's short and simple doesn't mean it's boring, you can catch some of the best views of Mt Ranier and the Cascades from the eastern end of the loop!

Starting at the edge of the downtown piers, the Elliot Bay Trail runs past the Olympic Sculpture Garden and along the waterfront of Puget Sound before going into Magnolia. It allows for great views of the sound, West Seattle and downtown throughout the entire roll. Most of the pathway is very freshly paved with smooth asphalt, but turns to weathered concrete once you turn the corner at the end of Myrtle Edwards park. It has a few mildly hilly sections but, because the path is generally open and smooth, it is still very beginner friendly. Stop at the fishing shack at the docks near the end of the park for some cheap tacos and snacks!

The Burke Gilman will take you just about anywhere you would want to go in North Seattle. With city and nature views throughout, it goes right through some great neighborhoods offering food, shopping and other attractions along the way. It runs from the Puget Sound, along the ship canal through Ballard, Fremont, and the U District, then up and around Lake Washington to the east side and into Redmond. Through the higher traffic areas like Ballard, Fremont and the U district it can get a little hectic with varying terrain and a decent amount of sidewalk and road crossings. Once you pass through the U District it's generally smooth sailing, with a few bumpy sections and road crossings to watch out for. You will have to walk across a wooden bridge that goes over 35th Ave N. The section along Lake Forest Park is probably your best bet if you are looking for unobstructed, low traffic, freshly paved asphalt.

A very nice skating trail looping around one of Seattle's most beloved parks. It can get a little congested during peak hours, which makes for great people and dog watching but also adds pedestrians, strollers, bikes and other variables to your ride. It's one of the few pathways in Seattle that is a complete loop, with three parking lots and cafes, restaurants and shops along the northeast side for pre, post or mid skate refreshments and activities. The pathway at Green Lake is generally flat and smooth, with a couple very modest inclines / declines and areas of slightly weathered pavement. It is perfect for beginners when less crowded but a higher level of control may be needed during peak hours.

Erik Burrow, manager at Shop Task in Toronto, puts out a solid 11 minute film of his skating from the past two years.

In the frigid lands of CANADA, a team of ice hockey players escape the rink and take their skills to the streets.

Ever wonder what it's like to work and skate in the Seattle blade scene?

In October of 2015, Leon Basin and Mike Torres teamed up in New York City for a month of cruising the streets, and exploring new ideas on the Wizard Natural Rocker frame.

A modern length video from Shop-Task

The Wizard of Wall Street is a 10 minute feature that will have you re evaluating the relationship you have with your skates and how you use them to interact with the world around you.

For myself the act of skating, especially at night, is like pressing a reset button.