Events

The San Francisco Friday Night Skate (Midnight Rollers) is a regular skating event taking place every Friday. Sometimes there are more than 500 skaters, but there are typically about 300.

The Midnight Rollers begin meeting at 8pm in the smooth area between the two sides of the Embarcadero at the end of Market Street. There is a light rail station here and the Embarcadero BART stop is very close by. The skate begins at around 9pm.

The course is about 12.5 miles long, and there are plenty of stops for people to regroup.

Wear a *helmet* and protective gear, and light colored clothes. There are light-sticks and flashing lights available for sale before the skate begins. We are usually done by 11:30.

You will find many more details in the Midnight Rollers which is at:

http://www.cora.org/friday.html

2.2) What happens on Sundays in Golden Gate Park?

The ultimate skating scene in San Francisco happens every Sunday in Golden Gate park. John F. Kennedy Road is closed from the East side of the park until 19'th avenue (about 2 miles). There are literally thousands of people on skates, bikes, skateboards, and on foot.

Here are some of the things you'll find at the park:

Dancing Area: There is music and lots of people dancing on their skates at 6'th ave and JFK. If you skate along Kennedy Road you cannot miss it. You can learn how to dance on your skates for free.
Slalom Course: There are two slalom courses on the road which ends at JFK one block East of the 6'th avenue dancing area.
Skate to the Beach: If you continue West on JFK road, leaving the closed area, you will eventually reach the beach (when the road ends at a tee, make a right).
The Lake Merced Loop: Every Sunday a group of people meet at 1:00 at 6'th ave on JFK for a 17 mile skate around Lake Merced. For more information see question 2.3 below.

If you want to rent skates at the park you have several choices, check out question 3.3 below.

2.3) What/where/when is the Sunday Lake Merced Loop

The Lake Merced Loop is a regular skating event taking place every Sunday. People meet at 1:00 at 6'th avenue and JFK in golden gate park. At 1:15 the skate begins.

The course is about 17 miles long, and there are seven stops for people to regroup. This is an intermediate skate, not recommended for people new to skating.

Wear a *helmet* and protective gear, and bring water because there isn't any along the way. We are usually back before 3:30.

You will find many more details, including a map you can download, in the Lake Merced Loop home page which is at:

http://www.timefold.com/skate/merced.html

2.4) Where else is fun to skate in S.F?

There are several other fun places to skate in S.F.

Golden Gate Park Any Day

Even though Sunday is the only day part of Kennedy Road is closed in the park (see question 2.2 above), and Saturday is the only day part of Middle Drive is closed (see question 2.5> below), the park is always a great place to skate, and you can often find skaters around the 6'th avenue area.

The Marina Green

The Marina green is surrounded by a smooth path and is popular for skating. If you want to rent skates near the Marina you have a couple of choices, check out question 3.4 below. A fun skate is to go from the Marina to Pier 39 and back. There is more parking at the Marina than at Pier 39.

Todd Ray's Ultimate Skating Guide

If you are looking for a more complete guide to skating in the S.F. area, then you should pick up a copy of Todd Ray's "Ultimate Skating Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area", ISBN number 1-56550-053-9. It is published by Vision Books International, 3360 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403. Their phone number is (707) 542-1440.

The Ultimate Skating Guide includes information on the entire S.F. Bay Area, including some of the events, resources and merchants listed here, as well as many others not listed here. It also has profiles of significant people in the S.F. area skating scene. Pick up a copy and help support a fellow skater. :-)

2.5) What happens on Saturdays in Golden Gate Park?

On Saturdays a roughly 1 mile stretch of Middle Drive West is closed to vehicular traffic. This stretch of road starts at 19'th ave, one block South of JFK. 19'th avenue is the road where the Sunday closure of JFK ends (where the overpass is). The other end of the Saturday closure is on Martin Luther King drive.

If you want to rent skates at the park you have several choices, check out question 3.3 below.

2.6) What/where/when is the Monday Night Skate?

On Monday evenings people meet at Bryant and the Embarcadero, right where the Friday Night Skate meets. This is an intermediate to advanced city skate, with plenty of opportunities for aggressive skating.

2.7) Where can I play RollerSoccer?

There are two regular pick-up games of RollerSoccer in the SF area.

Mondays and Wednesdays at the North Beach payground, 7:00-9:00 pm. The Park is on the corner of Lombard and Powell.

For more information on RollerSoccer, check out the RollerSoccer Web Site.