The thing about street skating, in fact skating in general is that it is real people doing a real thing. In the flesh London’s Skating community is to be found mainly on Serpentine Road Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and of course all the streets of London.
Over the years LondonSkate has grown not only by itself but alongside the whole London skate scene and has made a lot of friends along the way. We often join up with fans and organisers of all forms of skating to help run annual events, and without these friends and our combined efforts London would not have the skating vibe it has today.
And of course a special thank you to the City of London and the Metropolitan Police Forces for their kind co-operation over the last eight years.
Most importantly we would like to thank those of you who have over the years, given, blood, sweat, tears, money and their sanity to LondonSkate. You know who you are and we couldn’t be where we are today without you.
LondonSkate has its own Facebook group, which can be found here : http://www.facebook.com/LondonSkate
We also recommend the following friends and organisations. The list is not conclusive and is still under development so if you would like us to include a link to your organisations website on this page then please get in touch.
Serpentine Road Forum
The chat room at the heart of the UK inline skating scene. Register, join in the banter, make new friends and keep up to date with all of London’s, the UK’s and often the world’s inline skating scene.
London Friday Night Skate (LFNS)
The London Friday Night Skate (LFNS) is our close ally on the streets of London and deserves a special mention and thank you from LondonSkate. Like us their emphasis is fun and together we manage to provide two evening skates a week over the summer, but LFNS also run through the winter, leaving from Hyde Park Corner at 8pm every Friday and additionally provide the hugely popular Sunday Stroll for beginners which leaves from the east end of Serpentine Road at 2pm every Sunday.
Joining Forces
LondonSkate is always at hand to help the LFNS as they are to help us, they have been involved in our annual Santa Skates and we have been there to provide support in their very successful ‘Easter Eggstravaganzas’. Each year there is a fancy dress Halloween skate that brings the two street skates together and we have combined our efforts to take part in the Thames Festival Parade which saw a huge 30m illuminated serpent on skates! Some of our most successful moments have been when we have brought the sound systems from both streets skates together for these events, followed by a huge party in our favourite skaters local, the Victoria Pub.
As a big thanks to the LFNS for their continued support of LondonSkate we donated 30% of the Santa Skate 2007 and 2008 proceeds to them.
Hockey at the Albert Memorial
Fancy a bit of team action on the weekends? Then join the street hockey crew who meet from 2pm every Saturday by the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, London. Or just come along and watch with the ‘bitches on the bench’! The players also hang out on Facebook, you can join the group here:
London Skaters Speed Team
Those speedy folk with a thing for lycra-check out their website if you would like to join up, do some speed training or find out about inline races, downhill events and roller marathons in the UK and globally.
Londonskaters
Informative skate pages from Mike Van Erp with useful links, speed and fitness tips and the option to book lessons.
Skatefresh
Our favourite skate instructors and where you can book individual skate lessons and sign up for classes.
Skate Patrol
Free beginners classes run by volunteers during the Spring/Summer/Autumn season-based half way down Serpentine Road, Hyde Park they are easily spotted by their red t-shirts bearing a white cross.
Camberley Skaters
The Camberley crew who make regular trips into London to join in the fun of Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and also organise more local activities.
Eastbourne Skaters Association and Sk8school
The crowd down on the south coast who run the Eastbourne Extreme weekend of skating fun each year in July and a load of other stuff on wheels. Check out their site for updates and for all things skating in Eastbourne.
Nottingham Skaters
The Northern bunch who come and join in the fun and also run their own activities in Nottingham including the Battle UK slalom competitions, and also Bladesoc, the University of Nottingham inline skating society.
London Skaters Freestyle Club
If you like to wheel between cones or cups then meet others here, or in the flesh on Serpentine Road and find hints, tips and useful links about slaloming and slalom events and competitions in the UK and globally.
Skate Freestyle
The home of Naomi Grigg: more slaloming information, tips and tricks plus the option to book lessons and courses.
Hyde Park Massive
A Facebook group for fans of roller dance, and other skaters that enjoy hanging out with their friends down at the Serpentine Road beach in Hyde Park. The group can be joined here:
Rollerdiscos
When the quaddies aren’t dancing down at the Serpentine Road ‘Beach’ they can be found at the very popular Rollerdiscos of London, which also welcome inline skaters.
Global links
Pari-roller
The one and only Pari-roller happening across the channel on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons: