Skates were made for moving

Skates were made for moving

Dozens of skaters have adopted Docklands as the starting point for a weekly social skate.

Known as the Freeride skate, the event attracts enthusiasts from all over Melbourne and is growing in popularity since being started about two years ago by Cuong Huynh and his partner Jess.

“The idea was to build a casual social group that would connect skaters, build a strong friendly skate community and promote the skating culture in general,” Mr Huynh said.

Mr Huynh hopes the event will grow to rival a Wednesday night social skate that started from the Arts Centre in the 1990s.

“That skate consistently had over a hundred people turn up every week. We wanted to bring back that fun mid-week activity that has been missing from Melbourne for years,” Mr Huynh said.

“We chose the Docklands due to its picturesque scenery and smooth terrain. Jess and I spent quite a bit of time mapping out the route which involved skating it over and over again whilst timing ourselves. Over the years the route has changed to make it as fun and easy as possible.”

“The group has been steadily growing over the years with skaters from all skill levels and backgrounds welcome. Numbers each week range from about an average of 30 to 40 skaters in winter to over 100 in summer.”

“The atmosphere is always super friendly and relaxed, perfect to enjoy our shared passion of skating,” Mr Huynh said.

The Wednesday night skate is a permanent event that departs from the Cow up a Tree on Harbour Esplanade at 8pm.

The skate is for both quads and inline skaters. It’s a friendly group recreational cruise around the Docklands area that runs for approximate 1.5 – 2 hours.

“Skating is an amazing feeling of freedom and self-expression. Either solo or with friends, it’s a great feeling to being able to roll wherever you like,” Mr Huynh said.

“It’s fantastic to be a part of a growing community that shares the same passion of simply having fun with wheels on our feet.”

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