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12/20/2003 Archived Entry: "Zunday zleeper zkate (Zzz) - November 23, 2003"

Our Zunday zleeper zkate (Zzz)
On Sunday – November 23, 2003
By Chuck O.

Wow! At noon the Temperature was hovering near 70 degrees. This is November? Are we in North
America? Cool! Well… not cool… Warm! But GREAT!!!

After placing my faith in the weather forecast announced earlier in the week, I had already decided to return the Zzz back to the patio at Jake's for ice cream & coffee. My faith ended up being right on target.

We had with us 12 skaters (yes, Renee was here again): two were newbies (APRR’s Dan D and Annette H from Germany); and a host of Zzz alumni (yes, Renee is in the forefront). With Jethro joining us in Piedmont Park on his 7000mm wheels (bike), we took off toward the first Caribou – the oh-so-important coffee shop stop. After grabbing a “to go,” it was here that Jethro decided to leave us, and head on home to Buckhead. He had already done the morning Airport Bicycle Ride.

From Caribou, we skated to Centennial Park and to its fountain. It seemed a little weird to me to see kids playing in the fountain while Marc Sk8 Pierre was taking a picture of us standing in front of a freshly erected Christmas tree. After the picture, I had to admit to the dozen of us that living for a long period of time in one particular city comes in handy. Since this described Bill C, I eagerly turned the reigns over to him so that he could direct us back to Highland Ave for ice cream. I knew where I wanted to go, I just didn’t know how to get there. A big thank-you to Bill!

We spent a fair amount of time at Jake’s. And afterward, it was time to head back to Piedmont Park and head over to Willy's. All of us wanted to continue to enjoy a summer day in November.

*ON A SERIOUS NOTE*

As much as I like having new people come out and join us for the Zzz – street skating, even at the beginning level, requires a certain level of technical ability. For the Zzz, you do not need to have a huge cardio-respiratory capacity; HOWEVER, downhill braking and turning skills are a prerequisite for any type of street skating. For us within APRR, please remember that the basic skills we take for granted are not necessarily mastered by all skaters who participate with us. Having this minimum of a downhill breaking and turning ability will help us to avoid a potential medical situation, or perhaps a legal one. Being able to brake and turn comfortably on downhills can help make skating a more enjoyable experience for everyone who participates with APRR.