Friday Night Skate dates back to the early 1990s and continues to today. Skaters begin arriving at the Ferry Building around 8:30. By 9:00 PM the "God Father" sends the skaters off on their 12 mile skate through San Francisco while he pushes a loud boom box with music the entire trip. The trip ends right back where it started around midnight.
You don't need to be in skates to participate; you just needs wheels. Roller blades, roller skates, bikes, whatever.... as long as it's got wheels you're welcome to join.
What makes the San Francisco Friday Night Skate special is that it's a unique way to see the city. You'll get an intimate visit through many of SF's neighborhoods while still being able to speed through. You get to roll through Pier 39, The Palace of Fine Arts, The Marina, The Stockton Tunnel, Union Square, etc.
There are many breaks along the way, some of which turn into outdoor skating rinks, like the Palace of Fine Arts and Union Square. One of the stops even allowed for people to go inside and get drinks if they so wished, or liquor stores where you can buy more water.
The reason skaters loves San Francisco is because of the hills. I assume you have been wondering about that. There are several hills on the route. You do need to have the skills to climb them and then go down them. Going down the hills is what the skaters love and you'll see the experienced ones zooming down. Lift Ticket? Not here, climb the hill for free and enjoy the ride down.
In addition to the hills you will need to be at a skill level at which you can stop when needed. There will be times when you skate in the street and through tunnels like the Stockton Tunnel. You'll be doing so as a group and that's what makes areas like the Stockton Tunnel so fun.
Being able to skate in a group is really a big benefit. Safety-wise the large group makes it easy for street traffic to see you. All of the regulars are really nice and extremely skilled. The music just adds to the atmosphere. And it's just fun skating through the city in a big group.
People do quit whenever they want, so not everyone goes the entire 12 miles. For example if you are tired after Union Square you can just stop and head home. It's no big deal.
Protective gear like helmets, wrist guards, knee pads, etc are encouraged. Oh yeah, this event is FREE. It's so cool other cities like Pairs, Copenhagen and Los Angeles copied it.
I just participated in this event for the first time last Friday. It totally kicked my butt, but I had such a great time. I look forward to doing this again. The bottom line is if you enjoy skating, can handle hills and can stop you should come out and try this. read more