Friday
Night Skate
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PLEASE
NOTE THAT EVERYONE SKATES AT THEIR OWN RISK
WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS
TO WEAR FULL PROTECTIVE GEAR
AVOID DEHYDRATION, ALWAYS
BRING LIQUIDS WITH YOU
RECOMMEDED: Join the free FNS
DISPATCH and get this FAQs section sent to your mailbox.
You also get a weekly update with skate news, routes, trips & events.
1) THE ESSENTIALS
All you need to know to get going.
2) THE DETAILS
The skate In more depth...
3) I NEED HELP!
"It is my first FNS, any tips?" or "I tried the FNS
and I couldn't do it!"
4) WE NEED HELP!
Become a marshal.
1) THE ESSENTIALS
The FNS is a free weekly skate in
London starting at 8pm, Duke
of Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner.
Note that is is not lesson! If you are interested in taking lessons in the park
or on a course check out the specialists, Citiskate
The whole skate lasts for 10 to 12 miles, about two hours, returning back to
the Arch at 10pm.
There is a different route each week, which
is sent via the Skate Dispatch
The skate has two sections: BLUE (intermediates) and BLACK (advanced), with
a 15 minute 'half time' somewhere in between
You have to be able to effectively stop, turn and skate at a medium pace to
do the BLUE route
You also have to be able to skate fast and have good stamina to do the BLACK
route
The two-stage route is designed to accommodate both the regulars AND first timers.
The
skate goes every week (even in the winter) when it is dry and is FREE
There is a weather update on the site at 5pm each Friday:
Abide
by the instructions of the marshals (yellow/red vests)
NEVER go in front of the Lead Marshal (red vest) or behind the Back Marshal
(red vest) unless you are marshaling.
In particular, skaters dropping behind the rear marshal:
you are no longer part of the skate, see the
I NEED HELP! section below.
Skate only on the road unless otherwise directed.
Those not abiding by this code will be removed.
Skaters that hold on to or are aggressive to vehicles face immediate ejection
from the skate.
IT IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO BE GOOD AT BRAKING AND TURNING - IF YOU CANNOT
STOP, DON'T COME
Instead join the "Learn to Stop Before You Start" stopping tutorial,
6:30pm Fridays, here
BRING WITH YOU
Your skates together with knee, wrist, elbow pads and a helmet
£20 cash (for the taxi) and some footwear (pocketable slippers are fine)
in case you can't complete the skate.
Liquids to avoid dehydration.
COMMENTS
The skate is, in a nutshell, an unbelievable experience!
We get tonnes of emails every week from all kinds of people who just can't get
enough!
You just HAVE to come on it.
We never do identical routes.
There is even music too!
2)
THE DETAILS
WHERE AND
AT WHAT TIME DOES IT START?
At 8pm it departs from the Duke of Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner, EXIT 2
from HYDE PARK CORNER tube station.
MAP: Click
here
WHERE DOES IT FINISH?
Most skates finished back at the start point, occasionally we do special skates
finishing at Tower Bridge but this will be well advertised on the site and at
the start of the skate
Those looking to congratulate themselves follow the regulars after the skate
to The Victoria Pub (see the pub page)
north of Hyde Park
AND IF IT RAINS?
See the Weather Update is at 5pm each Friday for confirmation if the skate is
going ahead:
HOW GOOD DO I HAVE TO BE ON THE FNS?
It is a legal requirement to be good at braking and turning at speed and sometimes
downhill and as the skate lasts 2 hours you need a bit of stamina. You should
also be fast enough to keep up with the group and be able to deal with varying
road surfaces and the unpredictability of other skaters. IF YOU CAN'T STOP,
DON'T COME
WHAT MUST I BE AWARE OF ON THE SKATE?
There are teams of volunteers (marshals) that offer their time for free to help
the FNS. They wear yellow or red vests
Follow all their instruction at all times, in particular:
1) NEVER PASS THE LEAD MARSHAL OR DROP BEHIND THE BACK MARSHAL. These marshals
wear red vests.
2) FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF MARSHALS AT ALL TIMES
Use
common sense. Be 'group-aware'. Leave Slalom, Weaving and Co at home. The marshals
are volunteers so make their job easier: follow their instructions at all times.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
Calories
WHERE
DOES IT GO?
Just follow the road. No two routes are the same but there are common elements,
namely the start and the finish. However, as ancient Chinese philosophy states
it is not the destination but the road leading to it that enriches life. It
is unlikely that the road in question all those thousands of years ago was either
Constitution Hill, Piccadilly or Park Lane but these have become fashionable
thoroughfares in starting the skate. From there the skate has ventured in all
directions of London, among them:
Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Hammersmith, Holborn, Kings Cross, Little Venice,
London Bridge, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Oxford Street, Parliament, Piccadilly
Circus, Shepherds Bush, St Paul's Cathedral, The Strand, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar
Square.
A map of the route is posted each Thursday. Here is an example route
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU PLAY?
We say, "A fusion of mainstream dance music with funky old skool classics"
You say, "How can you play Frank Sinatra straight after Orbital?"
NON STOP?
No, we have Half Time. It lasts for 15 minutes usually near refreshments
WHO GOES?
All ages. Quad skaters (roller skaters) and inline skaters (rollerbladers) go
in abundance although there is a predominance of the latter. People occasionally
cycle too and in the past scooters, skateboards, wheelchairs, enthusiastic children
with trainers and even a stray dog have joined us.
HOW MANY MILES/KM IS THE SKATE?
The skate averages around 12 miles/20km but keep an eye out on the map, next
to the start point for the exact milage.
SO YOU WANT ME TO SKATE 12 MILES!?!
Not everyone is a super-skater and so the skate is split up into two colour-coded
sections; Blue and Black, in increasing order of speed/difficulty, just like
in snow sports.
So there is ONE GROUP SKATE, with TWO DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
Apart from the speed, the other major difference between sections is that as
we progress from blue to black, we stop LESS.
Each section ends at a tube (metro) station and so people can leave early or
arrive late. For the latter, be prepared to be flexible or better still have
the mobile number of someone on the skate for a running commentary of where
and when.
HOW MANY HOURS TO SKATE THE ROUTE?
Usually two hours.
HOW FAST IS THE SKATE?
The skate usually starts at a slower pace and gradually picks up speed. 5mph/8kph
is the average speed but note that this includes the break and we are not constantly
moving. The black run sometimes hits 20-25 mph if we are particularly energetic.
WHERE CAN I GET CHEAP SKATE RENTAL? CHECK AVAILABILITY IN WINTER
In the vicinity of the start point you can get £10 overnight rental from
Friday night to Saturday morning. Collect your skates after 5pm Fridays from;
Slick Willies, Gloucester Road SW7
Open: 10-6 Mon-Sat, 12-5 Sun
Gloucester Road / High Street Ken Tube
020 7225 0004
Mention the magic phrase "The FNS is better than smoked kippers" and
hey presto, a shopkeeper appears with skates + pads. Currently you must return
them before 12 noon on Saturday but please CHECK ALL CONDITIONS WHEN RENTING.
WHAT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS SHOULD I TAKE?
To coin a phrase, skating isn't tiddleywinks. Group skaters are strongly advised
to wear full body armour: wrist, elbow and knee pads as well as a helmet.
WHAT ELSE DO I BRING?
We skate in the evenings when it is dark so bright or reflective clothing and
bike lights are a great idea!
Whistles/horns, bells, and a big mouth to get the group 'whooping'.
WHERE CAN I SEE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE SKATE?
Many TV and radio channels have featured the FNS. Examples can be found here
3)
I NEED HELP!
This section is useful if you are attempting your first FNS or if you did but
couldn't finish!
Skaters in both categories need to be aware of four things:
i.
SKATING ABILITY/TECHNIQUE
ii. STAMINA
iii. EQUIPMENT
iv. CONFIDENCE
i.
SKATING ABILITY/TECHNIQUE
You are advised to familiarise yourself with routes beforehand and PLAN TO YOUR
ABILITY.
Never
skated before? Just bought your skates? First skate of the year? Haven't skated
in weeks/months? Then don't expect to do 12 miles!
Aim for just the blue section, note where this ends, as it you may not be able
to hear it on the skate itself. Take some footwear and money for transportation.
On the following skate try to go further!
ii.
STAMINA
Even with two weeks off, many marshals have commented how they can feel a decline
in their stamina. It takes time to be able to go 12 miles. Try to get at least
an hours skating between each Friday, we particularly recommend the Rollerstroll
which travels at a slower speed throughout.
If you are having difficulty keeping in front of the Back Marshal (red vest)
it's time to leave!
iii.
EQUIPMENT
We have seen some horror stories wheeling their way around London each Friday
night. In general, the better quality skates you have the more your glide and
thus the faster you go. When buying skates you pretty much get what you pay
for: as a guide you should be aiming for £100+ with skates that have metal
chassis (faster and more durable). K2, Rollerblade, Salomon, Fila, Nike all
sell quality skates.
iv. CONFIDENCE
Being confident on the road, with hundreds of other skaters around, at speed,
on varying surfaces and for two hours takes a couple of weeks to master. Many
people who fully complete their first FNS refuse to beleive they have just done
12 miles. If your aim is to complete an FNS in as few weeks as possible we recommend
taking some lessons with these guys: Citiskate
4)
WE NEED HELP!
We are always looking for marshals to help on the volunteer side.
If you are interested helping on ANY of the following areas :the skate, route
planning, web stuff, getting more people skating get in touch with some background
info
You should be competant but not excellent: our only pre-requisite is that you
have been on a few FNSs