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14 ROLLERBLADING

If you’ve ever crossed paths with the Barcelona Friday night

group skate, you’ll know that in this city, rollerblading is more

than just a sport. Hundreds of skaters dominate the streets as

they burst through the city togethe r, weaving their way around

the tiny corners of the Gòtic neighbourhood and stopping 

traffic as they navigate Eixample’s grid.

The weekly event is the brainchild (and hard work) of APB, or the As-

sociació de Patinadors de Barcelona. Formed in 2003, APB now has over

600 members, and it runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to organising 

these, and other, events. Group president, Juan Carlos García, lights up

when he starts telling me about the Friday night skates. “This is really a

great way to explore the city”, he said, explaining that there are seven dif-

ferent routes, which they rotate every week, and that each route takes youthrough different, but equally scenic parts of the city. “The routes are

each about 15 to 18 kilometres, and usually this takes us about one-and-

a-half to two hours to get through,” he explained. “We pass the Sagrada

Família, go through El Gótico, skate along the beach. We go at a fairly

relaxed pace, so everyone socialises and chats along the way.”

 Juan Carlos gives me a quick rundown on how the weekly event works,

explaining that in winter it attracts about 150 to 200 skaters, whereas in

summer as many as 300 pitch up. “It’s a very organised activity,” he said,

“in that we have the support of the Ayuntamiento, and that about 25 of 

the more advanced members volunteer to help. They act as marshalls,

controlling the traffic, and skating in front of and behind the group in

order to keep everyone together.” He added that as long as you have an

intermediate level (you need to know how to brake, turn and jump pave-

ments), you’ll have no problems taking part in the routes.

 A week before meeting Juan Carlos I’d gone on my first skate with a

bunch of friends, so his casual mention of jumping pavements far from

passed me by. Rollerblading is probably the most fun I’ve had on my feetin years, but it’s definitely not as easy as it seems.

Everyone I tried skating with were novices, bar one, who still has his

original Eighties’ roller skates. Despite not having skated in over 20 years,

he still managed to swish around like a reprobate teenager, and thanks to

 Every Friday night, rollerbladers take over the streets of Barcelona. By Roberta Coci. Photos by Richard Lee Owens.

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ROLLERBLADING 15

Stayinginline

>>

him, we had a constant shirt to pull on and a landing pad to crash into,

which fast-tracked our progress in that first wobbly hour. I must admit

that feeling out of control of my body was terrifying at first, but once we

got our rather inelegant rhythm going, the sensation of cruising down

Barceloneta walkway, dodging tourists and tackling ramps was nothing 

short of exhilarating.

  We concentrated on learning to brake that first day, and I was sur-

prised at how much we all learned in just two hours, but we still ended

the session with some spectacular wipeouts.

So if, like me, the idea of jumping pavements terries you, APB also

offers free classes every Tuesday night. Xavi Blanch, who runs the classes,

explained that they cater to all levels, and that everyone is welcome. “Just

come down to el Parc del Clot at ten thirty on a Tuesday evening and we’llassign you to your level,” he said. “As a complete beginner, you’ll probably

need a maximum of 10 hours of skating before joining the routes.”

The Barcelona APB group has no age limits, with the youngest mem-

ber being just a few months old and the oldest being well into his 70s.

Rollerblading is

probably the most

fun I’ve had on my 

feet in years...

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16 ROLLERBLADING

>> “Generally our members are sporty people looking for a fun, new activ-

ity,” explained Xavi, “which is why it’s a really social group and a great

way to meet new people.”

But while it sounds all peachy, rollerblading hasn’t always been so

widely accepted—and it still has a long way to go. Historically, it’s had

flack from both ends. In the early Nineties, skaters used to call rollerblad-

ers ‘fruitbooters’ and, considering the sport dorky and less difficult than

skating, they refused to allow them in their skate parks. At the same time,

general society grouped them with skateboarders, seeing them as trouble-

makers who made life difficult for pedestrians and drivers alike.

  While the sport is generally more accepted today, rollerbladers still

have their battles to fight. In Barcelona, the sport is not illegal, but nei-

ther is it legal, explained Juan Carlos. “Sure, you can skate. But you’re

only allowed to go the same speed as pedestrians, which is at about six

kilometres per hour, and you have to keep at least a one-and-a-half metre

distance from pedestrians.” No mean feat, trying to make your way down

Portal del Angel, added Xavi.

That said, things have changed a great deal in the last few decades.

Paris is a great example of how city officials can help make a sport ac-

ceptable. The Friday night group skate in Paris (called Pari Roller) is

considered the largest repeating group skate in the world, with thousands

of participants on occasion; the annual Paris-Versailles charity skate is

alleged to have attracted up to 50,000 people. But this is only possible

because the city encourages the sport. Police officers act as marshalls, ac-

companying the weekly group on rollerblades, and subsequently helping 

to boost the sport’s public image.

The group skate is popular in other cities as well, with the Sunday

Skate Night in Berlin attracting over 10,000 skaters during the summer

months, and cities as far apart as Copenhagen and Buenos Aires, London

and Tokyo, New York and Amsterdam, all hosting popular events.

Back in Barcelona, if you’re planning on trying something new this

 year, spring’s the perfect time to pull out your skates. Classes and routes

with the APB are free, and there is a token annual fee of €30 if you plan

on becoming a member (the added bonus is that this buys you insurance,

 just in case you don’t get the hang of that brake too quickly).

“Whether you come to classes or not,” said Xavi, “the best piece of 

advice I can give you is to learn to rollerblade in a group. While it’s great

exercise, rollerblading is, above all, a social activity, so take advantage of 

the fact that you can meet new people or spend time with your friends

while doing something healthy.”

 Ariane Hildebrandt (Germany): I started

inline skating a few years ago when I was

shooting a documentary in LA. A Swiss cam-

eraman gave me an instant ‘crash course’ in

learning how to brake, and I haven’t stopped

since. Whenever I travel, my skates come with

me—it’s the best way to explore a new city.

Miquel Juncosa (Barcelona): Skating is

a great way to spend the afternoon laughing 

with friends. I don’t really do it as a sport, for

me it’s more a social event, kind of like going 

to the movies or out for dinner.

Eleanett Perez (Cuba): I love the feeling of 

freedom you get while skating. When I can I

 join the group skates on Fridays—it’s a great

way to socialise while exploring Barcelona.

Eva del Hoyo (Madrid): I’ve been skating 

since I was a kid, when I was given a pair of 

those skates you can attach to your shoes. I

love the feeling of speeding down a street lis-

tening to music, or going skating with a group

of friends.

Carl Ringquist (Sweden/Uganda): I

started skating when I lived in Paris, as it was

a great way to get to know the city and train

at the same time. Here in Barcelona nothing 

beats skating along Barceloneta all the way to

the Fòrum.

Luciana Abranches Sucupira (Brazil): 

I love the feeling of wind in my face, and

being able to act like I’m a kid again. For me,

skating’s a way of putting aside the seriousness

we’re told we have to live by.

GETTING STARTED

For classes, contact APB: www.patinarbcn.org 

or info@patinarbcn.org 

To buy or rent skates:

www.patinalia.com / www.inercia.com

 WORD ON THE STREET  Barcelona skaters explain what keeps them rolling…