Roll around the park!

SERENA TSANG
Outdoor Adventure Programmer

Many people come to the Metro Parks for hiking, picnicking, or wildlife watching. While I love all of these activities too, recently I have been spending a lot of my time rolling around the parks! There are a few different ways to roll around the parks, such as longboarding, roller skating, biking, and inline skating. I normally go roller skating or longboarding.

When I’m roller skating, I’m using outdoor quad skates. Quad skates have two sets of two wheels parallel to each other in the front and the back, while inline skates (also sometimes referred to as rollerblades) have four wheels in a line, similar to the blade of an ice skate. Quad skates are more stable, but inline skates can reach higher speeds. Outdoor skates tend to have bigger wheels than indoor skates, making them easier to navigate any bumps and obstacles you might find on outdoor trails.

I decide to longboard when I’m looking for more of a relaxed, chill time. Longboards are the biggest type of boards on wheels. And as such are not as well suited for doing tricks compared to skateboards. When I’m longboarding, I’m clearing my mind and enjoying the wind in my hair as I move along the trail.

There are many multipurpose trails I like to utilize all around the parks, including at:

●– Glacier Ridge
● –Scioto Grove
● –Highbanks
● –Sharon Woods
● –Greenway Trails at Battelle Darby Creek and Blacklick Woods
● –Heritage Trail

At most parks, you can also skate or ride on the road as long as you keep an eye out for cars. Currently, my favorite place to skate is at Scioto Grove, as the trail is relatively flat and the roads are usually not busy. If you decide to go out and skate, remember to wear protective gear, such as helmets, wrist guards and knee pads! Even if it may look “uncool,” being safe is much more important.

Happy skating!