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Skating Around the World
Plan a Skating Marathon Holiday |
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Travelers from around
the world visit Argentina to trek in the Andes, marvel at
Iguazú Falls, and experience the magnificent desolation of
Patagonia. Now it is possible to combine all of that
with a skate marathon in the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires.
The first annual Buenos Aires Marathon was held in
December of 2002, and some of the top names in inline speed skating
were present including Jose Guzman, Chad Hedrick,
Martin Escobar, Andrea Gonzales, Gladys Stranges, Tamara Llorens, Andrea Haritchelhar,
and many more.
December is summer in the Southern Hemisphere
so this is the perfect event for skaters who live in the colder northern
climates.
Vienna is one of the most
important cultural centers of Europe,
famous for music, art museums, historic palaces, and
the Danube River. Vienna is also the
home of the
Vienna Inline Marathon,
which was held for the first time in 1999. There are also inline marathons
in other Austrian resort areas, including
Graz, Klagenfurt, Villach, and the ski resort of Innsbruck.
Niagara Falls is considered
one of the seven natural wonders of the world and it has been a
romantic destination for newlywed couples for more than 100 years.
There are two well-known skate marathons in Canada, and both
of them are in Ontario: A race from Buffalo to Niagara Falls
called the
Niagara Falls Marathon
(postponed for 2003),
and a race in the Canadian capital of Ottawa called the
National Capital Marathon.
Adventurous travelers
and photo journalists from around the world
love visiting Cuba, and it is also
the home of the fabulous international beach resort of Varadero
Beach. Havana is one of the most romantic cities in the world
and if you visit that city in April of 2003 you can
skate in the
Havana Inline Marathon.
During that same week you can watch,
or compete in, the Cuba Cup of Inline Speed and Artistic Roller Skating.
Skaters visiting Cuba should plan to spend at least one day visiting
the town of Cienfuegos on the south coast, which has a skating track
in a beautiful location, only steps from the sea.
The
charming Danish city of Odense is famous as the birthplace
of Hans Christian Andersen, and there is a running and skating
marathon in that city named after the famous fairy tale author.
The
Hans Christian
Anderson Marathon is normally held in October and
the event includes running, skating, and wheelchair events.
to see the pyramids, the Sphinx,
ancient Luxor, and float down the River Nile. If you
visit that country in February you can also skate
one of most unique marathon routes in the world
with an amazing route through the Egyptian countryside.
France is the perfect
destination for a skating holiday.
because it is the home of the world famous Paris Friday
Night Skate, which every skater should experience
at least once in their life. France has an inline racing
series called the
French Inline Cup
with marathon events in many parts of the country including Dijon, Nice,
Rennes, Les Herbiers, Lille, Plouha, Pontarlier, and
Annecy. For more information about skating marathons
in France, connect to Arnaud Gicquel's French Inline Cup Web site.
The Island of Tahiti
is stunningly beautiful, and the
nearby island of Moorea was the model for the
legendary "Bali Hai" in the musical South Pacific.
For a skating trip you will never forget, visit Tahiti in
November and skate with local Tahitians and visiting
skaters from around the world in the
Tahiti Nui Roller Marathon.
Germany is another
great destination for skaters because
almost every German city has a night skate, and those skates
are among the largest in the world. Germany is also the home
of the #1 largest inline skating marathon in the world.
It's the
Berlin Inline Marathon,
with 8000 skaters in 2002. In 2003 the Berlin
skating marathon will be held on Saturday and the running marathon
will be held on Sunday, in order to allow an incredible 12000 skaters to
participate.
There are many other skate marathons in Germany,
including Rhein-Ruhr, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, and other areas.
Travelers visit Rome to see
ancient ruins, renaissance palaces, medieval churches,
and the Vatican, and to spend time relaxing in the city's beautiful
outdoor squares, filled with fountains and outdoor cafes.
Italy is not a country where you will always be permitted to
skate in the street, but many large cities have car-free Sundays
when it is possible to skate, and some cities
even have regularly scheduled night skates (Verona for example). Italy
also has several
inline skate marathons, the most famous of which is the
Rome Roller Marathon.
There are also marathons in Maranello and Ferrara and several
other towns in Italy.
East Africa
is one of the most exciting travel
destinations in the world, and Kenya is in the
very heart of African safari country. In June
of 2003 you can skate the
Nairobi International Race
and combine that adventure with a game-viewing
safari through the world famous Masai Mara National
Game Reserve. For more information about the
Nairobi race contact Jack Njoroge at
nairobimarathon@hotmail.com.
Seoul Korea is famous for ancient palaces,
beautiful parks, and the Han River that runs through
the middle of the city. In April of 2003, visitors to Seoul
can participate in the first annual
Munhwa Inline Marathon.
Seoul has a
large community of skaters who meet each weekend to
skate as a group along the banks of the Han River. Skaters visiting
Korea should be sure to make time for a visit
to Jeju island off the South Coast of Korea. Jeju
is very similar to Hawaii, and it has its own skating club, a new
skating track, and even its own skate tour company
called Jeju Island Tours.
The Netherlands is one
of the best countries in
the world for a skating holiday because the country is
very flat, and because nearly every road
has a bicycle trail next to it.
Many Dutch cities have night skates, including Amsterdam,
Rotterdam, Groningen, Haarlem, and others.
The Dutch Federation organizes an inline racing series
each year called
Univé Top Competitie
with marathons and other races in
Alern, Hallurn, Zanstad, Steenwijk, Bantega, and many
other locations.
Portugal is a
fascinating and relatively inexpensive
travel destination with a rich seafaring past, beautiful
beach resorts, and charming towns connected by olive
groves and vineyards. Portugal has a strong skating
community, and the country has several marathons and
other skating events organized by skating clubs in Serpa, Lagos, Válega,
and other areas.
Pamplona Spain
is famous for the "running of the bulls",
an event where local residents and visitors try to outrun a
stampede
of angry bulls without getting trampled under their hooves.
That city also has a skate marathon called the
Pamplona Inline Marathon
a Grand Prix event on the World Roller Cup Tour. Skaters
visiting Spain should also participate in the
Barcelona Friday Night Skate and visit the coastal city of Sitges.
When most people think of Switzerland they think of
Alps, clocks, chocolate, yodelers, and banks, but
when I think of that country I think of skating!
The Swiss have a very well organized
Swiss Inline Cup series and in 2003 the SIC organizers
took over managing the World Inline Cup.
The Swiss racing season runs from May to October, and
events are staged in the most scenic parts of Switzerland
including including Basel, Bern, Zurich, Engadin, Lausanne,
Zug and many other places.
In the United States you
can skate in a marathon
while visiting Disney World in Florida, the beaches of Southern California,
New York City, the Great Lakes Region, and the deserts
of California and Arizona.
The largest marathon in the United States is the Northshore Marathon in Duluth,
Minnesota, with more than 4000 skaters. There are also
skating marathons in Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Wisconsin.
For a complete list of skating marathons in the U.S. and Canada
see:
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PO Box 12320, Venice Beach, California 90295 USA Email Address: See How to Contact Kathie Fry OTHER WEB SITES BY KATHIE FRY AskAboutSkating.com ScubaDoll.com GmailUsers.com CountriesAndCities.com |