Philly Landskaters
JV skate
planner
Your Weeknight Workout
Overview
The Tuesday night JV Skate always travels no further than a few miles from city hall and return to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to finish.
The JV Skate is quite reliable in description. For example we list it ends at 9:00 PM — the JV Skate Leader, Rocco keeps a close eye on the time and makes changes in pacing or routes to get back to the Art Museum at 9:00. In his own words, “Sometimes around 9:07, but pretty close.”
When
Tuesday’s at 7:00 PM. All year as weather permits.
Push-off time is 7:20 PM.
NOTE: There are two skate groups on Tuesday’s; the JV & VARSITY groups both meet up at 7:00 PM. You’ll have until the last moment to decide which one you want to skate with. See our calendar for details such as departure time, etc…
Where
Where We Meet
Meet-up at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps near the Rocky Statue. 39°57’53.3″N 75°10’46.4″W
If an event is taking place that prohibits access, the Landskaters Email Group is your source for constant updates and last minute alterations.
Where To Park
If you are travelling by car you’ll find the most nearby parking is on Pennsylvania Avenue and side streets to the adjacent north of the Art Museum.
Where We Skate
Who
Landskater group skates are not for beginner skaters. It is best to be an intermediate skater before joining us. Be able to stop at any speed, drop in from curbs, jump or swerve around pot-holes, manage wet pavement during sudden rain storms or other wet surfaces, etc…
What
The number of stops (short breaks) on the JV SKATE varies, based on the skill levels of the skaters and the size of the group. Generally there will be approximately 3 group ups to make sure that no one is left behind and that everyone is comfortable with this pace.
There will be a “sweep” skater at the back of the pack on all skates who will assist with making sure no one is left behind.
Abilities & Skills You Need To City Street Inline Skate
Skate Ability
Street skating requires absolute control in balance and braking. If you have any fear of skating down any incline or doubt that you can brake suddenly due to any object in front of you, then you should gain those skills before attempting to street skate with the Landskaters.
Lung Stamina
Average lung stamina to handle short durations of up to a mile before stopping. At some intervals, many stoplights provide a pause in skating, otherwise expect as much as a mile of straight steady exertion of inline skating.
Leg Stamina
Average leg and ankle skate stamina to handle an overall distance of 8 to 10 miles of skating.
How
There can be up to 1-2 “mild” uphills, and 1-2 safe downhills on SOME skates; based on the direction of the skate. Nothing too challenging for the group and generally, Rocco tries to avoid them. Skaters should be able to brake on the mild down hills. 90% of ALL skates are on flat terrain.
How Long
The duration of the JV SKATE out and back is approximately 90 minutes.
How Far
The JV SKATE ranges from 8 to 10 miles of inline street skating through the streets of Philadelphia.
Post Skate
Sometimes members meet up after our group city street skates for a drink (or meal) somewhere within a few blocks of the Art Museum. Some of our favorite haunts include: Bishop’s Collar, Kite and Key, or other local skater friendly bars/restaurants.
FAQs
What skill level is the JV skate?
Medium level experience and up.
Do I need a helmet?
Helmets are STRONGLY recommended. We also advise wrist guards, knee pads and a water bottle.
How long is the mid-way water break?
The mid-skate water break is 15 minutes.
Final Notes
Our city street skates feature a lead and sweep. Do not pass the lead skater as matter of respect. The sweep is a skater who assists in keeping trailing skaters or struggling skaters from losing the group. If the skate group is stretched out or broken into parts temporarily for example by a stoplight, simply skate forward and expect to find the group ahead. When we turn corners we mark them with a skater who remains there to signal the turn to all trailing skaters.
We stop for injured skaters, but we don’t end skates entirely due to an injury. We stop skates for skate repairs too. We don’t leave skaters to fend for themselves but as adults you should be prepared for the unexpected such as injury or an unrepairable skate. As mentioned in our FAQs above, a standard expectation of all skaters is to bring payment for any rideshare or public transportation in case you are unable to finish.
Rocco
At one point in his rehab, his therapist asked him what his goals were. Rocco replied, "I want to skate". His therapist responded, "so skate". Going around ovals in public skating rinks seemed too boring. Luckily he worked with an inline skater (some say Rollerblader) who volunteered to do some skating with him on the Schuylkill river trail. After a couple of those sessions, he said, "you are ready for city skates with Landskaters". Rocco started with Sunday morning skates and graduated to all skates, including the Tuesday night skates. He's been skating with Landskaters for over 20 years now and has no plans for "retiring" from it.
In Rocco's own words, "I enjoy skating for several reasons: It's good exercise, gives skaters an opportunity to see the city, and its a good social event."
I will include sites and events in Center City, for example, parades, new buildings/shopping areas, holiday lights, and movie filming sites, etc. when those opportunities are available. I enjoy leading because it gives me an opportunity to seek out these events and sites."
LANDSKATERS EMAIL GROUP
Landskaters stay informed of every skate through our Landskaters Email Group
Skate leaders notify the group in the event of last minute changes such as rain or nearby events
The official skate season is April-October, get in on ad-hoc off-season skates
Request to join our Landskaters Email Group
Street Talk
Winter Street Inline Skating Tips
Do you skate in the winter? Not on ice, but on the streets. It’s not easy. In fact, you have to ease into it. You need to adapt to more than the cold air cutting through your skin. It takes time to build up lung stamina with the thin air.
Skating in winter seems backwards to most inline skaters because, let’s face it, inline skating was created for ice-skaters who wanted to skate in the summer.
How To Skate On Wet Surfaces
It happens. Sometimes we get caught in the rain, or happen upon wet pavement with no other choice but to skate across it. When this happens you have to change your skate form.
The solution is simple. Shorten your strides. While this seems only common sense, the issue is that many will start with short, compact strides, they eventually begin to kick out.