The DavisSkate Mail List provides local skating information and is used to organize occasional group skates.
Davis Wednesday Skate
When and Where Davis Skaters Meet
The Davis Wednesday Night Skate is on hiatus due to lack of interest. We used to gather at 7 pm and left by 7:10 pm at the Farmer's Market in Central Park at the intersection of 4th and C Streets for an 11 mile skate.
If you're interested in reviving the group, call Gerald Lim at 916-290-6676.
Davis Wednesday Night Skate Route Maps and Directions
For skaters who show up late and for out-of-towners who can't make it on Wednesday but are interested in skating Davis, we have detailed directions for each of our five regular routes. Each one has a route code which will be written down in chalk before we start the skate each Wednesday so that skaters who come late will know which way we went. A Davis bike map is available at http://www.taps.ucdavis.edu/Davis_Bike_Map.pdf. You can also pick up a free paper map at the TAPS office is located on Extension Center Drive off Hutchison Drive and LaRue Road Monday through Friday between 7am and 5:30pm.
Getting to Davis Wednesday Night Skate from Out of Town
From I-80, take the Richards Boulevard exit, then turn right to head north through the tunnel and continue through the stoplight on E Street until you hit 4th Street. You can turn left to reach our meeting spot at 4th and C, but you may have to turn right to find a parking spot during the summer because of the Farmer's Market. You can also try looking north of 5th Street on C or D for a parking spot. See a map of the location at Mapquest.
News and Announcements
Posted 10/23/04 Important Schedule Announcement
We will no longer have a consistent year-around skating schedule. When it's cold, (less than 50 degrees) check with me to see if anyone's going to show up.
Inline Skating Links and Information
Local Stuff
Wednesday Night Skate Log A head count and a brief comment about each week's Davis Wednesday Night Skate.
Davis Indoor Sports Center Indoor inline hockey rink and open skating hours. Well-stocked hocky-oriented skate shop that's started to carry 5-wheel Rollerblades in 2002 and is interested in expanding its inventory depending on consumer interest. Check out the Davis Enterprise story.
Davis Skate Park Sacramento doesn't have a free skate park for aggressive skaters, but Davis has one at Community Park. Parking is available near the Davis Art Center at Covell Boulevard and F Street. If that parking lot is full, look for parking on East 14th Street south of the park. The skate park is open to inline skaters on Thursdays 4 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays 11 am to 3 pm, and Sundays 3 pm to 9 pm. You can call 757-5626 to confirm their hours. Skaters are required to wear helmets, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads.
Bay Area
SF Skaters This is the place for bay area skate information.
SF Skaters List This list is for discussion of Bay Area skating and announcements of skating events.
CORA Another good source for bay area skate information.
SF Friday Night Skate Hundreds of people used to show up for this one. Still the biggest weekly skate around.
Lake Merced Loop A Sunday afternoon skate from Golden Gate Park to Lake Merced and back.
Miller Ultra-Low Profile Frames Take a standard 12.8" 5-wheel racing frame, remove the wheel underneath the front frame, decrease the height of the frame, and you've Miller's new frame design. They've also got an 11.75" model. Check out the reviews by Jim Fink and Eric Partch.
Pure Energy Wheels Though thinner and softer than normal wheels, the company claims their new wheels will last three times longer than conventional wheels. If anyone has tried them, please let me know what you think of them.
Monocoque Skates The one-piece boot and frame design is much lighter and lower profile than conventional skates.
Wedgies These plastic wedges fit between your boot and frame to cant your frame to one side or the other.
Skid Skins A new line of abrasion-resistant skate clothing reinforced with Kevlar. The company claimed testing at 25+ MPH full impact has consistently prevented any abrasions and with the exception of some slight pink spots, no evidence of a fall. Liz Miller says they're great. However, it took 7 months after their initial offer to send me a brochure and cloth sample (received it 4/12/00) and they don't respond to my most of my e-mail queries, so I don't regard them as a reliable company. That's unfortunate because cloth sample I received seemed of high quality and it felt like it would be comfortable. No way for me to verify their abrasion resistance claims, though.
Sk8deal Got money to burn? These people sell cutting edge Ninja ceramic bearings and ultra-lite Ninja Mini-Miser bearings.
For product info, check out Ninja Performance Skate Products.
Spitfire Wheels LEDs light up when the wheels turn, so you'll be more visible at night.
The best blister protection I've ever used. It will stay on through several days of skating and bathing. Place on hotspots before they develop blisters.
Antiperspirant
Sounds odd, but drier feet get fewer blisters. It works for marathon runners, so it should work for skaters.
Spyroflex
A dressing for blisters and abrasions that you can wear for 5-7 days. It stays on through bathing or swimming, but it doesn't hold on for long when you skate.
Dr. Scholl's Blister Treatment
I haven't tried this product, but I've been told that it works well for skaters, is waterproof, and will stay on for 48 hours.
