SNS March 2008 Report: "Speedy Night Skate" Bishan Park 2 to the Zoo
By Jon Wong
Skateline Instructor
Our latest SNS in March saw over 40 skaters taking on the challenge of speed and endurance from Bishan Park 2 to the Singapore Zoological Gardens!
The heavy showers during mid-afternoon was a scare, but fortunately the sun came out in time to dry the grounds, making the SNS possible.
Everyone that turned up knew what was in store, and from the moment I flagged them off, all cylinders were fired up and everyone was off in a jiffy, led by the Skateschool Team of Albert, Lewis and me.
Further support came in the form of the parents of some of the skaters, from their own vehicles and following us along the way.
The first hefty challenge came when we arrived at the mouth of Old Upper Thomson Rd. This stretch of road, usually packed with wild monkeys during the day, has its fair share of uphill slopes, winding corners and uneven terrain, which really put our skating skills to the test.
At the exit was a long stretch of downhill slope, which required good braking skills from us all to make it down safely. Although some skaters suffered minor injuries from falls, but generally all the skaters are able to handle the slope and continue the journey.
What followed next was a good training of street and urban skating skills for everyone, as we had to deal with an assorted mixture of slopes, difficult terrain and low visibility in some areas, along Upper Thomson Rd, Sembawang Rd and Mandai Ave.
We were blessed with little traffic on the roads as we travelled along the double-yellow lines until the opening to the Singapore Zoological Gardens.
I had saved the best for the last as our skaters realised that there were many steep up-hill slopes to climb before they can reach the end point.
Though it was tough, everyone managed to complete the entire journey with a pretty fast timing of under just 2 hours.
Although we were speeding much more this time round, much credit had to be given to our group of volunteers who made the journey as safe as possible.
Many thanks to Daren, David Jr, Kelvin, Philip, Leonard, Zheng Hao and 2 of our junior SAVs in action for the first time, Chelsea and Shane.
Congratulations to all the skaters who have successfully completed the entire journey!
See all the photos on Jon's blog.