SNS September 2008 Report - Mid Autumn Nightskate

 

By Jon Wong
Skateline Instructor

We had our September SNS successfully on the 13th, one week after the Mid-Autumn Festival. With the Mid-Autumn spirit still lingering around, we received about 30 skaters from the public and from our SAVs to participate in this SNS. The turn-out initially was few, but as the evening progressed, more skaters showed up.

This time round, we decided to have a loop trip, starting and ending at our skating rink in Bishan Park 2, and going around the Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood. We provided some battery operated lanterns for skaters who registered with us, to bring along for the journey. They shined beautifully under the dark skies. We set off at about 8pm, with some Mid-Autumn treats of mini Mooncakes and drinks awaiting us when we return. 


Preparing the Lanterns

The route was easy and relaxing, with few obstacles to cross, and we were on the pavement most of the time. The area was familiar to many skaters and instructors, as most of them stayed in the Ang Mo Kio area. However, the distance was a challenge to most of us, as it proved that though we were skating in the neighbourhood, it was longer than what we have expected. Stopping over at the MacDonald's Cafe & Drive-Thru at Ang Mo Kio Gardens helped ease the thrist and gave the skaters a breather.


David posing with Ronald MacDonald 

The many uphills and downhills of Ang Mo Kio was something new to most of the skaters that joined us for the first time, They experienced the strain of climbing the uphills and the thrill of crusing and speeding down the downhills, but it was nothing that they cannot handle.


Waiting at the Traffic Junction

We did encounter some difficult terrain along the stretch of Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 where road works were going on. We had to tride along the gravel paths instead of rolling, but it was kind of fun too. We took about 140 minutes to complete the entire journey, and were greeted by our Skateschool Administrator, Ms Edna Lam who greeted us with the drinks and snacks at the skating rink. What followed was a session of Freestyle and Sliding in the rink, and a chance to showcase and share their skills with each other.


Show TIme

Many thanks to our Safety Driver, Zong Yang, for providing us with vehicular safety throughout the journey, Ms Edna Lam, who provided the mini Mooncakes and drinks. We would also like to thank the following SAVs on duty: Xinyi, Susanna, Lee Li, Eng Keong, Eric, David Lim, Timothy, Jack, Waihim, Alex & Steven.

To view the pictures of the SNS, click here. Pictures courtesy of David Lim and Agnes Faussi Lamiran.