Tina Chen INLINE skating is a growing lifestyle in the city. It is not only a sport, but also good recreation and a convenient means of short-distance transportation. Many of us sit in an office cubicle from dawn to dusk, but some people find that inline skating is the perfect activity to integrate into a sedentary lifestyle or busy schedule. You can skate to a sandwich shop for lunch, or take your dog for a run while you glide on skates. You can skate indoors and outdoors, on a rink and on streets. Just make sure the route is safe. Inline skating doesn’t require any special skills, superior strength, previous skating experience, great endurance, gymnastics history, or youth — all it takes is practice. To get started, buy a pair of skates, a helmet, wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads. A set of equipment for beginners costs about 400 yuan (US$63), out of which the skates cost about 300 yuan. Inline skating is a social activity, too. You’ll find that there’s no better way to bond than on wheels. A world of competitive, social and creative opportunities can open up as your skating skills increase. There are more than 100 inline skating clubs in Shenzhen, each with more than 100 members, according to a skating fan. A popular social activity across the world is the group skate, in which large groups of skaters regularly meet to skate together, usually on city streets. Hundreds of skaters can participate, resembling a rolling party. One example is the weekly Pari Roller in Paris, France. The event began in 1994 and might be the biggest weekly social skating event in the world. At times, as many as 35,000 skaters have joined Pari Roller on a single night.  Local groups Shenzhen skaters often meet at the square of Window of the World in Nanshan District or the square of Civic Center in Futian District for group activities after 7 p.m., weather permitting. A popular route for Shenzhen group skaters is the 100-km skate from Sea World in Shekou, Nanshan, to Dameisha beach in Yantian District. The 66 Inline Skating Club of Shenzhen hosts regular group skate events on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 9:30 p.m. An inline skating trip to Guangzhou or Dongguan is another option for skating groups. For more skilled skaters, destinations like Qinghai Lake in North West China are very attractive, as there are good cycle lanes that are ideal tracks for inline skating.  Advantages Inline skating can be a fun alternative to walking, providing the speed of a small vehicle with no emissions or pollution. And you don’t need to pay for parking at your destination: You simply take your vehicles with you. It’s a perfect transportation on campus, which is why many young college students adore the sport. Varieties of inline skating and combinations with other sports are increasing. Speed, figure, freestyle and aggressive inline skating activities, along with roller hockey, are for anyone who loves to choose goals and fight for them. Inline basketball and soccer are new sports for skating pioneers who dare to be different. Wind skating, downhill and off-road inline skating can fulfill every thrillseeker’s dreams. “It is a wonderful way to start a new friendship,” said Li Jichen, an inline skating instructor with Decathlon Shahe Store and also a member of Kuxuan Skating Club. “I choose skating because it sharpens my mind and keeps my body agile.” The Kuxuan club has more than 400 members. Its QQ group contact number is 28306537. “It’s a good sport for all, especially for kids,” Li said. “Toddlers could start learning as early as 3, though I recommend starting at 4. However, parents are advised to send their children to trainings held by qualified organizers. The right training will prevent children from injuries and fuel their progress.”  SHOPS Decathlon Shahe Store (迪卡侬运动专业超市沙河东路店) Buiding 1, 255 Shahe Road East, Nanshan District (南山区沙河东路255号1栋) Tel: 2678-0163 Yueshilong Inline Skating Store (跃世龙轮滑专卖店)/ Shenzhen 66 Inline Skating Club （深圳66轮滑俱乐部） Shop 2038-2, Aihua Buidling, Shennan Road Middle, Futian District (福田区深南中路爱华大厦2038-2铺) Tel: 8355-1023 135-5490-2238 | 