We checked in at the Harbor Court Hotel on the south waterfront, four blocks from the start. Nancy and I are beginning bladers, with the hubris of try-anything fitness freaks. We have kick boxed, kayaked and aerobicized ourselves into halfway decent shape. Luckily, we joined a night of slow skaters, with most of the hard-core crowd off at a blading race in the Napa Valley. On typical Fridays, the event draws more than 500 people.
Regulars greet newcomers.
Participants stepped out of new BMWs and Porsches as well as beat-up Toyota Corollas. One man stripped down to briefs behind his Saturn, changing from a business suit to a loose sweater and skating pants. A blader circled the lot, talking into his cell phone. Finally skaters trickled onto the sidewalk and crossed the street to the Embarcadero. The 12-mile route is known to most local drivers, who usually watch for the Friday night skaters on sidewalks, streets and hills.