Melbourne Skaters unite!

[Chilli Jam]

Sorry Jack, you'd better not read on
.....

I drove mum's car to Eltham last night, arrived 6:15. Caught the tail-end of a kids party (with smoke-machine blasing away, dammit!). Kiddies cleared out by 7pm. Adults started pouring in. Apparently it was a busier night than usual. Maxxi rocked up and I finally got to meet Inlina; both guys are wonderful skaters and great fun to be with.

Although Eltham is the smallest Melbourne rink I've skated so far (I've only skated five). I found it very cosy, the staff great and the people friendly They play a good variety of games; some games aren't exactly played like I remember them in 70/80s QLD, but I suppose the safety police have something to do with that. Music is okay (Top 40) and not too loud. IMO, Eltham is up there with Caribbean for general atmosphere & set-up (it looks well maintained).

Speed skating this rink is okay; I got one or two pushs on each straight. The floor was recently re-coted and grippy. My RB Turbo 88a wheels stuck like gecko feet, good for the tight corners. Needed harder wheels, but I don't want another broken tooth just yet (yeah, when is Caribbean getting their slippery rink re-coted?!)

Had to keep remembering about the back wall not being straight, but slightly columned. Clipped my outside right wheels a few times (it also got me a beauty on the elbow... carpet burn, ouch, but it was my own fault that time).

I will definitely go to Eltham again.
See ya there, Chilli

[inlina]

Originally Posted by Chilli Jam

They play a good variety of games; some games aren't exactly played like I remember them in 70/80s QLD, but I suppose the safety police have something to do with that.

I don't think Eltham has played games the same as any other rink for a while. Going back about 6 or 7 years ago I convinced them to play 'Ship, Shark, Shore' and it was different to how I have seen it played at basically every rink I have know it to be played at.

The way they lay out the Red Rover track is probably better than the way we used to play it, but that it probably because of the small rink. It does frustrate me that the taggers don't understand the difference between a fast tagger and a slow tagger, but that may be personal

Since I get there so late, the only games I usually get to see played are Red Rover and the Frisbee Game, with the occasional game of First and Last (don't get me started on how annoying their game play for that is).

Are there any other games they usually play at Eltham before I get there (or on the wekend)? What good games are they playing at other rinks in Melbourne?

CG

[Chilli Jam]

Hi Inlina

I had a great time at Eltham, good to see ya there.

Eltham played the frisbee game twice on Tuesday. Red-rover in circles? They also had a dance competition in the center on the rink, for three songs, but we were not allowed to skate around while that was on Eltham did the 6 circle game, too.

I remember Red-Rover being a blood-sport at my old Qld rink, Gabba Fiveways. We would fast skate from one end to the other each time a whistle blew. There were the fast and slow taggers as usual. Eltham rink they just go round in circles, weird. But the Gabba was 1.5 times the size of Eltham. My other old rink was huge, Mt.Gravatt Skateaway, and easily as big as Caribbean. We also played Apple-carts, Crack the whip, Congo lines, Dice game, Ship/shark/shore, Limbo, Nutbush dance-off, I can't remember what else. Because I'm a light-weight they always stuck me on the end of the Whip with 8-10 kids. I would be squealing and going so fast, so close to the wall, Mum woulda had kittens if she'd seen. I loved Apple-carts, I was always the one being pushed, but seriously can't get down like that anymore.

Caribbean has Dice game, Circles, not much else I can recall... there must be more... but at least we get 3-4 decent speed skates a session makes up for it.
Chilli xx

[Chilli Jam]

Things I discovered on Sunday...
Invader DA45s are okay for quad slalom. Cheap pre-paid Nokia handsets in bum-bags can survive a human landing on them, bum now has phone-shaped bruise. Kryptonic 65s roll easily over tram (streetcar) tracks, but not blue-stone cobbled roads > knee pads & wrist-guards essential. Cafe staff freak when you roll into their shop to order a coffee. Even in a busy “Garden Show” crowd, on skates, you will eventually be spotted by family & friends.

[Chilli Jam]

Wet Easter weekend, so I'm thinking Saturday arvo/night...

CARIBBEAN?
Eltham? Sunshine?

[inlina]

Hmmmm...boss and child are going out for the morning. Afternoon or evening may be possible. Do we know if Carribean has resurfaced?

CG

[Chilli Jam]

[maxxi]

Hey Chilli, won't be able to make either session, working Saturday and I'm off to the footy Saturday night. But will have to catch up for a skate soon

[Chilli Jam]

Okay, afternoon session it is...
Maybe see you there Inlina, yeah?
Maxxi has a tradition to uphold

[inlina]

Sorry...things did not go according to plan so I didn't make it (boss is sick...great start to my long weekend and 2 weeks leave). Will be at Eltham this Tuesday, but away all next week. Really want an outdoor skate before the sun starts going down by 5:30.

CG

[Chilli Jam]

Eltham, Tuesday night? I'm in

Caribbean rink not painted yet and dusty.
My RB Turbo 88s slipped a few times during speed skate.
Bladers were slipping too.

A bloke named David wore an inline on his left foot and SF speed quad on his right for the speed skate... hilarious.

See ya.

[inlina]

No new paint....hmmm...I don't see it happening this year then. Most people try to re-surface in warmer months. I don't know if there is actually a technical reason for it, but the economics of it is that the rink will be closing it's doors in the busy months.

See you at Eltham. Might have to take some sandpaper to my wheels to takes some grip off them though. Only skated them twice at Eltham and I still can't get them to slide properly.

CG

[Chilli Jam]

Sandpaper?... go for a roll around in the carpark

[malajusted]

Dont thay wait till after school hollidays
To coat the floor

[Chilli Jam]

Hi Maladjusted
Yeah, I spoke with the Caribbean door-guy with the Bruce Willis doo.
He said the carpet & floor will be done at the same time, in a few weeks.
Back in Feb the manager told me it was being done in March... hello?!

[inlina]

Must have been some kind of delay. The floor was terrible the one time I have been there this year, but I know I don't need to tell you that Chilli! I know not all wheels are created equal, but if you are running down at 88A and still struggling for grip it seems like a problem. So I guess busy or not, it sounds like it will be done.

Thought about taking the wheels outside to break them down a bit...I am running 82A outdoor wheels for Eltham but the floor is still to grippy and I cannot find anything harder in hockey wheels to suit my set-up. May have to try some free-ride/slalom wheels. I think I can get 85 or 86A.

CG

[Chilli Jam]

Slalom wheels!
Then you could go slalom skating Sundays at Melbourne Museum.
Come watch me struggle-slalom on quads > good for a laugh

[inlina]

My wrist hurts....stupid grippy floor.

CG

[Chilli Jam]

Originally Posted by inlina

My wrist hurts....stupid grippy floor.

CG

Hi-ya speed-bump, sorry to hear about your wrist

I agree, the floor is really grippy, but with those walls coming thick'n'fast it's not such a bad thing. Yes indeedy, I got crampy feet from all that Eltham grip. I'm used to having some Caribbean slip in my wheels.

Was great fun last night... Jack and his family, you and Maxxi...

Now where's Nick & Terror?

[Terror Australis]

I was at training! But next week I'm doing team training on Monday so Tuesday is not out of the question.......