Roller Parade action Rolls through seven cities

A night out on wheels. That's how you get to know the city in a completely different way. After Brussels, other cities will also get their own Roller Parade. A Roller Parade through the city: the idea came from Paris and was an overwhelming success last year in Brussels. Every Friday evening, in good weather, young and old rolled about 20 kilometers through the capital on roller skates. On some days, up to 6,000 (!) participants showed up. Due to the great success, Ghent, Hasselt, Liège, Mons, and Namur are following suit and organizing a weekly parade during the summer months. Brussels Rollers becomes Belgian Rollers and the days are arranged so that you don't have to miss any event. On Monday you can go to Hasselt, Tuesday to Namur, Wednesday to Ghent, and Thursday to Liège. Friday remains roller day for Brussels, for Mons it will be Saturday. Koksijde is only participating twice this year: July 20 and August 24. Brussels resident Birger is completely taken with this initiative. "I participated in the Roller Parade in Paris and was therefore wildly enthusiastic when Brussels followed. The only problem is that Brussels is not the ideal city for it: far too hilly, too few wide boulevards, and too many cobblestones and tram tracks." Yet that doesn't dampen his fun: "You get to know the city in a completely different way and there's a great atmosphere. That's then continued with a dive into Brussels' nightlife." However, it's not an exclusive event for the city dweller. "The Parade is open to everyone," says organizer Carl De Moncharline. "The condition is that you have some experience. You must at least have mastered braking." Beginners don't have to panic, however: every Sunday afternoon there are braking lessons in Brussels' Ter Kamerenbos (Bois de la Cambre). The Parades could not take place without good cooperation with the police. In each city, a special unit is trained, on roller skates of course. "The roller corps is very popular in Brussels," says Birger. "Through their actions, I've gained a different view of the police. Especially because they made the effort to learn to roll themselves." Info: www.brusselsrollers.com MIX IS DE WEKELIJKSE JONGERENKRANT VAN DE MORGEN (MIX IS DE MORGEN'S WEEKLY YOUTH NEWSPAPER) •• EDITORIAL LEAD Marc Schoetens •• DESIGN Vicky Brugman •• CHIEF EDITORS Vicky Vanhoutte and Kris Jacobs •• ADVERTISEMENTS Nathalie Quintens Tel. 02/454.22.56 •• RESPONSIBLE PUBLISHER Wim Coessens, Brogniezstraat 54, 1070 Brussels •• E-MAIL mix@demorgen.be •• TELEPHONE 02/55.66.811.