Somewhat sparse turnout for first edition of Ghent Roller Parade Everything running smoothly

The inline skaters who took part in the first edition of the Ghent Roller Parade on Wednesday evening set a new record. In one hour and twenty minutes — break included — they covered the sixteen-kilometer course through Ghent's city center. The number of participants was no record. It stuck at a meager two hundred. “Of course we expected a bit more, but a Roller Parade like this needs to grow,” says organizer Laurent Winnock. “After all, we organize a tour through Ghent every week. In Brussels we sometimes reach up to 3,000 participants.” For the first time this summer, the Red Cross volunteers driving behind the procession remained idle. Even the steep descent of the Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat was tackled without major obstacles. Geert Venneman “Publicity for inline skating” “Actually, I'm more of a 20-kilometer runner, but for a Roller Parade I'm happy to strap on the inline skates,” says Geert Venneman (49) from Gentbrugge. For several years he has been part of the inline skating group Skate for Fun. “In the past, we always joined the jogging event around the Blaarmeersen on our skates, but that was canceled two years ago. Every Sunday I skate my fifteen kilometers along the Scheldedijk. If the weather is good, at least. That is, by the way, ideal training for my winter activities as a long-distance speed skater. A Roller Parade like this is something different. It's a very nice route, you skate in a group, and there's a great atmosphere. Besides, that way we promote inline skating.” (DIH) Annemie Van de Casteele “You just need to know how to brake” “Normally I participate every week in Brussels. Last Friday I couldn't, so today I'm in Ghent.” You can hardly call Annemie Van de Casteele from Deinze a beginner. She is a regular at the Roller Parade. “In Brussels there's a real atmosphere with sometimes 3,000 participants. When it starts getting a bit dark, it's the most fun of all. Skating in a city among all those lights has something special. And it's really not difficult. You just need to know how to brake.” Annemie takes a good look around her. “What stands out is that it's mainly the slightly older generation that remains loyal to inline skates. Young people mostly use skateboards.” (DIH) Nick and Sven Agneessens “The city is something different” “On Friday we were also there in Brussels. Here it will probably go a bit faster. The group is much smaller,” say twin brothers Nick and Sven Agneessens (12) from Brussels. They traveled down to Ghent with their father. “Inline skating is popular with many of our friends, but they often go to skate parks to do stunts on the ramps. We prefer taking long tours. And in the city it's something different. The roads are often better and it's not always the same. There are often steep parts in it.” (DIH)