After City, now Roller Parade

After the noise of the City Parade, the Roller Parade will zip through the streets of Ghent the day after tomorrow, Wednesday. The parade is an offshoot of the successful Brussels event and will pass along cobble-free Ghent roads on seven summer evenings. Every holiday Wednesday along twenty kilometers of Ghent roads The tour takes place every Wednesday evening in July and August, except during the Ghent Festivities (Gentse Feesten). The Roller Parade starts at 9 p.m. (gathering at 8 p.m.) at the East parking lot of the Blaarmeersen and is completely free. The swift procession aims to promote inline skating as a leisure activity, sport, and means of transport. Rolling equipment and protection can be rented for 10 euros. Participants must, however, have mastered braking. "To take a turn after the — sharply descending — Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, it is essential that you can slow down. The average speed is around twenty kilometers per hour," says organizer Laurent Winnock. LAURENT WINNOCK "Wrist, elbow, and knee protection mandatory for children" Inline skating is not entirely without risk, by the way. Winnock himself is walking around with strained ligaments after an unfortunate descent. "Protection for wrists (90 percent of injuries), elbows, knees, and helmets are mandatory for children and also recommended for adults." The tours are therefore discouraged for beginners. The Red Cross follows the parade closely, in case minor accidents occur. The police are not closing off the twenty-kilometer route. The sports enthusiasts will be escorted by a motorcycle. At intersections, they stop traffic, but never for longer than a quarter of an hour. Only party pooper Brussels and Hasselt also have a cops team skating along; in Ghent, it is limited to officers on mountain bikes. The police ask cyclists, skaters, or scooter riders to stay behind the safety vehicle. The only party pooper could be the rain. In case of bad weather forecasts, the ride will be canceled. ■ Info and full safety instructions: www.belgiumrollers.be.