Liège | All summer long, long silent rides in the city center Roller Thursdays

■ Every Thursday, weather permitting, the city of Liège will put on its roller skates. ■ A fitting turn of events, since the inventor of the roller skate is said to be from Huy. Nothing, specialized literature tells us, would have been possible without the ingenuity of a Huy native: it was Joseph Merlin, an 18th-century musician, who, by fitting metal rollers onto wooden plates, is said to have invented the roller skate. An ecological, fast, silent, and inexpensive means of locomotion, it kept improving until 1979, when two hockey players, the Olson brothers, decided to equip each skate with inline polyurethane wheels, a hockey boot, and a rubber brake pad. The rollerblade was born. Today, it has its clubs and federations, magazines, and websites. According to an optimistic estimate by the online magazine "rouliroula.com", there are nearly 500,000 riders in Belgium, ranging from hesitant amateurs who only put on skates on weekends to true enthusiasts who compete using jumps (jumps, possibly with a half-turn or full spin), souls (balancing on an edge), and tac-tac (stair riding on rollerblades) at the country's finest spots. Where in the Liège region can one witness these peaceful showdowns among gliding fans? Truth be told, crossing the province is easier by car than on roller skates. There are, of course, the RAVeL routes (only partially accessible to skates) and cycle paths, but they are ill-suited for acrobatic tricks and their network remains incomplete. There are also a few public spaces which, due to their extent and elevation changes, serve as open invitations to skateboarders and rollerbladers. This is particularly true of Place Saint-Lambert: the slopes, stairs, and obstacles that might annoy pedestrians are key attractions for Liège riders. An ecological, fast, silent, and inexpensive means of transport Finally, there are a few "roller parks", specially designed playgrounds such as those found in Cointe (along Boulevard Kleyer, next to the clay football pitch), Seraing (the most famous spot being on Rue Ferrer, featuring five ramps including an 11-meter-long one for initiation), or Theux (a 3.5-meter ramp behind the sports complex). • The "Belgium Rollers" events are scheduled to take place in Liège every Thursday in July and August. First departure today at 9 p.m. at Place Saint-Lambert. The return is scheduled two hours later.