I joined a motley gang of slalom skaters for my first practice of the season on Saturday down in the Middlesex Fells.

There's a freshly repaved soapbox derby track there, along the Sheepfold Meadow dog park. It was my first time trying to skate a 'real' course, and I quickly found I couldn't do it; starting at the top, there was no way I could make the turns once I was half way down the hill. So, I hung out further down, picked up cones and ran the bottom half of the course. I only fell once, and though I don't bounce so well as I once did, my Rockgardn 'CYA' shorts saved the day. They're like bicycle pants, but with pads for the hips and tailbone. Also, my knee pads won't look quite so dorky now that they're scratched up. Slalom is great fun, and perfect for old dogs like me who like to cruise but never did learn any of those street tricks. I may never be competitive, but I'm sure I'll get better with practice… so long as I don't fall too much.  Too bad the local skate shop doesn't support the sport.

The Fells, BTW, is a great place for trail running or mountain biking. It's right off I-93, in Medford. Mass, that is. 

Here's some video of the session. For the record, I can't condone doing this stuff without a helmet: