| Tony Rango, 24, of
San Francisco, noticed ice on the road when he
first showed up early Saturday. "The rain (from
earlier in the week) kind of put a damper on
things," Rango said. Rango tried a lap or two of
the roughly 2-kilometer course, but didn't enter
any of the races. An avid skater, he'd never
tried a race and said he just wanted to check it
out. Miles, head of the Outdoor Rollerskating
Association of America said he had hoped for
perhaps 100 people to come. Miles plan was to
share with Pleasanton a little bit of what a lot
of people in San Francisco enjoy on Sundays in
Golden Gate Park - a place without cars, to
skate.
Miles, 36, with 14 years of skating behind
him, is enthusiastic about the sport. His van
has a sign on the license plate: "I'd rather be
roller-skating." "Skating has a spirit to it,"
Miles said. "We're trying to create a positive
image for skating. It's fun. Too many people
think that skaters are out of control." Miles
said he's hoping to get a Boy Scout Explorer
post set up in Pleasanton that would have roller
skating as its primary' activity.
Steve Hunter, sales manager for the
Pleasanton Convention and Visitors Bureau, went
out to the course Saturday,.and liked what he
saw "I haven't seen anything like this," Hunter
said.
Hunter said the Christmas Day parade on Main
Street might have drawn people away from the
event. But Hunter said he would like to see
Miles back in Pleasanton.Spring or summer would
be good, Hunter said.
Today the ORAA is sponsoring "Skate Safe
Sunday at Clubsport in Pleasanton. Miles and
others will share skating techniques. |
GETTING A PIGGYBACK RIDE
Egfei Chin of Santa Cruz lets Brian
Sarrizin of San Francisco do the work |
