Roller Skaters Surf Roosevelt Island Good Shepherd Plaza Bench Tonight - RIOC Looking For Ways To Stop Them

Looks like the new benches at Roosevelt Island's Good Shepherd Plaza make an attractive surface for Roller Skate surfers.



The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) is looking for ways to stop the benches from being used for Roller Skate and Skateboard surfing.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Brings Synthetic Ice Rink To Health & Fitness Day

Image from RIRA's Lynn Strong-Shinozaki

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Social, Cultural and Educational Committee Chairperson Lynn Strong-Shinozaki shares these pictures of RIRA's Skate RI event that brought ice skating on an EZ Glide synthetic ice surface to the Child School's Gym during Saturday's Roosevelt Island Health & Fitness Day. Skating was free but there was a charge if you rented skates.

Image from RIRA's Lynn Strong-Shinozaki

According to RIRA President Matt Katz

 Image of Mr. Katz at Skate RI

speaking at last night's RIOC Board meeting, over 80 skaters

Image from RIRA's Lynn Strong-Shinozaki

used the synthetic ice rink which raised over a thousand dollars for RIRA.

Mr. Katz also thanked RIOC for it's contribution to RIRA's Skate RI. Other RIRA members expressed to me frustration and disappointment that Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk, Manhattan Park and Rivercross building managements did not provide any support or assistance to RIRA's Skate RI event.

RIRA is exploring a return engagement of Skate RI.

A concern was raised by several people that when falling on the synthetic ice surface,

 Image of Skater Falling at Skate RI

an oily residue remained on the person's skin and clothes. When I mentioned this to Ms. Shinozaki, she told me that the residue was glycerin and perfectly safe. However, according to a My Backyard Icerink review of synthetic ice surfaces:

... Avoid silicone or glycerin solutions....

Something for RIRA to consider if Skate RI is to return.

For comparison purposes, here's the outdoor synthetic Polar Ice Rink at the American Museum of Natural History.

You Tube Video of American Museum of Natural History Synthetic Ice Rink

Roosevelt Island Is Also Skater Island

Adonis Taylor at Skater Island in NYC from Art of Rolling on Vimeo.

It looks like Roosevelt Island is becoming a popular spot for Skaters, particularly the West Promenade East River waterfront area behind PS/IS 217 facing the Manhattan skyline. According to I Roll NY:

The Art of Rolling held a session yesterday with some of NYC’s emerging talent (Photos will be posted soon) at Roosevelt Island or as it’s also refered to “Skater Island.” Adonis Taylor managed to get it in with a nice soul to drop before security came and broke up the session.

NYCSK8 reports:

The combination of walkways and road make the perimeter of Roosevelt Island a fairly pleasant skate, especially during the summer when you can catch a breeze off the East River. The entire route is about four miles and almost entirely flat, so you can do it in a very leisurely hour. In general, this "trail" is in good shape, although the sidewalks are often brick or wood rather than concrete or asphalt. On the east side of the island, by the bridge to Queens, there is a set of steps of just about the right number and steepness for stair newbies to practice bashing. You'll probably run into some neighborhood kids doing just that.

The main problem with skating Roosevelt Island is that there is a security service patrolling the island, and they seem to like to crack the whip. It's not uncommon to have one of them sneak up behind you and then use the PA system in his truck to announce that you're supposed to skate in single file along the side of the road. They'll really give you a hard time if they catch you skating the ramps in one of the parking garages...