Posted on May 25, 2013 by Edmund Vong
Report by Jon Wong
Nightskate Captain
With the perfect weather, the crowd returned for our latest Park Connector Night Skate in May. More than 60 skating enthusiasts, including members from National University Skating Club, showed up for this challenging 15km route from Bishan Ang Mo Kio Park to the Esplanade Park via the Kallang Park Connector. This 15km journey boasts a total of 4 overhead bridges to cross, a first attempt for some of the participants.
Dazzling LED lights from the participants'skates and gears decorated the skating rink at the park, where the starting point is. We promptly set off on our journey heading towards the Kallang Park Connector, passing by the popular MacDonald's Restaurant by the waterway.
We started our cruise along the connector beside the Sungei Kallang Canal and arrive soon at the first overhead bridge of the evening, across Braddell Road. That brought us along to the Toa Payoh Industrial area and a low underpass beneath the Central Expressway with just 1.8m allowance.
That brought us to Jalan Toa Payoh beside the Pan Island Expressway and the second overhead bridge near the Diocesan Centre Building, which was also the longest with the most number of flight of stairs.
We entered into Moonstone Lane and had a short break at a coffee shop at one of the shophouses before continuing our journey across the small bridge over Sungei Kallang and we arrived at Serangoon Road and the third overhead bridge. This newly erected bridge served as a replacement for the formal traffic light crossing.
The final overhead bridge was just moments away along Bendemeer Road and into the next part of the connector towards Kallang Bahru. After crossing the road, we are faced with one of the hazardous part of the route, where we had to enter the connector via a flight of stairs located beside the road bridge. This portion was poorly lit and featured concrete steps but no railings for support. The participants had to decend down the steps carefully in a single file, with the help of the SAVs.
We continued along the connector beside Kallang Distripark and reached a distinct bridge that we need to cross. This bridge is very curved, with steep slopes on both ends. Climbing up was tough, and going down was more challenging as the participants had to make a sharp right turn after charging down the slope. They received help from the SAVs to tackle this portion.
After crossing Upper Boon Keng Road, we arrived shortly at Kallang Road near Kallang MRT Station. We headed along the pavement in the direction of Kallang Ave and crossed over to Kampong Bugis beside an indian temple.
Our journey came to a bottleneck as Rochor Link Bridge is closed and we had to detour along Kallang Riverfront Park back onto Kallang Road again. This time round we took to Crawford Street and proceeded along our along Republic Ave. This brought us pass Nicoll Highway MRT Station and onto the part which everyone was looking forward to - The Formula-One track located at Marina Promenade Park.
It was here that everyone was able to sprint and dash to their hearts content on the wide and vast track towards the Singapore Flyer where we had a longer break. The participants were delighted to indulge themselves in the various food outlets that the Flyer has to offer as well as the magnificent night scenery of the Marina Bay Sands.
After the break, we headed across the Helix bridge amongst the evening crowd and arrived at Marina Bay Sands. We then headed in the direction of Clifford Pier and arrived at the Merlion where packs of tourists were seen taking pictures of the country's iconic monument.
The destination was just metres away, and we proceeded to cross the Anderson Bridge and enter into the Esplanade Park. The Cenotaph Memorial is located at the center of this park, overseeing the Padang.
It was a sweet finish for the participants, and we clocked more than 15km on the GPS, mainly due to the detour around Kallang. But we were still glad to complete the journey under 3 hours.
It wasa magical moment to remember for Zulfaidi and Mas, a married couple who were taking on the Night Skate for the first time. They started out taking lessons from us at our venue at Pasir Ris Sports and Recreational Centre. Their common interest in this sport has seen them mature in their skills together and confident to challenge our urban night skating. Recounted Zulfaidi, 'It is pretty tough, but we are up to the challenge. Completing this journey together with my wife brings me so much satisfaction!' Indeed, inline skating can be a great activity for couples to enjoy and exercise together.
Credits
Safety Van
Edmund Vong
Photo
Agnes Faussi Lamiran
SAVs
Vincent Lim
Ong Chong Boon
Agnes Faussi Lamiran
Posted in Event
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