The Grand Skate Tour London 2024

The Grand Skate Tour came to town for their second event of the year and it was a big one. We all knew the London stop was going to be huge as last year's event was amazing but in the previous year the date was in June during the heatwave we had in the summer. This year the event was scheduled for March so I wasn't expecting as many people but unimaginably this was possibly the biggest GST event yet. To catch up on what happened at last year's event check out this blog here. In that previous article I introduced the Grand Skate Tour by explaining a bit about who they were and how they started but in this article, I will simply explain what happened at this colossal London event in 2024.

This year the Grand Skate tour has partnered up with @Londonskatelife who will be providing lessons at each individual GST event. At the London stop, the lessons took place in a sports hall in Kensington not too far from our shop. Instructors @Germanma_ and @stmko_ took the students through some sliding and stopping techniques that could really help them when stopping on the streets. Having the classes at the start of the events will be very beneficial for those who would like to improve their skating so they can keep up during the main advanced skate that will take place in the evenings. These classes will be held at the start of all of the GST events this year so be sure to check out the details on thegrandskatetour.com.

After the classes, in the same sports hall we then had a nice 2 hour Roller Disco organised by Cha Cha where there was music for the skaters to jam to, a ramp, some slalom cones and disco lights for us all to enjoy. The disco is another event that happens at every single GST event, and has done, even last year. These discos are a great way to warm up for the main event later in the day and also a good place for kids and beginner skaters to get involved if they are unable to attend the more advanced street skate. After the disco had ended the GST marshalls organised a beginner skate that would take everyone from the sports hall in West Kensington to Slick Willies in South Kensington so everyone could either visit us in store or get some food at the local restaurants before the main advanced skate started in the evening. To find out who the wonderful marshals of the GST are, check them out on their website.

Before the main street skate started at 7:30pm, Ila and I kept the shop open for the attendees of the GST to browse through our stock and pick up whatever they needed. It was amazing to see so many people at the store on skates, shopping and hanging out together. During this time we also handed out some free raffle tickets to those who wanted one with the plan being that at the end of the skate we would give out some prizes donated by Slicks to the lucky winners. These prizes included t-shirts, beanies, wheels and some keychains. Alongside Slicks, Oh My Earz, who make handmade animal ears that you can attach to your helmet, also donated a set of ears that could be won during the raffle so there were many prizes to be won. 

Last year, just before the street skate started, we took a photo outside the shop with everyone. This year there were actually too many of us to fit in front of the shop without causing complete pandemonium on Gloucester rd, so we all moved across to a safer spot to take a photo and to listen to the do's and don'ts from the marshalls. "Skate at your own risk, keep left and have fun", in short. The main event consists of a street skate, which started where we all were near the shop, that would then take us around central London through Hydepark to Waterloo, the South Bank, St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street and then back to Wellington Arch to finish. The marshalls block off any oncoming traffic and keep us all together in a big group so we can safely make our way through the city. The marshalls also always pick the best locations for us all to stop and have a ten minute break like the Southbank Skatepark and the famous St Paul's steps on Peter's Hill. Two very famous skate spots, so for those who like to do tricks, this is not really a ten minute break. Rather a ten minute period of non-stop skills from those who can and for the rest of the skaters to enjoy the show. As we all passed through the wonderful streets of London, the passersby would wave, clap and film us as we skated past with our music and amazing vibes. We hope that when they see how much fun we are all having, that one day they themselves will get some skates so they can feel as free as we do on our wheels. Skating offers so much and every single one of us experience it so often so I am so glad that we can come together with the GST and create a giant advert for the sport that moves through the cities encouraging people to join.

To get an idea of what skate setups would be best for an event like this, check out our buyers guides here.

When we finally made it to Wellington Arch, we all made some noise for the GST marshals before Ila and I started shouting out the raffle ticket numbers that we pulled out of Slicks Skate Crew rider @skater_noah's helmet. I actually lost my voice near the end as I had been shouting so much throughout the whole day. So much fun was had by all and every one of us are extremely grateful to the GST team, Rollerblade UK , Cha Cha, London Skate Life and of course Slick Willies for putting on and supporting such amazing events.

Watch the following video to see my view of the day's events.