HUNTINGTON BEACH : Rolling Out Skating’s Better Side

A steady stream of skaters rolled along the boardwalk, making little attempt to stay on one side of the bike path that would take them to the Newport Beach Pier five miles away.

On their way back to their starting point at the Paradise Beach Co., where many of them rented in-line skates, the 130 or so skaters were greeted by a burning red sunset and flaming clouds. It seemed like a reward for skating the distance on a cool Wednesday evening, some of them said.

For others, the sunset was just another distraction in their efforts to finish the 10-mile “fun roll” and get the tight skates off.

“I’ve never even seen these ugly-looking things before,” said Jason DuBois, 20, who moved to Southern California from Ohio less than two weeks ago. He tried the skates for the first time ever last Wednesday night and skated the full 10 miles.

The weekly “fun roll” from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach and back was started by Paradise Beach Co. owner Scott Einbinder after a customer gathered friends and co-workers for a weekly skating venture and had a great time. The gathering grew as Einbinder sought a forum to show a better side to skating in response to negative publicity some skaters have drawn lately.

Huntington Beach, along with many other beach cities, has regulated use of roller skates and skateboards. A city ordinance targets skaters in the downtown area and near businesses, which have complained that speeding roller skaters pose a hazard to their shops and customers.

“We have to get people down here in a positive way that’s safe and get more people rolling and get them to Huntington Beach,” Einbinder said.

Dressed in bicycle shorts, tank tops, wrist and knee pads, the skaters gave each other high-fives when they returned to Huntington Beach after last Wednesday’s skate. Most were sweating and catching their breaths from the 1 1/2-hour skate, which began about 7 p.m. Because of the growing popularity of the Wednesday night group, Einbinder has started a Saturday morning fun roll that begins at 9:30.

The skaters’ skill levels ranged from beginning, as in DuBois’ case, to advanced. It is non-competitive, with some skaters speeding through to the finish and others straggling in at the end of a leisurely skate.

“It’s getting to be a religious thing with everyone,” said Jay Kotin, 35, a business owner who said he was among the first to take part when the weekly skating event started nearly two months ago. “I have a business trip that was supposed to start next Wednesday. I’m not going until Thursday.”

Mariann LoMonaco, who drove to the boardwalk with friend Sandra Macciocchi from Downey for the fun roll, showed off with a few backward turns after skating most of the way to the pier. “I don’t know how you do it, you just do it,” she said.

Looking on at the last skaters to return and others who moved in circles or skated backward, Kotin, who has skated for over a year, shook his head. “I can’t do that nonsense, those tricks. I’m too old.”

Perhaps the youngest skater, Aleeza Solowitz, 9, said she was about the 28th person to reach the 5-mile mark, but the trip back was made easier when she grabbed onto her father’s bicycle for much of the way.

“Today was my record night,” she said. “I was pretty surprised.”