The sky was blue, the pavement was smooth, and carbon fiber was glistening everywhere. The official Seattle Solstice Skate is a sanctioned, in-line skating event that had been highly anticipated for a ride-along by the local longboard crews. But, the organizers cancelled it without explanation just days prior to the event. Not to be deterred from a chance to get together, nine longboarders showed up early Sunday morning at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington for a ride of their own and the SSS happened, anyway!

The course, a 13.1 mile race/ride along the Sammamish River Trail on the outskirts of Seattle, was an out-and-back excursion that followed the Sammamish River from Redmond to Woodinville and back.

What was great about this day? Pretty much everything. People started showing up right around 8 o