Inspired by the Philadelphia Freedom Skate, the Great EsSkate was born in 2001 and immediately took on a South Beach flavor. The concept is simple—“EsSkate” the frigid northern winter and attend a seemingly endless weekend of skating, beaching, parties, entertainment, prizes, sun and fun, fun, fun! The Great EsSkate is not a race; it’s just gr8 summer skating in February.

 

This brings us to 2008, when we’ll celebr8 the “8th annual” Great EsSkate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 8, 9 and 10. As always, all event activities originate at our host hotel, this year the Continental South Beach Hotel, making it easy to meet up with old friends and make new ones.

 

Events unofficially begin Thursday, and many who can’t w8 arrive early or stay longer. Count on the traditional kick-off skate Friday evening with a police escort. Following dinner, those still standing may head out for a down-and-dirty L8-Night Skate into Miami.

 

Saturday rolls around pretty fast, and so do we, skating a long, leisurely, see-the-city skate that ends with a picnic and sore feet—a great time to fill a pl8, sit back and watch us give away thousands of dollars in raffle prizes.

 

Then it’s beach time or pool time or nap time, because by 10 p.m. it’s party time: we hit one of South Beach’s nightclubs of renown. (Pack party clothes and leave the sneakers and T-shirt in your suitcase Saturday night.)

 

Sunday always offers a choice of skates that fit waning energies and tight timetables. Mix this with everything Miami Beach is famous for—Shopping on Collins! Dining on Lincoln Road Mall! Beaching and bar-hopping everywhere!—and you may decide never to go home.

 

The Great EsSkate is touted as the best skating event in the lower forty-eight; you'd think it would take a team of hundreds to produce it. The truth is it does!

 

Cramming one long weekend with as much fun and hospitality as hundreds of guests on wheels can handle, takes a core team of a nearly a dozen unpaid organizers several months to plan. It requires nearly 25 more assistants and another 200 volunteer workers. It necessit8s dozens of sponsors, scores of National Skate Patrollers from all over the country, the entire Miami Beach Police Department, the cooperation of several municipalities and the gracious goodwill of the mayor of Miami Beach!

 

Great EsSkate 2008 promises more gr8 and more sk8. Don’t be left out in the cold; sign up now for the lowest r8.
 
The Great EsSkate has two goals: We want to introduce sk8rs the world over to the perfect weather; multi-national population; flat, palm-lined pavement; and an awesome police force that make the Great EsSkate a unique experience. But we have a more serious goal, too: to raise funds for the Police Athletic League (PAL).
 
PAL is a youth–crime-prevention program that uses educational, athletic and recreational activities to create trust and understanding between police officers and youth. Studies have shown a kid who gets to know and respect police officers on the ball field, in the gym or in a classroom is more likely to respect the laws those police officers enforce. The positive relationships that grow out of PAL benefit the youth, the police officer, the neighborhood and society in general.
 
That’s why so many people give so much of their time and resources to produce the Great EsSkate, and why we ask you to don8! It’s not just a skating event, it’s a chance to partner with the South Florida law enforcement community and to have a positive impact on today’s kids and tomorrow’s society!
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