With the spring semester coming to a close and the weather finally showing signs of turning, it is “prime time” for skaters in the DeKalb area, Edmund said.

“The lagoon is one of the coolest places for a beginner to get practice in,” Edmund said. “The sidewalks on campus are reckless because its condition and the overcrowding, not to mention those rumble strips that make you grind to a halt.. Skaters using short-boards or boards with small wheels might have some trouble”

According to Pat, skater and bassist of “The Dirt Band”, Hopkins Park (Sycamore Road) has some “..awesome trails for sliding.”

“I normally don’t like to longboard unless it’s some extreme stuff, like, 40 miles per hour downhill sliding… I like boarding around Hopkins Park though,” Pat said. “3rd Street and 2nd street are also good for some downtown skating.”

For those skaters who are just beginning to get their bearings, the DeKalb Park District is offering lessons with the help of Small Town Skate (Lincoln Highway).

“The lessons will be offered at Katz Park on Dresser Road,” Colleen Belmont, Program Director of DeKalb Park District, said. “Enrollment hasn’t been fast and furious yet… but we expect it to pick up. People in DeKalb like to wait until the last minute… Skateboarding and longboarding lessons will be availble to 6-14 year olds, and we even have classes for longboarders 14 and older.”

“Summer is on the horizon, I can’t wait to get board out,” Edmund said.