Hi Clemens,

Here is my report for the hours 14h00-16h00 Montreal time. I skated both hours at Montreal's Gille-Villeneuve Racetrack, a Formula-1 track of about 4.3 km. I skated a total distance of about 34 km (concentrating more on conversation than on skating, I guess). For a little more than the first hour I was accompanied by Patrice Leblanc, while for a little more than the second hour I was accompanied by Isabel Camara, who also skated the full 2 hours but started from a different location and met us on the track.

During the time the three of us were together, we were joined by two other Montreal skaters, Stéphane Charron and Brigitte Beaudry, who were accompanying 4 skaters from Besançon, France, who had come to Quebec to skate the 128km Défi de Montréal the previous Saturday. We told them what we were doing, so perhaps next year they will participate in "Rouler autour du Monde" (Skate Around the World).

We had magnificent conditions for our skate: sparkling blue sky, an ordinary wind that didn't have too much effect, and beautiful colors in the trees. Patrice hadn't skated much all summer due to an injury, but instead of being weak his muscles were fresh (unlike mine, still recovering from the Défi), and he was skating on brand-new custom-made skates that fit him perfectly. So for the time he was there I had to work hard to stay side-by-side (we were talking, not drafting!). Afterwards Isabel and I slowed down a bit, and the sun started to go down, so by the time I got back to my car I was pretty cold. My wife and I went to an Indian restaurant to celebrate, and the hot curry soon had me very warm again!

I'm looking forward to doing this again next year, with more people around the world.

Rod Willmot