A Guide to finding the best Skating in Eastbourne, Where all the best skating places are in Eastbourne, how good they are and who will be there!
Skating in Eastbourne has been going on in one form or another since the 1950's but only since 1998 has it been a major part of the towns culture. We have nearly 4 miles of superb Seafront prom. If you want the latest information on how we use it or wish to meet up with some like minded skaters - check our Eastbourne Sk8school skating news letter emailed on the 1st and 15th each month. It's completely free and you can sign up for it here.All the best skating in Eastbourne happens at the "Turning Circle", so called because its where the Dotto train turns round!
Additionally there are regular free skating events for all of Eastbournes Skaters, run by the Sk8 M8's.
Eastbourne Skate Lessons and Skate Hire are found at the Turning Circle all summer, 11am Sunday's if the ground is dry.
Skating at Holywell on Eastbourne Seafront
Holywell has a marvellous cafe, often the target location of the "Sausage and Roll" Breakfast skates that often happen on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. These officially start at the other end of the seafront at the main Skate Lesson area of Eastbourne, the Turning Circle some 3.5Km away! (At 9am) Although not "organised" the regulars are a friendly bunch and welcome newcomers.
Some Friday nights you might meet some of the more mature skater crowd here, whiling away the time before sampling Eastbournes cafe culture!
- Surface Quality Tarmac - 8/10
- Surface Quality Concrete - 6/10
- Surface Quality Cafe - 6/10
- Best times to visit - Early morning or late evening
- Times to avoid - Summer 11am-5pm
- Hazards - The cafe surface can be wet, and is made of tiny slabs, which can "railroad" the unwary. Also of course is the fact that the Dotto train uses the concrete area as a turning circle and of course that the only way to reach the Cafe is via slope or steps...
- Other points of interest - Free toilet block, ample seating.
Skating at "The Lawns" portion of Eastbourne Seafront
This stretch is mostly non skateable - as its grass! However there are numerous pathways and steps which allow the more adventurous skater an chance to explore off the beaten path! (or at least prom)
- Surface Quality Tarmac - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Early morning or late evening
- Times to avoid - Summer 11am-5pm and anytime during Airbourne (Eastbourne mid August air show)
- Hazards - Steps and Slopes, some pathways have cambers.
Skating around Eastbourne Wish tower
A nice restuarant and cafe style area, with toilets, seating and all facilities. Various hazards abound in this area - especially skater hostile toilets - but good views, if you can stand the crowds and narrow hilly paths.
- Surface Quality - 8/10
- Some paved areas can "rail road" - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Before 11/after 5pm
- Times to avoid - Summer 11am-5pm
- Hazards - Narrow paths, camber, STEEP slopes, some stairs, lots of people!
- Other points of interest - Toilets hidden in the hill, but skater suicide to use! Seek other relief!
Skating near Eastbourne Lifeboat Museum
Varied surfaces in this area and a good number of slopes, not suitable for beginners, though they are all fairly easy to avoid. The parking area can be busy in peak times, but there are 2 kiosks offering refreshments in this area. The prom splits into 2 levels here - you want the lower one, the top has a very bumpy surface. Note this area is a real mish mash of surfaces and qualities, ranging form perfect tarmac, to pitted tarmac, road, paving and brick! The lower prom can be slippy in times of high humidity if the bricks are cool. Otherwise no real hazards.
- Surface Quality - Tarmac - 8/10
- Surface Quality - Top prom Tarmac - 3/10
- Surface Quality - Brick Lower prom - 7/10
- Surface Quality - Paved slopes - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Early and Late! Though watch for condensation on brick prom
- Times to avoid - Summer Peak times - this is Eastbourne beach central - you won't get through!
- Hazards - Moisture on the bricks, seagulls, dogs and runners, spilled ice cream!
- Other points of interest - Life guard point offers first aid in summer, several Kiosks here for refreshments. Further to the Bandstand (East) are some new Kiosks and Cafe's
Skating at, round and near Eastbourne Bandstand and adjoining seafront
This used to be the location of the Eastbourne Skate School Bandstand skate, however that's now no longer the case and its back to hosting bands more than skating! Still, fun while it lasted! The area is wonderfully smooth marble that mostly joins up quite well. There are kiosks here and (chargable) toilets. There's music and even fireworks here at certain times. Again avoid the upper prom and watch out for the steps around this area as they are brick and quite worn. There are also ramps leading from one prom level to the other here, make sure your stopping on a very narrow path is good! The lower prom is brick to the West and Tarmac again to the East, leading to the Pier.
- Surface Quality - Marble - 9/10
- Surface Quality - Tarmac - 8/10
- Surface Quality - Top prom Tarmac - 3/10
- Surface Quality - Brick Lower prom - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Late and Early!
- Times to avoid - Music nights, Summer Days
- Hazards - Damp marble! Worn Steps, Narrow slopes, People, spilled refreshments, water from bathers, dogs.
- Other points of interest - Music, Fireworks, First aid point, Kiosks and Toilets (chargable)
Skating along Eastbournes Seafront to sample "Cafe Land" between the Bandstand and Pier
A reasonable quality surface, with a lots of refreshment areas, each with Decking off the prom, onto the beach. This is mostly skater friendly and adds a little something to the seafront experience. Not to mention some welcome late night refreshments and respectibility to the area, which has gone some way to making the Pier less attractive as a "hang out" spot, because theirs too many adults about making it "uncool"
- Surface Quality - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Early and Late
- Times to avoid - Summer Day
- Hazards - Refreshment spillage, Pedestrians
- Other points of interest - Narrow sloped paths lead to the upper prom - again avoid this due to surface quality.
Finding the best skating at Eastbourne Pier
I nice old pier, home to disco's and all manner of tourist seperate from money schemes! Some neat little attractions too. Not generally seen as skateable, but some of the fast food outlets and refreshment kiosks are accessable to skaters. Of course this means navigating super crowded pavements (note poor upper surface quality) and steps etc. If you are hungry, or thirsty it could be worth it.
The Pier is also the site of the fabulous "Airbourne" fireworks display around mid August - its about 10pm and lasts about 20minutes on the last night of Airbourne - worth a look, but do skate there as about 100,000 people go to see just the night display and escaping from the seafront at 10:20 is a nightmare! Just be at the front of the "wave of humanity" and you'll get away easily. Be in the middle and you'll be there till 11 as the roads and pavements jam solid!
- Surface Quality top prom - 4/10
- Surface Quality lower prom - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Early morning
- Times to avoid - Early/late Evening Summer
- Hazards - Chips! Water (or worse!) Can be crowded and becomes infested with undesirables at late evening times (summer).
- Other points of interest - Well - it's a pier! So it's got all the usual pier stuff! Refreshments etc. Toilets here are Skater unfriendly and pay to enter.l
Skating at Eastbournes Hotel Stretch East of the Pier
If your doing the "Skate and Chips" night skate on the 1st Wednesday and 3rd Thursday of each month, you'll end up on a beach along here. Its a variable width ribbon of useful tarmac, mostly housing Eastbounes Hotels and a few notable refreshments locations - Like Fuscardi's Ice creams, which open late into the night in the summer and provide a useful second course after fish and chips!
- Surface Quality - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Late and Early
- Times to avoid - Summer Days
- Hazards - Choke points can get you tangled up with pedestrians at particularily narrow stretches.
- Other points of interest - Lots of bins for fish and chip wrappers.
Skating at Eastbournes Redoubt Fortress and Surrounding tarmac
This used to be the location for an open air roller disco at the Yearly Skate Event (now a general extreme event). However its pretty much disused now.
The area around it has some fairly dubious quality tarmac and brick surfaces and a few well hidden toilets with little slopes and steps leading to them. Its also home to a tea room and a number of kiosks.
- Surface Quality - 6/10
- Best times to visit - Early or Late, with a little more leaway than the Western end of the Prom
- Times to avoid - Summer Day
- Hazards - Some surface issues but mostly 6/10 Can be narrow, so be careful near runners and walkers
- Other points of interest - Kiosks a plenty, "hidden" toilets and an alternative medicine centre, Even Crazy Golf.
Skating past Eastbournes Bowling Greens and Treasure Island on the Seafront
A nice open section, with varying quality surfaces. Some Kiosks, though you need to negotiate slopes to reach them. Plenty of boats are on the beach towards the Eastern side and this sometimes leads to stones on the Prom, brought up as the boats are shifted about.
- Surface Quality - 6/10
- Best times to visit - Early and Late with some leaway as this end is not as busy as the Western Seafront.
- Times to avoid - Boat times! Summer Days
- Hazards - Stones
- Other points of interest - Refreshments, boating activity.
Skating on Eastbournes "Hill of Doom"
This slope is the one that catches out most beginners and even occasional experts (so don't feel so bad!) Its awkward for a number of reasons. It has nothing to hold on to, the run off appears to be a main road and its actually quite long. Still with a little work at Sk8schools Sk8 Streetwize course showing you how to skate safely on slopes, steps and hills its easily mastered.
- Surface Quality - 7/10
- Best times to visit - When you can handle hills properly!
- Times to avoid - When you can't handle hills
- Hazards - Um, did I say its a hill?
- Other points of interest - How interesting can a hill be?
Skating at Eastbournes seafront area of Fishermans Green
I tight section of "fish smelling" huts and tennis courts, with an offset toilet block and large smooth, but undulating carpark. Watch out for water draining off the beach area from the fishermans huts and a curiously varying surface quality road.
- Surface Quality - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Anytime, not usually too busy
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Occasional Water hazard
- Other points of interest - Nearby Toilet block
The Cage
Recently resurfaced and with the smallest section set aside for skaters this is now a significantly improved skating area. This is sometimes used by a small group on Sundays and becomes a mini "Expert Skater Arena" the main activity is turning up the music and Slalom. Also it's the Annual Extreme festival skating site for non Extreme skating at the end of July each year.
- Surface Quality - 10/10
- Best times to visit - Anytime (except late at night, unless you're one of the bottle swilling types)
- Times to avoid - Late at night
- Hazards - being shown up!
- Other points of interest - Loud Music sometimes available on Sundays - Most importantly its the main area during the Extreme festival for non Extreme skating. This happens for one weekend towards the end of July each year.
Skating near Eastbournes "SeaSpray" Surf hut
Excellent quality and loads of it! Running from the top of the scarey slopes to Fort Fun, this is flat, mostly empty and also features a number of picnic benches for BBQs! The Western end slopes are not as bad as the "Hill of Doom" mostly because there's a choice. Beginners can take the slower slope with hand rails, but watch the ramp at the bottom!
- Surface Quality - 9/10
- Best times to visit - Most times are good
- Times to avoid - Can be moderatly congested during summer days
- Hazards - Centre while line is raised and can trip the unwarey, also good probability of stones throughout. Choice of slopes at the Western end the easy way and the hard way! The easy way has manageable hand rails throughout.
- Other points of interest - Kiosks and benches.
Skating on Eastbourne Prom - the "West Eastboune Skater Land" by the Soveriegn Centre and Fort Fun
Backing onto Fort Fun and the Sovereign Centre this section of tarmac is slightly less prone to stones due to less windsurfers dragging stuff all over the place. High number of skaters in this area at all times, due in part to the proximity of the skate park and all those Recreational skaters "doing the length" between the Turning Circle and Holywell.
- Surface Quality - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Any its not too busy
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Minimal Stones risk and of course the raised white line
- Other points of interest - Kiosks, but no toilets for a distance!
Skating around Eastbourne Seafront Skate Park
A good surface and a long history of serving Eastbournes skaters. Always on the brink of being buldozed to make way for this or that new development - always got just a few months more to live! Well attended pretty much all year by BMX, Skateboard and Skater a like. With a good number of recreational skaters whizzing by too.
- Surface Quality - 9/10
- Best times to visit - Any
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Um... Its a skate park!
- Other points of interest - Did I mention its a skate park? Most importantly its the main area during the Extreme festival for Extreme skating. This happens for one weekend towards the end of July each year.
Skating in Central Eastbourne Skate Land
Just west of the "main drag" for Eastbourne skaters, you'll find many a speed freak or recreational skater along this it, or perhaps someone on a Skate lesson picking up Stride 2 or 3. Keep one eye out for the Dotto train - and don't be tempted to hang on to it! (They don't like it and its the sort of stuff that get skating banned!)
- Surface Quality - 8/10
- Best times to visit - Any
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Occasional stones, dotto trians and raised white lines.
- Other points of interest - Very close to Toilets and Cafe to the East... leading to the Jewel in the Crown - The Turning circle.
Eastbournes best skating and Rollerblade lessons are always at the Turning Circle - The ideal place to find a skate instructor in Eastbourne or take a skate lesson. Eastbourne Summer Skate Central.
Quite Simply - The BEST PLACE TO SKATE IN EASTBOURNE, the best place to learn to skate in Eastbourne.
Beginner skater? This is Skate central for you! Every Sunday through the summer Sk8school runs drop in group skate lessons here 11am. Additionally outdoor private skate lessons usually happen here and the reasons are obvious! Its the most accessable, most facilities, good usable area. In fact it scores overall best across the whole seafront - if there was anywhere better to learn skating in Eastbourne - Sk8school would be using it!
This is also the spot where most of the social skates start and end. The Skate n Chips (or Quad n Chips!) is a Wednesday/Thursay and Friday night, the Sausage and Roll - or breakfast skate is Saturday mornings. These are Sk8 M8's events, they are FREE and attended by friendly souls, who don't mind some extra company.
Get the right date (from the Eastbourne Skaters Sk8school Newsletter or Sk8 M8's Skate Events Web Page and you could even attend a Skaters BBQ or treasure hunt!
- Surface Quality - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Anytime
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Nothing major, a couple of small slopes on two paths.
- Other points of interest - Everything you need is here, including Toilets, Cafe, Skate Hire and lessons (when Sk8school are about), big surface etc. Occasional music at non annoying volumes,
Skating at East Eastbourne Skater Land
The Black ribbon snakes east and varies in width as it does so. Going past the treatment plant (with its 3 skate friendly car parks, Toilets and Cafe) The only downside is that to get off this section, requires tackling what is Technically if not actually Eastbournes worst slope for skaters. For some unknown reason this section also seems to be more prone to stones as well.
- Surface Quality - 7/10
- Best times to visit - Any
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - Occasional Stones, Raised White line and a technical if not physically tough slope.
- Other points of interest - Right next door to the best skating patch in Eastbourne and all the lessons and facilities.
Skating Eastbournes Paths to the Harbour
There are a number of fairly quiet roads and pathways that meander through the residential backwaters of Eastbourne towards the open spaces and Eateries of Eastbourne Harbour. There are some quite unexpected sights if you take the time to explore! If you have completed your Sk8 Streetwise this is a place to explore.
- Surface Quality - 9/10 depending on your route!
- Best times to visit - Any
- Times to avoid - None
- Hazards - depends on route
- Other points of interest - great sights, some very surprising! Go and see - Note certain parts of the Harbour area ban skates!
Something Missing?
Getting all the right information, mentioning the right businesses and groups along the way may take a while. If you can see any errors or omissions please let us know and then be patient, because this is a big project!