Glenn Koshi was the lucky test skater for Bont's new secret weapon: the Bont Gigantathon. I'm not sure what event they are for, but these skates are huge and look like exciting equipment to try.

The 23 inch 6 x 110mm 3 point frame is only suitable for those very experienced skaters who love adventure and have the skills to figure out how to turn. You can see a video of Glenn's Gigantathon test run on Bont TV or check out more test photos on the Bont site.

There are already skaters lining up to buy this limited production frame. If you want to try them or encourage another production run, email Glenn at Bont Skates, so the company knows how many are interested in Gigantathon. The first orders will be available around the end of June and are designed for 3 point boots only. Maybe a new downhill event with limited turns will develop, just to keep these early adapters out of trouble.

Photos © Bont Skates

D. Miles Jr., the GodFather of Sk8, is all pumped up about the Napa Valley Inline Marathon and Half Marathon that will take place in less than two months. Here's his latest news from the San Francisco Skaters Digest:

Hi Skaters,

We are almost 8 weeks away from the Napa Valley Inline Marathon and Half Marathon. The course is the same in length, but the pavement is the absolute best. We have moved the course southward, closer to Napa where the hotels are cheaper and no 2 day minimum stay. Skaters will be staying at the Napa Valley Redwood Inn where we used to stay in the beginning when the races started in Napa. There will also be a large contingent of skaters staying in Calistoga at the Fairgrounds.

The Napa Valley community is very excited about this year's race. The event has made front page news several times and interest in skating in the Napa Valley has been growing. For the first time we are going to add a 5k skate for Napa residents on the totally flat part of the course and we're working on a roller disco party at Vintage High School in Napa on Saturday night.

This event is a work in progress and things are progressing very nicely. Skaters from Germany, London, France and other countries have registered. It seems the dollar is low and drawing people to vacation in San Francisco and skate the Napa Valley. There is also a group from Minnesota that is coming to represent. Registration is going very well, but the early registration discount will end on Tuesday, May 20.

You can save money by registering before May 20. This promises to be the very best Napa Valley Inline Marathon ever!!!

Keep Rollin',

D. Miles Jr.
The GodFather of Sk8
www.cora.org
www.skatinplace.com
www.SkateGoldenGate.com

This season's Napa Valley Inline Marathon and Half Marathon will take skaters past vineyards and wineries on a seven mile closed section of the Silverado Trail in the Napa Wine Valley. The course is closed to traffic during the race.

The three-day event begins with the San Francisco Friday Night Skate, a winery tour and Calistoga Skate Party on Saturday and the Napa Valley Inline Marathon and picnic on Sunday, July 13, 2008.

There are many other North American and International inline skating marathons and races for every level from novice to pro. If there is a recurring event that needs some attention, leave information for us in the Inline Skating Forum.