Remember private and semi-private, or daytime lessons can be arranged any time we're both free. Click Lesson Schedule for groups - email or call to join and register.
I am still an active instructor - just stopped updating the log
2013
We've had to move the advertised classes from the tennis courts at West Toronto Collegiate on Lansdowne. The complex was sold to a different school board which locked up the courts. Most group classes are now being held in the Annex near Bathurst/Bloor. Individually arranged classes are mostly on the schoolyard near Baldwin/Beverley.
2012
Posted September 22nd: We held a very successful workshop with Canada's foremost skating instructor, Lorne Milne, on the morning of September 22. My students were introduced to three hours of cones, dance and freestyle.
2011
Posted July 25, 2011. Yesterday we had our second trip to Hamilton. Everyone agrees. There's no better place to skate. I'd like to do a more technically challenging skate though on the weekend of Aug. 20th. Perhaps up the Humber.
Posted May 23, 2011. Managed to hold intermediate class Friday, group classes Saturday, Street/Trails clinic Sunday at Striding Clinic today without being rained out. There was an unexpectedly large turnout today of striders. The first child-care plan went off successfully with games for the grandchild of one of the skaters
Posted May 15, 2011. Amazingly despite bad weather predictions all week, there was no precipitation Friday evening or during all the day classes Saturday. A few non-believers didn't show but conditions were great and so were the classes. But the Sunday morning clinic did have to be cancelled. We'll try again next week.
Posted May 5, 2011. Still rain, but sun today and scheduled for Saturday too. Have started using the surface at Heydon Park for private lessons and it's been working very well. The bigger surface at WTC is still better for larger groups. Royal St. George will go out of existence as a paved schoolyard next month. :(
Posted April 25, 2011. So much rain. What did i ever do to get the rain gods so vengeful.
Posted April 5, 2011: I've had a few requests to put together classes for returning intermediate skaters. I'll invite them for Sunday April 10th. The year's first group lesson Saturday went very well. What a wonderful group of people!
There was a long article about fellow instructor David Miles Jr. in The San Francisco Chronicle today. CHECK IT OUT as David always says. It'll make you feel pretty good about skating.
2010
Posted November 3, 2010. This has proved the most successful season ever with group classes still running through the last weekend of October. And I got a new request in November! Now I'm recommending that bladers/inliners head out to Scooters for indoor skating. Here's the web site of the Scooters Speed club
Posted July 11, 2010. Ran another clinic today for 7 skaters. As usual everyone felt they made great progress.I won the half-marathon at Cambridge on Canada Day, but turnout was pretty sparse this year. Met a new skater who would just qualify as a Flying Fossil, Greg Drabowski.
Posted June 13, 2010. Yesterday's Clinic got off to an inauspicious start with thundershowers in the forecast for morning and afternoon. After receiving a few emails from skaters saying they weren't coming I cancelled, but five skaters showed up anyway and we had an awesome time. Before long skaters were jumping off and on sidewalks and rolling over drain covers. I'll run another clinic in mid-July
Posted June 7, 2010. Haven't posted much here this year. I have started speed-skating again after a few months of "retirement". Have kept in shape by bicycling. Cycling lets me cover much more territory than skates, so I've seen most all Toronto trails as well as visiting nearby cities like Oakville, Port Credit, Streetsville, Kleinberg. It was pouring rain yesterday morning so I did not go out to the Becel Ride For The Heart where I regularly volunteer to help out with the skating. That was a shame I was really looking forward to going up and down the Gardner. They've called for showers almost every Saturday morning, the big lesson time, but we have not been rained out at all, and only got wet for a few minutes. A recent strategy:
Posted April 29 2010.
Lessons are starting for beginner skaters referred to me by the Trailbladers Skating Club on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Saturdays are pretty full, so I'm making Friday available for new skaters joining my system.
Posted April 19, 2010.
It's hard to believe we've been holding lessons for 4 weeks already. And we now have some pretty competent skaters. There were lessons all day Saturday, and some Friday and Sunday too. Starting May there should be enough interest to get weekday evenings going too.
I'm finally on Facebook but I'm not sure how that relates to the skate instructing business. But within a days of joining, a few dozen skaters were my friends or asking to be. Mostly I play Lexulous.
Posted April 5, 2010.
Lessons started March 27th this year, and we had three groups going by April third. That's the most groups we've had this early. Some years weather has made it impossible for any classes as of this date.
This winter's lack of snow made skating on Grenadier pond the best in my years here in Toronto.
2009
Posted Aug 5, 2009
No lessons weekend of Aug 7-9, at a race in Wisconsin. Join groups in progress Friday evening Aug 14th and Aug 15th all morning
Posted July 8, 2009.
Wednesday I won the Canada Day 1/2 Marathon in Cambridge outright. Also had an article published today
Posted June 20, 2009. We will be holding our second skate on Hamilton Beach trail June 21st. You can join the TBN 15km, 30km and marathon races there. I will be teaching an intermediate class on and beside the trail at around 11:00am. Meet at picnic table 9:25am.
Posted June 15, 2009. We did our first Hamilton Beach skate this year. Six of our students made it out in absolutely exquisite weather and everyone claimed to have had a super time on that most excellent trail.
Posted June 12, 2009. And I'll be skating on the Hamilton Beach trail Sunday morning. If you want to meet me, I'll be wearing the blue and orange TISC jersey and be moving along. I'm available for a lesson in Hamilton late Sunday morning. And for private lessons weekdays much of the time.
To get to Hamilton Beach trail, simply take QEW west to Eastport exit. Just keep driving straight on Eastport, then look for the parking,on your left after you cross the green and orange lift bridge, about one mile.
Posted June 6/7, 2009. The Flying Fossils had a great race in the Montreal 24 hour-we didn't beat the top elite men's teams, but did demolish both International elite women's teams (we're more than twice their age some of us 3x) and came in 7th out of around 100 teams.
Posted May 19, 2009. I loved skating in Montreal, got in a great 50km training session on Friday and had some gas in my race Sunday. I won my age division and had a decent overall result. Facilities there are so superior to Toronto.
2008
Posted Aug 2008
Great vacation in southern California - skated daily in relentless good weather. Missed all the rain here. Also skated many laps of the Circuit in Montreal Sunday. Regular classes resume this week/weekend
Posted July 14, 2008.
With summer season there are many more requests for private lessons and daytime lessons. Call or preferably email to reserve a slot for your private lesson.
Restarted my training pgm last week and managed a 50km skate in Hamilton Sunday with Peter Von Rhijn. We were really flying, mostly thanks to Peter, so I'm getting confident about being in shape for the Montreal 24 hour race in early September.
Posted July 5, 2008.
The second Street/Trail/Practical skills clinic of the year was held this morning. There should be skaters ready for another one on July 20th.
And the first intermediate level class of the season has been scheduled for Friday 6:30pm on July 11th. We'll be covering backward movement, crossover turns and scooter turns.
Posted June 6, 2008
With increased demand, I'm scheduling more introductory lessons for beginners, and longer lessons (Never Evers), at discounts compared to regular group rates of $20/hr.
Posted May 26, 2008.
The first Street Skills Clinic of the year was held this weekend, with formerly timid skaters rolling over drains, flying down hills, hopping up curbs and jumping off them. Afterward, I received this wonderful email from one of the participants:
"Stephen
I would like to say that your classes have been amazing in terms of how far you have been able to bring me in sooooooo short a time. The detail you go into and the way you present it has been nothing but joy to me. I can't state i more strongly ...... you are an amazing teacher and have enabled me to progress from zero to total confidence in a few short weeks. Thank you.
Steve P."
Saturday, I finished second overall, by a fraction of a second and first in my age group in the half-marathon race in Detroit
Posted April 21, 2008.
First big weekend of the year. I'm scheduling the first Never Ever Class for this Sunday. No need to feel pressure or embarrassment because you've never done it before. Everyone in the class will be like you - absolute novices.
Posted March 25, 2008.
I attended the Bike Show this month (worked at the City of Toronto Cycling Committee booth) and bought several lovely new helmets for this season's rentals.
I still haven't inline skated outdoors for obvious reasons, but just came back from three days of Cross-country skiing in the Laurentians. I've been regularly ice skating at Varsity arena as well, and once a week on short track ice speed skates at the Ice Galaxy. Even got in a few good workouts on Grenadier Pond (High Park) on the Nordic Blades. I used them in a 50km race on the ice of Great Rideau Lake in January.