When Attica empties out for the summer, the regions fill with new opportunities. That is how the Hermes Rollerskate Summer Tour 2026 was born.
As summer progresses, our classes in Attica naturally begin to get quieter. The holidays start, families leave Athens, and the rhythm of training changes.
That became the perfect opportunity for us to try something different: to create our own geographical “triangles” (Δ), taking the rollerskating experience beyond Attica and giving children and adults in other parts of Greece the opportunity to discover the sport.
The locations were not chosen at random. Our decisions were mainly based on three factors: demand, accessibility and the suitability of available training spaces, as well as encouragement from people who wanted to see us bring Hermes Rollerskate to their area.
One of our first sources of information was actually our own students in Attica. We asked them where their families came from, where they spent their summer holidays and, most importantly, whether they believed there would be interest in rollerskating lessons in those areas. At the same time, there were parents—and sometimes entire groups of friends—who contacted us and encouraged us to organise lessons in their towns.
That is how our first triangle, Tripoli–Nafplio–Argos, came to life. Spetses was added along the way, where we took part in the Summer Camp of Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, while Chalkida also joined the programme, supported by the local presence of one of our coaches.
At the beginning, most students chose private lessons, while many also needed to rent equipment. You can probably imagine what that looked like in practice: a car packed with skates, helmets, protective gear and all kinds of training equipment, constantly travelling from one town to another.
The first two weeks were quite demanding. Gradually, however, everything began to find its rhythm. The students became familiar with the coach’s teaching style, while the coach gained a better understanding of each student’s abilities, challenges and personality. Greater trust and comfort developed on both sides, and this soon began to show in the training itself.
After all, our goal was never simply to offer a few summer lessons. We wanted our students to reach a level where they could skate more comfortably, build confidence and gradually become independent from the constant assistance of a coach or parent. And whenever their skills and the local infrastructure allowed it, we wanted them to be able to leave the training area behind and enjoy a real ride on their skates.
Another interesting part of the experience was finding the right training locations. In towns we did not know particularly well, our initial search started with Google Maps, looking for large open spaces close to the town centre. We then used Street View and available photographs to understand not only the size of each location but, most importantly, the quality and suitability of the surface for rollerskating.
Fortunately, most of our initial choices proved to be successful, both in terms of location and infrastructure. However, as we got to know the students and the towns better, new suggestions began to emerge. Students and parents themselves recommended alternative locations, as they naturally had a much better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each space.
In Argos, for example, we moved from the main square to the open area of the local market, while in Nafplio we left Kolokotronis Park and moved to the end of the cycle path on Aigiou Street. In Tripoli and Chalkida, our original locations proved suitable, so there was no need to change.
Gradually, what had started mainly as private lessons began to develop into small local skating communities. Two groups were created in Tripoli and two in Chalkida, while an adult group was formed in Nafplio and another group in Argos. In Spetses, alongside the camp itself, there was also significant interest in private lessons from both local residents and visitors to the island.
From late July until the end of August, both attendance and the number of training sessions showed us that people were not simply interested in trying something different once. There were students who genuinely wanted to continue, improve their skills and make rollerskating part of their lives.
Perhaps the most rewarding result of the Summer Tour, however, was that every group eventually managed to leave its regular training space and go on a real group ride.
In Chalkida, the students skated all the way to the seafront. In Tripoli, we travelled from the Malliaropoulio Municipal Theatre to the central square. In Nafplio, we took to the cycle path, while in Argos we started from the local market area and made our way to the central square.
For us, these rides were perhaps the clearest proof of their progress. Within just a few weeks, students who had started by learning the basics had developed greater control, confidence and independence, allowing them to put everything they had learned into practice in a real environment.
And ultimately, this is one of the things we want to achieve through rollerskating: for students not to need a coach beside them forever, but to develop the skills that allow them to enjoy skating with greater safety, confidence and freedom.
The response we received this summer has already made us think about what comes next. We are exploring the possibility of having permanent local coaches in some of these areas, trained and supported by our team, so that what began as a Summer Tour could develop into something that continues throughout the year.
At the same time, athletes who discovered rollerskating through the tour can join Hermes Rollerskate training sessions and organised group rides whenever they visit Attica. With the foundation they have now built, they will also be better prepared to experience snowski and ice skating, sports that share several elements of our training methodology and are offered by our team during the winter season.
The Summer Tour 2026 began as an idea to make the most of the quieter summer months in a different way. In the end, it gave us the opportunity to meet new people, discover new towns and explore new possibilities for the future of rollerskating in Greece.
And perhaps this was only the beginning.
Which city will be next?
If you would like our team to visit your city, get in touch with us so we can review your request and explore the possibility of organising a new activity or establishing a new local group.
LEARN • HAVE FUN • EVOLVE
