Photo courtesy Debbie Young, DayC Photography

(ARA) -- Cindy Spalding has been on skates -- both ice and in-line -- for most of her life. So when it came time to plan her wedding, she knew exactly what she wanted.

"I couldn't imagine getting married without being on skates," says Spalding, who got her first pair of in-line skates as a teenager and has been an avid skater ever since.

Spalding met her future husband Paul Kennedy at an in-line skating event in Atlanta in 1994 and their lives have revolved around skating ever since. They decided to start a skate school together and a few months later formed another kind of partnership: the couple became engaged at an in-line skating New YearÙs Eve party in San Francisco.

"Skating is such a great social activity it isn't surprising that a lot of couples meet while participating in a skating event, whether it's a competitive event or just a Friday night group skate," says Nicholas Skally, of Rollerblade USA.

When Spalding, who is the current president of the Georgia International In-line Skating Association, informed her family that the wedding would be on in-line skates, their first reaction was "Oh no, I have to learn how to skate!" They solved that problem by planning a family vacation to Florida a few months before the wedding. "We taught everybody to skate in the hotel parking lot,Ó explains Spalding.

On a chilly New Year's Eve, just as the clock struck midnight and 2001 began, the couple's family and friends gathered at the outdoor community bandstand in Decatur, Georgia for the ceremony. The flower girls skated in, followed by the bridesmaids dressed in white skater jeans and red and black hats. They skated a lap around the bandstand doing a "cha-cha step" to "We Are Family." Then came the bride, clad in a white Sonia Henning-type dress with matching muff and headpiece. She skated two laps before meeting up in the middle with her fiance and the minister, who were also on skates.

"The only person in the wedding party who wasnÙt on skates was my mother," says Spalding, who adds that about 60 percent of the guests wore skates, including the photographer. Once the vows were exchanged the couple skated their first dance to Chet Baker's "Time After Time."

"We had such a good time, it was a party that happened to be a wedding," adds Spalding, who explains they had skates available at the reception for anyone who needed to borrow some.

For Spalding, incorporating in-line skating into her wedding was a natural extension of her life's work. An instructor of beginning and veteran skaters, she says skating is a wonderfully versatile sport that provides a great workout and is also a lot of fun.

"Most people who try in-line skating go out and have a good time and then later realize they just finished exercising," says Spalding who adds that beginners can choose from all kinds of skating activities including speed, dance, team and training or social skating.

And the honeymoon? You guessed it, they skated through Europe.

Visit www.rollerblade.com for more information on skating events, the fitness benefits of skating, tips for beginning skaters, and the line of fitness and recreation skates by Rollerblade, Inc. For a Rollerblade, Inc. dealer in your area, call (800) 232- ROLL or visit the "dealer finder" on the Rollerblade Web site.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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