Skate•A•Round

What Skate•A•Round does

Skate•A•Round is an Amsterdam-headquartered provider of private and small-group inline skating tours, lessons and mini workshops, operating since 1998 as a sub-brand under the founder-owned business Lex and the City. The company sells tailor-made half-day and full-day skate tours through Amsterdam city streets, countryside locations, the tulip fields north of Alkmaar, Texel island and Friesland, priced at €288.88 (up to 8 participants, half-day) and €444 (up to 12 participants, full-day) including 21% Dutch VAT, with a small-group workshop tour at €28.28 per person. Core service architecture combines an IISA-certified skate instructor (the founder, Lex van Buuren) with a local private guide who is multilingual in Dutch, English, French and German; the proprietary instructional layer adds mini workshops on braking, turning, sliding, curb-stepping and streetwise technique woven into city routes, with rain-day conversion to bike or footbike tours at no cancellation cost.

Customers span individual international tourists (French, German, English, Dutch speakers), corporate and government clients (Cordaan, TNO), special-occasion groups (bachelor parties, families), and skating learners. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via phone (+31 6 55 33 77 26), WhatsApp and email ([email protected]), with referral pipelines through Amsterdam hotels, tour operators and incentive houses; no online payment infrastructure or third-party platform is used. The business has extended its surface under the Lex and the City umbrella to include bike tours, footbike tours, walking tours, a Paris advisory practice for Dutch/Flemish groups, a COVID-era climate-neutral skate courier service, and the Lexposure SEO and storytelling coaching line.

Ownership is wholly concentrated in Lex van Buuren as a solo entrepreneur; the firm is bootstrapped with zero external funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and an operating headcount of approximately 9 including freelance tour support. Three marks (Skate•A•Round, Lexperience/Lexperiences, Lexposure) are registered, and earned media includes National Geographic Traveler, TF1, TV Noord-Holland, Parool, VPRO and Volkskrant. The combined offering under the parent brand positions the company as a niche provider of activity-based, story-driven city experiences for international and corporate visitors to Amsterdam and Paris.

Name

Skate•A•Round

Legal name

Lex and the City

Website

https://skate-a-round.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skate•A•Round is an Amsterdam-based provider of private and small-group inline skating tours, lessons and mini workshops for international tourists, corporate groups and skating learners, operating since 1998 as a sub-brand of founder-owned Lex and the City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Private skate tours: Half-day private skate tours in Amsterdam and countryside for up to 8 people (€288.88) or 12 people full-day (€444). Includes tour design, guiding, and mini workshops.
2. Private inline skating lessons: One-on-one or small group lessons covering braking, streetwise skills, freestyle, and speed skating. Available from 7 a.m. in Vondelpark, Oosterpark, and 8 other Amsterdam locations.
3. Small-group workshop tours: Three-hour skate workshop tours for up to 6 participants at €28.28 per person
4. SEO coaching and content services: International SEO consulting, copywriting, storytelling, and digital marketing coaching under Lexposure brand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Skate•A•Round offers customized private inline skating tours and private skating lessons in Amsterdam and the surrounding Dutch countryside (including Texel, Friesland, and tulip fields north of Alkmaar), led by IISA-certified instructor Lex van Buuren. Tours range from 5 to 20 km and combine sightseeing with mini workshops covering braking, turning, sliding, curb stepping, and streetwise technique. Through the parent brand Lex and the City, the offering is extended to bike tours, step tours, walking tours, Paris advisory, and SEO coaching services.

Product overview

Skate•A•Round is a sub-brand of Lex and the City, operating since 1998 as a provider of inline skating tours, lessons, and skate-based experiences in Amsterdam and beyond. The core Skate•A•Round offering consists of private skate tours, private inline skating lessons, and small-group workshop tours. These are complemented by the parent brand Lex and the City's additional tour products including customized bike tours, step (kick scooter) tours, and walking tours, as well as Paris advisory services and SEO/content marketing services. The products are positioned around 'Lexperiences' — unusual, active, story-driven city experiences that combine active transportation with local storytelling and hidden gem discoveries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skate•A•Round Private Skate Tours Customized private inline skating tours in Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside for up to 8 people (half-day €288.88) or up to 12 people (full-day €444). Tours range 5-20 km and combine sightseeing with mini skate workshops.
• Skate•A•Round Private Inline Skating Lessons One-on-one or small-group inline skating lessons for beginners and advanced skaters at 10 locations across Amsterdam (Vondelpark, Oosterpark, EYE Filmmuseum roof, Diemerpark, Noorderpark, Science Park, etc.), covering braking, turning, freestyle, speed skating, and streetwise technique. Available from 7 a.m.
• Small-Group Skate Workshop Tours Three-hour small-group skate tours for up to 6 participants combining Amsterdam sightseeing with mini workshops on braking, turning, sliding, and tram-track crossing techniques, priced at €28.28 per person.
• Skate & Sail Multi-Day Skate Holidays Multi-day inline skating tours and holidays organized since 1998 to destinations including Paris, Barcelona, London, Berlin, New York, French Riviera, Denmark, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
• Climate-Neutral Skate Courier Service Climate-neutral delivery service in Amsterdam using inline skates, initially launched during the coronavirus crisis to deliver essentials to residents.
• Lex and the City Bike Tours Customized private bike tours in Amsterdam and surrounding countryside, including hidden gems tours, architecture-focused tours, and themed routes such as the tulip fields tour.
• Lex and the City Step (Kick Scooter) Tours Active city tours using kick scooters (footbikes) for corporate groups and private tours, positioned as a sustainable team activity alternative.
• Lex and the City Walking Tours Private walking tours in Amsterdam focusing on hidden gems, unusual neighborhoods, and themed experiences like the Eastern Islands tour and Oost district explorations.
• Paris Advisory Services Consulting and advisory services for Dutch-speaking groups traveling to Paris for business events, congresses, or private tours, leveraging 17 years of Paris expertise.
• SEO Coaching & Content Services (Lexposure) SEO consulting, copywriting, storytelling, and digital marketing coaching under the Lexposure brand, targeting local tourism businesses, hotels, and organizations in Amsterdam and France. Priced at €82.50 per hour excluding BTW (2025 rates).

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of skaters from 10+ countries served since 1998

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SkatefreshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2026International skate tour operator collaboration for Amsterdam Skate Weekend 2026 (August 7-9). Skatefresh brings groups to Amsterdam for skate experiences coordinated with Skate•A•Round as local guide. Mutual partnership for international skate tourism.
• Friday Night Skate AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly free group skate events in Amsterdam where Lex volunteers as organizer and social media marketer. Friday Night Skate is credited with establishing the Benelux skate culture and was named 'Amsterdammer van het jaar' in 1999.
• SkatedokterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSEO case study client: Skatedokter (ice skate sharpening service) benefited from Lexposure SEO services during natural ice publicity periods.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Joy Ride Tours Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based tour operator offering themed bike and walking tours for groups and individuals. Direct overlap with the Lex and the City bike/walking tour portfolio in target customer (tourists and corporate groups) and product format (small private and group guided tours).
• Mike's Bike Tours Amsterdam: Amsterdam bike and walking tour operator serving tourists and corporate groups with small-group experiences. Comparable operating model (small private groups, multilingual guides, themed routes) and overlapping target customer (international tourists and corporate clients).
• MacBike Amsterdam: Amsterdam's largest bike rental and guided bike tour operator with multiple locations across the city. Comparable to the parent brand Lex and the City's bike tour offering, addressing the same tourist and corporate market for active city experiences on wheels.
• Skatefresh: London-based inline skate instruction and international skate tourism operator. Skatefresh is Skate•A•Round's explicit strategic partner and the closest direct peer in product category (inline skating instruction and tours), targeting similar international clientele seeking guided skate experiences in European cities.
• Yellow Bike Tours Amsterdam: Long-established Amsterdam guided bike tour company offering themed city tours for individual travelers and groups. Direct competitor in the active guided city tour segment that Lex and the City addresses with its bike, footbike, walking, and skate tour products.

Broad incumbents

• Sandeman's New Europe Tours: Large multi-city walking and bike tour operator with a strong Amsterdam presence. While not focused on inline skating, Sandeman's competes for the same tourist mindshare on active city tours and offers similar free-tip-based and paid private tour formats.
• Urban Adventures: Intrepid Travel's small-group day-tour brand offering 'off-the-beaten-path' city experiences across 100+ cities including Amsterdam. Comparable niche positioning (unusual local experiences) and target segment (independent travelers seeking authentic, story-driven tours).
• Stromma Amsterdam: Major Amsterdam canal and city tour operator with broad sightseeing offerings (canal cruises, bus tours, day trips). Competes for the same Amsterdam tourist budget but with commoditized group formats; representative of the scale players Skate•A•Round differentiates against.

Others

• GetYourGuide: Global marketplace for tours, activities, and experiences with strong Amsterdam inventory. Functions as the dominant distribution and discovery layer for international tourists and is the platform of choice for inbound booking flows that Skate•A•Round currently misses via WhatsApp/email.
• Tiqets: Amsterdam-headquartered online marketplace for tours, attractions, and museum tickets. Not a direct competitor in guided tours but a critical distribution channel that Skate•A•Round does not currently leverage, representing both a partnership opportunity and a competitive discovery threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lexperience
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lexperiences
• Facebookfacebook.com/skatearoundNL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skate-a-round
• Instagraminstagram.com/amsterdam_lexperience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skate•A•Round