When Chaka Khan sang these
words more than a decade ago, I never thought that they would be more than just
lyrics to me. For the past two years, my passion of roller skating has been
starved and forced to feed itself only in moderation and small portions.
I moved from Detroit, MI (A
skater’s paradise) to Chandler, AZ (A skater’s hell) for a number of reasons.
At first it didn’t bother me not being able to enjoy R & B music at an adult
session several times a week. I was new to the area, and there was so much to
do like familiarize myself with the area and get to know people. However, as the
months went by, I started to long for some Patrice Rushen cuts or the occasional
Gap Band song when I did visit the rinks here. I was soon forced to put my IPod
into overdrive and load up as much music possible and turn it up as loud as I
could to drown out the wails of children and undecipherable lyrics that were
un-skate able.
I begin to envy what I had
so easily taken for granted before and started wishing for a miracle. No longer
being able to “leave it on the wood”, now I had to “leave it on the epoxy-glide”
(The blue stuff). That doesn’t even sound right. Now, instead of checking into
a mental hospital, I travel five hours to California once a month or to the
occasional out of town skate party just to get my roll on.
Some may ask, “Is it worth
it?” Real skaters already know, “Of course it is!” But I’ll do whatever I have
to do to get my roll on.
So when your rolling
during the week get a slide, a split, a one-stop, a jack-leg or whatever you
style calls for in for me!
J
KP “DETROIT STYLE ALL DAY”
NEVER MISS THE WATER,
TILL YOUR WELL RUNS DRY…
November 19, 2008
When Chaka Khan sang these
words more than a decade ago, I never thought that they would be more than just
lyrics to me. For the past two years, my passion of roller skating has
been starved and forced to feed itself only in moderation and small portions.
I moved from Detroit, MI (A
skater’s paradise) to Chandler, AZ (A skater’s hell) for a number of reasons.
At first it didn’t bother me not being able to enjoy R & B music at an adult
session several times a week. I was new to the area, and there was so much
to do like familiarize myself with the area and get to know people. However, as
the months went by, I started to long for some Patrice Rushen cuts or the
occasional Gap Band song when I did visit the rinks here. I was soon
forced to put my IPod into overdrive and load up as much music possible and turn
it up as loud as I could to drown out the wails of children and undecipherable
lyrics that were un-skate able.
I begin to envy what I had
so easily taken for granted before and started wishing for a miracle. No
longer being able to “leave it on the wood”, now I had to “leave it on the
epoxy-glide” (The blue stuff). That doesn’t even sound right. Now, instead
of checking into a mental hospital, I travel five hours to California once a
month or to the occasional out of town skate party just to get my roll on.
Some may ask, “Is it worth
it?” Real skaters already know, “Of course it is!” But I’ll do whatever I have
to do to get my roll on.
So when your rolling
during the week get a slide, a split, a one-stop, a jack-leg or whatever you
style calls for in for me!
J
KP “DETROIT STYLE ALL DAY”
Skaters of the Week
1. What city do you represent and when was your skate club
formed?
We represent Chicago. Our skate club was formed in October of 2007.
2. Why
did you decide to form a skate club?
chI-CaNDDY actually formed itself. I say that because we all became friends and
just started skating together for fun. After a while, we skated together but
never had a name. We were just...a group of girls that skated together LOL After
a while we started thinking about names.
3. Who
are the members of your club and what are your individual strengths on
skates...i.e. what are your best individual skate moves.
chI-CaNDDY is our initials actually. Let me break it down for you:
C - Celina aka Twizzla
signature move: scissor move and crazy leg
N - Nicole aka Almond Joy aka All Man's Joy
signature move: splits and spins
D - Donna aka Kit Kat
signature move: bend n stretch and crazy leg
D - Dawanda aka Starburst
signature move: big wheel
Y - Yoisha aka Mz. Goodbar
signature move: cross over steppin’
4. What
events have you attended as a club and do you have a favorite event?
Before we had a name we attended Sherri's skate Jam (Taste of Chicago weekend in
July)
Now we attend 1st Fridays at the Rink.
5. Does your club have a theme song
or a particular song you like to skate to and why?
We do have routines that look best to certain songs.
Flash Lights by Kanye West
Paid the Cost by Dame-O
Cornbread by James Brown
Among other songs
6. Does
your club have any goals that you would like to accomplish in the future?
To meet all our fellow skaters across the country.
7. If
you could tell the skaters around the world anything, what would it be?
Have fun when you skate! You’re already getting a workout LOL
AIN’T NO LUV LIKE SK8 LUV!
SK8 ON!!
Toronto roller disco
classes have started. To register contact
info@rollerfunk.com
New Artist feature: Rap
heavyweight in the making.
When I spoke to Bronx's Popbelli-I in
early January he was preparing for a big year in 2008. In the works
were new videos to push himself further into the limelight. After the
birth of his daughter in late 2007, Popbelli-I seemed even more determined
to make 2008 his year. Not just your average rapper, he is one who's
name signifies a tradition of heavyweight rappers; Heavy D, Notorius Bigto
name a few. Popbelli-I's name is imbued with weight. Read
more about Popbelli-I at
www.myspace.com/popbelli
_________________
Buy Your Roller Rocker
T-Shirt and Support the Blue Guerrillas Documentary film
Our Rink
I could write
2,000 paragraphs about skating. Our local rink here in Schenectady, NY is
Rollerama. We've been skating there for over 30 years. My parents took my
brother and I when we were only 4 years old, with little wooden wheels on
our skates. We've skated ever since. My husband and I make great skate
partners. We skate at least twice a week. The rink floor is awesome, larger
than most floors around here. Our pet peeves.. hmmm. The biggest is the
music. We just cannot skate to hard rap or hard rock. It isn't really that I
don't like some of it, but not to skate to. Chris and I rent the rink,
literally for 2 hours at $250 a pop, after hours, just so we can make our
own play list and invite people we want. No hard rap, no rock, no bubble gum
music, no games, just 2 hours of GET YOUR SKATE ON jam music. We're dead by
the end of the night, but it's worth it. I could tell many stories, but need
more than 2 paragraphs. SKATE HARD OR GO HOME.