I first put on a pair of skates as a kid, in what seems to be common lore for a lot of skaters. Growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney, I’d skate around the block on the footpath, fearless of rocks and sticks, and hit up my local rink (RIP Skate Plus Mt Druitt).
By 2022, I realised that adult life had become a lot of work, routine and responsibility, and I wanted something that was just for me. While scrolling Instagram, I was presented with a bunch of roller skating videos. This inevitably thrust me into the world of skating. It’s funny when you get older, have free will and make adult money to do things on your own accord. After some deliberation, I took the plunge and bought some skates.
Little did I know that putting on a pair of quads again, this time as an adult living in Melbourne, would take me on many skate adventures across Australia and around the globe, introduce me to a community of skaters and ultimately see me coaching at RollerFit.
But where does one begin when attempting to learn how to skate? I searched online and found RollerFit, Melbourne Inline Quad and Skate Scene (MIQSS) and Queer Sporting Alliance (QSA) – all key players in helping me develop into the skater I am today.
I turned up to my first (amongst many) RollerFit class with Amy to learn the fundamentals (and pay enough floor tax to boot). This spurred on my drive to commit to the bit and move on to roller dance. In amongst it all, I started street skating with MIQSS, found community with QSA, and clocked endless hours at the Melbourne rinks, our beloved Princes Pier and Melbourne Museum.
What started as a hobby quickly became an excuse to travel. I found myself booking trips around skating – across Australia to Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Hobart, Perth, Canberra – and internationally to Skate Love BCN, Thailand, Singapore, Greece, Indonesia and the Philippines – all with my skates in tow. It was a constant reminder that sometimes you really don’t know where a single decision will take you.
Then, when Amy went on maternity leave, I was tapped on the shoulder to step in and coach classes. It was a full-circle moment to coach at the very place that had given me so much. It also turned out that my professional background in corporate learning and development had a surprisingly natural crossover with teaching people how to skate and helping them progress on eight wheels.
There’s something pretty special about seeing someone experience what I did just a few years earlier. Watching skaters come through the doors, push past their doubts, surprise themselves as they master a new skill, and gradually become more confident on their skates is incredibly rewarding. Even better is seeing those same people build friendships and become part of a community along the way.
I started skating again because I thought I needed a hobby. I didn’t realise I was signing up for a community, a passport full of skate trips, the chance to help other people discover skating, and a whole new chapter of my life.
It still makes me laugh that the kid skating fearlessly around the streets of Blacktown had no idea where those eight wheels would eventually take him.
