I [heart] Davids It helps me to say these things aloud, I think.

Damn, I wish I could go roller skating. I miss it.

One of the skaters that I keep in touch with via email sent this out. I thought it really captured why I love to skate. If you think I’m crazy for skating, it’s because you don’t know how good it feels to get out on the wood and slip into your groove, not thinking about anything else but the wind in your hair and the beat of the bass.

Courtesy of “Big Stopprz” out in CA:

I am an International Business traveler and in my travels I always make it my business to find something to do while I am in that city or country; this past September I was Jacksonville, North Carolina and ran into an old friend/Marine Corps alum “Chris Gaddy” at a gas station. We began to talk and I asked what he was doing and he told me that he was getting ready to go to Raleigh to Sk8. I told him that I wanted to go with him and so the new life of a Tru Skater was born.

Skating is like a drug, if you ever been addicted to anything then you will understand what I mean when I say I started and just couldn’t get enough. Skating to me meant opening my life to a whole new world of real people. Creating friendships and acquaintances that will be there as long as there is breath in my lungs. This meant that I could go to a function enjoy the atmosphere and not worry about getting into a fight or paying a huge bill for something I didn’t like. Skating is like going to a concert every week. For men it’s like going to a Miss Black America pageant and just watching (everybody don’t look like the Divas, but you know what I mean) all of the
lovely individuals of the female gender and for the women I sure it’s the same.

Being able to get away from it all and hear your song while you are on the hardwood, after a week of frustration at work, or at home, it just makes for therapy like you can’t experience in any other arena/genre except maybe a high priced shrinks office.

Now everywhere that I go I have to find a Roller Skating Rink, and almost everybody has one. And if they don’t I would drive to the nearest State just to “get my roll on”! Chris, King, all of the Carolina Cruisers, Monica and the Divas, have helped me understand and learn that adults can have fun all the time too. You just have to find your niche and go for it! It’s a world of passion that you would not understand unless you were a part of it and I owe it all to The Carolina Cruiser family and the Skate Ranch in Raleigh, North Carolina. I love you all more than you know.
I know I wrote a lot, but really…

IT’S A SK8 THANG YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND!

Sincerely,
Horace “Big Stopprz”

I’m going skating tonight. Stew’s coming, so is her friend Jamie.
Sean, you and Carol interested?
Cristin?

See you at 8!

I just got them today! Here’s how they look now – sahweet!

Black Sunlite nylong plates, green and black Hyper Cosmic wheels and China Bones Reds bearings. Phat!
I can’t wait for Sunday night now that I’ve got my own skates!

Jenny came to skating Sunday night, yay!! It was awesome.

Jenny, you left 2 minutes too early! One of those two trick skaters propped himself upside down on his hands and head, tripod style, and put his legs out parallel to the ground in a wide-angle split. Impressive in and of itself. Then his buddy came by and jumped over him!

Here’s some video footage of shuffle skaters in a rink, except we don’t have any obnoxious kids skating around.

Thanks, guys!

Sunday night is Adult Skate at the Skate Ranch. I went early for a meeting with the Carolina Cruisers. I can’t remember belonging to a club where I had to pay monthly dues – it’s weird. I don’t think I’ll do it forever, but I did order a shirt (hot pink!) so I guess I’m kinda committed.

After the meeting we started skating. I decided I was tired of paying for skate rental, and the rental skates sorta suck anyway, so I brought my inline skates. I was one of two people on inline skates – it’s so not cool. But, it was $5 cheaper.

Inline skates are really different than roller skates. It would be impossible to do the tricks and stunts that they do on quad skates on inline skates.

I found out that you can get pretty much any shoes made into skates! Lots of people have boots (like combat boots) made into skates. They leave them untied, with the tongue hanging out and the sides of the boots folded down. I have no idea how they do it, but I think they must rig the inside to tie tight around their foot, otherwise the skate would come flying off! I am inspired – I want to be the first person on the rink with a pair of Dansko’s made into skates!! We’ll have to see how cheap I can get some Dansko’s. Before I go down that road, however, I want to see if I can still wear my combat boots – they have a slick, dress sole so they are dangerous to walk in. I never got much use from them other than looking cute in short skirts. If they fit well enough, I might just have them made. I don’t know how much it costs to have skates drilled on, but skate rental is $5 a night so it should even out fairly quickly.

Anyway, I had a really nice time and skated until just past 10. I really like the people, they’re very nice and genuine. I’m going to stick around!