Since the Summer of 2020, this old fashioned hobby has quickly made its way back into the mainstream. While bored in quarantine, a number of people from all over decided to give roller skating a try, and now this hobby has become the staple activity of warm weather and a go-to pastime for many.
“I roller skate because it’s a good form of exercise and it’s something that me and my family do together,” senior Naia Griffith said.
Griffith, like many others, became interested in roller skating when the pandemic had reached its peak in the first half of 2020. With quarantine affecting everyone in the world, there wasn’t much to do, so many found themselves exploring all types of pastimes and interests and roller skating seemed to be on the top of everyone’s list.
“What got me interested in rollerskating was that it was in the middle of quarantine, and I had very little motivation to go outside so I decided that getting roller skates would be something fun to do,” Griffith says.
In an article with WCNC, Tradesha Woodard found that Google searches showing interest in roller skating spiked during the pandemic. It’s safe to say that the pandemic was the main reason for its comeback, but fashion also played a major role in the rise of the trend. Retro clothing along with today’s fashion= trends made roller skating all the more desirable.
“I think rollerskating is making a comeback because clothing trends like Y2K and early 90s clothing are coming back and rollerskating was a big part of that era. Therefore embracing the style of clothing many people may take up the hobby of roller skating,”
Griffith even says that roller skating brands have started modifying their roller skate designs to appeal to this year‘s fashion trends.
Roller skating has become very popular within pop culture and social media apps like Tiktok. R&B duo Silk Sonic expressed this with their second released song titled “Skate.” Now being streamed over 100 million times on Spotify, the song also seems to have a place in roller skaters’ playlists on TikTok as it gained over 33 thousand video uses on the app. Along with that, Roller-skating videos have gained over 7 billion views on the app.
In regards to myself, roller skating was something that was introduced to me as a child. I feel that it was something I took part in due to my mom also using it as a past time when she was my age. It didn’t last for long as I became distracted with other things but was something that became an interest again recently.
Like others, I also hopped on the trend because of TikTok, more specifically because of actress and TikTok creator Ana Coto (@/anacoto). It was after knowing from her that it was possible to skate backwards, that I too wanted to know how to do this. After impulse buying a pair of impala roller skates, I had a fear of not using them after a minor inconvenience like falling the second I put them on, but now it’s become a hobby I share with my sisters and friends.
skating is not only something that has been surfacing through pop culture and the media, many businesses and celebrities have also been expressing an attraction towards roller skating. From pop-ups opening in parks, piers, and hotels around New York, to the big opening of family-owned Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace at Rockefeller Center, roller skating has taken the state by storm.What was previously an ice skating rink at Rockefeller center on 5th avenue, has now transformed into a 1970’s retro-themed roller skating rink and just recently, Singer-songwriter Usher hosted its grand opening on April 15th, where many other celebrities attended and skated along to songs of their own. The rink is set to be open to the public until late October.
“Roller Skating inspires me to never give up because when I first started skating, I was terrible at it. I would always fall but that never discouraged me, and I continue to work on my skills and now I can do numerous tricks,” Griffith said.
So if you’re looking for something new to do in your free time, or maybe in need of some inspiration ,think about giving roller skating a try.
