Friday activity time at the high school was just the perfect amount of time for skate lessons. This is the jr high sister of one of my older students who found out I’m starting to skate. She’s a legend at her local rink. We worked on backward turns and backward skating. She was a great teacher ! We had quite the audience.

Anyone ever just sit down and write out a little bit about all the different rhythm skate styles? I did 😂 I will put some here and please join in and add things that I have missed! NY/NY - seems based in house music. Lots of pivots, trains and trios, figure 8’s, footwork on the 2,4,6 and 8 beat. Chicago- JB or James Brown. Footwork. Four corners, Big Wheel, Buckey Walk. ATL - real swaggy, ryding. Leg crossing, claps and stomps on the beat. Seems faster than the other rhythm styles except for …. Philly - Fast backwards looking over their left shoulder is their claim to fame. Cleveland - jumps! Stomping on beat (literally mesmerizing), group skating. Striding. Detroit - high kicks, intricate footwork using their toe stops, group formations. Cali - LA based. Sliding on fibers. Smooth. I like how they customize dress shoes into skates. St Louis - couple and ballroom skating. G slide DMV area - snappin. 180 degree pivots on one leg. Footwork. Like how there is someone else skating with them to support the “snap”. What’s your favorite style???

Got to the rink today to finally put miles on my new skates. Even got my sister to drive 2 and a half hours to go. We had a blast. What a difference good skates make. I don’t know what you call it but for the first time in my life I was able to do the kinda bouncy leg cross one leg and heel half moon thing. I’m sure it has a name. I wasn’t very fast but I was able to bop around to the music. We had a blast and even though we are in our forties we did engage in a highly competitive tag which brought us back to our elementary school skate days. And as competitive siblings I must mention there was one fall and it wasn’t me!!!!!! She was trying to jump over a painted line to one up me and she one downed herself. Thank you to everyone who has helped me so far. I have to make the journey to Pittsburgh Monday and hoping to hit up Wicked skatewear for some outdoor wheels.

The weather finally permitted me to go outside!! I’m so happpyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeee lol Yayyyyyy

(This IS a win - you'll see). I've been skating at local basketball & tennis courts since last May no problem. People (including parks employees) have smiled and encouraged me, even said they like watching, I've never been in anyone's way nor done any harm, nor has my benign activity encouraged any other skaters to "invade" the courts... I can't GET anyone to join me. You probably see where this is going... some guy, a belligerent bully didn't just suggest maybe I should reconsider (as I attempted to skate on an empty tennis court) - he just hauled off and started threatening me and told me to leave immediately, shouting I was "going to ruin it for everyone!" I politely said I'd been skating there for almost a year no problem, done no harm, no one's said a word until that moment, but it only made him more insistent, loud and threatening, throwing in lots of "bros", etc. I left as he and his friends laughed, having won their little battle, defeating my attempted invasion, making me feel almost afraid for my life. I drove to some other courts but lots of people out for some reason; I guess spring break? I was really rattled, adrenaline pumping, and stopped by the police station nearby to ask an officer what his take on it would be. He was sympathetic but said he'd probably have to go with the what's on the signs, that wheeled things weren't allowed. Anyhow, cautionary tale - keep in mind there are people out there that refuse to live and let live, and they relish the opportunity to get in your way. This can be an additional challenge to skating. I'll look for a solution or work-around and let you know.