Pirates, waitresses and Taylor Swift on roller skates — these were just some of the costumes seen at Roll-O-Ween roller disco on Oct. 19.
Roll-O-Ween, hosted by local skate shop Sunshine Rollers, was a spooky skate for all ages and experience levels. This year, the event was held at the Fredericton Exhibition Centre.
“It was really cool. They had some nice lighting, so it kind of contributed to a spooky vibe and the music was all the Halloween classics,” said Avery Morton, St. Thomas student and rookie roller-skater.
Morton dressed up as video game character Lara Croft for the event. Halloween spirit was on full display for many of the skaters.
“I saw a lady skate by and I thought she was a nurse at first from the back, because she had an old fashioned 50s kind of dress,” said Morton. “She spins around. She’s wearing an apron and she’s holding a tray. And she’s a skating waitress.”
Fellow event attendee and University of New Brunswick student Cassie Innis recalls one skater dressed up as a caveman skating around with a “massive stick.”
Innis started skating two years ago and said it came naturally to her as an experienced ice skater. She makes a point to attend as many roller skating events as possible.
“I like having the opportunity to actually go and not just skate in a tiny circle in my basement,” she said.
In the summer, skating is easier with nicer weather, but in the wintertime, Innis is grateful for the Sunshine Rollers’ events providing a space for skaters to come together.
“I get to them as much as I possibly can,” said Innis. “My friends have made fun of me because you pay $12 every time, and they’re like ‘why?’ and I’m like ‘it’s fun, it’s great fun.’”
Similarly, since picking up roller skating in March, Morton has attended as many events as possible. After hearing about one of the Sunshine Rollers’ events, she decided that “you only live once” and tried roller skating for the first time.
“I couldn’t even stand up at first. So I just clinged to this wall and just went back and forth along this tiny little wall,” she said. “Then I went around in a circle and kind of got the hang of it. And I was like ‘man that was fun.’”
Now, after attending over 10 more roller skating events, Morton is miles ahead of where she started.
“I have finally figured out I can go backwards in a straight line, which I really like,” said Morton.
Aside from her technical skills improving, for Morton, roller skating has become something bigger than just physical activity. It is a way to slow down and connect with her friends, as well as connect with herself.
“It’s a really fun way to connect in a way, because I don’t have a lot of sporty friends … we don’t often connect in physical activity. It’s really neat and quite different to hang out in that sort of environment.”
For Morton, being a part of the local roller skating community is already rewarding, but she loves helping the community grow.
“I love being able to tell people about it because … not a lot of people have heard about the roller discos,” said Morton. “Once the option presents itself, they’re really eager to give it a try. So I really love being able to invite people to try something new.”
