'We've always been here': An oral history of L.A.'s Black indoor roller-skating scene

Esty wears ASHISH acceptable and King of Sneakers rollerskates.

It’s a Thursday nighttime and West Coast rap anthems are thumping implicit the dependable system. A radical of O.G.s are playing spades astatine a adjacent table. Skaters are lacing up their customized Stacy Adams boots, which are afloat equipped with fiberglass wheels. Those already connected the skating rink level are showing disconnected their skills: doing tricks (sometimes with a partner), two-stepping to the bushed and whipping their bodies into turns that look impossible. They dap each different up arsenic they criss-cross done the assemblage and sing on to the music. Smiles are imprinted connected their faces. Joy fills the air. They are free.

Roller skating astatine a rink successful L.A. County is simply a distinctive acquisition that you person to witnesser for yourself. For Black Angelenos, it’s a contented that dates backmost to the 1950s and remains salient contiguous contempt the deficiency of rinks successful the city. Many skaters accidental they don’t retrieve the nonstop infinitesimal they learned however to skate — it’s conscionable ever been successful them. If you’re Black and you’re from L.A., it’s conscionable thing that you do, they say.

In putting unneurotic this oral past connected the indoor roller-skating country successful L.A., I knew I had to statesman with World connected Wheels — the past rink successful L.A. proper. The beloved Mid-City rink was primitively unfastened from 1981 to 2013, past reopened successful 2017 with the assistance of precocious section leader Nipsey Hussle, earlier closing permanently successful 2020. Most Black rollers person skated astatine World connected Wheels astatine slightest once.

From determination and with the assistance of fashionable skating documentaries similar “United Skates” and “Roller Dreams,” I recovered rollers who’ve been a portion of the assemblage for decades. Folks similar Horace Butler, a subordinate of the Scooby Brothers skate crew, who were a mainstay astatine World connected Wheels. I spoke to Raquel “Roxy” Young, laminitis of Roxy’s Backyard Sk8 Boogie, and Wayne Davis Jr. (a.k.a. DJ Wayne D), co-founder of the Sk8 Pop Up, who created outdoor skating experiences erstwhile rinks shuttered during the pandemic. And I chopped it up with Presha Washington, a longtime squad subordinate astatine Sk8 Fanatics, which has customized skates for everyone from DJ Mustard to Beyoncé and Silk Sonic to Usher (for his Super Bowl performance).

In L.A., roller skating for Black skaters is much than conscionable rolling successful circles astir a rink. Rinks are their church, eating room, daycare center, day nighttime spot, therapist’s bureau and a haven for youth. Roller skating is an integral portion of their lives, and careless of the barriers they face, they are dedicated to keeping the contented alive.

Esty wears Chanel acceptable and King of Sneakers rollerskates.

Roller skating is conscionable what Black radical do

Terrell Ferguson, O.G. Venice skater, dancer, histrion and writer, “Roller Dreams” co-star: I ever assumed [that roller skating] was Black radical s—. Kind of similar basketball. It’s conscionable what we do.

John Okevu Ojo II, 34, skater and manner designer: I consciousness similar if you’re Black and from L.A., you should cognize however to roller skate. It’s conscionable thing wrong our civilization of Black natives, particularly pre-Internet, simpler times, erstwhile roller skating was specified a thing. We had truthful galore rinks successful the metropolis and determination was a assemblage astir roller skating.

Kalan.Frfr, 29, rap artist: Growing up successful L.A., idiosyncratic adjacent to you knows however to skate. If you were hanging retired and you didn’t cognize however to skate — goofball. Goofy. [laughs]

Raquel “Roxy” Young, 39, laminitis of Roxy’s Backyard Sk8 Boogie, skate teacher and assemblage activist: It was conscionable passed down generations. My parent skated. My grandma skated, truthful I was bound to skate arsenic well. I had 4 children and each of them cognize however to skate. It’s conscionable portion of our culture.

(Courtesy of Roxy Young)

James “BuckWild” Rich, 60, O.G. Venice skater, certified skate teacher and performer, “Roller Dreams” co-star: The 1 happening that Black radical similar to bash is play euphony and dance, and skating is simply a large portion of that.

Presha Washington, skater and squad subordinate astatine Sk8 Fantics: I’ve been skating [seriously] since I was 15. Then it conscionable progressed into a lifestyle. It’s not a hobby. It’s thing that’s embedded successful you and erstwhile it’s there, it’s there. I was skating similar 4 times a week [back then]. My punishment arsenic a teen was “You can’t spell skating” and that was heart-wrenching close there.

Jeffrey Young, 67, performer and O.G. Venice skater, “Roller Dreams” co-star: At 1 constituent erstwhile [roller skating] was so popular, I was excessively young to spell retired connected my ain due to the fact that I didn’t person transportation. That’s erstwhile they had that skating rink called Flipper’s successful West Hollywood. They had a rink successful Rosecrans and others, truthful Blacks were astatine each these places. We were the bulk astatine each skating rink. You’d spot a achromatic oregon Latino [person] present oregon there, but we dominated for years and years and years.

Connie Foster Wells, 65, erstwhile bureau manager astatine World connected Wheels and retired nonrecreational skater: White radical skated, but astatine backstage functions and outside, and chiefly — astatine slightest successful the ’80s and ’90s — [on] roller blades. And World connected Wheels, astatine that time, was successful the ’hood truthful they weren’t needfully skating during the regular skating hours.

Ashley Imani, nonrecreational skater and entertainer: I deliberation [roller skating] initially was a mode for Black radical to flight world and travel unneurotic arsenic a assemblage and vibe and party. We were known for having artifact parties and making the champion of what we tin successful our lives backmost successful the day, particularly erstwhile determination was a batch of racism.

Horace Butler, 68, longtime skater and subordinate of the Scooby Brothers skating crew: Back successful the day, they were truthful prejudiced with everything, truthful we had to find a mode to get this vexation out.

Jeffrey Young: When you’re skating, you’re not reasoning astir life’s ups and downs. You’re conscionable gliding astir and everything’s free. The euphony is jamming and those things are determination other successful the backmost of your mind.

A spot to get a acceptable disconnected — and amusement disconnected your skills

Ojo: L.A.’s [style] is akin to however we dance, however we step. We person our small walk, our two-step. It’s a batch of footwork. It’s a batch of getting low. It’s a definite confidence. It’s a definite swag that you person astir you whereas successful Georgia, it’s much fast-paced. They’re not truthful overmuch trying to get disconnected a style. Whereas successful Maryland, it’s existent smooth, calm, chill and collected. But I consciousness similar for L.A., since pack civilization is truthful prevalent retired present too, there’s a level of affiliation with however radical skate. They’re chunking up their hands. They’re shuffling their feet. They are wiping their skates disconnected portion they skate. A batch of customized skates that radical volition commencement disconnected with are Stacy Adams, and if you cognize thing astir [that shoe] wrong L.A. culture, pack culture, that’s similar subordinate s—. That’s similar OGs rocking Stacys with the Dickies creased up, Dickies garment oregon afloat suited up.

Travis “Smuurdaa” Horne, 34, avid skater, DJ and laminitis of Sk8Mafia skate family: Everything was to perfection. The skates were clean. You cleanable your wheels. You cleanable your plate. We took the quality of skating precise earnestly and our skating civilization too. We conscionable person a antithetic vibe to what we do. We emotion to bounce. We similar West Coast music. We person 1 of those analyzable kinds of styles, but present it’s being branched retired and a batch of [other] states are adapting to it. Back then, you didn’t person that. When you would spell retired of town, you wouldn’t truly perceive West Coast euphony [at the rinks].

(Courtesy of Travis Horne)

Wayne Davis Jr., a.k.a. DJ Wayne D., 39, skater and co-founder of the Sk8 Pop Up: You can’t spell to the rink connected the West Coast and play Future due to the fact that there’s a benignant of skating for the West Coast, and the West Coast euphony helps with the bounce of that style. You tin astir creation to anything, but you can’t skate to everything.

Roxy Young: We’re disquieted astir however we look erstwhile we skate. We rotation much and descent much to the rhythm. Other areas are benignant of much unsmooth and hard, but we glide and slide. People ever accidental they emotion watching my videos due to the fact that they say, “It looks similar you’re conscionable floating astir the rink,” and I’m like, “Yeah, I am. I’m sliding.”

Ashley Imani: We telephone it sliding due to the fact that you’re capable to descent connected the broadside of [the skates] versus going beforehand and back. You tin spell sideways too. The spirit of it is existent gangsta. I’m not gon’ lie. It’s existent grungy, and I deliberation that’s dope. You’ll spot immoderate of the astir thoroughfare dudes travel successful there, but they’re skating and they’re successful their happiest mode. They’re detached from each of that’s going connected outside.

Ojo: My archetypal brace of customs that I got to benignant of beryllium antithetic were a brace of Wallabee boots. I privation my outfit to complement my customs, truthful I got each my jewelry on. Manicured up. Skin looking righteous. I’m truly present to get my s— off. At the extremity of the day, I retrieve definite skaters by however they get their s— disconnected too. Like helium did that determination connected the floor, but helium besides had a occurrence acceptable on. Or shorty was going crazy, and she had the occurrence acceptable on. That resonates.

(Courtesy of John Okevu Ojo II)

J.D. Archer, 26 , avid skater and subordinate of Trendsettas crew: I got my [blue] Stacy Adams boots from Sk8 Fanatics, but I got my skates built by Slydz by Dnice, [which] are Black-owned skate shops.

Washington of Sk8 Fanatics: [Sk8 Fanatics] revolutionized the micro fiberglass wheels. Clamp-on plates were attached to Stacys and that’s what they would skate connected backmost successful the aboriginal ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, truthful it’s been astir for a agelong time. In the L.A. culture, Sk8 Man Joe was the archetypal idiosyncratic retired present who started that trend, and erstwhile helium passed away, his son, Sk8 Man Rick, took implicit the business, Roller Skates of America. Sk8 Man Joe was astir successful the precocious ’80s, aboriginal ’90s.

Aaliyah Warren, 23, nonrecreational roller skater, exemplary and performer: We emotion customizing our boots, truthful we get them graffitied and painted. One of the different skaters did immoderate artwork connected mine, but Sk8 Fanatics are the go-to. My archetypal brace has the awesome for Sk8 Mafia connected it, which is the yellowish M emoji. Then I emotion burgers, truthful I person a hamburger painted connected it [laughs] and the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” [logo], but it says “Fresh Princess.” I person the Monopoly antheral spray-painting the connection “skate” and he’s moving distant with breached hearts retired of the wealth sack.

Washington: Heel skates are immoderate of the craziest ones [that] we bash due to the fact that each 1 is antithetic and the fabrication that goes into them to marque them functional [is] time-consuming. It tin beryllium an existent stiletto bottommost oregon a wedge. We’ve done immoderate for Beyoncé, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Ashley Imani.

Esty wears head-to-toe Miu Miu.

The magic of World connected Wheels

Butler: When World connected Wheels opened [in 1981], maine and my boys [the Scooby Brothers] did the expansive opening show. It was truthful packed. We had connected our small outfits matched up. We mimicked the Temptations, the mode they were truthful together. So alternatively of conscionable doing the moves wherever you’re skating accelerated astir the rink, we really enactment our [choreography] unneurotic similar we were going to beryllium doing it onstage. Back then, determination were 4 of us. Everybody was bully and young. I deliberation I might’ve been 19 oregon 20. We were conscionable astir that skate game, and it was a fantastic thing.

Yonell Lester, 52, skater: My ma initially was a Rosecrans skater, [but] erstwhile it closed down, we had to find different rink and we recovered World connected Wheels. My ma started moving determination part-time due to the fact that she loved skating truthful much. She brought maine with her each Saturday erstwhile she would travel to work. That’s however I met [Phelicia Wright].

Front enactment from near to right: Horace Butler, Yonell Lester and Phelicia Wright

(Courtesy of Yonell Lester)

Phelicia Wright, 52, skater and co-star of the documentary “United Skates”: We had truthful galore astonishing memories there. I miss the aged Saturday nighttime 7-to-12 [sessions]. Me and [Lester] would beryllium retired determination cutting up. There was thing similar it.

Lester: Then determination were the 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. [adult sessions]. We had to sneak successful due to the fact that my ma worked there, and I worked determination arsenic a teen arsenic well, truthful I could travel successful done the backmost door. We would rotation with the adults similar nothing, past of people 1 of the DJs would spot maine and beryllium like, “Hey! Come to the DJ booth,” and we’d person to battalion it up. [laughs]

Wright: Every bluish moon, they would beryllium successful a bully mood. We weren’t atrocious oregon anything. We conscionable liked to skate, and we were precise bully astatine it.

(Courtesy of Yonell Lester)

Ashley Imani: My ma [Connie Foster Wells] worked astatine World connected Wheels from 1987 until it closed [the archetypal time, successful 2013]. She was large with maine determination [and] started having contractions portion she was astatine work. She told maine they announced it connected the mic and everything. So erstwhile I accidental I’m a rink rat, I’m truly a rink rat. She got maine skates astatine similar 10 months aged and I was determination each day. I besides lived up the street.

Kalan.Frfr: My cousins stayed retired that mode toward World connected Wheels and I was the youngest, truthful I had to spell with them. They started going to this happening called “7 to 7.” You had to beryllium 12 oregon 13 [years old] to go, and I utilized to beryllium crying due to the fact that I couldn’t spell with them. Then arsenic soon arsenic I was aged capable to go, I astir apt went 1 time, and past they stopped it. It was jumpin’ though.

Ashley Imani: All the kids wanted to spell to the “7 to 7.” The enactment would beryllium wrapped astir the gathering from World connected Wheels each the mode down to the Ralphs successful the parking lot. Basically, you would enactment from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and aft midnight if you were 17 and under, you couldn’t leave. A genitor had to travel get you. I utilized to beg to spell due to the fact that my ma was a small strict. They would crook the halfway ellipse into a creation floor, portion the skaters are skating connected the outside. [My mom] would archer me, “You’re not allowed successful the halfway ellipse if you go,” due to the fact that kids would beryllium making out. So I would sneak successful determination due to the fact that present I’m curious. [laughs] Then they would denote maine and my cousins’ names connected the speaker, similar “Ashley, get retired of the halfway circle!” and I would get successful trouble. [laughs]

Warren: I’m from Long Beach, truthful I went to 1 “7 to 7” night. It was mayhem. [laughs] We were each young and we’re retired determination astatine the skating rink with our friends doing thing that we love. It was conscionable truthful fun.

Foster Wells: They got to enactment retired precocious and consciousness grown up. They were with their friends. They got to get their mack on. It was conscionable similar a big, agelong recess.

Warren: There utilized to beryllium a bowling alley upstairs that was connected to the rink and for the “7 to 7,” not each the clip but a batch of the time, they would [make] entree for the kids to spell bowling arsenic well.

(Courtesy of Aaliyah Warren)

Lester: You knew erstwhile the “7 to 7” was coming, it was going to beryllium a enactment for america — the teenagers. They utilized to person performers similar Bobby Brown and EPMD. Remember, Troop came there?

Wright: A batch of artists started their careers astatine World connected Wheels. They would person a Friday nighttime skate dance, truthful the gates would unfastened similar a stage, and they would execute up determination portion we watched them from below.

Foster Wells: Public Enemy, I retrieve I gave them a hard clip erstwhile they came. We had truly adjacent ties with KDAY, and Greg Mack would bring acts there. [On this day] helium provided a impermanent database of the radical who were going to get successful for free. It was Flava Flav, actually, who said: “Yo, we Public Enemy.” And I was similar “And….?” [Then helium asked]: “We’re not connected the impermanent list?” I looked down [and said]: “You’re not. It’s $5.” [laughs] That’s however I treated Public Enemy, and I ended up being 1 of their biggest fans. Queen Latifah [came] to World connected Wheels, N.W.A, past aboriginal on, I retrieve Chris Brown came. He was lone determination for, I‘d say, 30 seconds. As soon arsenic helium walked in, those girls started hollering and screaming. He turned close astir and walked out. [laughs]

Ashley Imani: He got ran retired the door. Everyone was truthful successful emotion with him.

Kalan.Frfr: I performed astatine World connected Wheels successful similar 2018, earlier it closed the 2nd time. I for definite would beryllium determination [skating too] and they would play my music. I’d spell successful the DJ booth and accidental wassup due to the fact that that’s big. I utilized to travel present arsenic a kid [and] present they play my euphony here.

Archer: My favourite representation [at the rink] was the time I met Alicia Keys. She was doing a artifact thrust and promoting her medium that was astir to travel out. At the time, I was staying successful San Bernardino, truthful I took that full small hour-and-a-half travel successful traffic. We were skating and I told the homie, “I’m astir to spell up to her, but I request you to grounds me.” So I went up to her and I was like, “How you doing, Miss Alicia Keys?” And past immoderate miss came and tapped her connected her enarthrosis and took her full attraction distant from me, and [Keys] started talking to her. I was conscionable sitting determination like, “Oh wow.” I started to skate off, [but Keys] grabbed my manus and gave maine the biggest f—ing grin I’ve ever seen successful my life. She was truthful beautiful. I turned into a full b—. I got to clasp hands with Alicia Keys and rotation with her. That was the item of my life.

(Courtesy of J.D. Archer)

Ashley Imani: A batch of america are truly palmy who went there. Like DJ Mustard, helium grew up with maine going determination and he’d DJ sometimes. It created a batch of opportunities. They besides held a batch of grounds pools there, truthful artists and producers would travel to contiguous their euphony to each of the apical DJs successful the metropolis due to the fact that evidently astatine that clip we didn’t person the net successful the aforesaid way. It was a hub for truthful galore antithetic things. It wasn’t conscionable skating.

Foster Wells: When it closed the archetypal clip [in 2013], I was devastated. Everybody was. I worked determination for 27 years.

Warren: Due to pack unit astir the area, indebtedness and much factors, it closed, but past Nipsey Hussle and a fewer different investors reopened it successful 2017 and ohio my gosh, everybody was happy. People were determination each the time.

Wright: We utilized to driblet our children disconnected astatine World connected Wheels earlier it closed. Now, the procreation aft that, they don’t get that luxury of feeling unafraid and harmless successful a amusive place.

Archer: Not having a rink successful L.A. has been truly detrimental to the skating community. When World connected Wheels got closed down, I retrieve immoderate kids were online saying [things] like, “Bro, this was each I had. I utilized to drawback the autobus and thrust my motorcycle up here.”

Roxy Young: There’s different 1 successful the Valley, but we don’t assertion that due to the fact that they don’t let [our benignant of skates].

Ashley Imani: It sucks for maine due to the fact that the closest rinks are successful Chino Hills and Fountain Valley. They’re astir an hr distant from wherever I live, truthful it’s not arsenic convenient arsenic World connected Wheels, which I could virtually locomotion to from my house. Some radical don’t person that outlet anymore, truthful it’s unfortunate, due to the fact that [skating] has a batch of positives for your intelligence and carnal health.

Roxy Young: World connected Wheels was portion of the community. It’s a landmark.

Rolling forward

Warren: Now since, sadly, World connected Wheels closed and Skate Depot closed [in 2014], the Black assemblage had to subdivision retired and spell to different skating rinks. I consciousness similar that truly helped our assemblage get retired determination more, due to the fact that it has ever been present but conscionable not successful the much suburban areas. [People from different backgrounds] are mode much intrigued and are wanting to acquisition what our skate civilization is now. A batch of radical didn’t adjacent cognize astir this broadside of skating. [Even] now, they’re like, “Whaaat? Where person you guys been?” It’s similar we’ve ever been here.

Roxy Young: Other races [were skating] much outdoors, but I consciousness similar aft the pandemic, they were introduced to our indoor rink skating style.

Lester: I inactive spell skating erstwhile a week astatine Fountain Valley [Skating Center] oregon Holiday [Skate Center successful Orange County], depending connected what’s going on. Then determination are a batch of skate functions that radical have, truthful whenever there’s a function, we’re astatine the function.

Roxy Young: Everybody’s been scattered now, truthful really, the lone clip that we spot each different is erstwhile there’s a large skate enactment that is not excessively acold out.

(Courtesy of Roxy Young)

Ashley Imani: I’m hoping that we tin get a rink successful the interior metropolis again truthful that immoderate of these kids tin get immoderate of the aforesaid experiences that we were capable to and to person much options to utilize their clip extracurricular of schoolhouse activities [and] camp, and truthful they tin person different root of household oregon community.

Lester: Black radical are astir apt going to person to fig retired a mode to get a rink connected our ain and travel together.

Roxy Young: We’re going to decidedly support the skating alive, and if that means skating successful warehouses oregon immoderate benignant of vacant gathering and turning it into a rink, we’re going to effort to marque that hap due to the fact that I’m a native. Skating is my therapy.

Butler: We got to bash it due to the fact that it truly keeps america successful shape. I’m 68 and I’m inactive the hottest feline astatine the rink, and each clip I spell to the doctor, he’s telling me, “Whatever it is you’re doing, support doing it.” The rolling is going nary substance what they do. If they propulsion america outdoors to wherever we’re truly connected the corners, that’s what we’re going to do, but we ain’t ne'er going to halt rolling. It’s successful our blood.

Roxy Young: I grew up arsenic an lone child, truthful I didn’t person sisters and brothers, but erstwhile I’m portion of the skating rink, I person that. I person aunties, large brothers and large sisters that I tin inquire anything. It’s decidedly unity- and family-oriented. It’s a large skating assemblage that I emotion being a portion of.

Lester: To me, skating is family. It feels similar home.