Synchronicity is an undeniable theme throughout the life of Kapulani Patterson AKA Hawaiian Blaze. Each step of their journey in skating, life, and art all feel meant to be. 

Stumbling upon roller derby through a peer in trauma recovery after being medically retired from the Air Force reshaped their life in enumerable and amazing ways. In nearly ten years of playing, Kapulani met their spouse, found community, and leaned into their power as a skater and human being. 

In recent years Kapulani has deepened their connection to roller derby through skating for Team Indigenous Rising. As an indigenous, queer, Māhū skater, they hold the rallying cry for Indigenous skater representation in the sport close to their heart. Skating alongside their teammates on Team Indigenous Rising they have amplified one another’s ancestral wisdom and strength, and they’ve made big moves in not only the athletic but organizing arenas. The team has stood strong together through discrimination, and in this conversation we talk about Kapulani’s perspective on the organizers at BOTAs 2023 questioning their right to participate as a borderless team. We also go on to talk bout how the team has continued to support each other to keep pushing in the face of ignorance. 

Kapulani also shares their thoughts on how roller derby could educate skaters and officials to make it an inclusive space. We get into the racism and transphobia that are present in the international WFTDA community, and the roles that interpersonal connection as well organizations play in shaping progress and inclusivity. 

Their entry into the world of stained glass art seem just as destined in the way that their metal skills acquired during their military service branched into their artwork. And what’s more, they have since channeled their artwork into a means to raise awareness of Hawaiian cultural history and drawing attention to the thousands of missing and murdered indigenous women. 

This interview is jam-packed with thoughtful reflections from this amazing skater, artist, and mother. Tune in to hear about all the exciting projects they have in the works!

Follow Kapulani on IG! :
instagram.com/hawaiianblaze/

Take a look at Kapulani’s beautiful stained-glass creations! :https://www.instagram.com/wildwahineglass/

Listen to Kapulani's Playlist!:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DczOsv4bjdx9sbKaCalZO?si=105be284a6ce4231

Learn more about Team Indigenous Rising :
https://www.teamindigenous.org/

Learn more about Borderless Roller DerbyTeams : https://www.teamindigenous.org/borderless-roller-derby-teams

Read the Team Indigenous Rising Statement Regarding BOTAS: https://www.teamindigenous.org/indigenous-rising-roller-derby-instagram

Check out Gotham Roller Derby! : https://www.gothamrollerderby.com/

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Arri Santiago is an artist on and off skates, when she’s not lighting up the floor she’s creating imaginative characters and worlds as an artist and animator. 

She had no idea what was ahead when she rediscovered roller skating in 2020. She was introduced to rinks as a young kid (her dad was a rink ref back in the day), but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she would rediscover skating. She laced up a pair of her grandfather’s skates, which were 5 sizes too big, and she hasn’t looked back since. 

Roller skating has taken her on a journey from pandemic skate crews, to opportunities skating with roller skate productions such as DiscOasis, Flippers, and even New York Fashion Week shows. The approach that she brings to her skating is unmistakably elegant and simultaneously inventive by way of harnessing the artistry of whacking and voguing. As glamorous as all of that is, it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, along the way she’s faced challenges ranging from tough past and present introspection and engaging with challenging community discourse. In this conversation we delve into the many experiences she’s had these past few years. 

She opens up about her complex relationship with movement and how she’s learned and grown and recovered through injuries sustained as a performer, and how exploring outlets for movement outside of skating have deepened her connection to her body.

We also explore broader conversations around boundaries and social media, advice for progressing one’s roller skate skills, the importance of connecting with your local skate community, and the future of building sustainable homes for rink skating in New York City.
Keep up with Arri on IG:
@arriquenia
Take a peep at Arri's artwork! :
@luneplanta
Check out some of Arri's fave jams to skate to! :
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UkN0eL0SwdWxoXsjoqaWb?si=1_AViUnHR0OS55Thkr-CNA
Arri shouts out A LOT of skaters in this episode, if you're curious about her  list of faves, check them out! :
@maskdsk8erz
@lynnamovingstar
@sydblaylock
@jasonacosta
@thesensational_sade
@keeganjamess
@elijahjustice
@jill_tf_out
@joshlemonade
@ginnngaa
@sqwheels
@sqwheelsandhubs
@cottorollerskater

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

After facing personal trauma and the pandemic disruption of queer nightlife,  A  fortuitous stumble upon the skate rink at Riverbank Park in Harlem took Kenny McQueen on a journey. Roller skating started out  as a way to move his body and became something that completely transformed his lifestyle.

Kenny’s deep love for community and dance skating is palpable, and when he felt called to address issues around nonconsensual touch and bullying that he and his peers were experiencing, he stepped up to the plate by creating the Respect My Space Alliance (RMSA) to get these difficult conversations started. In this interview, he shares the core values of RMSA and his vision for a skate community that cultivates multigenerational dialogues (and connection) with respect at the core.

Kenny imparts his thoughts on activism as an extension of community and collaboration even when it’s hard, as well as the transcendent nature of roller skating that leads to healing. Throughout this talk it is so clear that skating cuts deep for Kenny, and that he understands that sometimes things need to be shaken up in order to get to the good stuff.
 
We reflect on his experiences skating in different regions including his home base in NYC. He shares his love of Skate Jams he’s traveled and speaks to the historical and cultural significance of these events in the Black community. He also shares his thoughts on what makes NYC skate community unique.

Join us as we get personal with this shy yet audacious skater.

*Editor’s Note: In this interview, we mention the influential JB skater, Calvin Small. Kenny misspeaks and refers to him as Kevin.

Follow Kenny on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/k_emez/

Support the Movement! Check out the RMSA code of conduct and more!:

https://www.rmsanyc.com/

Follow RMSA on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/rmsa.nyc/

Check out Kenny's Online Shop OKBleep! :

https://www.okbleepshop.com/

Check out Kenny's Playlist, it'll inspire you to move your body! :

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ExdiZOCa3sKMf1tGFGMuj?si=66d2f70550504047

Support Skaterade!

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Sometimes unlikely friendships make for the best pairings, and that’s certainly the case with Elise (bigb00tysk8rgrl) and Kooky (hurt_cobainn)! With a bit of an age gap, and being at different stages of life, they might not have met if not for the pandemic roller skating surge (and Elise sliding into Kooky’s DMs), but since their worlds collided they’ve become inseparable.  In this conversation, they open up about what it’s been like to navigate friendship whilst sharing the hobby of aggressive park skating when one of them flourishes in the spotlight and the other finds their bliss in a more understated role. 

We get into the landscape that is roller skate community on social media in their eyes. They express their very different relationships to being perceived , opening up about how they relate to and interact with it all ranging from FOMO and overwhelm to connection and making international skate friends. We touch on dialogues in park skating including their perspectives on pathways towards growing the sport, whether by lifting up the next generation of youth skaters and through pro skate teams. They also share their desires to grow the presence of skate competitions in their home city of New York. 

Elise and Kooky have seen a lot together over the past few years, and their bond has served as a constant through injury, tears, laughter, and just the day to day push and pull of holding up our friends and motivating them to keep skating. This conversation is full of the kind of friendship that is equal parts roasting and unadulterated love, a plutonic romance if you will! It’s a fun ride, come along with us!


Follow Elise on IG ! :

https://instagram.com/bigb00tysk8rgrl?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Follow Kooky on IG ! :

https://instagram.com/hurt_cobainn?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Book a private lesson with Elise! :

https://calendly.com/bigb00tysk8rgrl/1hr-private-skate-lesson-autmn?month=2023-10

Kooky + Elise playlist! Riot Grrrl with 90s soundtrack worthy bops with a sprinkle of Justin Bieber! :

https://spotify.link/UlL1lJTzNDb

Watch Maternity Leave, by Kooky + Elise ! :

https://youtu.be/59w81hGDKtM?si=h_dJ3HDhxGBnz6LN

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

This week’s conversation is a journey, a little metaphysical, a little brass tacks life advice, no doubt this week’s guest will send you! A resident of Long Beach California since 1999, Tracy Emiko Ugai created a mosaic by picking up pieces that work and discarding what doesn’t to build the colorful life she has today. Best known for her roller skating and wellness brand Basics of Happy, her impact as a visible Long Beach skate community member, and storied career in action sports marketing and PR (for iconically California brands such as Vans, Quicksilver, and Moxi )  precede her. 

Tracy regales us with tales of her roller skating roots, which started with Long Beach DIY parking lot roller derby in all of its scrappy down and dirty charm. She also takes us back to park skating before its boom and the exciting collaborative phase of discovery the community was in before the days widely available tutorials and park hardware. 

The draw Tracy feels towards wellness is in no way out of left field, in part born of the dissonance she felt between the marketing (and social media) presence she crafted and real life, she found herself hungry for a more grounded perspective. She was evolving and wanting out of the corporate gig life, and wanted to leave space for healing herself, and on the way she found herself positioned to pivot towards a path working wellness. In the process she found herself back in roller skating community and exploring the intersections between movement and healing. 

Tracy generously shares the lessons that very much influence her business and her brand today. Applying her life experience, she tackles issues like facing burnout, overcoming self-doubt, redirecting hyper focus as a neurodivergent business owner, and meditative power of roller skating! Above all else she highlights how relinquishing control in creating her own business allowed the road to unwind before her in unexpected and miraculous ways. 

Not to mention,  we get granular about her foray into developing roller skates for the first time for her very own company, and how collaboration in community are very much the engine behind Basics of Happy. Get ready to nerd out!

Suffice to say, this interview is a veritable treasure trove featuring slices of roller skate history, personal wisdom, healing, and being in business in roller skating today.


Dive into Basics of Happy ! :
 
https://www.thebasicsofhappy.com/

Tune in to Tracy's playlist! This mix is definitely giving grooving on a basketball court by the beach:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2zXIeEnEbu4at6X9OiQV9Y?si=Hj-8ejXFSpCQ2_xSpGdt4Q&nd=1

Keep up with Tracy's world and  projects on IG :

@thebasicsofhappy_skate

@xoxobanzai

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It can be easy as a New Yorker to lose sight of the endless possibilities the city holds, but this week’s guest never misses a chance to take it all in. Frank Figueroa has covered countless miles on these city streets, in his well-loved roller skates, that are often a scrape away from combusting. Anywhere there is a community event with good music and dancing, you better believe he’s there and finding release almost certainly with his skates in tow. When the iconic rinks, Skate Key and Empire closed in the early 2000s, Frank took his love of wheels and dancing to the streets, and shows no signs of stopping. Frank has the hard-won grit the city is known for and he’s got the battle wounds to show for it, however he’s not afraid to be vulnerable and channels that sensitivity through his numerous modes of artistic expression including disciplined training in dance, photography, and DJing. 

In this intimate conversation we get a glimpse of what Frank contends with including dismantling societal expectations for men expressing emotion (whilst holding space for others) and skating through physical and mental pain. He does this all with an enviable fluidity and serenity. 

Frank shares the history of skating he’s lived through in NYC, and the ways in which his community mentors have given to him and how he’s paid it forward. We also get into the magic of partner skating, and how much human connection it fosters. 

Frank’s ease and sincerity will transport you. He speaks with the same nostalgia and sensory palette when he regales us with growing up in Chinatown arcades and dumpling spots as he does navigating the Tokyo subway system. Kick back and let Frank take you on a Journey!

Follow Frank on IG : 

@rizztheavengersk8s

Learn more about New Style Hustle & Frank's mentor Jeff Selby : 

@jeff_newstylehustle

In memory of another of Frank's mentors, Lezly Ziering: 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/18/nyregion/lezly-ziering-who-rescued-roller-skating-dies-at-82.html

Get down with Frank's DEEP playlist! 7hrs of music! :
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj8YS30KOFOG7W_5UEQOodjO8DFGbc-j2

If you, or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts please know there are resources available, and people who care: 

https://988lifeline.org/

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

Social Justice, catholic school uniforms, horror films, and a scrappy midwestern je ne sais quoi all inform the style and approach of Elijah Justice. He’s a rhythm skater and designer residing in Brooklyn, but his home state of Ohio has his heart. His foray into skating like many of us began in family-fun style rinks, but when he found himself at United Skates in Wyckliffe, Ohio he caught sight of the real deal and there was no turning back, he was hooked. In this conversation he opens up about what drives him as a skater, creator, and most importantly a member of the wider rink skating community. 

Elijah’s skating is without a doubt a love letter to the swagger-fueled Cleveland style, and in gratitude for all that the OGs and new school skaters of the region have given him, he finds himself driven to give back especially to the youth. He’s also found his place in the NYC/NJ skate scene, making friends galore all while unapologetically challenging the status quo with his emphatic skate style. In this conversation he reveals himself as someone who makes moves of purpose, and while he may be known for shaking things up, he doesn’t shy away from having difficult conversations that are led by love and commonality. 

In our exchange he brings into focus how his design work and skate life intersect. A unifying theme is his punk sensibility, which shows up in the messaging of his eponymous apparel line, and similarly  in the way he challenges inequity and discrimination in community. Whether signifying through clothing and graphics or his words he gets the message across!

We also get into all the fun opportunities roller skating has brought into his life,  the importance of keeping ALL regional skate styles alive, and the specific ways he’s giving back to young people in the realms of design and skating. 

This conversation is equal parts vulnerability and unwavering confidence, and you really shouldn’t miss it!

Check out Elijah's apparel line :

https://www.elijahjustice.com/

Follow Elijah on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/elijahjustice

Dive deep with Elijah's playlist featuring Cleveland rink essentials:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xlJMpSd0t6G49sVpdfJgR

Keep up with the Cleveland skate crews Elijah shouts out in the interview:

@sk8life_crew

@topflightclass

@elitesquad09

@team.homicide_

@dipgirlzcrew

@stormch8sers

@freaksquadcrew

@f5skatecrew

@style.benders

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

This week’s skater exemplifies the spirit of why we started this podcast. She reminds us that though skating elevates our lives, it does not define who we are. Krystal Roames is a New York native who has had quite the journey over the course of these pandemic years. Not only did she pick up rhythm skating, but she became a first time mother, started her own private therapy practice, and moved to a new city. Join us as we share in her experiences of striking a balance between raising a family, and finding time to nourish her love for skating and ultimately herself as an individual! 

Like many of us, Krystal found herself looking for fulfillment amidst quarantine isolation, and upon discovering the strutting stylings of Oumi Janta and Ana Coto her interest for roller skating peaked. She had her reservations as she had long set aside childhood fancy, but as she stepped into her skates she realized it wasn’t just for kids after all. Honing her skate chops in her parking garage Krystal eventually found herself hooked on roller skating. Her love for skating presented her with unforeseen opportunities and meaningful connections to new friends and the community at large. 

Krystal also reflects on her bodily autonomy in skating while pregnant, the metamorphosis of her relationship with skating as she takes on new frontiers as a mom, and the magic of finding time to skate alone. Come along with us and get to know her better!

Does Krystal sound like the therapist for you? Check out her practice! : 

https://bournetherapeuticservices.com/

Follow Krystal on IG!:

https://www.instagram.com/shenanswithkrys/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Rock with Krystal's skating playlist. Daft Punk, Anita Baker, and Deee-Lite? Yes, please. :

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4JoWymfFG4FIP6E8MkWDcl?si=dizQWg3XTuG-AjnY3plKZA&nd=1

Support Skaterade!

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https://ko-fi.com/s/4da0f13491

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

We're excited to be back for our third season with a guest who has carved out space for herself since she was a kid. From a young equestrian to the double threat derby and park skater she is today, Afton has always PUT IN WORK. Her perseverance doesn't rest within the confines of athleticism either as she is an outspoken advocate for Trans-rights and mental health awareness. She's also a proud mother of two amazing kids that feed her drive to push forward with equal measures of strength and vulnerability that you see in everything she does. 

Afton found roller derby in time when her world was falling apart around her, and through it she found chosen family. Afton reflects on her experiences as a Trans athlete in the roller derby and park skating spheres alike, and the barriers that marginalized skaters are up against in order to participate in competitive skating.

In this intimate chat, she shares her experiences in unlearning the white-picket fence ideals she was fed as a young person in order to step into her authenticity. Afton doesn't turn away from sharing her mental health struggles, and instead opens up about her pain and finds community in showing others that they are not alone.

This chat left us feeling uplifted and connected to our skate community. Settle in with us as we get to know this passionate skater a little better!

Keep up with her on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/skatebeeotch/?hl=en

Support Afton by buying her signature skate leash from G-Strap! :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1429234872/bee-your-self-skate-leash-for-roller?click_key=6805417f98cf5e4452117ddbf9e0c7dcb5fed815%3A1429234872&click_sum=677a55e2&ref=shop_home_active_11&frs=1

Or, if you wanna tip her find her on Venmo @AftonBlakeBrooks ;-)

Check out what Afton and the rest of the GNDRSHREDR Skate Team are up to:

https://gndrshredr.com/pages/team-gndr-shredr

Take a look at Afton's most recent sponsor Eat My Skates :

https://eatmyskates.com/

For all things Virginia All Stars Roller Derby:

https://www.facebook.com/VAAllStarsRollerDerby/

Check out her playlist & plug into what Afton skates to! This playlist is loaded up with dark pop, alternative, & hip-hop with a sprinkling of metal:

https://spotify.link/OIpYM0YK8yb

Support Skaterade!

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/

Hey friends! To round out this season we’ve got a hangout session from Jasmine’s apartment with three of our co-workers and skate friends. We touch on shop life at Five Stride Skate Shop, but mostly you’ll get to know our pals and our relationships with them. 

You’ll meet Mina, a skate tech pursuing a law degree and finding time to enjoy the simpler things! Join us to hear about Mina’s search for the perfect low-top skate boot ! 

Paco joins us to talk about their last stretch of design school, making Skaterade cover art, and slowly inching their way back into training full time for Gotham Roller Derby! In this chat they share their creative process, and how they compare everything in their life to roller derby. 


And you'll also get to know Ari, a professional artist and multi-disciplinary skater. Tune in to hear her tips for landing new tricks at the skatepark, and she also opens up about her very first trip to the skatepark! 

As any hangout with friends, this one spirals into a silly frenzy of laughs and cordial disagreements! Tune in to see which roller skate wheel each of us is, and more importantly the forbidden snacks round where we reveal which wheel we’d like to eat. 

Follow Mina On IG!

https://www.instagram.com/skatetechmina/

Follow Lauren On IG!

https://www.instagram.com/lrnwrd_/

Follow Ari On IG !

https://www.instagram.com/ari.b.jpeg/?hl=en

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https://www.instagram.com/skateradepod/