It was June 2020, a few months into the pandemic, and I was losing my damn mind. In the Before Times, dancing was a central part of my life. I was going out lindy hopping and house dancing several nights a week, traveling to dance events, and obsessing over whatever was new in the dance world. And then … lock down.
As my 51st birthday approached, I impulsively decided to buy a pair of roller skates. On June 24th, they arrived and I was instantly in love.
![](http://rikomatic.com/wp-content/uploads/import/reidel-R3-quad-skates.jpg)
Four years later, I’m so grateful for everything that quad skating has brought into my life — a whole new way of moving rhythmically, a vast global skate culture, a cast of beautiful weirdos that are part of my local skate family, and a new identity as a rhythm skater.
And I still feel like I’m at the beginning of my skate journey. I’m so grateful to all the folks who have befriended and supported me over the past four years. Let’s roll.