San Francisco Celebrates Roller Skating With Plans For A New Skate Mural In Golden Gate Park

When I lost access to my own physical capabilities as a professional artist, a result of focal dystonia, a neuromuscular disorder, roller skating provided a valuable creative outlet for me. I’m so very happy that all these years later, my worlds have collided and I have the opportunity to celebrate San Francisco’s 6th Avenue Skatin Place through a new roller skating mural in partnership with with David Miles Jr., the San Francisco Godfather of Skate and the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department.

With community input, we spent months working through design concepts and I believe I we’ve landed on a fun design that celebrates San Francisco roller skating and checks all the functional requirements for park installation, safety, and maintenance.

As a longtime skater at 6th Avenue, my first instinct about doing the mural project was that it was important to acknowledge that it is the people, the skaters, who truly bring all the color and great energy to the space. (Just look at this adorable lil girl!!!)

Photo: San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

So as the artist, I didn’t want to mess with that or compete with it. But I also know that this space has had a number of incidents of being vandalized or otherwise not being treated with respect.

My hope in putting this mural on the center oval at Skatin’ place is to celebrate the legacy of San Francisco roller skaters past, present, and future, and that it also serves to claim this space for roller skaters, so when they all go home, their vibrant colors and lively spirits remain as a symbol to others to have some reverence for this space.

As of February, 2022 we have now received all the necessary local approvals and I look forward to sharing more progress as the mural is installed in the Spring/Summer of 2022!

Recent Press:

Roll With Soul® Skate Tees

Explore the entire collection of roller skating themed designs at the Roll With Soul® Shop
All designs available to customize on various styles and colors!
(Make sure to join my Instagram page, to receive news on sales and discount codes!)

Assorted roller skating themed designs.

My Skate Life (in GIFs)

1. First of all, it’s NOT a “hobby.”

2. What it feels like when you lace up a perfect fitting pair of skates.

3. When my song comes on…

4. When my song comes on and I don’t have my skates on yet…

5. That time I almost fell, but didn’t…

6. When someone bumps into me or cuts me off because they’re not paying attention…

7. When I see my friend pull off a SICK skate move…

8. When someone gets a new pair of skates…

9. When you nail that new skate move for the first time…

10. The morning after a late-night skate party…

Skate Beats – part 1

Here’s a few hot instrumental skate beats for your next session:

1. Mann – Buzzin (Instrumental)

2. Chris Brown (ft. Rihanna) – Ain’t Nobody’s Business (Instrumental)

3. Marvin Gaye – Heavy Love Affair (The Revenge Rework)

4. Down To The Bone – Staten Island Groove

5. Herb Alpert (ft. Janet Jackson) – Diamonds (Cool Summer Dance Mix)

 

New skates, new blog!

Just laced up my brand new 220’s (Thanks to Bay Area Skate!) so I thought it would be a fitting to launch a new skate blog!

mynewskates

(Photo: Randy Wong – Bay Area Skate)

One of my favorite places to skate is “Skatin’ Place” in San Francisco’s Golden Gate park.
I want to tell you all about this vibrant community in future posts, but for now, just a quick peek at how I roll.

Check back soon for more great skate videos and great music to get your skate on!