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Apr/May 2003
The 007 Report
I don't need to say the obvious, do I? Skater 007 was in North Carolina and is just now recovering from a "roll" hangover. The entire weekend was pure skater satisfaction. The NSC Freestyle Rollers greeted all skaters with a smile and no matter what state you were from you felt like you were at home. Super, super, super job NSC! You have done it again and have set the tone for skate parties to come in 2003. Before I finish my monthly report, I must say I did notice one thing that was not so positive in North Carolina. Nearly all 50 states were represented that glorious weekend and there were probably more than 150 different skate clubs. My numbers may be a little high but I purposely padded my figures to get your attention so you don't miss my point. There was a virtual kaleidoscope of colors with pageantry second only to the Olympic opening ceremony but it takes more than matching T-shirts to make a skate club. I question the motives of some of these clubs. To club presidents, what are you doing to better the skate community? What is your clubs’ mission? What are you doing to make sure the club realizes that mission? To club members, are you representing your club appropriately? Are you a true skater or just someone that uses skating to travel across the country? All of these questions were running through my mind as I watched all the colors meld into a roller rainbow in North Carolina. Don't get me wrong, I am not against skate clubs, I just think there are too many clubs that are built on shaky foundations. Before long you will have riffs in the club or beef with other clubs in your region. If you are a club leader, take a minute to ask yourself ‘What do I bring to the table?’ If you are in a skate club take some time and ask if your club promotes the love and good will of roller skating. It is up to all of us to make sure that these events are wonderful. The coordinators can rent the rink and sell tickets but only the skaters can make the party a success. If your sole purpose is to travel out of town to go clubbing then hit the skate party two hours late, making a grand entrance to show off the current months’ T-shirt design, maybe you should stay home to give the real skaters a little more room on the floor. See you on the floor!
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