[Noozhawk’s note: This is the latest in a series of articles on the myriad of recreational activities along the Santa Barbara waterfront.]
The family that skates together — that’s the Foleys on Sundays at a large City College parking lot across from the waterfront.
They’re part of SB Rollers, organized by Terrance Brown, a local fitness trainer who shares his love for roller skating — particularly the old-fashioned four-wheel kind that’s making a comeback. He also brings the tunes to help inspire mobile creativity.
“It’s the most fun way to exercise,” Quiana Foley, 38, said, getting ready to start pushing her son Eros Hartley, 2-1/2, in a stroller.
Foley and family — mom and dad Donna, 61, and Don, 62, husband David Hartley, 28, and their child Eros — set up a tailgate base at the lot on a recent Sunday and prepared to skate off.
Donna, Don and Quiana moved to Santa Barbara 20 years ago from Tucson, where they were enthusiastic roller skaters. That ceased with the move, and has finally rejuvenated for them with the advent of Brown’s Sunday sessions, which provide a large, smooth space along with music and sociability with fellow enthusiasts.
SB Rollers uses the lot from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. All are welcome, and any kind of skates will do.
Terrance Brown, organizer of SB Rollers, skates on a recent Sunday. (Dennis Moran / Noozhawk photo)
“When my family and I were in Tucson we would spend the majority of our days every summer at a skating rink called Skate Country,” Quiana Foley said. “It was like a home away from home. We practically were all born skating. My dad, he’s been speed skating since he was a kid.”
Don elaborated on that last point: “We would have speed meets, go to Anaheim, go all over the place and race — four wheel. I haven’t seen it in a long time.
“Speed skating, figure skating, dance skating and freestyle. It’s been 20 years since I’ve skated. I’m waiting for my new pair of skates (on order).”
On this Sunday, the Foleys were soon joined by a neighbor, Summer Calvert.
“It’s definitely making a comeback,” Calvert said of four-wheel skating. “I think having a place like this, that’s open and free and smooth, makes people want to come out and do a little more.”
And here’s perhaps the best payoff — it’s a friendly space in unfriendly times, according to David Hartley.
From even before Covid, people have turned “stinky,” he said — not in the smelling-bad sense, but attitude.
“They’ve been in a funk,” Quiana added, “and not the good funk.”
“Most of the time, I like to go on hikes by myself just to get away from people,” Hartley said.
The Sunday skating sessions are restoring his faith in humanity, it seems.
“It’s kind of hard to find good vibes around people lately. This is a place to find good vibes,” he said.
“Everybody’s just out here, just having a good time. … Even if you’re just sitting here enjoying a drink and just relaxing. It’s a nice spot. You’ve got beginner skaters, you’ve got skaters who’ve been doing it for years, you’ve got skaters who dance, skaters who foam.”
He gives a shout-out to Brown.
“You see Terrance, he’s one of the smoothest skaters you see out here.
“He’s always out here, he’s having fun with everybody, chatting with everybody, he’s encouraging everybody, giving tips, pointers.”
Creating SB Rollers was a turning point for Brown, whose personal training business took a dive with the pandemic. As recounted in the introduction to this series, he took up roller skating on the advice of his mother, even though he was mighty reluctant at first.
“Mommas know best,” Brown said.
The Miami native had tried college sports, first baseball at Alabama State, then football at Kansas State. He admits he was having trouble finding his way, and came to Santa Barbara, where he played football for the Vaqueros until an Achilles tendon injury put a stop to it.
On the advice to take up skating, he initially told his mother that he didn’t think his muscular build would take well to roller skating. But momma was right — and through the many hours he put into learning his craft, he found lots of style points.
“My style, jam skating, is hip-hop, artistic,” Brown said. “There are so many styles with roller skates — you can do all kind of things. Break dancing. With inlines, there’s some limit to that.”
Not that he’d object to anyone bringing inline skates, or any other kind.
“All wheels matter,” Brown said. “Doesn’t matter if you have skates, inline, roller skates, skateboards, a bike, a scooter, a unicycle. It does not matter. You can come here without skates.
“It’s about community, family — come here and have a great time and just enjoy.”
— Noozhawk correspondent Dennis Moran can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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