For 200-plus skaters in New York City skating isn' t just a throwback to the ' 90s HEAD TOPICS

For 200-plus skaters in New York City skating isn' t just a throwback to the ' 90s

10/23/2022 5:14:00 AM

Wednesday Night Skate is an informal group that rollerblades around New York City But there' s so much more to the motley crew than ' 90s nostalgia

Source

NPR

Wednesday Night Skate is an informal group that rollerblades around New York City. But there's so much more to the motley crew than '90s nostalgia. Wednesday Night Skate has zipped through the streets of New York since the 1990s but really picked up steam during the pandemic. These days, 200-300 skaters participate in the weekly event. Christopher Lee for NPRFor 32-year-old Queens resident Devon Henry, skating isn't necessarily a throwback.Others, like Richard Miller, who didn't want to share his exact age but is over 40, were adults when they skated in the '90s. He said the sport developed a bit of a reputation for being"nerdy," but it has felt different in the past two years or so. Christopher Lee for NPRAndraé Liverpool, 33, moves and grooves — and draws a crowd — during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022.Shah said the group has been becoming more and more diverse over the past three years.The Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, resembles a street party on Sept. 8, 2022. Read more:
NPR » Evergreen man dead in Wednesday night Andalusia shooting, suspect sought Suspect sought in fatal Andalusia shooting Suspect sought in fatal Andalusia shooting NFL World Reacts to Thursday Night’s Stunning Christian McCaffrey Trade

Nedd Brockmann went through hell and back 10 times as he ran nearly 2 500 miles across Australia in 47 days CNN

To get a sense of how vast Australia really is, just ask Nedd Brockmann. He found out the hard way. Read more >> Evergreen man dead in Wednesday night Andalusia shooting, suspect soughtThe Andalusia Police Department has identified a man who died after a Wednesday night shooting as a 22-year-old Evergreen resident. Suspect sought in fatal Andalusia shootingPolice say the shooter is still at large. He was described as wearing a dark shirt, blue hood, black pants with a white stripe and red shoes. Suspect sought in fatal Andalusia shootingAndalusia police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened Wednesday night. NFL World Reacts to Thursday Night’s Stunning Christian McCaffrey TradeOne of his new star teammates was among those celebrating the move on Thursday night. Small plane crashes into New Hampshire building, killing all aboardA plane crashed into a New Hampshire “multifamily building” Friday night, killing all those on board. Small plane craft so 2 Was trump on it 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😤 😥😥😥 Horrible!! Prayers for the families who lost someone. 🙏🏻 Cal Fire firefighters now better equipped to fight fires at nightThe Fairview Fire in September killed two people and burned more than 28,000 acres and without the advances of firefighting technology, the situation could've been much worse. Information is voiced to skaters during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept.Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn ANDALUSIA, Ala.According to Central Alabama CrimeStoppers, police responded to Foxwood Village, an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Foxwood Drive around 9:15 p.According to Central Alabama CrimeStoppers, police responded to Foxwood Village, an apartment complex in the 1000 block of Foxwood Drive around 9:15 p. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR toggle caption Christopher Lee for NPR Information is voiced to skaters during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. Police Chief Paul Hudson said the search for Cobbins’ killer is ongoing. 8, 2022. Investigators said a short time later, the victim died from his injuries. Christopher Lee for NPR For 32-year-old Queens resident Devon Henry, skating isn't necessarily a throwback.m. "I'm nostalgic for the '90s. Police say the shooter is still at large. But also, there's new things that are coming out," he said, comparing skating to video games like Nintendo's"The Legend of Zelda," which had versions when he was a kid but now have newer ones – like"Breath of the Wild," released in 2017. He was taken to an Andalusia hospital before being flown to a Florida trauma center where he later died. He was described as wearing a dark shirt, blue hood, black pants with a white stripe and red shoes. "You know," he said,"the way that I skate now isn't the way that I was skating when I was a kid .. He was described as wearing a dark shirt, blue hood, black pants with a white stripe and red shoes.. It's literally like 'Breath of the Wild' on my skates. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the P3-tips app. " Others, like Richard Miller, who didn't want to share his exact age but is over 40, were adults when they skated in the '90s. He said the sport developed a bit of a reputation for being"nerdy," but it has felt different in the past two years or so. "You pass people on the street [now] and they say, 'Oh, that's cool,'"he said. Andraé Liverpool, 33, moves and grooves — and draws a crowd — during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR toggle caption Christopher Lee for NPR Andraé Liverpool, 33, moves and grooves — and draws a crowd — during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR The group spans ages and demographics, though it skews slightly male and many attendees tend to be in their 20s and 30s. They represent a relatively wide set of racial and national backgrounds – with often around a third coming from Latin America. Shah said the group has been becoming more and more diverse over the past three years. Thirty-year-old Edison Bautista – originally from Santander, Colombia, but living in Queens for the past two-and-a-half years – said inline skating has remained very popular in his home country since the '90s. He said he started skating as a kid, and found out about this group from a friend after he moved to the U.S. His favorite part about coming was the community, he said. "Soaking up other cultures, meeting other people and [learning] how they think, the level of skating that they have, their skills – I can learn from them, and they can learn from me," he said in Spanish. The Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, resembles a street party on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR toggle caption Christopher Lee for NPR The Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, resembles a street party on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR Skaters have fun during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee for NPR toggle caption Christopher Lee for NPR The group skates fast, usually covering 8 to 13 miles in around two hours. Each week, it takes a different route through the city, and Shah said the group's volunteers help keep skaters together and as safe as possible. As the group sped through Manhattan, volunteer Michael Grebinsky, 59, wore a bright neon yellow shirt, a helmet with a flashlight attached, and a set of wireless speakers around his waist. As the 1982 single"Don't Give Up" by the group Stars on 45 played in the background, Grebinsky said that night, he was playing the role of the"sweep. " "I make sure that nobody [is] left behind," he explained. If people can't keep up, he recommends they meet the rest of the group back in Union Square at the end. "And people tend to listen," he said. Skaters light the way during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee toggle caption Christopher Lee Skaters light the way during the Wednesday Night Skate in Manhattan, New York, on Sept. 8, 2022. Christopher Lee Naomi Adams, 30, kept her balance on a bumpy section of street in the East Village wearing quad skates – with wheels arranged in a square pattern. Most of the rest of the group wore inline skates – with wheels in a row – like the eponymous Rollerblades. Adams said she had to pay close attention to the rough surface, but didn't have any problem keeping up. She found out about the group on Instagram, and it was her first night. "I go to rinks, and I skate in the street, but never anything like this," she said."I love the dodging in between cars, making sure we're jumping over the cracks and the hard streets of New York City, you know?" As she spoke, another skater let out a loud"whoop" from the darkness behind her. .