TEAM? YOU’RE GOOD. >> Jason: JUST MY THEORY. >>> WE’LL GO RETRO HERE IN THE ’70s AND ’80s, THE ROLLER RINK WAS THE PLACE TO BE. >> Tati: AND WHO DOESN’T REMEMBER BIRTHDAY PARTIES. >> Jason: OR THE COUPLES SKATE. >> Tati: AND A ROLLER RINK STILL GOING STRONG HERE IN THE D.
ALEX TAKES US TO ROLLER-CADE THAT IS UNIQUELY DETROIT. >> WE’RE A ROLLER SKATING MECCA. >> THE ROLLERCADE. >> IT’S THE COOLEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO. FIRST BLACK-OWNED ROLLER RINK IN THE STATE AND WE BELIEVE IN THE COUNTRY. MY GRANDPARENTS OPENED IT IN 1954, AND WE HAVEN’T MISSED A NIGHT SINCE THE ’50s.
DETROIT HAS AN OLD SCHOOL KIND OF SKATING, MORE LIKE FIGURE SKATING AND DANCING COMBINED. AND AT THE ROLLERCADE, WE HAVE FIGURE SKATING, DANCING AND STUNTING, AS WELL, WHERE WE DO TRICKS WHERE WE HIT THE GROUND AND MORE ACROBATIC SKATING.
♪ THE ONLY WAY I CAN DEFINE IT IS, WE’RE MORE RISKY, MORE STUNTS, MORE THINGS YOU SEE THAT MIGHT SAY, I’M NOT TRYING THAT. >> IT’S ALL ABOUT SKATING. IT’S FUN. >> WE START YOUNG.
WE ALL START AT BABIES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND START AT ABOUT 18 MONTHS, SO BOY THE TIME WE’RE 13, WE’RE ALL LIKE PROFESSIONAL ROLLER SKATERS. IT’S ONE OF THOSE EQUAL PLAYING FIELDS. IF YOU COME IN AND PRACTICE, YOU CAN BE A GREAT SKATER. TO ME, THIS IS MY GRANDPARENTS.
FOR THEM TO MAKE A ACCOMPLISHMENT LIKE THAT UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA AND TO BUY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND BUY A BUILDING THAT STILL STANDS TODAY, IT’S LIKE, WOW!
SO I MAKE SURE I DO MY PART T KEEP THEIR VISION AND THEIR DREAM GOIN >> MY FAVORITE PART I DANCING AND SKATING. >> I LOOK OUT AND SEE EVERYBODY SKATING PAST, DOING THEIR THING, FEELING THE MUSIC AND SMILING. AND I PAUSE AND SAY, THANK YOU GOD.
IT BRINGS A GOOD FEELING TO ME TO SEE PEOPLE ENJOYING A PART OF ME BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT’S AN EXTENSION OF MYSELF. IT BRINGS JOY TO ME. THIS IS SOMETHING I GREW UP DOING EVERY KEEKD. I GREW UP AS A PATRON BEFORE I WAS AN EMPLOYEE.
I USED TO LOVE SKATING HERE EVERYTHING WEEKEND. IT BRINGS JOY TO ME SO SEE THEM ENJOYING WHAT I USED TO ENJOY AS A KID. >> Jason: JOINING US LIVE IS KYLE BLACK. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH YOUR CREW. GOOD MORNING, HOW ARE YOU? >> Tati: I LOVE THE ROLLER SKATES THAT LIGHT-UP.
>> THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT ROLLER CADE, WE OFFER LIGHT-UP WHEELS. WE LET PEOPLE WITH ROLLERBLADES, BUT THEY ALWAYS WANT THE QUADS. >> Tati: WHAT DO PEOPLE LOVE MOST ABOUT THE ROLLER RINK? >> I CAN’T SAY THE MOST, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WE OFFER. OUR SKATE LESSONS ARE NUMBER ONE.
EVERY SATURDAY AT NOON SINCE 1955, WE’VE BEEN TEACHING TINY TO THE SKATE LESSONS AND STARTED WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, AND I’M THE THIRD GENERATION. AND MARIO IS A SECOND GENERATION ROLLER CADE, AND HIS IS A FOURTH, HIS GREAT GRANDMOTHER SKATED THERE. AND HIS GRANDDAD ROLLER-SKATED THERE. >> Tati: SHOW US THE MOVES.
JAFRNLTS DO WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. ♪♪ ♪ >> Jason: WHERE DO YOU GET THE COOL LIGHT-UP SKATES? >> NO, WE SELL THESE. >> Tati: KEEP GOING. >> THAT’S ONE OF OUR BEST SELLERS. THEY LIKE THE BLACK SKATE WITH LIGHT-UP WHEELS.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GLOW IN THE DARK EVENTS. SO THE WHEELS PLAY A BIG ROLE. WE’RE AT 2130 SOUTH SCHAEFER HIGHWAY OFF I-75, SOUTH OF FORT STREET. >> Tati: DON’T FORGET, I SAID I WISH I COULD DO THIS. THERE ARE ADULT LESSONS. >> EVERY TUESDAY FROM 8:00 P.M. UNTIL 9:00.
WE OFFER LESSONS FOR FREE. IT’S $6 ADMISSION, $3 SKATE RENTAL AND IT’S FREE, EVERY TUESDAY AT 8:00 P.M. >> Tati: THIS WILL BE ME COMING THROUGH. GOOD JOB, VERY GOOD JOB. THAT’S AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE YOU. COME OVER HERE. I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET YOU MORE CAMERA TIME.
>> THIS IS OUR SUGAR STARDUST SKATE, RETAILS $169, AND THIS IS ONE OF OUR BEST SELLERS. >> Tati: AND THEY COME IN PINK? >> THEY COME IN PINK AND BLACK AS WELL. AND ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SKATES. WE DO CUSTOM ORDERS.
IF YOU HAVE A PAIR OF JORDANS, WE CAN PUT THEM ON A PAIR OF SKATES. >> Tati:
source
