You’re watching NBC 16 News at 6 30. with the advancement of Technology outdoor activities like roller skating took a big hit in the early 2000s but now a local group is once again strapping on their skates and heading back outside NBC 16 Sports Anchor Ronald Clark has their story I’d love to
You know find a flat uh and friendly space and a fun space for people to come and congregate and express themselves since the closure of Skate World it’s been tough for roller skating fans to find a new home but one group in Eugene is trying to solve that issue and it All
Began just like this introduction with the dream I was just working in the garden and I just had a vision of a village of people on Wheels all supporting one another you know whether they find themselves on the bike trails at the skate park and hopefully you know
Bringing back a roller rink to the Eugene Springfield area in May of 2023 Eric Louie’s Vision became a bit clearer when he took over the former community in bowls Instagram page and rebranded it as a Eugene roller Village the focus for CIB was mainly the skate park and I kind
Of had to acknowledge that it wanted to grow past that and it kind of had a dip in popularity so that was kind of the time when we were trying to find somebody else to take over and expand in a matter of months Louie has grown the group welcoming skaters with various
Backgrounds and experience I’m 68 I started skating when it’s about 40. I was like a newborn calf like trying to stay up I actually was ice skating at the ice skating rink but then covid closed the ice skating rink so I needed to skate but there wasn’t a place except
For outside I hopped on a skateboard at 13 as a way to get around and hang out with friends just being in the city it’s a good way to move around the activity of roller skates and being on roller skates what does that sort of do for you
What is the benefit or what is that feeling like to you to be on roller skates and you know be in the community and bring this group together yeah so once you strap on your roller skates you have no other option but to be in the present moment you know just being in
The present moment is right where I want to be and bringing others into that place roller skating is a great vehicle for that Louis says he has been working alongside some students at the University of Oregon to bring a roller rink back to the area in Eugene I’m Ronald Clark
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