Roller Disco Era

Peak Skating Days

• During the 1980s, I was a certified roller disco master, logging at least 10 hours a week on the wheels.
• It was an incredible community with a large social circle through the rink, dating within the scene, and was the best way to get exercise while expressing myself in a healthy, socially acceptable setting.

The Elite Gear Rig

• I skated on the absolute gold standard:
  • Boots: Riedell 297 high-tops (providing the best leather and ankle support for deep edges and precise footwork).
  • Plates: Snyder Imperial 45-degree dance plates (incredibly fluid and responsive for tight transitions).
  • Bearings: Fafnir bearings (for an infinite, smooth roll).
• I always used dance plugs and never toe stoppers. Standard rental skates with bulky stoppers and stiff boots are pure agony compared to a precision rig.

Developing My Moves

• My breakthrough moment happened at Oaks Park Rink (before they instituted restrictive "forward/backward only" directional lines).
• I discovered my signature dance moves to Billy Squier's song "The Stroke". The heavy, metronome-like beat was perfect for launching high-kicks that cleared my waist in exact time with the rhythm.
• Learning to skate backwards took about a two-year grind after that initial showoff phase. The key realization was weight distribution: forward skating relies on the heels while the skates follow through, whereas flipping backwards requires shifting weight to the toes so the trucks can self-steer.
• Once I mastered that weight shift, I was completely comfortable spinning around on a whim.
• I developed a signature "drunk walk" to show off—deliberately making it look like I was falling down, only to flawlessly recover forward, backward, or sideways. My classic "mic drop" move was hitting the drunk walk and immediately skating straight off the floor to the snack bar.

The Rinks

• Most of my final days of skating were spent at Hillsboro Skate World (on Witch Hazel Road), which I transitioned to after Beaverton Skate World closed down.
• This was the rink where I met Bill Harp, who was working as the rink's DJ, starting a lifelong friendship and eventual business partnership centered around our shared love of performative showmanship.

Current Status

• My legendary Riedell setup is currently sitting in a storage unit buried among 20 cubic yards of unlabeled boxes.
• I have been looking into getting back out there; Oaks Park runs a monthly "80s Disco" adult night that would be the perfect venue to lace them up again.