Linking into our cool skater coverage in this month issue, we take a look at what Brighton needs to make it an even better place to skate.
Brighton has a rich heritage of 150 years of roller skating, started by the Victorians in the late 1800s. We think it is now time to revive this historical provision and have roller sports once again accomodated on Brighton seafront for all to enjoy. The global boom in both roller and inline skating since the pandemic means there are even more skaters in Brighton than ever before. Skating is no longer a minority sport and has regular participants aged 4 to 74 years old. With multiple new sporting and seafront development plans in process, we think Brighton would greatly benefit from such a space.
Check out this cool video from the Brighton Slate Night team which looks at the long, interesting and passionate history of roller skating in Brighton & Hove, looking ay some of the the luxury venues which hosted the rinks and the rich and diverse community which, to this day, continues to enjoy rolling along, fiction free in this great city by the sea but have no specific facilities on which to safely enjoy the sport.
Skating has found plenty of new fans in an era that has seen us going in and out of lockdowns, providing a doable outdoor activity and a release from the mental strains of being forced to stay inside for weeks on end. Many will be familiar with the sight of the Brighton Tuesday Night Street Skate, which sees – when it’s allowable – groups of up to around 70 quad and inline skaters roll through the city, often dressed up and sporting lights rolling along with their cycle pulled sound system with speaker back pack and the best vibe in town.
Brighton Skate was founded in 2010 by Kris Ward, aka Skatemeister, with Liam Boraman, “just for fun so people could skate together as a group”. Kris says: “We don’t know what sport we like until we give it a go. Just watching someone skate well in any way can give you inspiration to at least have a go. The feeling you get from skating has been described as floating or a flying sensation. The freedom you get from skating is amazing, you can skate in many different places and locations and also in groups and with many different people. The skate community in Brighton is second to none, which also leads to friendships and gives out a general positive vibe. “As well as a physical activity, skating has great mental health benefits too.
“Skaters I have met over the years said that the Brighton Skate had helped them through tough times in their lives, giving them a distraction from the issues they were dealing with. I started Brighton skate on one visit to join a street skate in London called London Skate, which is a street skate through the streets of London.
“I am hoping Brighton & Hove City Council will take note of the roller skating scene and provide Brighton seafront with a skate space for not just the UK skate scene but the international skate scene to draw attention to one of the most vibrant cities in the UK. Please show your support for this proposal by watching the video about and then commenting in the comments. Every comment counts and gets us closer to our goal.”
You can learn more about how to join and join in with the free fully inclusive skate night fun of the Brighton Night Street Skate on their Facebook page here:
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