Where To Skate

A quick Google search shows that the Sacramento area has six roller-skating rinks. And, according to Gabby Miller, a spokesperson for the city of Sacramento, there are 14 parks open to roller skaters.

I visited a few of those parks on a recent Sunday, but I didn’t skate. The posted rules were aimed at skateboarders and in-line skaters, not roller skaters, and I was intimidated by the structures: ramps, bowls, pipes. Lots of concrete, and I’m no Estro Jen. I watched as a kid on in-line skates collided with a skateboarder. Both were OK, but it made me wonder: Where do seasoned skaters skate in Sacramento?

The short answer, according to Jackie England, is almost everywhere (while wearing the right gear). She’s the administrator behind the Greater Sacramento Outdoor Skate’s Facebook page and a coach for Sacramento Roller Derby’s junior program. England, who goes by the skate name Jacked RipHer, took up roller derby when she was 39.

“I thought it was really cool and exciting, and having grown up as an athlete, I was drawn to sports in general. [Derby is] an all-female focused sport that is really hard-hitting and intense. You don’t see that in very many other sports besides maybe rugby. And that appealed to me a lot. I was definitely a deer on ice when I first started,” England says.

How does she feel about coaching? “I love my kids so much. They’re amazing, inspiring and strong. And even if they come in smaller or maybe socially awkward or don’t feel like they fit in anywhere else, derby is a good home for them. Just like it is for adults. It’s a really strong-knit community.” Community is a word I heard repeatedly from the skaters I interviewed. England practices endurance skating with other skaters along the American River Trail. She skates in West Sacramento from Drake’s: The Barn to Discovery Park. She skates in Pride parades. She skates at Granite Skate Park and Shasta Skate Park, the hockey rink at Ernie Sheldon Park in Folsom, and various basketball courts.

For skate park tips and etiquette, she recommends the website Chicks in Bowls. They include making sure you can roll backward and forward on level ground and learning to fall correctly before you hit the skate park.

Jennifer Davis, one of the co-founders of 2-Raw Sk8rs, likes the wood floor at Sunrise Rollerland. She’s been skating for 50 years. Together with Kandi Greene, since 2009 she has hosted monthly and annual skate parties for adults. It’s $18 in advance and $25 at the door. Davis says they don’t do it for the money; it’s to keep skating alive.

Learn to dance on skates: rollerdance.com

All things roller derby: sacramentorollerderby.com

Evening roller-skating events for adults: 2rawsk8rs.com

Roller-skate tips: Queer Girl Straight Skates on YouTube

Learn more about “United Skates” documentary: unitedskatesfilm.com

How To Learn (or Relearn) To Skate

Like England, Angela Rohrer (Boss Taco) and Amanda Dunham (LOLz Lemon) are enthusiastic about skating and roller derby. Sacramento Roller Derby’s last game, called a bout, was in February 2020—due to the pandemic, they’ve been on hiatus. While they had planned to restart in December, the weather didn’t cooperate. There’s a tentative schedule for 2023.

Sacramento is a roller-skating-friendly city, Dunham says, which should make it easy to learn or relearn how to skate. Although there aren’t as many as before, we still have roller-skating rinks. You can join a rollerskating group: Cap City Rollers, Greater Outdoor Skates, SacQuadSquad. You can access Sacramento Roller Derby’s skate library and videos. You can take an introductory class—Roller Derby 101—and learn how to fall properly.

Don’t stand up straight, get low, bend your knees and wear safety gear. Spend time—lots of time—on skates, Rohrer and Dunham tell me, everyone tells me. You’re in it for the long haul. If you aren’t falling, you aren’t trying. England reminds me not to worry about what I look like when I skate. When I’m ready, I could try out for roller derby. I might not be the oldest skater out there.