Roller skating revival sweeps through Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — While taking a Sunday stroll, you may see a group of rollerbladers near Leadbetter Beach.
They’re called the SB Rollers, a weekly skate club bringing back a blast from the past.
Terrance Brown is a former college football player who works as a personal trainer in town.
After losing 80% of his business when the pandemic hit, he decided to lace up some skates.
Soon afterward, he founded SB Rollers and the group has grown ever since.
“The speed of it, it's like lightening,” he said. “You see one person one week and you see four new people the next week."
Over the past year, plenty of people have been stuck inside, isolated from others.
Yet this outdoor activity offers physical and mental benefits.
Shane Langhans has been skating with the group since its inception this summer.
“People can be outside exercising and interacting without fear,” he said.
“Not only are you working out, but you're actually having fun and it's so enjoyable,” Brown said. “A lot of people want to get out and do that."
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, social interactions have been strained.
However, this group is bonding people together with a roller-skating resurgence.
“It’s definitely kept my sanity,” Langhans said. “If it wasn't for this, I’d probably be in a pretty bad place emotionally.”
Masks are encouraged but not enforced by the group, as everyone tries to stay six feet apart.
And it's not just rollerblades, you can also spot skateboards, scooters and bikes in the group, along with a whole lot more.
Yasmin Solis is a fourth grader at Foothill Elementary School who just started skating.
“The point here is to not be afraid on rollerblades or skates,” she said. “It's really fun."
With every twist and turn, the skating speaks for itself.
“The fact that we roll around in a circle all day and listen to music, it just feels so complete,” she said. “It's really cool."
“That's the beauty of skating, you know that it speaks for itself and speaks its own language,” Brown concluded.
Anyone is welcome to join SB Rollers by showing up on Sundays in the parking lot across from SBCC’s La Playa Stadium.
