Kris Menace Feat. Emil 'Walkin' On The Moon' (Official Video) - Out Now

music therapy.

Sole Mate

Finding the perfect rollerskate can sometimes lead one to wonder what the hell makes one skate better than any other.  Or why most rollerskaters tend to gravitate towards a certain boot or wheel.  I get a ton of emails from folks searching for the answers to their skate search questions and so I thought I would share some pointers to those who might be contemplating buying rollerskates themselves.  The most common misconception people have is that their only choice is to buy the skates that are pre-configured at the skate shop or roller rink.  Not true.  My first piece of advice to anyone is to not go this route.  First, go try on a basic Riedell skate boot to get your skate size, and then research your best price options on the internet.  

Once you know your skate size, you can begin to build your skate from the most fitting of the below four components. 

BOOT 

Skate boots can vary widely in price-- from a lowkey $60 suede "outdoor" boot to a ridiculously rock solid $500 leather competitive boot.  I witness a lot of novice skaters drop entirely way too much money on an ultra slick Riedell competitive boot, only to develop oozing blisters and a deep disdain for skating because they bought a boot intended for triple axles.  Not necessary.  Keep in mind that your first boot should allow movement and comfort.  You're going to have to skate for years to wear out your first pair, so choose something comfortable and light-- the more expensive a boot is, the heavier its weight, typically.   For the more adventurous and style conscious types, there is always the option of finding a cool pair of high top sneakers to create a custom skate from.  Custom skates can be created from everything from dress spats to cowboy boots-- though I would not recommend either of these straight out the gates.  Creating a custom skate will not cost you any more than mounting the individual components around any other boot.  But taking it to the right person to mount is critical.  

WHEELS 

Perhaps the most important consideration in determining the perfect rollerskate is one's choice of wheels.  There is a fairly broad spectrum of wheels to choose from (measured in mm as well as hardness "A"), but the most important considerations are: how fast do you want to skate and what surface will you typically be skating on.  The gold standard for indoor rollerskaters are Bones Elites-- which offer the perfect wheel surface for supreme speed, but will set you back about $90 (8 wheels).  However,  with normal rotation, Bones will last the average skater 10 or more years due to their hardness (103A).    

If you plan to do a lot of outdoor recreational skating, a skateboard wheel is the optimal choice.  Why?  Because a softer wheel absorbs the shock of skating on pavement.  Try rollerskating down a Venice street in Bones and you will quickly appreciate the shock absorption of a softer wheel.  Being a devoted bike path skater, I roll on vintage Sims Snakes, a circa 1978 skateboard wheel which is highly resilient on outdoor surfaces and the perfect freestyle wheel.  A contemporary equivalent would be a set of Kryptonics (78A-92A), which will offer a smooth ride on rough and cracked surfaces-- a must for outdoor skaters who want to brave the city streets as easily as the bike path or sidewalk.  

BEARINGS

Along with the right set of wheels, one should never underestimate the power of a solid set of bearings.  I won't recommend anything but Bones, so I will offer up selections from the most reasonable (but still excellent) to the most ridiculous bearings the vast majority of novice through professional skaters use.

Bones Reds -- a perfectly good set of reasonably priced bearings.  Don't bother looking for more affordable bearings.  These are the baseline. Price $29 (set of 16)

Bones Super Reds -- some slight advantages over the plain ol' Reds... mostly to be seen in overall longevity.  Price $49 (set of 16)

Bones Swiss -- these are the standard for most serious rollerskaters.  Until you can appreciate the differences, opt for the more affordable version. Price $85 (set of 16)

Bones Ceramics -- these bearings boast silicon nitride balls rather than chromium steel.  I recommend investing in these bearings for a pair of indoor only rollerskates.  The elements of water, sand and cement would 

wreak havoc on a set of these; but a pristine set on an indoor wood floor 

would be divine! Price $199 (set of 16)

PLATES

It isn't until one is spinning or skating on extreme edges that the type of plate begins to make a major difference in skating ability.  I happily rolled on a basic nylon plastic plate made by Sure Grip for about five years until I found a pair of Snyder Imperial aluminum plates that had a 45 degree angle with adjustable pivot pins.  What?  Exactly.  The setback with this transition was that I went from a virtually zero weight plate that allowed for effortless kicks and no gravitational pull to a skate that was much heavier-- and impacted jumps and kicks tremendously (a.k.a., hip joint pain).  The payoff of the switch was in suddenly being able to position myself (leaning, balancing, etc.) in ways I never had before.  Skating backwards while doing a full leg extension and leaning at a 20 degree angle.... that is something that was possible, but not easy to maintain gracefully on a nylon plate.  The construction of an aluminum plate guarantees a smoother, stronger skate on the bike path too (aluminum trucks make for a much longer stride).  Whatever your choice, the important thing to keep in mind is: should you choose to not start out with a high end plate, there are advantages to introducing one later on, when you can appreciate the differences.  If you begin with one, you will feel a heavier skate beneath, but no real difference with mechanics until you are at a semi-advanced level.  NOTE: skate plates can run smaller than skate boots so make sure to ask before purchasing.    

MOUNTING 

Assuming you acquire your rollerskate components at one or more websites or skate shops and have a pile of disparate parts, you could be asking "What's next?"  Answer: Finding someone who can mount the boot to the plate.  My strong advice is to ask fellow rollerskaters who they take their skates to for mounting and repairs.  If you can't find a reliable local source,throw your skate parts in a box and mail to Richard Humphrey, who is an expert at mounting shoes, boots and skates to plates.   

INSOLES

Once you get your skates home, do yourself a favor and take out those flimsy paper thin insoles that come with the skate and treat yourself to a pair of $20 insoles purchased at a running shoe store.  I promise that the right insoles can make even the most modest of skates ride like heaven.   

If this all sounds like a whole lot of work, go ahead and opt for the shelf model and swap out the wheels and bearings to high end indoor or outdoor styles (basic skate models usually opt for the lowest end wheel and bearing options).  But keep in mind that a pair of rollerskates can last you a lifetime; if you compare a $200 purchase to the expenses associated with other recreational activities like cycling, snowboarding or golf, the investment seems almost trivial.   

B.Y.O.A. = Bring Your Own Afro

Whenever I am asked what inspired the creation of Rollerstar, I usually  begin launching into a rapid rundown of each and every live performance, music video, private party, summer concert series or other event I, or any other skaters I know, have been asked to perform in over the past twelve years-- only to explain that 99.9% of them were centered around a 70's Rollerdisco theme... as if, after 30 odd years, a celebration of that era remains the ONLY occasion for which one might throw on a pair of quad rollerskates.  Ever.  

Now, don't get me wrong.  I myself am a product of the 70's and feel insanely nostalgic whenever I recall unwrapping my first real pair of rollerskates in 1979 and heading out on the smooth pavement to the tunes of Saturday Night Fever-- only to be swept up by Skatetown U.S.A., Roller Boogie, and Xanadu a year later.  I think it's safe to assume that any young girl growing up in the San Fernando Valley at the time was a certified devotee of rollerskating.  The rollerdisco phenomenon that swept the country resonated strongly with Valley Girls as we were surrounded-- north, south, east and west-- by roller rinks.  But unbeknownst to the rest of the world, rollerskating actually survived the rollerdisco era and evolved with popular music into contemporary genres like pop, neosoul, house, electronic, rap and hip-hop-- in fact, it continues to evolve to this very day, in unimaginable ways.  


People's imaginations continue to take a turn down Disco Lane because they haven't been afforded the opportunity to glimpse into the subcultures of roller rink and recreational park skaters that have thrived since 1980 and witness the modern adaptation of the art form into freestyle, artistic, street and jam expressions set to the popular music of TODAY.  Rollerstar was created to show the masses all that the world of entertainment is missing by looking to the past every time it pays homage to rollerskating.  The party is over here, in 2010.  And it's far more fly than the tired afro you've been wearing since 1980.  


Rollerdisco Hall of Fame:


Austin Powers Goldmember Rollerdisco Scene


WAMU Rollerdisco Commercial



Flight of the Conchords - "Ladies of the World" music video



Madonna Goes To The Disco on Skates for "Sorry" Video



Jessica Simpson -- 70's Rollerdisco!!!

ROLLERSTAR ~ RETURNS

In spite of the delays involved in bringing this next episode of Rollerstar together, I am absolutely ecstatic to share our newest creation with the world.  What was once a dream of mine to create a place where devotees of dancing on rollerskates could share their unique styles with an eager audience has grown into a full-fledged mission to foster the art form of dancing on rollerskates in a creative atmosphere void of all expectation.  

I hope that you all will join us March 27th, 2010 for another spectacular roller-collaboration.  Bring your friends, family and anyone else who needs a little inspiration to put their skates back on!

www.rollerstarlive.com

Solve et Coagula — Separate, and Join Together

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
                   -- Martin Luther King, Jr.  

While Mercury Retrograde swiftly made its exit the week of January 11, 2010, taking the contents of my hard drive with it, I was suddenly forced to take inventory of the exhaustive amount of Rollerstar ~ Part Deux which existed therein. Ever the eager student of alchemy, I assembled a digital laboratory to recoup my soul's creation from its separated state; but only came to the daunting conclusion that my scheduled show on January 22, 2010 would have to endure a delay.


I liken the creation of each unique Rollerstar installment to giving birth and therefore felt a sense of frustration upon realizing that I would not be able to deliver on time, according to schedule. But then I stumbled upon the wise Dr. Martin Luther King., Jr.'s quote above and surrendered to a higher cause-- that of painstaking excellence.  My commitment to creating a production worth being proud of is far more important than accomplishing the incomplete.  I hope the wait will prove worth it for all of you inquiring as to the next show date.  Please know I am in the lab, channeling Hermes Trismegistus, transmuting base fragments into an elixir for the senses... Rollerstar ~ Part Deux, I envisage-- will blow any remaining stereotypes of rollerskating well beyond wherever Mercury has taken pains to steal my previously created labors.    

  

Angeleno Magazine Covers Rollerstar in its December '09 issue!

Plan B --

The past year has been a remarkable journey for me.  Not only because of the realization of Rollerstar; more important than even that was the confirmation that only in taking a great risk was I able to shape my life into that which I imagined.

In all honesty, until I shared my carefully guarded creation with the world, I was not convinced that a decade long apprenticeship on wheels had proven itself a wise investment of my time.  In spite of having no example to follow and zero promise of return, I embarked upon a very unorthodox career change just over one year ago, deciding in the midst of an economic crisis, "What the hell... I may as well manifest my dreams in the process."  Friends and family observed with very concerned "Are you sure about this?" expressions on their faces.  At times I wondered the same myself.  But when is anything worth doing a sure thing?  Never, that's when.

Fortunately for me (or unfortunately... depending on how you view your glass), what brought my decision on was the departure from a career I had been holding onto for all of the wrong reasons.  What made this decision frightening was that it preceded the onset of our current financial crisis by a mere few weeks.  Facing the stark reality of some really dry times approaching, I asked myself what the single most unique contribution I could make to the global economy was at that point in time and the answer became quite clear.  In a pool of thousands, with little to no enthusiasm for my present career path, I stood to starve in the current state of the nation's economy if I continued on the same path.  I needed to tap into something much deeper within myself to ride this impending wave out.  I needed to turn a dream into an action plan.

But doing so is far more difficult than following the status quo.  That is probably why so few people dare to make the same decision as I did.  Far too often we are told to be rational in our approach to securing a livelihood.  My approach was hardly rational.  Continuously, we are assaulted with fear-based messages questioning our deeply held ambitions.  My ambition was foolishly nostalgic.  Thankfully, I was spot on in my assumption that the world was ready for my foolishly nostalgic and irrational creation.   Sometimes circumstances that prevent us from following the soundest course are truly a blessing in disguise.  In my case, I am thankful my resume got lost in the thousands piling up since last September.  For if it had been circulating in a boom, as opposed to a depression,  Rollerstar would still only exist in my mind.  And that is not where it belongs.