When most people think of roller skating, they might picture a trip to the local rink, a retro-themed party or skaters cruising along a boardwalk on a sunny afternoon. But there’s another side of the sport that many people have never seen: artistic roller skating.
To learn more about what it's really like to be part of this world, CPL queried Anuja Raghavendra, a local artistic roller skater, about her experiences. She shared what makes this unique sport so special. (Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.)
How would you describe artistic roller skating to someone who isn’t familiar with it? What differentiates it from roller skating that people see in public parks or in mainstream media?
"Whenever someone asks me about artistic roller skating, my usual response is 'It’s kind of like ice skating but on roller skates.' However, if I’m being more specific here, that’s only one part of it.
Kind of like how gymnastics has different events, like vaulting or balance beams, roller skating also has different events. One event, freestyle, is similar to what ice skaters do in the Olympics. There are other events too. Dance, for example, is kind of similar to ballroom dance. Skaters skate a predetermined waltz or foxtrot.
There are also figures, which are hard to relate to anything familiar, but it’s an event where skaters skate in a circle, do turns and stuff and try to stay on the line. Loops are similar to that, too, except the circle is a lot smaller and instead of turns, you have to stay on a loop."
How did you get involved with artistic roller skating, and how long have you been doing it?
"In 2nd grade, I think, I went to one of the roller-skating school parties that most schools in Plymouth-Canton do. I ended up really liking roller skating, even if I was pretty bad at it. I ended up going to more parties after that and really enjoyed it.
I then joined classes at the rink that those parties were at a few years later, because I wanted to learn skating tricks and stuff. I started taking those classes in 4th or 5th grade. Then, of course, COVID hit in 5th grade, and I rejoined the classes at the end of 6th grade. Then I joined the actual artistic roller-skating team a few months later.
It’s been about five years since then. Doing this sport has taught me a lot and influenced a large part of my life. I can't help but love it!"
What are some of your favorite moves or routines that you do as an artistic roller skater?
"This is a fun question because I was literally just talking about this with my friends on the team a few days ago.
I compete in two events, the ones I described earlier, dance and figures. My favorite dance that I’ve learned so far is the Willow Waltz. I love it because it just feels so fancy, and I love the music that goes along with it. Also, the name reminds me of butterflies.
It’s hard to describe a dance with words, so my best advice is if you want to learn more about this dance or any of the other events, look them up on YouTube. You might encounter some really old videos because roller skating was much more popular a few decades ago, but they’re still really helpful.
My favorite figure is 20, I believe, but I always forget the names of figures because it’s hard to remember numbers. I just like doing the specific turn in the figure. It’s funny, too, that these happen to be my favorite dances/figures, since I don’t compete in either this year. Hopefully next year though!"
You are part of the Skatin’ Station II Artistic Skating Club, right? Can you talk a little about the Club?
"Yes, I am! My favorite thing about our club at the Skatin’ Station is mainly the community. I always feel comfortable and like I can talk to anyone. Everyone’s super friendly, since I joined and up until now. No matter how I’m feeling at practice, I always feel happy talking to my fellow skaters.
We also do a lot of fun things outside of skating, like Christmas parties and stuff like that. And even while skating, everyone is super supportive. Especially at meets. Whenever we can, we always watch and support people during their events (and cheer as loudly as possible). All in all, our team is kind of like a family."
If someone were interested in getting involved with artistic roller skating, how should they start?
"I always try to encourage people if they’re interested in roller skating to just start! It’s not like other sports where you have to try out for a team or prove your skills or anything like that.
To join, you just join beginner skating lessons (not the speed skating ones—that’s a different thing entirely, though I will not discourage you from trying those out instead if that’s what you're more interested in), and eventually someone will take you on to start private lessons and then join a team.
That’s another thing I like about roller skating. It’s sort of personalized, so you improve at your own pace. And, because lessons are private once you join the team, how you learn to skate is tailored towards you!
Additionally, I’d like to say that this sport is really beginner-friendly. There are multiple levels, so once you join the team, most people start competing within a year. And competing is super fun. You get to travel a lot because many bigger meets are out of state, and I’ve met so many people from different states and backgrounds. It’s so diverse!"
What is one thing you wish most people knew about artistic roller skating?
"My thing about artistic roller skating is that I just wish more people knew it existed. Roller skating is super fun and has been a major part of my identity for the last five years. I also strongly encourage anyone who’s interested to join.
Roller skating is an activity that requires a lot of discipline, like any other sport, but it is also very rewarding. It's also just super fun getting to do different events."
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