Photo by Luke Carneal
As my friends and I pulled into the Galaxy Roller Rink parking lot in Groton, I had no idea what to expect. My only previous knowledge of roller rink culture had been informed by the T.I.-starring 2006 film A.T.L., which, as the name suggests, takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. I knew that Groton’s roller scene would be entirely different.
While the outside of Galaxy resembles a storage warehouse facility, once you get past the drab exterior, you will find a world inside teeming with colors, flashing lights, “hot jamz” and an eclectic group of skaters stylishly going around in circles.
After paying the reasonable $2 student entrance fee (Wednesday night is College Night, with $4 off entry with a student ID), plus another $2 for rollerblade rentals, my friends and I laced up and inched our way to the track, intent on keeping our balance in front of these seasoned veterans. As I stumbled awkwardly onto the track, it felt like merging onto a major highway for the first time: I was both excited and scared out of my wits.
It was a busy night, with at least 100 people on the rink, and my friends and I seemed to be the only beginners in the whole joint. I watched as a young man dashed recklessly right towards a wall, only to casually jump four feet in the air right before contact and literally skate onto the concrete for a second or two, before kicking off.
And the show was far from over. I looked over to see another skilled Galaxy patron, frozen in the middle of the floor in a breakdance position, with his skates jutting over his head and his arms holding his body up in a handstand. A roller rink is not limited to the art of skating. There is always room for b-boying.
While this exposition of talent was unfolding before us, my friends and I were having some difficulties mastering the form and technique that is required of an expert “blader.” “It’s like ice skating, but there aren’t as many walls to use for stopping,” Anna Williams ’13 explained. “This can create problems.” Indeed, being able to brake on roller blades is decidedly more difficult than with ice skates.
As Annie Cutler ’13 discovered, sometimes the use of another human must take the place of a wall. This rookie skater found that crashing into another skater was a very effective way of bringing herself to a full stop. After this collision, Cutler kept an optimistic attitude about the incident. “Sure, I may end up having two large bruises on my leg, but that’s not going to stop me from having a great time!” The positive vibes in a roller rink are simply infectious.
As the night started winding down and us Camels were still clinging to the border walls, a kind rollerblading gentleman, who looked strikingly like Allen Ginsberg, took it upon himself to teach us newbies how to blade. “Start with your feet together and push outward like this,” he instructed his flock of eager students. We made our way around the rink a few times with the bohemian rollerblader and improved our abilities slightly.
Before taking off to resume his normal speed, the gentleman turned to us and said, “I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight.” With the hot jamz, disco ball, breakdancers, and compassionate people, it is hard not to enjoy oneself.
As the public skating session came to a close, Emma Wittenberg ’13, who had initially been somewhat skeptical of the roller blade scene, exclaimed, “Well now I know what I’m going to do every Wednesday night!” Galaxy made her a believer. •
