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JANUARY 2006 In January, the Wizards
on Wheels of Philadelphia, PA performed on stage to Kirk
Franklin’s song “Looking for Comedian/Actor Steve
Harvey had a brief cameo appearance on the skate scene
when he hosted a skating party in Troy, Michigan. The entry line
was long and the rink was packed with both skaters and an overwhelming
number of spectators. Getting a good skate in was not a problem
because there were more people along the outside walls watching
than there were on the floor. Linda Corley of the Wizards on Wheels was featured in a February issue of “Mom’s on the Move”. Skateology (formerly
Skatemasters USA, Columbus Chapter) hosted its first annual Icy
Hot skate jam and yes it was definitely hot. Skaters from the East
Coast to the West coast braved the Ohio winter conditions to show
up for this one and they participated in the many activities planned
such as the Three-on-Three basketball tournament, Karaoke, Ice Skating
and . . . . skating in a night club! MARCH 2006 In March, the movie section of AOL's Black Voices published an article on Tyrone Dixon and his documentary 8 Wheels and Some Soul Brotha Music. The article focused on the film project and the motivation behind the making. The NSC Freestyle
Rollers played host to a sold out crowd at the 2006
Rolling in the Carolinas skate jam. It was a first for
many and a favorite for many veterans. Friday night was so well
attended that it felt like a Saturday night main event. The dance
party at the hotel may have been a step back in time but for the
most part, the 70’s was the focus as the players stepped in
style and showed their stuff at the Player’s Ball. APRIL 2006 April was Skaters
in Music Month as Jeanette Harris (DC) released a new Gospel CD
titled “He Cares” The Wizards on Wheels (Philly) were back in the spotlight as they were on the voting ballot for an Apollo Legend award. The Milwaukee skating community sought help from skaters nationwide as two young boys, Quadrevion Henning (12) and Purvis Virginia-Parker (11), were discovered missing. Their search made national headlines and in the end, the boys were found in a local pond, victims of accidental drowning.
Alicia Reece (OH) celebrated her birthday with Bootsy Collins at the Castle and all skaters were invited to roll P-Funk style. Columbus Finest on Wheels hosted their annual skate jam where new-to-the-scene skaters from Pittsburg emerged to join the fun. Skills on Wheels
in St. Louis passed the decade mark by one when they hosted their
11th annual skate extravaganza at one of the oldest African American
owned rinks in the country, Skate King. This event
is not only known for the skating but for it’s unique hospitality
and activities in the Holidome at the host hotel. Milwaukee skaters
showed up in large numbers for this one adding more to what has
always been a packed house. MAY 2006 The 2006 Adrenalin
Awards and Skate Jam was extremely nice this year. There
were just about as many Mother’s Day weekend, Midwest skaters headed back to Columbus for the Dyme Rollers party where the C-Land Freestyle Rollers from Cleveland put their best skate forward and put on a show. The Detroit
Rhythmic Rollers hosted its second Bon Voyage Cruise
and Skate on the Royal Caribbean Cruise
Ship, “Navigator of the Seas”. It was a week-long excursion
of relaxation and fun cruising to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St.
Maarten and St. Thomas. Plans are underway for the 2008
Cruise and Skate so make sure you don’t miss the
ship (it’s definitely not a boat by any means!). JUNE 2006 The Midwest Collaboration took their party to Louisville, KY and continued the rivalry on the softball field. Kentucky’s professional baseball players (it’s not a secret anymore) came through as winners again, the second year in a row, but only by two points. Keep watching SkateGroove for the location of the 2007 Midwest Collaboration party. JULY
2006 The next week, Ms. Joi Stafford, often times referred to as “Queen of the South” celebrated her 50th birthday with a birthday party skate jam in the ATL. Indianapolis based skate club, the Naptown Real Rollers made local news with an article in "Intake" Magazine, a section of the Indianapolis Star. The article focused on one of the members in particular, Mr. Keith Paschall, who was interviewed about his life and the role rollerskating has played in it.
In August, the Canadian skate group, Way Cool Rollers had a television spot on History TV as part of a documentary that talked about the history of roller skating, it’s inventors and what it has evolved into today. Sistas with Skates continued the tradition of Rollin’ in the ‘Nati. In 2005, Rob “Showtime” Hunter retired from hosting national events in Cincinnati and another local skater, Stacey “Ms. Rollindiva” Davis took hold of the torch and held an event that included special performances and a visit from a Negro League All-Star baseball player, Mr. Charlie “Whip” Davis. On the national front, airlines beefed up security restrictions for travelers. Aircraft passengers on commercial airlines were no longer allowed to carry liquids or gels of any type on board but they could be checked in. Also in aviation news, two rink operators Mike Finley, 52, of Corbin, KY., owner of Finley Fun Center and Holly Gilbert, General Manager of Finley's Fun Centers in London, KY, perished in a commuter airline crash on their way to the National RSA convention in Reno, NV. SEPTEMBER 2006 Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta was somewhat different this year. The events were split into two different entities, Skate-a-Thon, hosted by Johnny Perkins and Sk8-A-Thon hosted by Joi Stafford. With two events in one weekend, there were twice as many things to do for the skaters such as bowling, a block party, dancing, comedy and poetry to name a few. There was a surprise proposal of marriage at center wood when Mike “Diddy” Giles popped the question to his girlfriend Ciarah. At the end of September, the Virginia Skate Connection II hosted an event that showcased a live band in addition to music played by the DJ for skaters to roll to. This was something new for the majority of the skaters that attended but they left the event thinking “Wow, rolling to live music was different and yet an enjoyable experience!” Up north in Michigan,
Tee Jones of the Detroit Rhythmic Rollers
ended the month by celebrating her 60th birthday with a birthday
party/skate jam packed with so many skaters that it turned out to
be “Not your average birthday party”. Ms. Tee was pleasantly
surprised and very much in appreciation of all her guests who attended. The New York members of our skate family were featured in a music video by Rapture for their tracked called “Get Myself Into It”. Some of the recognizable faces in this video were Adrenalin Nominee and Roll Bounce skate double, Mahaujah Turner, DJ Big Bob, and skate club Energy in the Middle. The 2006 Black Movie Awards was broadcast on TNT where both of our recent African-American roller skating films, “Roll Bounce” and “ATL”, received multiple nominations. The Naptown Real Rollers held their annual event where skaters get to roll twice. Not, not two nights of skating but one day of skating outdoors at the Circle City Classic parade and then again at the main event. Back on the East Coast,
skaters in New Jersey tested their stamina by seeing how long they
could roll at the Millennium Sunrise Session. NOVEMBER
2006 In November, the National African American Roller Skating Archives was one of the collections featured in a spectacular full color book "Legacy Treasures of BLACK History" published by National Geographic. The book is available at the Howard University Bookstore at www.hubookstore.com. For more information about the book and the project, contact Tasha Klusmann of Our Family Skate Association at www.ourfamilyskateassociation.com. DECEMBER
2006 The night of December 9 was full of emotion, love, energy and plenty of good skating that made the Scenario an event of dramatic works, good character well as dynamic situations. Although an unexpected situation occurred at no fault of the coordinators, we all should evaluate it and think about what we do, how we do it and find ways to make it better for everyone in 2007 and beyond. The Scenario has always been a nice event and will continue to be in future years.
The legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown, died from heart failure early Christmas morning around 1:45 AM. Brown’s talents will forever be remembered in the skating community, particularly in Chicago where his beats, sounds and lyrics are embodied in what is referred to as “JB Music”. Although not all JB music is derived directly from Brown, this distinctive sound was named for him therefore he will forever be remembered as skaters continue to roll JB Style. James Brown was 73 years old.
That’s it for the 2006 Backward Skate Year in Review. There were so many events in 2006 that were not touched in this review, too many to name without omitting any. It was a good year for skating and we hope skaters will continue to support all of the events advertised on SkateGroove.com, JiveBiscuit and GetYourSk8on and also those not advertised online. - Have a good time
at the rink and keep rollin’! New Baby Skaters Mekhi Omar Babil,
DC/MD (Father: Akim Babil) Marriages Anita Jones and Zakee Madyun,
Cal Skate, Oakland, CA Skaters Lost Along the Way "Swanny Arch-Way
Babe" Thomas, St. Louis, MO Celebrity Passings January 6 - Lou Rawls,
American singer (b. 1933) Photography
and Technical Assistance Special Thanks
to Advertisers Sister Websites |
You”
at the Stellar Awards in Nashville, TN which was aired on television.
The Dogg Pound in Huntsville hosted their 6th Annual
Martin Luther King Skate Jam and things got really twisted when
the ladies stacked up against the men in a game of Twister. The
Atlanta All Stars took home the bowling trophy
and other challengers are ready and waiting to get their hands on
the 2007 trophy. 
(
The
Dream Team Association of DC/MD performed a halftime show
live at the Verizon Center during the Washington Wizards
vs. New York Nicks basketball game. 
new
winners as there were repeat winners. The ladies of Skate-A-Licious
opened the awards ceremony with a dance presentation and the emcee
Shawn Hines (Bronx, NY) did a fantastic job on
stage. Rich Humphrey, the founder of Roller Dance
brought his moves to the Adrenalin Awards where he conducted a Roller
Dance workshop that teaches the art of disco dancing on roller skates.
Keezo
Kane released his third album, “Tha Carnival”
on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label. The album contains 13
tracks showcasing Keezo’s smooth and soulful JB flavor that
people not only can step to but roll to as well. 
