Erin Veda Flow | Rollerskater/Designer
A ROLLER SKATING STORY
ABOUT - PHILOSOPHY - VISION - SKATE THE CITY
My skating story begins in small-town, rural Manitoba. As you can imagine - and probably already know - our winters are fiercely cold and long, limiting our time outdoors. As children, we were all ushered into the art of ice skating at a very young age. This was a winter activity that everyone enjoyed - despite the cold - and prepared us for various ice-skating-related sports, which I did not partake in. My parents recognized my love for music and wisely chose to invest in a musical education in lieu of ice skating sports. I studied classical music extensively - piano, voice, choir, and musical theory - and developed a deep love for electronic music as a result.
My birthday parties growing up were the highlight of my year. My parents would wrangle all my friends and me into our family van and drive us into Winnipeg to roller skate at Saints Roller Rink. The combination of groovy music, multi-colored lights, wild-patterned carpets, disco balls, and dancing on roller skates was everything my soul craved. I even dressed up as a Roller Skater for Halloween one year! I have no recollection of owning a pair of roller skates - the only evidence of this is the mysterious photograph below.
During the few warm months of the year, rollerblading and skateboarding were the go-to for rural teenagers at the time. Since I felt uneasy on a skateboarding, I naturally took up rollerblading and found this to be an enjoyable activity to share with friends. Despite my lack of skateboarding skills/experience, I found myself gravitating towards skateparks anyway to watch skateboarders do their magical things. Sometimes I would follow them around when they went out scouting for cool spots and would watch them set-up and film their cool tricks. I was truly mesmerized by the art of skateboarding and I fell deeply in love with the culture. Skateboarding culture resonates strongly with me still to this day and has - and will always - inform my skate style and philosophy.
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Before my final year of University, I decided to take a short vacation to a small lake town and as I was driving, the local radio station announcer encouraged anyone in the area to come down to the community rink for a Roller Derby Bout. Having no idea what this was and not much to do, I decided "Hey, why not?" and went to check it out. This decision changed the trajectory of my life forever and indefinitely! As I watched the bout take place, I found myself squirming in my chair, I could barely sit still… I wanted so badly to be out there, on skates, playing this electrifying game with these fierce people. I found out that evening that Winnipeg had a Roller Derby League so I rushed home the next day and signed up!
Matt Duboff Photography
The summer I graduated, I decided to take a 2-week trip to Vancouver to visit friends and to meet up with these super cool gals that I followed on Instagram that were hosting Sea Wall skates – founders of Rolla Skate Club : ) I rushed over to this super cool skate shop in the city called RollerGirl to try to get my hands on a pair of Moxi Rollerskates. The universe conspired to make this happen and it all fell into place. Little did I know that I would actually be skating side by side with these amazing skaters and people less than a year later. So thankful to have captured these inspirational moments on film that planted the seed for my future roller skating adventure!
Sea Wall Cruise and Mural Fest 2018 - Archive Footage
Needless to say, I packed up my things and headed back out west the following spring 2019 to ride the wave and join the movement!
Since the move 4 years ago, I have met some of the most amazing people, amazing skaters, and feel blessed to have had the opportunity to skate almost year round. As a result, my skating repertoire has expanded by deep diving into several forms of rollerskating – Skatepark, Jam, Rhythm, Street, Hill, Distance Skating – and I have acquired a diverse range of skills from this journey. Freestyle Dance has always been an important part of my process as well - I have taken skills I’ve learned from dance to unlock my personal skate/dance style.
A Rollerskating Video Story Summer of 2019 - Filmed/Edited by Pip Harding
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In terms of my technique and footwork, credit certainly goes to the next-level skaters in the community that allowed me to skate and learn with them - pre-and-during the pandemic. I am forever grateful to them for patiently taking the time to show me moves and let me flow with them. Also grateful for having access to the few available skate spaces in the area – North Vancouver Shipyards, Central City Fun Park Rink, Rolla Skate Club, and Sunset Beach – allowing me to grow in my craft. Watching countless hours of US rink skating has deeply influenced my rhythm skating and am grateful to have come across Youtubers such as SkateLyfe TV that truly inspired me!! And finally, I am grateful to the art of Skateboarding - which has most certainly informed my skating style - and thankful to the Skateboarding community for creating – and fighting for – skatepark spaces. Thank you, thank you!!!
ROLLERSKATING PHILOSOPHY
A holistic, hybrid approach to rollerskating education and lifestyle through building a personal rollerskating philosophy and style, and developing a disciplined practice for optimal skating.
I always get this indescribable feeling of pure bliss after a good rollerskating session - especially after a progressive skatepark session, hitting the floor hard at a roller rink with friends, or a beautiful, scenic sea wall cruise that never ceases to fill me with pure joy. This blissful transcendent feeling lingers deeply within my soul, long after said session or cruise, sustained for a long period of time. I have yet to find anything that hits quite like it and I crave this deep feeling of satisfaction associated with accomplishing skate goals and letting the creative juices flow. It breathes life into my soul and opens up spiritual doorways within me that I never knew existed. When you are lucky enough to experience this mystical feeling stemming from a particular, tangible thing, you have to ask yourself how and why .... Why do I rollerskate?
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Rollerskating is more than a hobby to me, it’s a lifestyle. As I lived and breathed rollerskating for the past 5 years, a personal philosophy began to emerge that centered around listening to your body, understanding your rhythm, connecting with music, and connecting with others to create an unparalleled symphony of flow movement. I have carried this philosophy over into all sub-genres of rollerskating – Roller Dance, Skatepark, and Streets&Hills – and it has kept me grounded, safe, healthy, in flow, and connected with an extraordinary community of fellow skaters.
Mind, Body, & Injuries
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I strongly believe in paying closer attention to our bodies and mind - which will allow us to skate well into our later years, which is ultimately the goal. Therefore, it is ideal to develop a daily stretching, strength, and mobility routine to keep you limber, prevent injury, and help you unlock your personal roller skating abilities.
I DO NOT believe in pushing yourself well beyond your physical/mental limits of the day or your skill level. Creating a practice around being aware of your limits will not slow your progress down, it will help you achieve your goals over the long term more effectively - without interruption due to an injury. Injuries tend to occur when we are tired, when we don't have an adequate stretch/strength routine, and when we are attempting to skate well above our skill level. I encourage everyone to take it step by step and practice in smaller intervals of time more frequently.
I dislocated my pinky finger at the skatepark a few years back. I was not doing anything spectacular, just lost my footing while chatting with someone on the side near a small ramp. This happened because I was exhausted that day and did not listen to my body; I was not paying attention. Since this injury, I constantly check in with myself to see where I'm at and how I am feeling before I even head out to skate or throughout my skate practice and I encourage you all to do the same. Also, I skate within my skill level and work on certain moves/tricks working up from foundational skills. Yes, it is good to push yourself to get to that next level but taking your time with it - and also reflecting on what step might be missing - may get you there faster.
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Rhythm, Flow, & Personal Style
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I believe that Everyone has Rhythm and everyone has a Personal Style waiting to be unlocked and unleashed. All you need is a few steps and flow. Flow is the essence of everything I do in and outside of Rollerskating. It is fundamental to accessing creativity and allowing innovation to flourish. You can access flow even at a beginner level!!! All you need is some basic understanding of your own personal rhythm, your own connection to music, and some waving arms : ) I aim to help skaters interested in Rhythm skating to access their personal rhythm and style through digging deep into the music they are drawn to and helping tap into flow through body movement. Feeling seen by way of your own creative expression on skates is the best feeling in the world.
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I encourage all rollerskaters to give all forms of rollerskating a try, as a way to expand your skill-set, to be creative, to innovate and find your personal style.
Have fun, have conversations, be curious, and blend. I am a Hybrid Rollerskater - I indulge in all forms of rollerskating and also take elements from other wheeled sports, board/ski sports, dance, etc. to create new, inspired skate moves. I believe we have much to learn from our kindred communities and encourage rollerskaters to cross genres, play together, and find applicable skills in inconspicuous places.
VISION
I am at a point in my skate journey now where I find myself eager to share my knowledge and philosophy with others so that they may also have soul-lifting, transcendent experiences with rollerskating. It is my hope that as we continue to share this process with others, we begin to form a shared collective vision for the future of rollerskating in our city. There are still many hurdles and obstacles to overcome for us as a community and I see areas where we could improve conditions. We must come together to create more fertile ground for future possibilities regarding access to skate spaces, access to rollerskates/gear, access to a range of rollerskating instruction, and access to community.
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My Vision for the future of rollerskating in the community looks like:
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1. Forming a solid, organized Rollerskating Coalition so we can work with the City of Vancouver on initiatives to make the city more accessible for all wheeled folks.
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2. Work with the City of Vancouver to gain access to - or develop - free and/or affordable, covered skate spaces year-round.
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3. Set up a non-profit that will provide free/rented skates and gear - as well as access to the wider rollerskating community - for new residents, visitors, and low-income families.
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4. Work collectively to find investors to build an indoor, public Roller Rink with level, smooth wooden floors where international workshops and events can take place, where DJs can truly work their musical magic, and where skate culture can truly begin to thrive.
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5. Generally, making rollerskating more accessible for everyone so that culture can evolve organically and diversely.
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If any of this interests you, please feel free to reach out and we can collaborate on getting started or I can put you in touch with those organizing other initiatives within the community. Initiatives already in the works - Save Sunset Beach Skate Zone.
We would be happy to have you join in support of the cause in any way!!! Thanks!!!
(contact: erinjsnyder@hotmail.com)
SKATE THE CITY
Skate the City emerged from the desire to share my rollerskating knowledge with the wider community of skaters - skaters that were ready to take to the streets and let rollerskating shine! My goal with this project was - and is - to get all skaters in the community comfortable with skating anywhere and everywhere, on all terrain types, with ease and style. I wanted skaters to feel empowered, to feel safe with a toolkit of skills that they could use on a dime. I also wanted all the roller dance vibes from the rink to be brought out to the pathways and streets, to fiercely celebrate our shared passion for rollerskating, and inspire new potential skaters!
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Outdoor Streets & Slopes Workshops
Without access to space throughout the pandemic, I found myself skating a lot outdoors and pushing myself to skate places instead of driving. When I moved to Kitsilano, I challenged myself to learn how to navigate the streets on wheels and how to climb/skate down the multi-sloped topography. Throughout this process, I created fun and efficient techniques to make it a more enjoyable, energy-conserving experience. I wasn't exactly sure what I had to offer so I ran a few friends through a mock workshop and was informed that the information was valuable and that a need for this type of skating instruction was present in the community.
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The Workshop Series began with outdoor Street & Slopes 3-hour workshops and has now grown to include Skatepark Workshops and a 4-week progressive Rhythm Skating Workshop. It has been an absolutely humbling experience! I was not expecting to teach more than a couple of outdoor workshops. I am so full of gratitude! Thanks to everyone for your support, much love, and appreciation!
COMING SOON
In tandem with my Vision for the Future and Skate the City the Workshop Series, I am eagerly venturing into the world of Rollerskating Apparel and Roller Tourism. When I have more information to speak on either of these areas, I will expand my webpage to include it. For now, Stay Tuned!
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