Lifestyle & Culture Sports

Skaters roll out across NYC

By Niles Garrison

Founded in 1996, Wednesday Night Skates‘ weekly rollout has skaters crowding streets and creating their own kind of traffic while dancing to music.

“I travel with two JBL speakers but we have guys carrying around boomboxes while
skating,” said Michael Grebinsky, a Wednesday Night Skate volunteer organizer. “We
enjoy ourselves during our skates.”

On its website, Instagram and Facebook pages, Wednesday Night Skate states that “all are welcome.” Its diversity is part of the group’s strength.

“We are an all-inclusive social group and have no discrimination towards anyone,” said
Grebinsky said. “If they have a desire to skate, we welcome them.”

He continued: “When WNS was created, no one cared about peoples’ races or backgrounds. We just wanted people to have fun and I think we have done a good job over the 20-plus years.”

Being active in the organization for 17 years has let him see the growth of an activity that has drawn as many as 300 local people on some Wednesdays. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2021, as many as 200 showed up to skate.

Nationwide, there were roughly 11 million roller skates aged six and older in 2020. In 2023, the figure was 12.2 million, according to Statista Research.

“I am from L.A .and I come to New York often to skate,” said Lawrence Buccat, who has skated in various cities. “I love weekly skating; it is a way to tour the city without realizing it.”

Buccat’s city is home to LA Skate Hunnies, a group founded by women but inviting other genders to skate. Across the country and the world, other skating groups include Let’s Skate Charlotte, Skate D.C. and London Skate Life,

Back in New York City, the annual Big Apple Roll, which, in August 2024, was a six-day event. Its morning and night skates and other meet-ups are spread through the five boroughs.

“We have brought together such a different group of people,” said Grebinsky, noting the skaters’ various ages, ethnicities and occupations. “You have to see it to truly understand
the feeling of what impact it has. It is super positive and it creates a good community.”