“Roll With It” was an Otter Student Union (OSU) roller skating and blading event, hosted at Water City Roller Hockey in Marina. It took place on Friday, Feb. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. Students in attendance were on the rink for a night of early 2000’s music and fun.
The event honored skaters of all levels by providing a barriered practice area for those wanting to practice their abilities. Some attempted tricks like skating backwards or forming conga lines. The highlight of first year Abigail Marcotte’s experience was “trying to skate backwards and almost falling.”
While most of the event involved regular skating and blading, there were also larger group activities. Water City staff led students through both the hokey pokey and limbo. The latter had three tiers, and participants struggled to skate under the lowering bar.
“It’s a really big event… the turnout was really good, and it seems like everyone was having fun,” said second-year and OSU employee Jiya Day. A walking group set out from the student center at 5:30 p.m. and the line into the rink stretched along the side of the building. Select sizes ran out quickly as students filtered in. The first 60 students got in for free, and those who RSVP’d were rewarded with a free mug. Day added: “Everyone, even if they’re afraid, likes roller skating.”
Water City Roller Hockey is a small local rink that hosts roller hockey events, lessons, birthday parties, and public skating hours. Many students were unaware that Water City was so close to campus, or that it held public events. “I’ll definitely be coming back,” said Marcotte. They open to the public on weekends, and admission is $7.
“I really wanted to spend some time with my friends, and we hadn’t gone out in a while. I thought skating was a really good way to bond, but also have a good time,” said Marcotte.
Some found joy in skating, while others had fun watching others. First year Thomas Fortunak said, “People who’ve never skated before fell a lot. It was kind of funny to make fun of them in my head.”
Although this was the first year OSU had hosted an event at Water City Roller Hockey, it won’t be the last. “Nobody’s hurt, everyone’s smiling … that’s all that matters to me,” said Day.