The pandemic has seen a resurgence in a lot of hobbies — bread making, home-decorating, bird-watching ... and rollerskating. Skating videos have exploded on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram where it's being touted as a revival.
But this now popular pastime has been a staple in the Black community for decades, and it’s been the lifeline for the Bay Area local Beto Lopez.
He started teaching classes all over the Bay Area after the pandemic hit, when he realized that new and old skaters were starting to pick up the sport. He teaches beginner and intermediate classes and he covers everything from the basics to roller dancing.
However, skating isn’t a pandemic fad or trend for Beto. While many new skaters will remember the pandemic as the first time they put on skates, for Beto his first time rollerskating was decades ago, back in 1979. Once he got his first pair of skates, Beto was at the skating rink nearly every weekend. In the 80s, he mastered the art of roller dance.
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