Rollerblading became trendy in the 90’s, but then fizzled out like many of the fads from that decade. Ty Davies, of the Phoenix
Peak office, got into the sport in 1995, but as rollerblading’s popularity declined, he did not let it fade from his life. He still blades to this day—weekly, in fact.
Ty and a group of his friends who have been skating together for 20+ years meet up every Thursday evening to lace up their skates and get some exercise. This gathering, dubbed “Thursday Night Skate,” is organized through Facebook.
The group frequents parks all around the Valley, and the friends all vote on which park to go to each week. They are not just casually skating around like a walk on wheels, but doing tricks in the skate parks, jumping over obstacles and sliding on rails. Ty’s favorite place to blade is Freestone Skate Park in Gilbert, AZ because he has been going there since he was a teenager.
When asked his favorite part about rollerblading, Ty said, “I love having fun with old friends and getting exercise. It’s also a fun way to challenge yourself.“Although, it’s not all just for fun… He once got paid $500 to skate for a few minutes at a corporate event, so some might argue he has gone pro!
He now shares this sport with his wife, Amanda, and son, Callahan. Although at age 2, Callahan is still too young to truly rollerblade by himself, they take him“strollerblading” (pushing him in his stroller while they blade) around their neighborhood. Ty says he will teach him how to skate one day, if it is something Callahan shows interest in.
With the recent resurgence of 90’s fashion, maybe rollerblading will make a comeback too, however, it is obvious that does not matter to Ty. Rollerblading is something he enjoys, and he is not planning to stop anytime soon.