The blades are back in town! Since COVID-19, rollerblades have made a comeback in the WHB community. Rollerblading is the perfect hobby to remain socially distanced and have fun.

You can catch juniors Vin Pesce and Ryan Traynor blade the streets of Westhampton showing off their amazing skills. We took a firsthand look with the bladers to see what the buzz is all about. 

Ryan, a junior, said he first got into “blading” when he was just a tiny toddler but really got serious during the Covid pandemic. He said he got into rollerblading when “I just saw those wheels on the pavement and something just drew me to it.” 

The reasoning for roller blading’s comeback, Ryan believes, is due to people seeing him and his crew does it.  Ryan said, “I’d like to think it’s my team, I think people are really drawn to the speed. we do routine practices every Sunday but I try to blade at least two to three times a week.” 

Ryan’s rollerblade companion, junior Vin Pesce said he also began blading young, “I began to rollerblade in the second grade and now consistently rollerblade every week.” 

Saying that  the sport is “ a one of a kind,” Vin claimed to be one of the best., “On a scale of 1-10, I would say my skill level is a 9, as there is always room for improvement in this very complex competitive sport.” 

It’s important to note that rollerblading can be a dangerous hobby. The Rollerblading Squad has taken many hard falls, scraped many knees, and even broken a few bones. Ryan described his worst fall.  He said, “I took a huge spill when I was little. My tailbone has never been the same.” 

Vin’s worst fall also came at a young age., “When I was 2 years old, I strapped the rollerblades up. I hit my head so hard on the ground” He joked, I’ve had mental issues ever since.”

Rollerblading has obviously made a big impact on Ryan and Vin’s lives and it can in yours too. It’s fun for everyone. So lace up, and get blading!