The Dare County Parks and Recreation Department and the Town of Kill Devil Hills have partnered with Outer Banks-based roller skating organization OUTR SK8s to provide a series of free, family-friendly roller skate nights on Saturdays throughout the summer.
Family skate nights will be held each Saturday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (weather permitting), at the roller hockey rink at Aviation Park, which is located at 103 Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills.
Both roller skates and rollerblades are welcome during the events; however, skateboards, scooters and bicycles are not permitted. Participants are responsible for bringing their own skates, and children must have a parent or guardian present. Outer Banks residents and visitors of all ages are invited to attend.
Although formal skating instruction will not be provided to those who participate in family roller skate nights at Aviation Park, the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department also offers Roller Skating 101 and Roller Skating 102 classes hosted by OUTR SK8S founder Janice Moore.
During these six-week classes, participants will learn the fundamentals of the sport, as well as a variety of roller skating skills and techniques, such as skating forward and backward, making stops and transitions, and performing crossovers and lateral movements, among others.
The cost to attend classes is $80 per person, and participants of all ages are welcome to sign up. Specific times and dates for the fall 2022 and spring 2023 Roller Skating 101 and Roller Skating 102 classes have not yet been determined but will be announced by the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department once the schedule has been finalized.
Family-friendly music will be played during the free skate night events held on Saturdays at Aviation Park, and various refreshments—such as bottled water and sports drinks—will be available as a donation-based purchase. Once sufficient funds have been raised, donations will be used for the future purchase of rental roller skates that can be rented out by family roller skate night participants, as well as those who sign up to participate in the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department’s roller skating classes.
For more information about the free family roller skate nights at Aviation Park in Kill Devil Hills or the Roller Skating 101 and Roller Skating 102 classes that are offered by the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department, follow OUTR SK8s on Facebook or contact the group’s founder and event coordinator, Janice Moore, at 252-303-0321.
“Roller skating is such a positive and healthy sport—and a really fun thing to do,” says Moore. “It’s exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise!”
For more information about the wide array of programs and activities offered by the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department, visit DareNC.com/Parks.