Meet Evette Walton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evette Walton.

Hi Evette, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today. 
I grew up roller-skating with my family, first with those fisher price skates you slip your shoes into. Then, the skating every rink with my siblings! It was very popular in the 90’s in Cali where I am originally from. As a teen and young adult, I only skated at parties or field trips with my students. At the end of 2021, I had my son and my mom passed away 2 weeks later. As anyone could imagine, I was devastated. Life with a teen, toddler, and now baby is overwhelming enough. Losing my mom too, was and still is very difficult to cope with. That’s when I found roller dance or jam skating one late night on Instagram and thought I could do that too. I became captivated by the skills and the stories behind the people who were posting. I asked for a pair of roller skates and for my birthday that’s what I got. That was 9 months after losing my mom. Ever since then, I have found true genuine friendships from people of all ages and seasons of life. I skate almost every night at home, around my community, at skate meetups, the roller rink, all with my daughters, son, or by myself. Everything I have learned has been from the skate community. A year later, roller skating has helped me find me again, the happy me. I skate when I’m happy and sad, it’s a great way to cope with the stresses of life. Plus, it makes me feel close to my mom again. I can feel her cheering me on. Fun fitness, I like to call it. I take a pair with me everywhere I go in hopes I can sneak a skate in. The videos I post are a true representation of how I am feeling in that moment. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road and that has been expected. As mentioned before, I found roller dance skating in a way of coping with the loss of my mom. That alone has been difficult. It brings up a lot of nostalgic moments for me. But also helps me cope with those difficult moments. One can really skate themselves into a good mood. Most obviously, a lot of difficultly has come from brushing up on my skating skills, but also learning the whole art of roller dance. It’s a combination of dance, artistic, and even park skating styles of skating. It all comes with falls and potential injuries. I have not been excluded from that. But challenging myself comes with that. I have also learned that safety gear is important and there are good ways to fall or how to avoid falling. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I don’t consider myself an artist or anything. Just someone who enjoys roller skating and jam skating/roller dance. Music is life, so being able to have an activity that I can enjoy it with inside and outside in small or large spaces is a great creative expression. I never imagined I could learn some of the tricks I have. But I have worked very hard learning. I am a teacher by profession, so eventually while skating I have learned how to be able to translate and combine that and my love for roller-skating. I generally have a great positive outlook on the world and express that in all of my videos. That many appreciate. So, I have taken roller skating from just a personal hobby to teaching lessons and events. I create tons of different how-tos and tutorials on Instagram that are highly popular with roller skaters of all ages. A skater can learn beginner to intermediate level tricks or moves, and mini combinations. These are offered to all over the world. But for those who live locally, I also offer in-person classes to beginner advanced skaters, where all ages can learn to skate or learn roller dance moves. In addition, I also perform at events as a model for clothes/accessories, entertainer for parties and business openings/promotions, and jam skating. 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory definitely involved roller skating. Not just at the rinks, as mentioned, but once, as a tween, my brother and I got these ridiculous new skates called roller balls. Instead of wheels in a line, they were literally balls that rolled. I remember my little brother and I rolled on those every day for weeks. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/rollin.with.eve?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJ99CpdKINaVmJJebmCfHabZLeddfdu36lvP5e31GQ7knS7A/viewform