Roller Skating Takes Over Tempelhof Airport
By Yulene Teagle-Alarcon
BERLIN- I packed my roller skates on a last-minute whim, a bit hesitant about the weight they would add to my suitcase, but curious to see whether Berlin had roller skating spots. Coming from Long Beach, California, a city with a prominent roller-skating community, I would have been grateful if I had found even a thin stretch of smooth surface among the rows of cobble-stoned streets to skate. Little did I know that Berlin has a whole airport runaway’s worth of skating space.
After trudging my bright orange skates through the U-Bahn, I finally arrived at the Tempelhofer Feld, a huge park at the formerly Allied-run airport that received the Berlin airlift of supplies to a besieged city in 1948–1949. It has since been turned into a public space, used for activities like biking, roller-skating, and outdoor concerts. What stretched in front of me were outdoor runways of skating space and the familiar sweet sounds of rolling wheels from quad and in-line skaters, a paradise for skaters of different walks (or skates) of life.
Like several others during the pandemic, I found solace in roller-skating at a time of social isolation. Roller skaters, like Freue, Marco, Maame, Ferdinand, and myself, have found this rekindled — or newfound — passion and have found a tight-knit community that transcends age, gender, sexuality, language, and borders. After interviewing the skaters, each with their unique skating styles, skates, and outfits, I realized that roller skating is yet another mode of self-expression and a way to connect across borders. Having this outlet, within a judgment-free community, is what makes roller skating such a special pastime.
Needless to say, bringing my skates in my suitcase was worth the extra weight.
Yulene Teagle-Alarcon is going into her 3rd year as a Communication student at UC Santa Barbara.
