Who We Are
Roller Garden Artistic Skating Club is an organization of people of all ages who are enthusiastic about artistic roller skating. We are based out of the Roller Garden roller skating rink in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Like our ice skating counterparts, artistic roller skaters participate in a variety of disciplines, including dance, freestyle, pairs and figures. Dance skaters skate individually or with a partner, using specific "steps" or strokes that are timed to common ballroom dance tempos, such as waltzes, tangos, foxtrots, polkas, and more. Freestyle and pairs skaters execute jumps, spins and footwork that interpret music of their own choosing. Skaters that focus on figures trace circles drawn on the floor alternating from one foot to another in predetermined directions and repetitions, sometimes going forward, sometimes backwards, or sometimes turning from forward to back or vice-versa. Many of our club members choose to compete at invitational and regional competitions, and if they qualify by placing at the regional championships, at the national championships that are held every year in the late summer. We are proud to count multiple national champions and national medalists in our membership. To be a competitive skater takes many hours of practice and commitment to the sport. Skaters take private lessons from one of the six certified coaches affiliated with our club. Skaters may also choose to take proficiency tests to demonstrate their mastery of skills in any of the skating disciplines. These tests are judged by a panel of trained, commissioned judges. With all the lessons, practice, travel and entry fees for meets, expenses for competitive skaters can become significant, especially for the National Championships, which usually require long-distance travel and extended stays. With this in mind, Roller Garden Artistic Skating Club established a Nationals Fund to help defray a small portion of the skater's expenses. We hold a variety of fundraisers for this purpose, with each skater's portion being determined by their level of participation in the fundraisers. Roller Garden Artistic Skating Club is a registered club with our governing body, USA Roller Sports. While not yet an Olympic event, there are World Championships for elite skaters that qualify at the National Championships, and the sport is recognized by the International Olympic Committee. To learn more about artistic roller skating, please visit the USA Roller Sports web site. To learn more about Roller Garden Artistic Skating Club, please visit our web site: http://www.rollergardenasc.org We have applied for 501(c)3 non-profit status. |
Our 2013 Nationals competitors and coaches, above
Our National Champions (above)
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