We are Vermont Skate Society and Joy Riders VT (BIPOC Skate Club). Our mission has been to unite the roller/inline skaters of Vermont, to make skating accessible to people of all incomes and backgrounds, and to find a safe space for skaters of all skill levels and ages. We have tried to roller skate at Maple Street Park in Essex Junction, but were met with aggression from skateboarders and our beginning skaters were fearful of this setting. We tried tennis courts in Colchester and basketball courts in Burlington, but were asked to leave by ball players. We tried to skate on the Lake Champlain Bikeways but pebbles, sticks, dogs, and bumps at street crossings were a problem.

The state of Vermont does not have a roller rink. The closest in the United States is Roller Kingdom in Tyngsboro, MA and the closest in Canada is in Delson, QC. These are expensive trips that not all Vermonters can afford. Since we do not have a roller rink, Vermont Skate Society has been hosting monthly roller discos at Talent Skatepark in Burlington where they have a maximum capacity of 30 skaters. These discos have sold out within 12 hours with a substantial waitlist. Our discos have brought skaters together from Burlington, South Burlington, Essex Junction, Colchester, Essex, Jericho, Ferrisburgh, Montpelier, Bristol, Middlebury, Stowe, Milton, Killington, and Lyndonville. As much as we have enjoyed these events, we have found that the limited space is also excluding skaters.

We are proposing to have an outdoor rink built near the Moran FRAME in Burlington. We would like for Burlington Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront to post a sign designating the space as an outdoor rink, install benches along the perimeter, provide evening lighting, and pave a small path connecting the bike route to the rink.  We would love for a local artist to paint a mural for the inner oval of the rink. Vermont Skate Society and Joy Riders VT would happily fundraise, crowdfund, and help apply for grants to help raise some of the cost of this project.

Having a free and safe public space would make roller/inline skating accessible to everyone and help to foster joy, wellness, and connection among our growing and diverse skate community. 

Action petition for:

We, the undersigned, are citizens who urge our leaders to act now to build an outdoor rink in Burlington to be used for roller skating from spring to fall and for ice skating during the winter.