The summer of 2020 could have easily been the summer of roller skating for the members of CIB Milwaukee. With indoor activities limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, and people itching to spend their days doing anything, it’s not a surprise that skating rapidly grew in popularity.
TikTok, the popular video app, may have encouraged dreams of getting a pair of skates to make the leap for many. People dancing on their skates to “Jenny From the Block,” and other upbeat songs circled around the internet, sparking interest in the extreme sport that reminded people of elementary gym class more than anything.
Local skate shops were running low on skates, with people waiting for months to get their hands on their hands on them. Once they came in, many were flocking to flat surface spots and skateparks to continue to improve their skills. This was certainly the case in Milwaukee.
That’s where CIB Milwaukee comes in.
CIB began as “Chicks in Bowls,” an international group made up of over 300 chapters encouraging roller skaters, or quad skaters, to get out to their local skateparks. Now the overall group just goes as CIB, as they’re an open group encouraging those interested in skating to get involved.
Janelle Polzin founded the Milwaukee chapter in August of 2020 after park skating for awhile. She knew there was a potential for Milwaukee to have a community of roller skaters, and now CIB Milwaukee’s numbers are continuing to rise.
Along with Polzin, Jocylen Kyndel Rogers, Molly Lefeber, Paula Kidwell are all also members in the local CIB chapter.
For these skaters, being on four wheels brings together a sense of community and creativity that isn’t often found in other activities.
“Roller skating can be whatever you want it to be. It can be pretty, it can be aggressive, it can be silly,” said Polzin.
“We all have our own style, from how we dress up or down our skates, to the lil flair we give our tricks,” said Kyndel Rogers. “Everyone has their own way of going about the same trick.”
But overall, this group is about community – internally as a group and within the 414.
“For me, having moved to a new city during covid, finding community has been the most valuable part of being a member of this group,” said Kidwall. “CIB Milwaukee members have quickly become my best friends in Milwaukee!”
“I truly enjoy the community. I am uplifted by other group members and love lifting others up as well,” said Lefeber.
All four skaters expressed how important the community they created is. Skateparks can often be male-dominating and intimidating for anyone who is just starting to skate, especially for women and non-binary people. CIB Milwaukee also promotes shopping at local skate shops and skating at the local skateparks, bringing everything back to the community.
To make roller skating more inclusive, CIB Milwaukee is working to raise funds for skaters who can’t afford entrance fees to skateparks, as well as collecting gear.
“Skating shouldn’t be an elitist sport. You shouldn’t have to have the ‘it’ pair of skates or the ‘it’ look to get recognition,” said Polzin.
Along with their work within their own community, they make sure to support other groups in the Milwaukee area. In the past, they’ve raised money for The Butterfly Collective and RADshare. Their current fundraiser is in support of the Cactus Club, a local music venue located in Bay View.
For more information about how to join CIB Milwaukee or how to support the group, visit their Instagram.
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I’ve definitely thought about getting on the roller skating bandwagon, but I’d probably break something. Great story!