Can One Man Bring Roller Skating Back to His City? - Sk8LikeYou Podcast Episode 136: Eric Hanspard

What does it actually take to bring a roller rink back to a community that has gone years without one? In this episode of the SK8LIKEYOU Podcast, I sit down with Eric Hanspard, the man behind Skate America Roller Rink and his mission to bring a new skating facility to Hammond, Indiana. Eric may be relatively new to skating, but he brings decades of business experience to a project he has now spent years trying to make a reality. We talk about financing, fundraising, working with local government, finding the right property, applying for grants and some of the resistance he has encountered along the way. But Eric’s vision goes far beyond opening another place to skate. He wants Skate America Roller Rink to become part of the community through youth programs, education, senior fitness programs, field trips, partnerships with schools and organizations, and a commitment to diversity in both music and skating styles. We also have a bigger conversation about what communities lose when roller rinks disappear. These buildings are more than skating floors. They are places where generations connect, young people find mentors, cultures interact and traditions get passed forward. Eric has heard no plenty of times. He is still going. And sometimes keeping skate culture alive starts with somebody deciding that if their community does not have a rink, they are going to try to build one. #SK8LIKEYOU #RollerSkating #RollerRink #SkateAmericaRollerRink #SkateCulture #SkateCommunity #HammondIndiana #NorthwestIndiana #IndianaSkating #SkateLife #RollerSkaters #SupportRollerSkating #SkatingCommunity #KeepRinksAlive #RollerSkatingCulture