Sk8er Spotlights consist of a series of questions asked to Valley skaters, bladers and hockey players.
NAME:
Jaime Paredes
AGE:
I am currently 35 years old (geez where do the years go!)
HOMEBASE:
My Homebase is in Brownsville but most of my skating gets done in Harlingen.
How long have you been skating? What got you into skating and when did you start taking it serious?
I have been skating since 2010 up until May of 2019 when I had my ankle injury, then started up again that same year in December.
I got into skating because of Roller Derby… I had learned how to rollerblade back in the late 90’s then stopped doing it and picked up skating again when I came across the sport of Roller Derby in 2010. Only this time I went form blades to learning how to skate quads. I attended my first bout that year and immediately fell in love with the sport and knew I had to be involved somehow, so I went with Officiating and thus also took interest with the skating aspect of the sport.
I would say that I started taking it seriously around 2012 when I was offered a more senior and demanding role in the roller derby league I was affiliated with(I am not a player or a member of the team, but I am a skating official/referee).
What skates are you rockin and rollin at the moment?
I am currently skating on Riedell 495 boots, Poison wheels but not too sure on the plates as this sweet setup was so graciously given to me by my dear good friend Mr. Joe Rejsek after my previous skates were stolen from my car a couple years ago.
What is so special about skating to you?
What is special about skating to me is that it lets me go to my own little world while I have my headphones on, listening to some tunes and skating around. It really helps to clear my mind of any noise or de-stress after a rough day at work. It is also special to me in that it lets me continue to do what I love to do in a sport that I love to be around.
Favorite spot to skate?
Outdoor – down Palm Boulevard in Brownsville because the streets are so smooth, and the scenery is beautiful.
Indoors – even though it’s technically outdoors I would say the Deleon Sports Park because I really like the skating surface there and I personally have lots of good memories there.
What would you add to the skating community if you had the power?
If I had the power AND the funds to do so I would open a huge skating complex in the mid Valley area, and I mean a complex for all skaters. An ice rink for the ice skaters and hockey players, a skate park area for all roller skaters and a smooth track for the roller derby community.
Any advice to new skaters thinking about getting wheels for the first time or coming back?
Just to keep spreading the word out about skating and to continue to find more areas and safe spaces that are skater friendly.
