So as you probably know by now, I’ve just wrapped up 10 incredible days in Chicago enjoying the ultimate JB experience.
But the trip wasn’t over yet.
Still riding high on the waves of my adventure in Chicago, I boarded a train and headed east toward the second half of my US skating adventure — Detroit.
I took things easy on Day One.
After a 4am start and a 5.5-hour Amtrak ride from Chicago, I figured my body deserved a little rest. So instead, I regrouped amid the lush green surroundings of my cottage and rested my legs in preparation for the following day.
Because Day Two?
Day Two [Saturday] was fully loaded!
A Full-On Skating Itinerary
10am – 11am:
Group lesson at Detroit Roller Wheels (with Elden)
A lovely introduction to Detroit style skating at a really lovely rink for my first Detroit style group lesson. This was a nice small class with ample room to play with.
The floor was smooth with mirrors running along its length.
Honestly — what luxury.
11:30am – 12:30pm:
Group lesson at Northland Roller Rink (with Elden & Nate)
Even bigger.
This session stepped things up considerably and gave me my first taste of more advanced Detroit fundamentals. Elden now had an idea of my skating level and placed me with Nate [in a more advanced group]. This lesson certainly challenged me to step up my game—and I loved it. I learned more of the fundamentals, including a short routine.
Elden and Nate run a tight ship between them and I learned a lot.
1pm – 4pm:
Open session at Northland
This is where things got really interesting.
I met so many friendly faces and had my first proper taste of what makes Detroit skating culture feel different — skating a routine as a duo.
A friendly skater kindly introduced me to my first paired half-turn sequence [which I absolutely loved — thank you, Kat!].
At some point, I also ended up teaching a growing crowd some jam skating moves.
Middle work isn't hugely common here…
…but single foot pivots? Detroit skaters sure know how to do this at pace!
7pm – 11pm:
Private lesson with Elliot Hardaway at Great Skate
As you can probably tell by now…
I wasn't exactly pacing myself.
Elliot teaches, performs and lives Detroit style skating — and this session really filled in the blanks for me.
Not just how to do things.
But why Detroit style skating looks the way it does.
By the end of the day, I was finally beginning to grasp how Detroit style is structured and expressed.
Huge shout out goes to my skating sis Laverne for giving me the heads up on where to go and who to connect with. It really maximised my skating experience.
You set me up so well..
Learning Detroit Style
Before leaving the UK, I’d already arranged lessons with an experienced Detroit style skater called Elliot Hardaway.
After immersing myself in JB culture for nearly two weeks, I was curious to see how Detroit skaters showed out — not just technically, but culturally and musically too.
And within the first lesson, I realised something immediately:
They make those pivot sequences look easy - but they require an advanced level of skill - trust!
There’s always something special about walking into a new rink for the very first time.
Detroit skate scene immediately felt different from Chicago [and that's exactly what I had hoped for - a whole new experience ].
The vibe was fast paced with a more laid back atmosphere in some ways [but maybe that was down to the fact that I wasn't attending big scheduled events at the rink as it had been in Chicago].
But let me tell you this, the passion for their unique skating style was visible to see - those iconic high kicks and fast [yet clean] pivot sequences were on full display.
The skating style in Detroit felt smooth, clean and very precise — always on the up-beat.
Some movements almost looked simple…
…until you actually tried doing them yourself [on hard wheels on a smooth floor], let alone in a pair!
➡️ Watch Video: Detroit Style Skating - Elliot Hardaway
Detroit Skate Culture
One thing I’ve really loved about this trip overall is seeing how every major skate city develops its own personality and identity. The skaters really do invest a lot of time, energy and passion into upholding their own style.
There are definitely many unique features of how the Detroit Style skaters set up their skates and express themselves rhythmically. They seem to like the twists and turns, cleanliness of execution, with a string of rhythmic low and high kicks. It's a fresh style.
And the music itself?
Pure up-tempo R&B and old school soulful vibes. You could feel how connected the skating is to Detroit’s wider musical history and culture.
Over my five days in Detroit, I managed to visit a few different rinks offering up different sessions to really get a proper feel of their scene.
The over 25's sessions felt soulful and mellow, while the general open sessions had that bit more more speed and and complex footwork on display. But the cleaners in their footwork and smoothness in their musical expression remained the same.
As with Chicago, I especially loved watching the older skaters working their magic with such energy and skill. It's so inspiring to see what can be done when you stick with your passion accross decades.
➡️ Watch Video: Detroit Style Skaters [Self-Taught]: Skating Through Your 70's
What IS Detroit Style Skating?
Before visiting, I knew Detroit style looked different.
After listening to the music, watching how they skated, and speaking with Elliot and other skaters, I began to understand more about Detroit's skating culture.
Detroit style skating developed inside one of America's biggest roller skating cultures.
The city has historically had a huge number of large rinks, strong artistic skating programs, competitive skating pathways and multi-generational skating families.
This is evident when you look at Detroit's skating infrastructure and its surrounding culture.
Because unlike some styles that developed primarily around social skating or dance skating, Detroit style evolved with strong influences from:
Motown music culture
Detroit's identity is inseparable from Motown.
The rhythms, accents and musicality found in classic Motown tracks heavily shaped how skaters moved.
And even now?
Many sessions still skate heavily to Motown sounds.
You can see the influence everywhere.
High kicks.
Twisting body movements.
Dramatic drops.
Splits.
Slides.
Sharp accents.
Artistic skating foundations
Detroit has long had strong artistic skating influence.
And you can feel this immediately.
Toe stops are everywhere.
Fast one-foot pivots.
Mohawk transitions.
Toe jumps.
Spins.
Technical precision.
Unlike many urban skate scenes where artistic techniques largely disappeared, or adapted - Detroit absorbed them.
Which is why the style often looks both incredibly technical and incredibly expressive.
Generational skating culture
This was perhaps the biggest surprise. So many people in Detroit have skated at some point during their lives. It isn't unusual to find multiple generations of skaters within one family.
And because of that…
Seeing people in their 60s and 70s casually throwing out advanced pivots, spins and sequences simply becomes normal.
Which honestly?
Was one of my favourite things about Detroit.
Like Chicago, there were plenty of over-25 sessions. Sessions where you'd look around and realise the majority of the rink was probably 50/60+.
And everyone was absolutely flying. These were seasoned skaters. With so many rinks available, I was completely spoilt for choice.
The Fundamentals I Learned
What impressed me most about the lessons in Detroit was the attention paid to technical execution. Given its artistic roots, this probably shouldn't have surprised me.
The fundamentals I spent time learning included:
• Half Turns
• Pontiac Turns
• Step Down Turns
• Kenny Michael
• Tucs
These movements become the building blocks for routines, combinations and freestyle sequences.
And then…
You add partners.
Because something you quickly notice in Detroit is:
Everybody eventually grabs somebody's hand. People skate linked together in chains of two or more - all skating in sequence.
You can be chatting with somebody one moment and then find yourself being invited to skate as a pair.
It's genuinely sweet, and very natural to Detroit skaters.
Downtown Detroit
Naturally, after spending 5 days in Detroit meant that I had little time to explore the city. But I did manage to explore a little of Detroit outside the skate world too. And I have to say, Detroit was a great experience for me — from talking to so many friendly Uber drivers [who educated me on the history of the city over the past 40 years], to the spacious leafy areas,
the lovely riverwalk downtown [with its conservation areas and hilltop views across the river against the wonderful skyline] to my visit to The Bellaire Cinema to watch the Michael Jackson movie [in a cosy small space with lots of leg room from an extra thick cushioned rocking chair].
I had myself a very fine time.
Fortunately, Detroits on the verge of emerging from some very tough times. There’s a rawness and authenticity to the city that’s hard to explain unless you experience it firsthand.
I took a day to spent time exploring:
-
downtown Detroit,
-
the riverfront,
-
local food spots,
-
and soaking up the city’s music and cultural history.
Personally, I loved the people and places that I was fortunate enough to visit. There’s a creative spirit here that feels very real.
Final Thoughts
Having now had a proper taste of Detroit style skating, it's definitely a skating style I plan to continue with. It's already expanded my repertoire of advanced techniques and challenged the way I think about movement on skates.
Detroit style feels technical and precise at its foundation, but once you're able to build the fondation skills, the creative expression is easier to bring in.
Detroit has given me a new appreciation for refining my technical precision in order to access the smoothness, upbeat musicality, and flow while pivoting at a fast pace on hard wheels - its a lot of fun!
What’s been fascinating is realising how different skate cities evolve completely unique identities while still sharing the same passion for creativity and roller skating as a culture.
Five days didn't quite feel enough when you’re wanting to get immersed in it.
And honestly, being able to experience both cultures back-to-back has been one of the best skating highlights of 2026 me.
One thing’s for sure:
Detroit and its skaters have absolutely left its mark on me. 
If you're thinking of paying Detroit's skate scene a visit, consider going to the Soul Skate event next July [indepenence day weekend] — it's set to be a huge celebration across several days, with skaters traveling in from all over the world.
It'll be memorable if nothing else!
Kelly
Cranial Osteopath | Wellbeing Coach | Roller Skate Instructor
🗯️ Have you encountered Detroit style skating? Tell us what you think of it in the comments below or, leave us a lil emoji response.
