The food is free, the beats are bumping and the opportunities for community connection are plenty. At SK8 Date’s monthly gatherings around Tulsa, though, you may have to risk falling on the concrete.
Every second Thursday from May to October, dozens of people are gathering at a local park to enjoy the summer season on wheels thanks to one of Tulsa’s newest nonprofits. The free events feature food, drinks, rentable skates and a live DJ.
“It’s open to all regardless (of your background),” Tyra Lewis, founder of SK8 Date, told The Eagle. “I want to create this culture of SK8 Date itself, (of) being this open event all the time, where it doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, what you’re doing.”
Lewis is an events coordinator for the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s Experience Tulsa, which promotes the city’s brand through events and programs like Tulsa Remote. She’s also a musician known as GOLDIELXCS (Goldilocks) — a name inspired by blonde dreadlocks she used to rock a few years ago.
She got her first pair of skates at the age of 5 so she could keep up with her siblings who were riding bikes at the time.
In her teenage years she was inspired by Odd Future, a group of young, alternative hip-hop and R&B artists who influenced mid-2010s skating culture through their music, fashion and sketch comedy series “Loiter Squad.”
She tried to replicate their creative style by making YouTube videos of her own, a habit she revisited to promote her nonprofit on Instagram.
“Skate culture is very interesting, because I feel like my life in general is very alternative,” Lewis said. “Everything I do is on the alternative side. So, for example, there is a skate culture here in Tulsa, but I don’t think I’m a part of it, and that’s kind of why I created my own thing.”
Lewis got back into roller skating during the COVID-19 pandemic after a multi-year hiatus.
SK8 Date specifically came to be on a whim in 2024, when Lewis posted a flyer to her Instagram inviting people to join her on Riverside.
At first, five people showed up, then 12 and eventually 20. Now, more than 50 are regularly attending her events.
“(Skating) can be intimidating, and that’s kind of why we group up and we go park skate,” she said. “I’m not a part of any of the cultures, but I want to make this culture of safe skating because we just want to skate. It doesn’t have to be a certain clique or vibe.”
More than 100 people showed up to July’s event at east Tulsa’s McClure Park, which features two hockey courts.
The more seasoned skaters found themselves on the left court, including couples holding hands as they zipped around. Kids with oversized helmets and people with less experience stuck to the right side, often relying on the railings to avoid falling.
Haleema Barnett found herself rocking a pair of pink Barbie themed roller skates while drawing.
“I’m actually kind of bad at (skating,) but I’m trying to be better,” she told The Eagle. “So being able to come to this in the community is really helpful.”
Other attendees took breaks to enjoy Caprisuns and eat catered food from The Vault. The entire evening is a mix of casual play and leisure.
But there are also standouts like Terrell Crawford.
He’s a local dancer who regularly attends SK8 Date. He often steals the show by busting out some signature moves that he could only describe as “his authentic self.”
He moves his hands around each other in wave-like motions. It’s a hypnotic style of street dancing that he likes to combine with skating.
“I developed a passion for skating … it’s like a home away from home. I feel at home when I’m out,” he said. “It’s like everybody’s family. Even if it’s just for a few hours.”
Ray Gilbert and Justin Baker, two friends who have been skating for years, also stole the show with their backwards and criss-cross skating.
Baker attended SK8 Date for the first time in July. He’s usually skating at an indoor rink, but said he liked the change of pace.
Gilbert has been skating on and off for 15 years, and recently began doing it more consistently with his wife. The number of people who show up to SK8 Date is a far cry from what he’s used to seeing.
“Whenever you go out by yourself on trails or Riverside, you only see maybe one or two (skaters), and that’s maybe,” he said. “But to see a whole group, a community of people, it’s nice. It’s reassuring.”
Lewis made a callout midway through the session for everyone whose birthday fell in July. As the sun began to set, everyone shared a SK8 Date-themed cake to celebrate.
Beyond the main event, Lewis led a safety skills lesson. She’s hoping to partner with schools and local recreation centers to bring skate instruction programs to more people in Tulsa.
The next skating session is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 13 at Challenger 7 Park in west Tulsa. Follow SK8 Date on social media for future meetups.
Ismael Lele is a Report for America corps member and writes about business in Tulsa for The Oklahoma Eagle. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting this link.
