Roller skating has a long tradition in Atlanta. Now more people are doing it outside

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CJ Davis, an attendant at SK8 the Roof is an avid skater who moved to Atlanta from California.

Credit: Kristi York Wooten / GPB

Atlanta’s roller skating culture runs deep with legendary indoor rinks. But this summer, it’s also moving outside. Despite the heat and rain, skaters are taking to the streets around the city. 

On the last Sunday in July, the temperature on the roof of Atlanta's Ponce City Market reached a heat index of 108 degrees. That did not stop roller skaters from whizzing around in an open-air rink nine stories above the traffic, as large industrial fans blew and the playlist thumped from Rihanna to Prince to Bob Marley.

Although the bright midday sun illuminated the skyline in the distance, wheels that lit up as skaters rolled gave the temporary rink a vibe, alongside the skee-ball games and slides atop the market.

Sk8 the Roof attendant CJ Davis moved to Atlanta from California and works part time at Ponce City Market to be near his love for skating.

"It brings back so many memories from my childhood," he told GPB. "Growing up on the West Coast, we had the boardwalk experience, of course, with the beach and the road of skating. This [Sk8 the Roof] was the closest thing to home without the water."

Davis said Atlanta's love for skating is known from coast to coast.

"Atlanta culture here is a little bit different from the West Coast culture when it comes to skating. Most of the culture here in Atlanta is inside, but I see it right here on the roof. We have it outside. So again, fun to do for the kids and also family night. You know, a Cascade (rink) is one of the big historical spots here in the Atlanta."

Cascade was featured in the 2006 movie ATL, starring T.I. and Big Boi. The wooden floor there is so legendary, its owners sold commemorative squares of the old one when it replaced it with 15,000 square feet of new polished maple planks last year.

Cascade is just one of many rinks — past and present — that have been part of Atlantans' lives for decades, including Skateland, Golden Glide, Sparkles, Greenbriar/Jelly Beans and Playland. And indoor skating brings enthusiasts from around the country to try out Atlanta's signature styles at gatherings such as the Jive Biscuit Skate Family Reunion, chronicled last year in the New York Times.

But outdoor skating deserves its moment too, says Joshua Sutton-Burnette, a longtime jam skater who has amassed a loyal following on Instagram with footage of his disco moves on Atlanta's Beltline while listening to Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Madonna.

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Joshua Sutton-Burnette is pictured roller skating on a new section of the Atlanta Beltline on July 23, 2025.

Credit: @therollergay / Instagram

"First, it's very important to mention that we live in Atlanta, where Black skate culture and history has existed generationally," he said. "So we're not doing anything new. We're just taking it into new spaces and we're influencing people as we do it. So the Atlanta skate culture is alive and well in the indoor scene here. Ironically, there's not a lot of designated space outside given all the culture and history in the roller skate world in Atlanta." 

Sutton-Burnette said the pandemic spurred the growth of outdoor skating in metro Atlanta, not only on the Beltline but also just about anywhere there is an open surface, from Coan Park in Kirkwood to Pinckneyville Park in Gwinnett County, Grant Park Gateway, Centennial Yards and the Steele Bridge (formerly Nelson Street Bridge) in downtown Atlanta.

He said the sport became so popular in 2020 and 2021 it was hard to find skates to purchase. The two years after that were a transition period, with people who had learned to skate outdoors and were intimidated by the confines and speeds in rinks. "People were building skill sets outside, no longer able to skate in these spaces that they were familiar with," he said of outdoor recreation areas that were empty during COVID-19 but are again filled with people, edging skaters out. 

But outdoor skaters are now trying rinks and making inroads in claiming spaces in parks and pedestrian throughways.The excitement is kindled by shops like Roll ATL and Fly Rollers and events such as Atlanta Peachtree Road Rollers' Peach Roll, Skate Dojo, Gospel Skate Night and the Atlanta Roller Derby.

For Sutton-Burnette, a lifelong skater who goes by the handle @therollergay, skating is about creating community at any age and skill level.

"If you're influenced by social media, reach out to your favorite skater," he said. "A lot of people love to teach, whether they've got a community already going or they will take payment. And take a lesson at a local roller rink, even if you're not sure if you want to skate inside or outside. Safety gear is a must. I'm not a model citizen when it comes to it, but if you wanna learn to skate outside anywhere, I recommend a helmet and pads. Don't care if you look goofy! Safety is confidence."