Rachel “RJ” Jaffe has been skating since she was 8 but became serious about “aggressive” inline skating as an adult.
“My original playground and where I learned most of my moves was on the Boardwalk,” the 26-year-old Oceanfront resident said while preparing to “shred” around Woodstock Skate Park in Virginia Beach.
The difference between garden-variety rollerblading and its “aggressive” cousin is in the boots, which have plates around the line of wheels that allow for tricks, such as grinding as on a skateboard, and jumps and ramps.
She found camaraderie with other women in the sport. After seeing inline skating during the Jackalope Festival in Virginia Beach last year, she started competing.
This weekend, Jaffe will be joining thousands in the inaugural Super Girl Surf Festival in Virginia Beach, an extension of the long-running Super Girl Festival and another step toward growing sports tourism for the resort city. Super Girl started in 2007, and festivals are also held in California and Florida.
Surfing will garner a lot of attention during the event, but a range of sports will be featured, as will music and the arts. Jackie Ritchie, who coordinates skateboard, quad and inline competitions, said Super Girl mixes levels of competition and age groups.
“We get big things like Jackalope here, but for it to be specifically focused on women in athletics and celebrating it – I mean, we’re talking 4,000 athletes across 14 sports. It’s such a big dang deal for us to be an East Coast hub of women’s athletics and supporting those types of events.”
Amanda Marano, owner of Karma Skate Shop at the Oceanfront, said Super Girl helps the city while building upon other sports tourism success.
“I think the agenda from the city side is their understanding that the economic impact of these types of festivals allow people to put heads in beds,” she said. “They're spending money at local restaurants, and yes, they do come to our shop and spend money here, so it does help us.”
She grew up inline and roller skating and still does both today. She said the festival will inspire young people, who will be among the competition and meet women competing at a high level.
“So I think it's great for young people, but also, you know, people my age,” said Marano, who is 43. “Maybe I can get inspired and maybe I'll be out there next year.”
Beth Larsen, a software designer from Norfolk, practiced with Jaffe during a recent skate and said she joined a group for skating after moving to the area. She was the only woman.
Larsen said she was glad to find other women in the skating community.
“It's just different coming from other women,” she said. “Women lifting up other women, you know.”
Jaffe said the upcoming festival is a celebration.
“I think everyone, regardless of how you identify, are going to be inspired from what you see,” she said.
