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For Syracuse University senior Roman Patrick, skateboarding has always been a way to make friends.

Patrick found a skateboarding community while growing up in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. But when he came to SU, he couldn’t find the same downtown meetups he was used to.

That was until Patrick and Joey Flatley, a 2024 SU graduate, came up with the idea to form the Skateboarding Club at Syracuse University — a place where skateboarders of all skill levels and backgrounds can get together and socialize.

“It’s like playing cards or pool; it’s an inherently social activity that’s very community-based,” Patrick said.

Flatley’s technical and organizational skills helped SUSC become a Registered Student Organization in the spring semester of 2023, while Patrick focused on pulling in members and getting them to socialize, whether through the club’s GroupMe or on the bus that takes them to events.

“The awesome part is seeing everyone on the bus with their knees to the roof, just talking, chatting and laughing,” Patrick said.

Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer

The Skateboarding Club at Syracuse University became a Registered Student Organization in the spring 2023. Now, they go to off-campus events in partnership with Black Mamba Skate Park, where attendees get free admission, skateboards, equipment and transportation to the events with SUSC’s annual RSO funding.

The club is now led by sophomore Makenzie Sproles, who works under Patrick’s oversight as he finishes his senior year.

The club coordinates events in partnership with Black Mamba Skate Park in East Syracuse, which offers attendees free admission, skateboards, equipment and transportation to the event with SUSC’s annual RSO funding.

Because the cold, wet Syracuse climate isn’t the best for outdoor skateboarding, the club tries to organize events at Black Mamba’s indoor venue a few times a semester. The events are often collaborations with other student organizations, where people are invited to mix and mingle with other groups.

The club’s first collaboration was in April 2024 with Girl Gains at SU, an all-women lifting club. Since then, the club has co-hosted events with the Filipino Student Association, Orange After Dark and, most recently, Las Naranjas, SU’s Spanish language club.

“I feel really comfortable and safe, honestly,” Las Naranjas president and senior Camila Luzio said. “I get so inspired by everyone skating so well that I’m like, ‘Wait, I think I can do this.’”

Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer

The Skateboarding Club at Syracuse University tries to organize events at Black Mamba Skate Park’s indoor venue a few times a semester. New and experienced skateboarders have access to equipment and transportation to work on their skills.

Luzio had been skateboarding with the club once before their Feb. 20 collaboration and saw it as the perfect opportunity to mix with other organizations on campus aside from the other Latine and Hispanic clubs they typically collaborate with.

For Sproles, the collaborations serve as an opportunity to make connections across organizations that might not have met otherwise.

“I feel like sometimes I stick to myself at Whitman, but it’s nice that the skate club has people from Newhouse, Maxwell — you literally have everyone,” Sproles said. “It’s so cool.”

SUSC emphasizes a safe space for skateboarders of all skill levels. It’s not uncommon to see Sproles and Patrick showing newcomers how to skate down ramps or follow proper skatepark etiquette in a high-stress environment.

For junior and first-time skateboarder Paige Wilson, SUSC’s Feb. 20 event seemed like the perfect opportunity to try something new — even if her first experience was mostly spent learning how to stand on the board with the help of SUSC’s members.

After she spent that night watching more experienced skaters get air on half pipes and long ramps, Wilson hopes to improve her skateboarding with the help of SUSC for future events.

“My goal is to get off the high ramp, so I’m gonna make it there,” Wilson said. “Maybe it’s gonna take five years, but it’s gonna happen one day.”

Alexander Zhiltsov | Staff Photographer

The Skateboarding Club at Syracuse University participates in off-campus events in collaboration with other student organizations. Their first collaboration was in April 2024 with Girl Gains at SU, and most recently they worked with Las Naranjas.

Patrick said SUSC has faced stigma from skateboarders who aren’t in the club and criticize it for including non-skateboarders. But he said the club has no plans of becoming exclusive or “cliquey.”

“They’re really good at skating, and bridging that gap is hard, but it helps connect to each other when we help each other out with skateboarding,” Patrick said.

Once Patrick graduates in the spring, Sproles hopes to bring even more events in the coming fall semester, such as a “learn-to-skate” workshop and a grip tape art workshop.

“We don’t want to just be skating; we want there to be community,” Sproles said. “I really want to help people learn how to skate.”

Published on February 26, 2025 at 10:58 pm