There are many students at West with unique skills and hobbies, and senior Briana Anderson is one of them.  She has been a jam skater at Thunderbird Roller Rink since second grade.

“I met Briana when she was in second grade at Mitchell Elementary,” Briana’s friend, Ashley Ellis, said. “She was in my group at PASAR, which is an after-school program. I grew very fond of Briana and her sweet and spunky personality.”

Jam skating is break dancing on skates and is also a type of freestyle skating. It is known by various names, including toe dancing and shuffle skating.

“I got involved in jam skating through my best friend, Ashley,” Briana said. “I started skating because I had one of my birthday parties at Thunderbird Roller Rink in elementary school.”

Ellis has been with Briana ever since and has helped her get to where she is today—competing in national competitions. One such competition is the World Skating Association Nationals, held every October, where Briana competes in the pro women’s division. She also goes to Summer Jam, a big competition held in North Carolina hosted by the Vanilla Skate Company every July.

“Ashley was definitely my biggest role model,” Briana said. “She taught me everything I know. She was the one who inspired me to do what I do.”

Besides Ellis, Briana’s grandparents have been her strongest supporters in everything she does.

“We have tried to support her during her many hours of practice, week nights and weekends, by being sure she had transportation to and from the various skating facilities,” Briana’s grandfather, Rex Anderson, said.

Between Ellis and her grandparents, Briana has a lot of encouragement to get her through her skating career. Once she goes to college, she will have to decide to what extent she will pursue skating.

“I will forever and always be a skater,” Briana said. “I don’t think I could ever stop skating. I might not do it as much while in college, but I will definitely still do it.”

Not many people know what jam skating is, but it can be very interesting to learn about and try. Jam skating has been featured in different movies, including Roll Bounce and ATL, and is a good way for people to learn different techniques.

“The only piece of advice I can give is to stay positive,” Ellis said. “There is no correct way to jam skate. Create your own style and never give up.”