Art

Skating is one of those things that takes a lot of time to master. Some people stay at the same level for years, while others seem to have a real knack for it & they’re able to glide effortlessly through crowds of people on the rink.

With so many different styles and tricks and techniques, it can be one of those hobbies to really get engrossed in. You have the freedom to explore your own methods as well, personalizing your glide to a particular song. It’s a brilliant form of expression.

I don’t personally think I’m the best skater. Actually, I know I’m not. I can’t even skate backwards. But, the last time I hit the rink, I only fell once! So how about that? That’s got to count for something, right? Okay, I’m lying, I fell ’bout three times (but don’t tell nobody).

Okay, so what! No, I’m not the best at skating. But I don’t have to be, because there’s only one thing better than actually being good at skating, and that’s watching the people who are really, really good at it.

It’s mesmerizing, captivating, all entrancing. I love to watch people do things they’re really good at, it’s beautiful.

Just recently I came across a skater that made me realize how much I really like that type of content. She is the epitome of grace on wheels. I just happened to be scrolling along (as we all do), and then I saw her long black hair flowing in the breeze.

So I watched one of her reels, and then another, and another, and then I had seen enough. I wanted to know more; my curiosity led me to retrieve the story behind it all. Frankly, her Instagram left a bit to be desired. She doesn’t seem to share much other than her skating, which I love, don’t get me wrong. I love people who stick to their creativity and showcase it.

But this is no ordinary woman skating. The look in her expression, the hand gestures, the rhythmic strides. Yea, nah. She’s built different. And I wanted to know how that came to be. So I reached out, and to my surprise, she said yes.

And so, It is my pleasure to introduce Charleen Gyamfi, known to her friends simply as Char. A creative, influencer, and skater with roots in Ghana and a formative upbringing in Houston, she was shaped by the city’s historic skating rink culture.

In 2022, she brought that legacy to Atlanta, a city where skating permeates the facets of music, movies, fashion, and nightlife. Her style prioritizes pure expression over technical tricks, capturing the effortless grace of someone entirely at home in their own element. It’s a presence that’s impossible to miss.

“I think protecting the joy is what allows me to stay consistent long-term.”

Char discovered skating at 17, and while the technical tricks never quite captured her interest, the sensation of it certainly did. “There’s something about putting on your skates, listening to your music, and just moving that feels different,” she reflects.

Freedom was present from day one, persisting through every trip, fall, and awkward moment preceding the eventual grace.

She remained resilient, always rising after a tumble. It was the thrill of the landing that drew her back, that fleeting instant when a movement she had been pursuing for weeks finally locks into place.

Houston laid the floor she learned on. Black skate culture runs deep there, the city’s annual skate weekends draw skaters in from across the state. She grew up inside all of that.

Then came Atlanta, and Atlanta is a different room entirely. The scene here gathers indoors, on floors with decades soaked into them: Cascade out on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Golden Glide in Decatur, Skate Towne down Old National Highway.

Every city’s skaters carry their own timing, their own vocabulary of moves, so crossing state lines is never only a change of address; it’s learning to speak a new floor. Skating in Atlanta doesn’t sit off by itself either. It runs into the music, the fashion, the nightlife, the content, and all of that got into how she expresses herself.

Being around different skaters and creatives pushed her to be more confident and to explore her own style “instead of trying to fit into one specific box.”

She carries Ghana with her too. It lives in her family’s traditions, in the way they gather, and above all in the food; Ghanaian cooking and family gatherings are a big part of her life. She doesn’t force any of it into her videos. She doesn’t have to. “It’s naturally there because it’s a part of me,” she says.

Ask her how she skates and she’ll give you three words. Feminine. Expressive. Fun. She isn’t chasing the hardest move on the floor. She wants you to feel her energy. The vibe counts. The music counts. The outfit counts. The confidence counts. All of it counts as much as the skating does.

Her videos start with a feeling. She finds a song that carries a certain energy and builds outward from there, until every piece belongs to the same moment.

Her favorite creation was filmed at Skate Towne, set to the slow, syrupy rhythm of Jeremih’s “Woosah,” a track that invites you to slow down. Char donned a purple two-piece, its color swirling under the rink lights like ink in water.

“I feel like the song, outfit, and location all matched the energy perfectly,” she reflects, noting how fun and natural it felt. It remains a standout project for her. The attire aligns with the music, the music with the location, and every video she shares serves as a miniature, custom-built world.

Even though you can’t tell by looking now, none of it came easy. Backwards crossovers were one of the hardest things for her to get comfortable with; they tested her balance, her timing, her confidence, and it took a lot of practice before they felt natural. There were moments she thought she’d never get them. Then one day it clicked.

“You also don’t have to be the best skater in the room to belong. You can literally show up, learn, have fun, and find your people.”

The falls came too. One that stuck with her happened at Sparkles in Gwinnett, a hard one, the kind that rattles you loose for a second. She got back up and kept skating. She’s learned not to let one bad moment make her quit something she loves; she gives herself time to reset, figures out what went wrong, then rebuilds the confidence slowly, like laying brick. The body gets up first. The head takes longer. “Getting back on the skates is always the hardest part mentally,” she says.

She started filming to document her progress and give people a look at something she genuinely enjoys. Then the videos found an audience. People engaged; some of them started waiting on the next one. That’s when she realized how much she could connect with people through it.

But that’s also where the pressure lives. “Once you start thinking about views, numbers, and what everyone else is doing, it can become stressful,” she says. So she goes back to why she started. She makes the kind of videos she would want to watch, and she gives herself days where content isn’t the focus. She doesn’t treat the joy like something that will always be there; she treats it like something to protect.

Skate Towne is one of her favorite places to skate in Atlanta, for the atmosphere, for the community, for the pleasure of watching everyone bring their own style to the floor. That’s what she loves about skaters in general.

You can meet somebody for the first time and already have something in common. She’s met skaters here who make her feel welcomed and encouraged, and she’s still finding her people. The more she puts herself out there, the more she finds her place.

For the girl standing at the edge of the rink, scared to push off, she keeps it simple. Just start. You’ll feel awkward; everybody does. “Don’t compare your first day to somebody else’s tenth year,” she says. And don’t trade in your femininity or your style to fit in. “You can make the sport your own.”

Right now she’s working on becoming more confident and well-rounded on skates, collaborating with more people, and building a life that lets her keep chasing what she loves. She’s still learning. She says she’s just getting started.

The following is an edited transcript of my interview with Char.

Tell me a little about yourself for the readers meeting you for the first time. I’m Charleen, but most people call me Char. I’m a creative, content creator, and skater who loves expressing myself through fashion, beauty, music, and skating. I’m originally from Houston, Texas, but I’m currently based in Atlanta. I’m still growing and learning as a skater, but what I love most is being able to turn something I genuinely enjoy into a way to connect with other people and inspire them to try something new.

When did you first fall in love with skating, and what kept you coming back? I started skating when I was 17. I fell in love with it because it was something that immediately made me feel free. There’s something about putting on your skates, listening to your music, and just moving that feels different. Even when I struggled or fell, I always wanted to get back up and try again. That feeling of finally landing something I had been working on is what kept me coming back.

You moved from Houston to Atlanta in 2022. How does the scene here compare, and how has the city shaped your skating? Moving from Houston to Atlanta was a big transition for me, but Atlanta has given me a completely different environment to grow in. Houston has such a strong skating culture and history, so growing up around that definitely influenced me. Atlanta feels very connected to the creative scene, though, and I love how skating overlaps with music, fashion, nightlife, and content here. All of that naturally influences how I express myself. Being around different skaters and creatives has pushed me to be more confident and explore my own style instead of trying to fit into one specific box.

What does your heritage mean to you, and does it show up in how you skate or create? My heritage is a really important part of who I am. My family is from Ghana, and it shows up in my everyday life through our traditions, the way my family comes together, and especially through food. Ghanaian food and family gatherings are a big part of my life. I think it also shows up in my creativity, confidence, style, and the way I carry myself. Even if I’m not intentionally trying to incorporate it into every video, it’s naturally there because it’s a part of me. I love being able to represent where I come from while still creating something that feels completely like me.

Walk me through your skating style. How would you describe it to someone who’s never watched you? I would describe my skating style as feminine, expressive, and fun. I like incorporating personality into my skating instead of making everything about doing the biggest or hardest move. I want people to feel my energy when they watch me. For me, skating is just as much about the vibe, music, outfit, and confidence as it is about the actual skating.

Skating content is huge right now. What made you start filming and sharing yours? I started filming because I wanted to document my progress and give people a glimpse into something I genuinely enjoy. The first time I really realized people were tuning in was when my skating videos started getting more attention online. Seeing people engage with my videos and actually look forward to my skating content made me realize how much I could connect with people through it, and that motivated me to keep creating. I also love that skating content can introduce someone to the sport who may have never considered trying it before.

What’s the hardest trick or move you ever learned, and how long did it take you to land it? I’d say backwards crossovers. They were definitely one of the hardest things for me to get comfortable with because they really tested my balance, timing, and confidence. It’s hard to put an exact number on how long it took because skating is a lot of repetition. It took a lot of practice before they started feeling natural. There were definitely moments where I thought, “I’m never going to get this,” and then one day it finally clicked. That feeling is honestly one of my favorite parts of skating.

What’s something about skate culture most people completely misunderstand? I think people sometimes assume skating is just about tricks, competition, or looking cool. There’s so much more to it. It’s a community, a form of self-expression, a workout, and honestly an entire lifestyle for a lot of people. You also don’t have to be the best skater in the room to belong. You can literally show up, learn, have fun, and find your people.

How do you pick your music, outfits, and locations for a skate video? I usually start with the feeling I want the video to have. If I find a song that gives me a certain energy, I’ll build the rest around that. Then I think about what outfit matches the vibe and what location will make everything come together visually. I love when the skating, fashion, music, and setting all feel like they belong in the same moment.

Is there one video where all of that came together? One video I’m really proud of was filmed at Skate Towne to “Woosah” by Jeremih. I was wearing a purple two-piece, and I feel like the song, outfit, and location all matched the energy perfectly. It felt fun and natural, and it’s one of those videos that still stands out to me.

Have you ever had a bad fall or injury that made you question skating? How did you come back from it? I’ve definitely had falls that reminded me that skating comes with risks. One fall that really stuck with me happened at Sparkles in Gwinnett. I ended up taking a pretty hard fall. It definitely shook me for a moment, but I got back up and kept skating. When you fall, especially when you’re learning something new, it can mess with your confidence. I’ve learned not to let one bad moment make me quit something I love. I give myself time to reset, figure out what went wrong, and then slowly build that confidence back up. Getting back on the skates is always the hardest part mentally. You’re going to fall, but you have to be willing to get back up and try again.

What’s the best part of the skating community, and have you found your people here? The best part is the sense of community. Skating is one of those things where you can meet somebody for the first time and immediately have something in common. Skate Towne is definitely one of my favorite places to skate in Atlanta. I love the atmosphere and the skating community there. It’s always a good time being around other skaters and seeing everyone bring their own style to the floor. I’m still finding my people in Atlanta, but I’ve definitely met skaters who make me feel welcomed and encouraged. I think the more I put myself out there, the more I’m finding my place in the community.

How do you handle the pressure of creating content consistently without losing the joy of it? I remind myself that I started creating because I genuinely enjoyed it. Once you start thinking about views, numbers, and what everyone else is doing, it can become stressful. I try to create things that I would personally want to watch and give myself permission to have days where I’m not focused on content. I think protecting the joy is what allows me to stay consistent long-term.

What advice would you give to a girl who wants to start skating but feels intimidated? Just start. Seriously. You’re probably going to feel awkward at first, and that’s completely normal. Nobody starts out knowing exactly what they’re doing. Don’t compare your first day to somebody else’s tenth year. Put on your skates, take your time, protect yourself, and have fun. And don’t feel like you have to change your femininity or your personal style to fit into skating. You can make the sport your own.

What’s something you’re working toward right now, on or off skates? Right now I’m working toward becoming more confident and well-rounded as a skater while also growing creatively. I want to keep building my platform, collaborate with more people, create bigger and better content, and eventually reach a point where skating becomes an even bigger part of what I do. Off the skates, I’m also focused on building my independence and creating a life that allows me to keep pursuing the things I’m passionate about.

---

Follow Char on Instagram at @charleengyamfi and on TikTok at @sheischarleen.