SURREY — Al Lamons has some relatively famous feet.
“In the opening scenes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2 (Rodrick Rules), that’s me roller skating during the opening credits,” he said. “All you can see are my skates moving around.”
Lamons, a longtime Surrey resident and part-time actor best known for his DJing skills, also plays a skate guard in the 2011 comedy movie.
In the mid-1980s, he brought his roller-boogie moves north to Canada from his hometown of Vallejo, located in California’s Bay Area.
“I grew up roller skating, from a young age, and it was all about the music and the vibe, and being able to dance,” Lamons recalled while lacing skates outside his Newton-area home.
“You get some people out on skates and all they want to do is go fast, fast, fast, but for me, I’m good, I’m in the slow lane and we roller boogie, we get down and dance and spin. It’s all about the rhythm, the coolness of it, and the music of course, too – the DJ thing, right.”
With his beloved black quad skates on, Lamons will co-host a first-time event called F.U.B.A.R. Roller Jam at Vancouver’s Robson Square on Saturday, July 8. From noon to 6 p.m., skaters will roll in a fundraiser for Make-A-Wish BC &Yukon, a charity Lamons has long supported with events staged by his Friends United Beyond All Race organization, or F.U.B.A.R.
Later this summer, on Aug. 27, F.U.B.A.R. will host another Golf Classic tourney/fundraiser at Guildford Golf &Country Club.
Before that, however, it’s all about the roller boogie.
For the event on July 8, which happens to coincide with the final skate date at the old Stardust rink in Surrey, Lamons envisions transforming Robson Square into a classic roller disco with a fun, retro vibe.
Event proceeds will benefit the regional chapter of Make-A-Wish, which grants a wide range of wishes to kids with life-threatening illnesses.
“It’s going to be a fun and funky party that families can enjoy together while supporting a great cause,” said Lamons, once known as DJ Alibaba in local nightclubs and on radio stations.
The goal is to raise $5,000 for charity, he noted.
“People can just show up and skate, with a $10 minimum donation – or drop a 20 or a 50, whatever. It’ll be an all-day-skate kind of thing.”
For complete event details, visit friendsunitedbeyondallrace.com.
These days, Lamons doesn’t have the time – or venue – to skate as often as he’d like.
“I really am sad that there’s not a roller rink here,” he lamented. “It would go over big, but it’s got to be done right. Hopefully one day a rink will open up, but it needs to be run by people with their fingers on the pulse. You can’t run a roller rink in 2017 like you ran it in 1980, it’s not going to work. You need adults, people who know music, who know about technology – you need video, technology, music, DJ, atmosphere in a roller rink.”
The Roller Jam on July 8 will feature dance and musical performances, food vendors, face painting, prize draws and more. An all-ages, slower-paced skate will be held from noon to 2 p.m. that day, followed by a session for skaters 10 years of age and older. Limited adult skate and gear rentals will be available, via event partners rollergirl.ca and Shop Task Skates. Also, Jay King of Club Nouveau (who had a hit single in a cover of “Lean on Me” – will be performing the single from his new album, Helen’s Son, at the Roller Jam event.
“Quads are encouraged but inline skates are OK, too – it’s a roller skate,” Lamons noted. “But we just want to keep the focus and make it about Make-A-Wish, that’s what it’s all about, and what better place to do this than at Robson Square, right down there. When we were doing Summer Splash at Tsawwassen (water slides) and it was hard to get people to go all that way. This will be different, no problem with having people at Robson Square.”
The Roller Jam on July 8 will feature dance and musical performances, food vendors, face painting, prize draws and more. An all-ages, slower-paced skate will be held from noon to 2 p.m. that day, followed by a session for skaters 10 years of age and older. Limited adult skate and gear rentals will be available, via event partners rollergirl.ca and Shop Task Skates. Also, Jay King of Club Nouveau (who had a hit single in a cover of “Lean on Me” – will be performing the single from his new album, Helen’s Son, at the Roller Jam event.
“Quads are encouraged but inline skates are OK, too – it’s a roller skate,” Lamons noted. “But we just want to keep the focus and make it about Make-A-Wish, that’s what it’s all about, and what better place to do this than at Robson Square, right down there. When we were doing Summer Splash at Tsawwassen (water slides) and it was hard to get people to go all that way. This will be different, no problem with having people at Robson Square.”
tom.zillich@ surreynowleader.com
