Scrolling Jasmine Moore's social feed, you'll come across videos of her gliding through cityscapes on roller skates, swaying seamlessly to funk music (wheels under-feet and all), and, occasionally, opening up about her journey.
For Moore — better known under the social pseudonym Just Seconds — roller skating is about self-exploration, mobility, and community. Lacing up her roller skates is, at once, a form of self-care and resistance in that both involve joy.
Adorned in our new Sport Skort, the pro roller skater and urban planning student let us in on the parallels between her two passions, her nostalgic ties to roller skating, and the kind of content she plans to brighten our feeds with this year.
When did you first discover roller skating — and how did it evolve into a full-fledged passion?
(Jasmine Moore rocking the Sport Skort and LuxeLift Pullover Bra in Cloud)
I discovered roller skating at a young age with most of my exposure coming from its presence in Black culture and its nostalgic connections to the 1970s and 1980s; both eras I enjoy for their fashion, distinct sense of identity, and responsiveness to greater social causes.
However, after a long gap in roller skating as a kid to my early adulthood, my freshman year of college reintroduced roller skating into my life as a way to manage the stresses of working my first part-time job and being a full-time college student.
During the period of picking up skating again I began to share my journey online with no expectation beyond showing my progression of self. My love for skating as a passion deepened when I found ways to combine it with my other passions of creative direction, makeup, music, and style.
How has roller skating fostered your journey of self-exploration and expression?
Roller skating has fostered my journey of self-exploration and expression by challenging me to be responsive to my needs surrounding rest, productivity, and self-worth.
You’ve referred to roller skating as more than just a hobby or profession. How is it also a form of self care and activism for you?
Roller skating has most definitely leaned towards the professional side more often than the recreational side as of the past couple of years, but I make an effort to return to the moments where I'm not in front of the camera.
Roller skating functions as a form of self-care for me because the right combination of sound and space is therapeutic. The role activism plays within my page evolves given the tolling events of 2020, but I do believe existing in a state of joy on my page is its own form of resistance.
Many people aren’t aware of the civil rights era origins of roller skating. Is there anything you wish more people knew about the culture and roots of roller skating in America?
I wish more people were aware of the space they take in communities that are kept alive by marginalized communities. Although inclusion is paramount in the hearts of most of the roller skating community, that is not always evident in the online space.
I would suggest that roller skaters take the time to find their local communities whether in the rink, skate park, local trail, or online space and build relationships.
Are there any parallels between roller skating and your graduate studies in urban planning?
I would say that roller skating and urban planning both share vital connections in the future of mobility. As the world moves towards lessening emission, alternative modes of transit such as roller skates (fingers crossed), bikes, e-scooters, and other micro-mobility options will hopefully largely challenge the car-dependent infrastructure in California.
Also, my graduate studies and time in the roller skating community has shown me the power of grassroots organizing and strength in community outreach.
The world is your rink! What’s next on the docket for you in 2022?
As for 2022, I'm open to receiving all positive opportunities that come my way (especially if they involve bringing my roller skates with me!). I'm also going to lean more into ways to connect my love for developing a more equitable future into my current exploration of self on my page.
Ultimately, 2022 will be a year that challenges me to remain authentic in the way I share my vision with the world.