Meet Afton Hill | Denver Skates Owner & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Afton Hill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Afton, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Denver Skates impacts our local community by encouraging all bodies to roll with wheels under their feet. Skating is one of the most inclusive sports for all body types and just as empowering for them as well. We were able to mend the bridge between those who wanted to begin their skate journey and those who wanted to take their skate journey to the next level. With roller skating becoming very trendy during the course of the pandemic, this took our impact from local to global. Thanks to social media, we are able to spread our knowledge and love for skating all over the world. This impacts our community by promoting physical and mental health while engaging with one another by a common passion.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Denver Skates is leading Denver in roller and inline skate lessons as well as Roller Disco’s. It started off with private lessons and small group lessons. As time as progressed and skating has taken off, we are still hosting weekly lessons and now have multiple instructors that offer private lessons and workshops. It has it’s ups and downs, especially since it can be impacted by the weather. There are moments when we all get in a groove and flows, then there are those days/weeks/months that seem like nothing is working in your favor. It comes down to ones mindset and knowing that when something isn’t working out, that something that much better is around the bend. I strive to remain grateful, even when life is throwing lessons left and right, and maintain a positive mental attitude. Always maintain your passwords in a physical location and update them often, hackers are really on the move lately. You also never know who you’re meeting on a day to day basis, so always keep a sticker or business card on you.

Denver Skates has been around for the past few years and is continuing to grow here in Denver, regardless of what tribulations have come our way. At the end of the day, it’s about remaining true to who you are and what your mission is. For us, it is to spread the love of skating around the world and to make Denver a skate destination. We are now working towards opening our own location to help make this a reality.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first stop on our agenda is to our local roller skate shop, The Denver Skates Shop. Then it’s off to grab food from one of my personal favorites, City o City. I would definitely have to show them the plethora of skate parks and outdoor roller rinks that we are surrounded by. If we are fortunate to check out First Friday’s in the Santa Fe Art District then that’s exactly where we would be. There is also our Roller Disco’s the first Saturday of every other month, or Roll Denver’s skate party every third Friday of the month. After that, it is about experiencing all of Denver like a Rockies game or Little Man’s Ice Cream.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Where do I even begin? I have been given so much love and support from my peers like Leann Corbitt with All Skate Foundation, Bryan Duncan and Kiki Williams from Roller City West, Reelworks, our local roller derby leagues Denver Roller Derby and Rocky Mountain Roller Derby, The Rainbowdome, and The Denver Skates Shop. We also have one of the biggest and quickest growing skate scenes here in Denver, so I would love to give credit to our local skaters who have witnessed the growth and have also shared the love along the way.

Website: www.denverskates.com

Instagram: denver_skates

Facebook: Denver Skates

Other: tiktok @denverskates The Denver Skates Shop ig:thedenverskateshop url: www.thedenverskateshop.com

Image Credits
1st photo on the group upload (indoor skatepark) is captured by Rich Vossler Photography