Earl  Brown roller-skated gracefully on the floor of the Coquille Community Center gym. He rolled in circles and in straight lines, drifted slowly and sped. Around him, some children rolled by on skates, others crowded around a small concession stand or lingered in an open hallway talking with friends.

Most of the other skaters around him probably didn’t realize that Brown, 72, wasn’t just another skater. He’s a living, breathing encyclopedia of roller-skating information.

Brown has roller-skated in Sacramento, Indianapolis, Redding and Reno. And for the past few years, he’s skated in Coquille.

He started when he was in high school — more than 50 years ago.

“It’s exercise, and I enjoy it,” Brown said.

After graduating in 1953, he joined the U.S. Air Force, where he learned dance skating while in basic training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss.

He moved to Sacramento in 1960, where he worked as a business machine repairman.

“That’s where I did all my dance skating,” he said.

For about 10 years, Brown competed as a professional skater.  He has the medals to prove it, which he proudly wears while he skates.

Back when he started skating in the 1950s, the sport was near the zenith of its popularity. Nearly every city — from large to small — had a roller rink.

That’s all changed.

The sport declined in popularity after the disco era in the 1970s, according to the Roller Skating Association International. But one of the big reasons for the decline, Brown said, was because unlike soccer and ice figure-skating, roller-skating failed in its attempt to become an Olympic sport.  While roller-skating is recognized as an Olympic sport by the International Olympic Committee, it has yet to appear in the games.

Locally, the open skate at the Coquille Community Center is the only place in Coos County where those with the need for skating speed can get their fix. And while the sport might not be as glitzy as figure-skating, for the kids who attend the open skate at the center, it’s just as much fun, and a better way to pass time than sitting on the couch.  

“It gives us something to do,” said 14-year-old Mickie Carter.

Carter has been skating since she was 6 and works at the center on skate nights. Her friend, Nathan Huffman, 14, also works at the center. They both assist in games and remind people of the rules of the rink, they said.

“It’s pretty much just us and the little kids,” Huffman said.

For Skate Manager Vanessa Swanson, 44, skating is not only fun, it’s keeps her young at heart, she said. She’s been on skates since she was 12.

Huffman, Carter and Swanson might have a lot of experience under their belts, but it’s doubtful they’ve ever heard of the of the Practice Fox Trot, Iceland Tango, or Windmill Waltz. Those are just some of the dance numbers that Brown used to perform when he competed.

But gone are the days of roller-skating dance numbers set to classical or big band music, replaced by the beat of loud pop music and games like graveyard and red rover.

His chosen sport might have changed, but one thing remains clear: Brown still loves to skate.  In fact, he skates at the center about seven or eight times a year.

And while he might be quick on his skates, he also keeps busy off them. He volunteers at Coquille Valley Hospital as a lobby host, along with his wife of seven years, Juanita Backman. He also serves as a homecare worker for a friend who is ill. In addition, he has a couple of jobs mowing lawns and gardening at people’s homes. And he’s still learning and trying new things.

“I’m still trying to learn the difference between a flower and a weed,” he said.

But he continues to go back to the sport that he’s practiced for more than 50 years.

“I do it because there’s not much else I can do,” he said. “Age is not a major barrier, as long as you’re in good physical shape.”

The open skate takes place every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Coquille Community Center gym. For more information, those interested can call 396-2613.