Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Havick.
Hayley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Roller skating found me back in 2013 when I decided to join roller derby after seeing it on a comical episode of “Wife Swap”!!!
I didn’t take it too seriously. At that time, I was just bored so I let it take up my nights, but I could hardly stand up on those things. I joined the roller derby league and it didn’t take long for me to catch the bug! I found myself staying late every night, learning to skate in a warehouse. I was white knuckling any glimpse of progress.
I went on to play roller derby for 2 years until I sucked it dry completely. I didn’t want to quit, but I needed something else.
So in February 2015, I halfway overnight decided to take my skating into the skate parks!! Without much direction, I loitered around skate spots in San Diego, CA. I was very amateur and embarrassed…so I’d show up alone, late at night with a flashlight to illuminate the concrete. I would attempt stalling or pumping, building up to small tricks.
I now skate bowls, pools, ramps, streets, and anything else possibly skate-able that sparks my attention!
This growing scene is nothing new. Vertical roller skating existed alongside the start of skateboarding and it’s making quite the comeback now! I aim to preserve the integrity and intensity of its past. I skate for a worldwide movement and company, known as ‘Chicks in Bowls’ that is dedicated to growing this community. I spend much of my time traveling, meeting with different chapters of roller skaters, coaching, attending events, photo/video shoots, and doing my best to progress the sport. I’ve definitely found my niche and my power. I’ll skate until I get kicked out, until it’s too dark to see, or until bloody! It has transformed my life and taken me for quite the ride… May the metamorphosis continue.
Has it been a smooth road?
No. I had no one to coach me for quite some time. The trial and error was painful. I looked up videos on the internet of others, ramp skating, doing tricks, and coming to the forefront of my newfound spectacle. It wasn’t easy trying to teach myself this skill and I partially did so in order to teach others in my area. We then progressed together. There were injuries, frustration, plateaus, mental blocks, lost friendships, etc…but the process has been richly cathartic in a way. It never gets much easier if you’re expecting progression from yourself yet needing to avoid injury to maintain a livelihood. It’s quite the gamble sometimes and it’s about to get much harder for me to go forth to level I want, especially after suffering a traumatic near collapse of my nervous system earlier this year from a secret deadly accident! My skill and stability on wheels has sadly declined since, but my body is healing and my skating has always felt good-even when it‘s been bad!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Havoc – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’ve indulged in some intense realms of roller skating, appealing to the stunt side of things, being somewhat controversial at times and I consider myself an artist before an athlete. I’ve definitely brought that background into what I’m doing. I see skating as an art that lives in this endless realm of creativity. It’s easily recognizable in what I’ve put out. I also have a makeup artist background and I’ve definitely used this skill to conceptualize! I enjoy bringing to fruition what I see in my mind through the rawness of of the sport, it’s risks, and sweet rewards. I want the people who watch me to feel as free as I do.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Likes: The trains, Venice Beach Skatepark, the Cardiff drainage ditch, the incredible monster making/fx industry, the competitiveness in almost every profession.
Dislikes: Conformity, smog, overpopulation, difficulty finding solitude, inauthenticity.
Contact Info:
- Email: hrhavick@aol.com
- Instagram: @havoc719
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hayley.havick
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do62D1Mif98&t=5s
Image Credit:
Marshall Garlington, Nick Henderson, George Medina, Joe Hawkins, Tristan King, Fabian Meli, and Kevin Bouffard.
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
