Rolling with it

Kylie Madden, features writer| February 14, 2022

Elizabeth Riti

Logan Jones jumps off the ramp at Ramp Riders Skate park.

Perched at the edge of a ramp at Maplewood Skatepark, Logan Jones, junior, stared down at the concrete as they considered their next trick. It was 10 p.m. and they were surrounded by other skaters they wanted to impress. It was dark, and they knew they shouldn’t try anything too dangerous, so they settled on a 360-degree turn. It was one of the first tricks they learned in their five years of roller skating. It should have been easy. With their mind made up, Jones replayed the trick in their head, steadied themself and tipped off the ramp. They flew to the other side, and as they went up the ramp they attempted the trick. Then they fell. 

“[I] fell wrong, but [I] didn’t think anything was wrong, so I kept skating for two more months,” Jones said. “[I] went to a doctor [and] they said that I tore my PCL.”

Janel Jones, Logan’s mom, said she wasn’t surprised when she and Logan found out about Logan’s injury. Being in the medical field, she knew Logan tore their PCL before they went to the doctor. Though Logan and Janel said they didn’t know how bad the injury was yet, and feared Logan would have to get surgery which would require a six-to-nine month recovery.

Once diagnosed, Logan found out they wouldn’t have to get surgery, but would still have to be in a brace for three months before they could go back on the ramps. They went from going to skate parks twice a week to not being able to wear their skates at all. 

“They went to physical therapy a couple of times a week, then once a week, “ Janel said. “Just by doing that and strengthening exercises, [Logan’s injury] started healing itself.” 

As Logan was coming to the end of physical therapy, they tried skating again in a brace. They said they were excited, but scared to break their brace and potentially make their injury worse.

“I just stayed in my comfort zone and didn’t try anything crazy like I used to,” Jones said. “ It was hard to hold myself back.”

But soon they were out of their brace and back on wheels. According to Mia Porcelli, Logan’s skating friend, this injury may have caused them to be more careful, but Logan still hasn’t lost their daring spirit.

“They are risky, but since their injury they’ve been wearing more pads,” Porcelli said. “They [still] love to hype me up and encourage me to try new things. The first time I dropped off [a big ramp] with my wild bones, [it] was because they hyped me up to do it.”

Even with Logan getting injured, Janel said she admires their maturity on and off the rink. She said even though Logan has a mind of their own, they have always been a careful skater.

“As a skater I’d say Logan is careful but loves to try new things and be adventurous,” Janel said. “It’s cool that they could make a vlog and show everyone at school what their [roller skating] life is like, especially since not a lot of people are in that type of community.”

After Logan recovered, they decided to broadcast their first time skating without a brace through a video that aired on KHTV titled the “Punk Vlog.” The vlog featured Logan attempting tricks on a ramp for the first time in three months to heavy metal background music.

“I thought people would like to hear new and cool music while being able to watch something most people don’t even know is possible,” Logan said. “[People] think I just dink around in a rink. Then I show them videos and it all clicks.”