On a roll
Pink Bandanas member Allison Diaz, 7, makes a leap on her roller skates at West Melbourne Skate Park during a group meetup. TOM WILBY
Group of women glides into their own power — on roller skates
A smaller crew of the Pink Bandanas skate group gather wearing group merchandise and adorned by signature pink accessories. TOM WILBY
Holly Bee holds member Allison Rabideau’s hand to guide her as they balance together for a skating hold on one leg. MADELEINE PAPE
With her eclectic style and a seemingly effortless vibe, Carrie Stuart was always drawn to roller skating. Growing up in the ’70s meant frequently hanging out at the roller rink. Nevertheless, back then, Stuart’s captivation never overcame her timidness and overwhelming fear of putting on a pair of wheels.
It wasn’t until the news of her first granddaughter — along with the sight of a friend’s new Moxi roller skates — that Stuart’s skating journey was sparked.
“They were the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life, and I thought if I’m going to learn something new, it’s going to be now or never,” Stuart said.
From there, her love for skating blossomed along with her connections within the skate community.
She participated in a local co-ed recreational skating group, before pivoting to create her own signature crew with a female focus. After floating the idea to her friend, Holly Bee, an advanced park skater and coach, the two forged their fervent passions for skating and empowering women into the creation of The Pink Bandanas, a recreational skating group and space for women to foster female connection and build strong community bonds.
Ray Vega, a commuter member from Orlando, smoothly transitions down the ramp with a smile on her face after completing a trick. TOM WILBY
STARTING SOMEWHERE
This dynamic duo, Bee and Carrie ‘Nana’ Stuart, are the driving force behind the Pink Bandanas. TOM WILBY
Growing up in a single-dad household, Stuart recalls her relationship with her grandmother as the only and closest female bond in her life, even though their time together was infrequent. Stuart derived her nickname, Nana, from her grandmother’s nickname, Nanny. When she learned she would be assuming that role, Stuart was finally inspired to pursue skating and purchase her first set of Moxi roller skates. “It was these skates and this brand — that is what brought me out of my midlife crisis,” she said.
Stuart started showing up to McGriff and West Melbourne Skate parks, after gaining some confidence from rolling around in her garage. She gained notoriety as Bad Nana, because of how poor her beginner skills were. “One day I was at the West Melbourne Skate Park, and I had my skates on the wrong feet,” she recalled. “That’s how bad it was.”
Even after she broke her ankle in a skating mishap, Stuart found herself at the skatepark trying, falling, and getting up, repeatedly — on the same day she was released. Her relentless enthusiasm is a hallmark of her personality. “She is kind of this whirlwind of just positivity and smiles — and it’s so genuine,” said Bee. “That’s really what drives the Pink Bandanas.”
Bee met Stuart through skating. They started their journeys about the same time, both seeking self-discovery. “It helps me understand how much I am the only person that can help me do something,” Bee said. “No one else is going to help me get better at this. It’s an internal, self-connection for me.”
Both women are residents of Palm Bay, and the pair connected over their experience of wanting to fit in and feel supported through a group. “We realized we both had this shared purpose of empowering the community of young women around us,” Bee said.
They describe Bee as the “muscle” and Stuart, the “fluff” of The Pink Bandanas. Their group name came from Stuart who used the city of Palm Bay’s initials to combine the femininity of the color pink with the bandana, which symbolizes strength and resilience. The group, made up of around 25 members, is open to all wheels and meets regularly each month for trail, rink and park skating. Members are welcome to show up however they need, whether that is to skate and learn, or just enjoy snacks, games, and community.
“It’s a sisterhood with no drama, and there’s no judgment,” Stuart said. “You just come, and you have a good time.”
CONNECTING BACKGROUNDS
Emery LaPorte, 10, flies down a skate park ramp, determined to land her next trick. TOM WILBY
Group member Allison Rabideau showed up at the skate park for her first time searching for community and having never skated before. “I needed to know what it felt like to be loved unconditionally by people without having them expecting anything from me,” she said.
Rabideau recalled watching the female roller skaters run the ramps and being awestruck by their talent. “I had no idea this even existed and when I saw what they were doing I wanted to do that same exact thing,” she said.
She identified Bee as one of her skating inspirations before meeting her. Now, Rabideau takes skating lessons from Bee, who teaches all levels. Bee’s background in the service industry and after-life services, as well as her current work as a registered behavior therapist, have cultivated her deep understanding of compassion and connection. This life experience further influenced her path to skating and role as a coach. “I think that is where wheel sports really come to me is just knowing the value it has brought me and hoping that I can bring a similar value to somebody who else may need it,” Bee said.
Stuart also teaches, focusing on basics for beginner skaters. As a registered nurse in Brevard County for more than 30 years, she emphasizes skating safety practices like protective gear and proper stretching. Her caring spirit is felt throughout the local skate community, thanks to her advocacy for growth and renovations, as well as her networking efforts that connect others to additional skating opportunities on the Space Coast and beyond. “She is so about her community,” Rabideau said. “That is the first and foremost, the most important thing to her.”
Apart from her strong local influence, the intersection of skating and her career experience has provided a unique opportunity for Stuart to support the broader skating community as she travels throughout Florida as a medic for various skate and surf events. In May, Stuart, Bee and Rabideau traveled to Pennsylvania for the Moxi Skate Camp at Woodward, where she was the onsite nurse.
ROLLING FORWARD
Stuart arrives for duty as on-site nurse for a session at Woodward Camp, an action sports camp near State College, Pennsylvania. CARRIE STUART
In the future, The Pink Bandanas hope to find a home base, whether it is staying true to their Palm Bay roots at McGriff Skate Park or bringing to fruition their vision for a dynamic brick-and-mortar space.
“We want to empower young girls to find a place to fit in,” Bee said. “I think that it’s important for the grownups and the caregivers in this community to offer the safe places where we want to see our own kids thrive.”
Bee’s daughter, Cameron, has started her own skating journey, finding a place to belong through the open and welcoming culture the Pink Bandanas provides. As for Stuart’s now 4-year-old granddaughter, Ella: She already has her own pair of wheels, thanks to Nana.
