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 Occasionally you meet someone with passion,
fire and a commitment for the work they do. Someone whose
enjoyment of that work is evidenced by the enthusiasm they
exhibit when they do it. Walter Johnson, owner of the Detroit
Blading Company, LLC, is that kind of person. Walter is one of
the pioneers in the area of in-line skating in the Detroit
Metropolitan area.
Walter has been an avid in-line skater
since 1992 and has made a commitment to share his passion for
the sport of in-line skating with others. After being
certified by the International In-line Skating Association (IISA)
as a Level One in-line skate instructor in 1996, Walter opened
the Detroit Blading Company in 1997. As a Level One
instructor, he was qualified to teach the fundamentals of
in-line skating. These fundamentals are based on a
standardized format of teaching progressions and terminology.
Around the world, the IISA’s Instructor Certification Program
(ICP) instructors use a standard methodology to teach
thousands of people each year how to in-line skate. His goal
then, and now, is to get the whole world on skates, one person
at a time. One of his slogans is "Why Stroll When You Can
Roll?”
The Detroit Blading Company In-line Skate
School, LLC was founded in the summer of 1997. The Company's
primary service is to provide in-line skate instructions to
individuals (adults and children), youth organizations,
community groups, churches, etc. The outstanding features of
the program are its’ nominal cost and the fact that DBC
supplies skates and all protective equipment so that the out
of pocket cost is just the cost of the class.
DBC operates on the quid pro quo theory,
something for something. Once a student has paid the fee to
attend a beginner in-line skate class, they can return and
audit the class for free as many times as necessary. One of
the things that Walter stresses to every potential student is
to "please take a lesson". Even if you’re not taking the
lesson from DBC, take a lesson. One of his students wrote an
article : (So You Think You Can Skate, Yeah Right!)
by Myrna Edwards expressing her experiences in class. She
wrote "…but what got my attention during one of his
conversations with me was a statement he made that "if you
choose not to take my class, you really need to take a class
from somebody so you can learn how to do it right!” She was so
impressed by that statement and his commitment to the sport
that she decided to take a class and to take the class from
Walter.
In 2002 Walter was selected as a “Detroit
Entrepreneurial Spirit” of the Year award winner at the
Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute annual awards dinner.
Walter also plays the role of Giffy
Giraffe, a giraffe on in-line skates in a youth stage play
“Supa Dupa Babys Anti Drug Anti Violence Fight Back Tour”. The
highlight of 2002 season was the performance was that it was
held at the newly refurbished Music Hall in downtown Detroit.
Numerous interviews on TV and radio have
allowed Walter the opportunity to describe and promote in-line
skating. Walter was a guest on the morning TV show Wake Up
Detroit with host Detroit City Council Person JoAnn Watson and
the Career Connections hosted by Judy Baruzzini.
Walter is a firm believer that you can't
teach what you don't know. So, in line with that thinking, he
returned to the IISA in 1999 and received his Level Two
certification. As a Level Two instructor, he was taught
individual problem solving and skate school management.
Walter is also an avid in-line racer and
travels to cities around the country to compete against other
60-year old skaters. To develop a citywide youth in-line
racing program and to bring in-line racing back to Detroit
Walter turned to the IISA again and received a Certificate
In-lines Speed Skating to properly teach fundamentals of speed
skating.
During the summer of 1997 Walter founded
The Motor City Blade Runners In-line Skate Club (MCBR). There
was no opportunity for adult beginning in-line skaters to
in-line skate with a group like other major cities around the
country. MCBR is composed of adults from all walks of life
from retirees to doctors, police officers, teachers, etc. The
Club provides beginning skaters an opportunity to both
continue to develop the skills they were taught in class while
enjoying leisurely in-line skates in and around the Detroit
Metro Area.
Also known as the "Helmet Guy", Walter
encourages people to wear a helmet while on blades or
bikes. He encourages parents to make sure that the children
are wearing a helmet too! .
No matter the reason a person in-line
skates, it is first and foremost fun! He is often heard
saying, “it's the most fun you can have standing up”!
Until the Whole World Rolls!
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