FREEWHEEL LIMITED CELEBRATES ONE YEAR
One year ago, the startup Freewheel Limited had a dream of bringing more roller skating to Longmont. This weekend, co-founders Mandy Martin and Melissa Blumenshine celebrated the work it has taken to make that dream a reality.
Freewheel Limited, the popup roller skating business of sisters Martin and Blumenshine, held its first event in mid-march of 2023. To mark its first anniversary, the sisters celebrated with more pop-up skating sessions at the Boulder County Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.
The event was a chance to thank the Longmont community for its support of Freewheel Limited over the past year, as well as an opportunity to look back on the progress made since its launch.
“We knew we’d make it to this point, but we didn’t know we were going to be as successful as we were,” Martin said. “It’s just kind of snowballing for us.”
Freewheel Limited hosted a handful of skating events throughout its first year, from a “Back to School Skate” in August to a “Snowflake Skate” in January. The group also participated in the city’s Rhythm at Roosevelt event in September with a pop-up rink at the Roosevelt Park pavilion.
With more events, the business also invested in buying more skates, going from an initial 100 pairs to more than 150 today. The sisters said it has been important to stock up to meet the demand, since some skaters made the effort to come to every Freewheel Limited event this past year, often returning the next time with friends and family.
“They’re growing this passion for skating,” Blumenshine said. “It’s been missed since the Rollo-rena closed down.”
Freewheel Limited also put on a skating fundraiser this year for Recovery Café Longmont, a nonprofit that helps people work through addiction and trauma.
“We knew we’d make it to this point, but we didn’t know we were going to be as successful as we were. It’s just kind of snowballing for us.”
— Mandy Martin, co-founder of Freewheel Limited
Martin and Blumenshine raised $1,500 for the nonprofit, which they donated in honor of their late sister.
Martin and Blumenshine are still working toward their original goal of establishing a local brick-andmortar roller rink. They’ve been looking at potential locations in the area, including a contender in Weld County, but said the options aren’t financially feasible for the business — yet.
“We’re trying to get to that two-year mark,” Martin explained. “It’s a magic number in the financial world, and we’re halfway there.”
In lieu of a permanent location, the sisters said the Fairgrounds’ exhibit building has been a good fit for the pop-up rinks with its 32,000 square feet of space. On Saturday afternoon, the building was filled with skaters of all ages and skill levels circling the track.
Freewheel Limited made a goal this year of having at least one event scheduled a month through June; next month, the sisters are putting on an “After Prom Skate” for students at Silver Creek High School.
“(We’re) finding that consistency within the community, because people want us,” Martin said. “When they drop off their skates, they’re always asking, ‘When’s the next event?’”
Blumenshine called the Longmont community “phenomenal” this past year, with people frequently thanking her and her sister for creating a local space for skating. She said it’s been particularly special to watch Freewheel Limited events create new skaters.
“It’s just really heartwarming,” Blumenshine said. “It drives us to keep going.”