By Morgan Rigaud
Director, Skate Downtown Cincy
Local skaters Dylan Morton and Natalie Hickox were featured in the 2023 Grand Opening of Historic Flipper’s Roller Rink at the Rockefeller Center and on the Today Show.
Last week, two local roller skaters Dylan Morton and Natalie Hickox, representing Cincinnati in New York as special guests at Flipper’s 2023 Opening in Rockefeller Center, joined skaters from around the world. The following morning Morton and Hickox appeared on the Today Show to promote the outdoor skating season at Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace NYC.
Originally in West Hollywood, Flipper’s has a long history of hosting premier roller skaters and household names like Cher, Gene Simmons, Olivia Newton-John, and Robin Williams since it opened in 1979. Last season, Usher, Floyd Mayweather, Mary J. Blige and numerous well-known skaters helped launch Flipper’s into a successful 2022 season, building anticipation for the skating program in 2023.
Morton is a professional roller skater and Riedell Superstar, who has dedicated much of his time learning and training in various different styles of roller skating: jam skating, rhythm skating, JB, New York, and partner skating. He teaches skate workshops at the Over-the-Rhine Community Center every Friday. He has traveled internationally to perform on roller skates, sharing the stage with Usher, Pink, and many other celebrity entertainers. In the last year, Morton skated on stage in both the European Music Awards and the American Music Awards.
Hickox is a jam and rhythm skater who spends many of her weekends traveling to national adult skate events as part of the Cincinnati-based Reckless Sk*rs skate crew. She skated in Smale Park in the 2022 Cincy Parks Hats’ Off event.
Both Morton and Hickox have been involved in building awareness and advocacy as part of the Skate Downtown Cincy initiative in partnership with Cincy Parks, Cincinnati Parks Foundation, and Cincinnati Recreation Commission.
Skate Downtown Cincy is an initiative to raise awareness and support for downtown Cincinnati’s public skating facilities and social wellness programs that contribute to the health, community, culture, and vibrancy of the urban core. For more information visit www.skatedowntowncincy.com and watch fun skate reels on Instagram and Facebook @skatedowntowncincy.
