Melissa originally came to NYC on what she thought would be a skate trip—four years later, she’s still here, thriving in the city’s diverse and vibrant skate scene. Growing up in Miami, she was used to skating with just a handful of people—often the only queer or POC skater in the crew. But in New York, she found something different: a huge, supportive community that welcomed her in and kept her here.
She rides goofy, even though she spent years pushing around regular and learning no-complies that way. "I didn’t realize I was skating switch until someone pointed it out," she says. "It took me forever to learn how to ollie—I wasn’t about to relearn it in regular stance!" That mix of adaptability and humor sums up Melissa perfectly.
Melissa loves NYC summers: “Everyone comes here. It’s beautiful to see people truly in great spirits and so outside.” One of her favorite memories is just chilling at KCDC—being silly with friends, skating in the street, and spotting that one cute little shop puppy. To her, KCDC was never just a shop; it was a hub, a home base, and a reason to stick around.
Also—Melissa is Amy’s favorite skater to watch. She’s smart, funny, just so rad, and a true friend. We’re lucky to have her in the KCDC fam.
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