The Rose Club: Leading The Community To Show Up and Skate

Northern Utah offers a favorable landscape for several extreme sports both outdoors and indoors. This can understandably be an intimidating atmosphere for beginners in any of these domains. The Rose Club has taken initiative on leading a change in the dialogue for skateboarding and snowboarding, pioneering accessibility for beginners to learn in the safest environment.

“Leadership is something we take very seriously and understand the importance of it in our community. We look to the people involved in The Rose Club to pass this on to everyone they meet.”

The Rose Club was initiated in the Ogden area by Michelle Tierney and Jess Harper in July of 2020 as a place for women to connect with other skaters and to feel comfortable in beginning or growing their skateboarding experience. It’s nothing formal and has no defined set of members, rather the club represents a time and place for people to come skate and cheer each other on. On a regular basis, about 20–30 people from all walks of life show up to skate and learn. In the beginning, the group was solely focused on being a space for women. Today, TRC has evolved to be a femme-focused community that welcomes anyone and everyone willing to be encouraging and supportive of each other.

The Rose Club represents a group that is trailblazing the way for more than an empowering experience in diverse physical activity; they are paving new avenues through which people can use their passions to lift up their community and be an accountable member of that community. “The biggest strength of The Rose Club is the people who are involved in it. We place a big emphasis on people encouraging, welcoming and pushing each other the way they would like to be treated,” says Tierney. “The skate park can be a very intimidating place, so having that one person who offers encouragement or [says] ‘you got this’ can make the world of difference.”

Examples of how The Rose Club is passing on the group’s supportive character off the skate ramp is shown through their partnerships with local businesses, including Crossroads Skatepark & Shop. Crossroads has offered The Rose Club event sponsorship while also providing access to their skatepark for their events and skate nights. The Rose Club aims to hold big events once or twice a year that bring the community together in one place and showcase their growth in their various skill levels, further pushing skaters to grow together. This is only possible because of their ability to stand as community leaders and foster these tight-knit relationships. 

“The biggest strength of The Rose Club is the people who are involved in it. We place a big emphasis on people encouraging, welcoming and pushing each other the way they would like to be treated.”

“It gives us a great sense of pride for anyone to consider TRC as a community leader. Leadership is a central part of The Rose Club,” says Tierney. “It is something we take very seriously and understand the importance of it in our community. We look to the people involved in The Rose Club to pass this on to everyone they meet.”

The Rose Club is making a difference in activities with a male-dominated history through a strong, inspirational sense of solidarity and motivation. A first-timer can expect to be welcomed by friendly faces, many of whom love teaching and supporting each others’ development as skaters, whether it be learning the basics or trying to hone different tricks. The Rose Club has events all throughout the year; during the summertime, they hold Saturday Skates and during the winter they have Wednesday Skates at Crossroads, located at 251 W. 12th St. in Ogden, every second Wednesday of the month, currently from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. These skate nights are sessions dedicated to skateboarding with the collective. Additionally, during the winter, they are planning on doing ride nights once a month at Powder Mountain. They are also planning on a snowboarding event this year at that same location. All information about these events can be found at the-rose-club.com and on their Instagram
@_theroseclub.