Long before he became an icon for breaking the “no dancing” rule in Footloose, a young Kevin Bacon was putting his rhythm to use on eight wheels in New York City. The year was 1979, and the roller disco craze was sweeping across America. At the time, Bacon was a struggling actor working as a busboy in Manhattan. He had bought a pair of quad skates in 1977 and became an avid street skater.
Because elite, flashy New York roller clubs like The Roxy and Xenon were far too expensive for a busboy’s budget, Bacon took his talents to the pavement, spending hours grooving, spinning, and practicing roller disco out in Central Park.
While skating in the park, an acquaintance who was putting together a project to capitalize on the exploding trend approached him. The pitch was simple: “Hey, I’m writing a book about this roller disco thing. Do you want to be a model?” Desperate for the gig, Bacon agreed. He ended up being featured as an instructional model in the 1979 paperback book titled How to Disco Rollerskate.
“Back when I was working as a busboy, I got a gig to model for a how-to roller disco book,” he recalled. “For reference, this move is called ‘Shoot the Duck.’”
In the book’s black-and-white photo spreads, a young, heavily feathered-haired Kevin Bacon can be seen demonstrating highly technical maneuvers, including a left-hand turn transition and a classic 1970s skate trick called the “Can Opener.”
Years later, Bacon revisited the memory on The Late Late Show, admitting that while he still owns those original 1977 skates, his feet have grown two sizes since his days as a Central Park roller disco model. Still, during the 2020 lockdowns, he famously dusted them off to post “Roller Disco” dance videos from his basement, proving he’s still got the moves.
