Roller Sports: Gypsy, only daughter of Skate Waco owner, Charlie Lucas started competing in Figure and Speed Skating when she was a toddler. She is a third generation roller skater.  Gypsy has competed in international competitions for speed skating and had the honor of being Team USA Inline Speed Skating Coach 4 times. Gypsy was also asked to teach the original Texas Bad Girl Good Women skaters how to skate and referee the first ever modern roller derby game in 2003 in Austin.

Gypsy left the world of skating for about 5 years and moved to the Caribbean. She worked in the casino industry, sat at the beach on days off, met her husband, and lived "the" life! Gypsy and her husband moved to NYC in 2011 and she joined the Gotham Girls Rec League. Having never actually played roller derby it was super interesting to show up knowing how to skate. Gypsy was asked a lot, “Who did you play for?”. She remembers Violet Knockout punching her in the arm when Gypsy said she had never played before. Gypsy tried out for Gotham and made the Fresh Meat pool but a week before the draft she injured her knee and had to have some massive surgery. When she came back, she asked if she could join the coaching staff. Gypsy was voted in and helped revamp the Rec League program to the awesomeness it is today. Something we think Gypsy should be pretty proud of!

Gypsy started working for Atom Skates in 2012 and was able to travel to derby events all over the country. She has seen some of the best derby there is while educating skaters on equipment and coaching boot camps. Her motto is, ” The better skater you are the better derby player you will be!” It is an awesome experience to be a part of derby on any level. The skaters participating are a great breed and she loves teaching the new skaters skills they can use in the future.

In 2012, Gypsy opened her own business called The Skate Truck, NYC. It is a mobil rental roller skating company that rents skates in the parks of NYC, host school skating events, and private skating events all over the city. When she moved to NYC, she was sick that it took her 2 hours by public transportation to get to the nearest skating rink. Gypsy wondered how the kids are learning to skate. So she brought the skates to them. The Skate Truck NYC school events focused on teaching the youth how to roller skate and direct them to the nearest outlet for speed skating, figure skating, or derby. It is an amazing venture!

In October 2019 Gypsy returned to Waco, TX with her Aussie husband Tristan, to take over as General Manager for Skate Waco. We are so excited to have her expertise and love for skating! Her business motto is Skate for fun! Skate for health! Skate for Life! We cannot think of a better way to live.

Family: My family is a blended family, My wife Patricia, son Daylee, daughters Dillon and Cailin. We have a house full of pets also with 2 dogs, 2 cats, and a rabbit. I would say we are the average not average family. We like a little bit of everything between all of us. The house stays jumping!

Hobbies: In my time when I’m not skating, I love to fish, travel, I love being at the lake or around anybody of water. I love knowing how things work, spending time with the family, and learning about things in nature. I love being outside and just enjoying the view.

Charlie Lucas - Owner

Why I Chose Skate Waco: Well, to tell the truth, I wanted to be a speed skating coach and I needed to have a rink for my team. I couldn't afford to rent a rink for my team so I decided to buy one instead.

Skate Story: Started skating when I was 4 or 5 years old ever since I can remember. My Grandfather gave me metal clamp on skates to skate in front of their house and my grandmother took us to the rinks. We had a great time! I've been skating ever since. North St. Mary's roller rink in San Antonio, Texas was where I had my first job handing out skates and I did it just so I could skate all of the time. As I got older I kept skating and it was all I wanted to do, so I did. I've been coaching since my early 20's.

Family: Married to my beautiful wife Grace Lucas for 11 years and I'm looking forward to the next 11. My mother is 97 years old and I'm very thankful for her. I taught my only daughter, Gypsy, how to skate all her life and she now lives in Austin, Texas. She works for Jackson Skates and Atom Wheel Company. They specialize in equipment manufacturing of roller derby and speed skating wheels. Gypsy coaches speed skating at the highest levels, she's been a US World team coach 4 times, World champion speed skater 4 times and X games downhill champion 2 times.

Hobbies: Playing golf, RVing and collecting antique cars.

Key To Success: Marry a Certified Public Accountant. If you love what you do then you never work a day in your life.

Grace Lucas - CEO and Chief Ambassador of Fun

Why I Chose Skate Waco: I actually chose Charlie. When I married him in 2008, the skating rink became apart of everything that "We" do together.  Skate Waco is something that we can love and have together just like each other.

Skate Story: I began skating around age 8. Although, I had no idea that a skating rink even existed. I had these metal skates with metal wheels that strapped over my shoes and were designed for skating on the road. I skated everywhere for years and still laugh when I think about the noise they made and how my feet would tingle with numbness after taking them off. My first time in an actual skating rink was 12 years ago when I attended a Ballroom dancing lesson at Skate World only to discover two amazing things; an indoor skating rink with no metal wheels and my adventerous husband, Charlie.

Family: I grew up in Illinois with my loving family in which I am the youngest of 5 children.

Hobbies: My hobbies (in no particular order) are Ballroom dancing, Country dancing, sailing, solving crossword puzzles, anything mystery, and singing in the church choir. I would like to eventually write a novel and audition for an acting part in hopes to create a new hobby.

Key To Success: I believe in the golden rules of saying please and thank you, always being early (a work in progress), and remembering to keep my word.

Gypsy Lucas - General Manager

Why I Chose Skate Waco: Skate Waco is My Home! I am excited to be back in Waco and even more excited to build an extensive Learn to Skate Program at both locations. My passion for skating stems from teaching people how to skate and Skate Waco gives me the platform to do that with my family.

Skate Story: My parents were managing a skating rink in Virgina when I was born. I was in the rink growing up learning to stand on skates at 7 months old and competing in my first skating event at 18 months old. Mom was a figure coach and dad was the speed coach so I did both sports growing up. I worked in the family skating rinks as a teen ager and moved to Waco in 1995 to help dad with Skate World. We built Skate Country the following year and I was a part of the team that started the Skate Waco brand. I left Waco in 2007 and went into the Casino Industry. After 5 years I realized I really wanted to skate and share my love of skating with everyone again. Living in NY I started a company with my husband called the Skate Truck NYC and brought rental skates to Central Park and consulted on two city park roller skating rinks. It has been 12 years since I started my journey around the world; now I am back and looking forward to the next skating chapter with Skate Waco again!

Family: My family has been in skating for 3 generations. My dad; Charlie Lucas, has been a hockey player, figure coach, Team USA and Team France Coach for speed skating as well as the Inside Edge Racing Team. It runs in the family! My husband; Tristan, designs and concepts new restaurants for the Kimpton Hotel Group.

Hobbies: My husband and I love to travel and see new places. He is from Australia and when we visit his family we like to see all the places in between. I love to play roller derby and of course to skate for FUN!

Key To Success: Love what you do!

Why I Chose Skate Waco: I chose Skate Waco because it has always been a part of my life and I love the energy inside the rinks! I have so many memories here, and now I am a part of creating memories for families; whether it's in a sessions, a party, or camps!

Skate Story: My grandmother taught me to skate and we would spend every Sunday afternoon skating away! Now, I get to share that love of learning and skating with a new generation of kids!

Family: My family has lived in Waco for 17 years. I have two younger sisters and wonderful parents who also love to skate. My fiancé and I both work for Skate Waco, and we love it! We also have a lovable doggo!

Hobbies: Skating- obviously. I also love going to concerts and going for walks.

Key To Success: I think the key to success is to be your authentic self all of the time! We are happiest when we can be ourselves and others accept us for who we are.

Why I Chose Skate Waco: I chose Skate Waco because I love to skate. I enjoy teaching everyone to skate and it just fit into where my life was taking me after being reintroduced to skating. The first time I walked into one of our rinks was for a lesson for my youngest daughter. I could tell that Gypsy was passionate about teaching kids. I then came to the adult lessons and realized her zeal for teaching skaters was for all ages and skill levels. My Wife Patricia found out there was a local Roller Derby team and she really wanted to be a part of it, which in turn motivated me to get more involved in some of the roller sports. I met Charlie and Grace, and seeing their passion, love, and heart for every skater here really made me want to be a part of Skate Waco. I remember how excited I was going out and playing Hockey for the first time in years and it just opened my eyes. Being here is such a great opportunity to continue to share my love for skating. Seeing a skater light up when you watch them get something new in there skating abilities is the same as learning something new myself.

Skate Story: When I was 10, I started playing Ball hockey at the local Skating rink in Amarillo, TX. I had no idea where that would take me. Hockey consumed me it was just about all that I did. The league grew moved out of the rink where we as a hockey community started a stand alone roller hockey facility; it’s now converted to a full time ice facility. My family took us all over Texas, New Mexico and Colorado playing in various Tournaments. I coached, I refereed, I played, whether it was Ice or Roller hockey. Hockey and Skating were life. As I aged out of the youth leagues I continued to play as much as possible until I left Amarillo for the Navy when I was 24 I took my skates and skateboard with me and skated when I could, not as often as I should have. Fast forward to late 2021 I put my skates back on for a lesson, then I started playing hockey, while Patricia was playing Roller Derby. We were at the rinks 4 and 5 days a week. I went to a Roller Derby Match in Dallas and saw the teams playing COED and that was it I was hooked on another roller sport. There was only one issues I was not a quad skater ☹. I bought skates that day and couldn’t wait to put them on. I rarely don’t have skates on my feet. I realized that I was just passionate about skating and sharing that love with others were the reasons that I was hooked as a youngster and I’m hooked now. Even though I skated less for several years I know that the lessons I have learned and the joy of skating saved me many times over and continue to keep me healthy and happy.

Key To Success: The key to success, is never stop learning, don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t know, be accountable and hold others to the same. Don’t give up, have integrity, always try to stay positive, and share what you learn. Don’t just tell people you care, show them through action.