“Mason rollerblader” spreads joy in community

Emily Kemper | The Chronicle

You may have seen him gliding down a parade route, dancing downtown or spinning on a street corner – but no matter where you spot Bill Kraimer, his rollerblading skills are sure to put a smile on your face. 

Kraimer – also known as “the Mason Rollerblader” – has been skating since childhood, starting with friends on frozen ponds or open skate Saturdays at the local rink, then started rollerblading with his coworkers when it became a trend in the 90s. Rollerblading took a back seat in Kraimer’s life until his children started to grow up. At first, rollerblading was just as a form of exercise, but for the past ten years, Kraimer’s skating has attracted an audience from the Mason community. 

“[Rollerblading is] an honor, it’s humbling, and it’s a lot of fun,” Kraimer said. “It’s also a way to reach out to people – I skated by these kids last night and they started cheering me on, so then I came into their picnic area, did some spins, and we all had a fun moment and everybody had a smile. So I think it’s a way for me to spread joy.” 

The more spins, tricks and dances Kraimer incorporated into his rollerblading, the more positive reactions he got from the community – from honking cars to a bus full of kids opening their windows to shout: “We love you!” People have told Kraimer that what he does inspires them, and he is glad he is able to spread that love and passion. 

“People say, ‘When you’re not here, the energy is different,’” Kraimer said. “They’ll also say, ‘You inspire me, I want to be free like you,’ and that’s really cool – to inspire someone to be uninhibited and have joy.” 

Kraimer said that when he rollerblades, he likes to have a large variety of music to listen to, ranging from Andrea Bocelli to Bruno Mars, so that he can match the mood and tempo of the song to the way he skates. 

“Different music does different things,” Kraimer said. “So I could listen to rhythm and blues or some funk, and just get down and dance, or I listen to some hard rock, or sometimes I like spiritual music, and [I] get into a beautiful flow skate.” 

Besides rollerblading around the city, Kraimer has been in multiple parades and festivals around the Cincinnati area, including the Reds Opening Day parade, Mason Homecoming parade, and the BLINK festival of light and art. Kraimer said that through these events he gets exciting new opportunities to extend his audience past the Mason community. 

“The Reds [Opening Day parade] is crazy, because there’s 150,000 people there, and we go right down this gauntlet of people,” Kraimer said. “All the kids want a high five, and it’s just an incredible rush. There’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of joy, and I get to reach out to so many people from all walks of life.” 

The Mason community has been very important to Kraimer and his family for the past twenty five years, as he has put all of his children through Mason schools, including his stepdaughter Simone Scott, who passed away in 2021. He said he is incredibly touched and grateful for everything Mason has done for his family and Simone’s memory. Kraimer said that the amount of love he felt from the community was extremely encouraging, especially through the Lumiere foundation, which has supported many Mason initiatives over the past few years. 

Kraimer said that the support from the Mason community has inspired him to push his platform further and give back to them.

  “The Mason school system has been so good to my family through good times and bad – and we’ve had some tough times,” Kraimer said. “So when I say I love Mason and Mason loves me back, it’s sincere.” 

Kraimer does not just spread joy by rollerblading himself, but by getting others to join in the fun. Through teaching others to skate and volunteering with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, Kraimer hopes to get Cincinnati “on the map” for rollerblading and rollerskating. 

“It brings people from the suburbs, cities, young and old, rich and poor – we don’t care,” Kraimer said. “Everybody’s welcome in the skating community.”

Kraimer believes that his talent for rollerblading is meant to be shared, whether that means sparking a passion for skating in someone else, or just putting a smile on their face. Through becoming “the Mason Rollerblader,” Kraimer has brightened this community, inviting everyone to put on their skates and join in the fun too.

“It’s a gift that’s been given to me, and gifts are meant to be developed, given freely, and put a smile on people’s faces,” Kraimer said. “I just want to spread joy through the community – maybe that’s my life’s legacy.”