After years away, ‘Roller Dude’ is back, bringing joy to Chesapeake — and himself

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon takes a break as he talks with Jessica Milella, a Chesapeake resident who brings E'sa food while he skates in front of the Shell gas stations on South Battlefield Boulevard, Monday, July 19, 2021 in Chesapeake, Va.

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon talks about his skates. This is his third pair. They were bought with money raised on GoFundMe. Monday, July 19, 2021 in Chesapeake, Va.

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon roller skates and listens to music in front of the Shell gas station on South Battlefield Boulevard on Monday, July 19, 2021 in Chesapeake, Va.

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon, skating and listening to music, in front of the Shell station on South Battlefield Boulevard.

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon waves at passing cars in front of the Shell gas station on South Battlefield Boulevard on Monday, July 19, 2021 in Chesapeake, Va.

Mike Caudill/The Virginian-Pilot

E'sa Simon takes a break as he talks with Jessica Milella, a Chesapeake resident who brings E'sa food while he skates in front of the Shell gas station on South Battlefield Boulevard. Monday, July 19, 2021 in Chesapeake, Va.

E'sa Simon has reclaimed his corner of Chesapeake concrete where he again twists, stomps, points his finger into the air, slaps his hip. The worn green wheels on his black roller skates grind in cursive circles as the 63-year-old retired stormwater worker writes his dance for the day.

In Great Bridge, the word is out: "Roller Dude" is back.

Eight years ago, Simon had become a neighborhood landmark. When drivers saw him skating, they knew they were in the right place, if that spot was the Shell gas station at South Battlefield Boulevard and Cedar Road. He was there three days a week, or at a nearby church or coffee shop, anywhere people were slogging through traffic or waiting on lights or an opening of the Great Bridge Bridge. He brought smiles to those driving by and they’d honk and wave. He’d smile and wave back.

Some residents even pooled money through a GoFundMe page to get him some new skates, an MP3 player and headphones. Others stopped to buy him a bite to eat or a bottle of water.

Then he was gone.

Not many people knew that Simon had returned to his childhood love of skating in 2013 after his son, E'sa Simon Jr., took his own life. The 22-year-old had recently opened his first bank account, adding money from a job at Hardee's on South Battlefield. The family was devastated.

His dad used skating to cope, hitting the pavement from 8 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon some days.

But he also turned to drugs. He couldn't sustain himself and wasn't helping his two daughters and son, either. About six years ago, his mom and sister drove him to a nonprofit in Baltimore that helps veterans deal with substance abuse and other issues. Simon, who served in the Army for six years in the late 1970s, found stable ground. He eventually found housing and stayed in Baltimore.

His departure left many in Chesapeake wondering where he’d gone. Some feared the worst — that he had died.

Then, about two weeks ago, Simon was back. He had kept up the skating while in Baltimore and decided to return home to his family.

One of the first things he did was to stop in at DeSigns, which is near his old gas station. He wanted a "thank you" sign for the people of Chesapeake. He knew it was their smiles and support that carried him through his pain, even if they didn't know it.

It took a moment for Stella Solorzano, who was working that day, to recognize him in his mask. They started reminiscing, and she showed him some old videos she’d taken of him skating at the Shell.

With the help of a graphic designer, she made up a sign: "I’m back! I’ve missed you. Thank you for bringing me home!" In one corner she put an image of a roller skate. She took a picture of Simon holding the sign, a big grin on his face.

Then she wrote about it on Facebook. She usually doesn't share her posts publicly, but she knew this one needed to be seen widely.

She put it up on July 15. It has garnered hundreds of likes and more than 1,000 shares. Roller Dude was going viral.

"He has so much energy it doesn't matter — you can be having a bad day or you could be mad because you’re stuck at a light," she said. "But then you see him skating and forget."

Another fan, Jessica Milella, a certified nursing assistant, stopped by the Shell on Monday morning to say hello. She bought him a 7-Eleven breakfast sandwich, Slurpee and, later, a bottle of water.

"He has more energy now than he did before," Milella said.

She remembers seeing Simon fall years ago and break a rib. She helped him to his car and stayed with him until an ambulance arrived. This past week, she urged him a few times to take breaks from the hot sun. He already has some necessary break times, like when the fuel truck pulls up to fill the tanks. He sits on the curb and waves at the passersby who honk.

People helped Simon minimize his focus on losing his son. He said he likes to take the happiness he gets from them and "put it in me." He worries that if he stops skating, his mind will turn to that loss and he might crack open doors that he knows he shouldn't.

"That pain is like carrying that truck on my back," he said, gesturing to the fuel truck behind him.

For now he's staying with family in Virginia Beach, and wants to find his own place soon, hopefully in Chesapeake. Now that he's retired, he plans to skate every day.

He's back, with people carrying him on.

Gordon Rago, 757-446-2601, [email protected]

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