David Miles Jr., the city’s “Godfather of Skate,” has worked for decades to create a positive, all-access roller-skating culture through his landmark Church of 8 Wheels and by spearheading the inaugural Skate Week San Franciso festival, which launched Tuesday with the help of Mayor London Breed.
But a tense public confrontation last weekend at Golden Gate Park has sullied Miles’ reputation within the roller-skating scene. The incident, which culminated in Miles making a violent threat against event attendees, has led skaters to level additional claims of abuse against him and forced him to post a public apology on Facebook that has since been deleted.
In a seven-minute video that was sent to The Standard on Thursday, Miles is seen arguing with an unknown number of people who have been blurred out. At one point, he turns to a member of the group and says, “You know what? I can treat you like a man, and I can beat the living goddamn shit out of you. Which way do you want it?”
In the video, Miles demands respect and expresses rage about people lowering the volume on his stereo system without asking for permission. “If you don’t like the music, go up there, go down there,” Miles yells at the group. “You’re going to go over there touching my stuff, so what? I had somebody here watching it!”
At least one person apologizes to Miles before the video ends, saying, “Someone made a mistake.” Miles agrees: “Yeah, somebody made a bad mistake. Let’s make sure they don’t do it again.”
Riki Panganiban, a regular at the park’s outdoor rink, was one of the people yelled at by Miles and said he was devastated by the threats. “Someone turned down the music. … He wanted to beat me up for that,” Panganiban told The Standard. “I’m still shaking thinking about it, and it fucks with my sleep at night.”
Miles, who has been organizing skating events in the city for more than 40 years, said in an interview that he couldn’t remember exactly what he said in the moment. He blamed heightened emotions and acknowledged that his behavior was unacceptable.
“I reached the end of my rope,” Miles said.
However, this isn’t the first time he has verbally abused people, according to Panganiban and another skater who wished to remain anonymous to speak freely. The second person told The Standard that they had personally experienced one of Miles’ “angry tirades” and said he frequently engages in “microaggressions” toward women.
“This is not just one instance. There are many reports of David Miles verbally abusing and bullying people that go back for many, many years,” Panganiban said. “There are lots of people who have been on the receiving end of it, and let me tell you, it’s very, very unpleasant. And it’s getting worse.”
Still, Panganiban said he hopes Miles will learn from this and change his ways, noting his accomplishments and contributions to the roller skating community.
“I believe everyone is capable of change if they have the will and the courage to do so,” he said. “For his sake, and the larger skate community, I sincerely hope he takes that step.”
In a Facebook post Wednesday evening, Miles apologized for his behavior and said he hoped to apologize face-to-face to every person involved, “so you can look me in the eye and know I mean it.” He later deleted the post following inquiries from The Standard.
He chalked up the incident to having “a bad day after 45 years of hard work.”
While many Facebook commenters expressed support for Miles, several alluded to other instances in which they claimed the Godfather of Skate yelled at or threatened members of the skating community.
“What about all the other times? You’ve done this many times to many people over the years. You did it to me while I was by myself,” wrote a commenter under the name Donna Norcom Milich. “You yelled and cursed me out and stuck your finger in my face and then doubled down and said I deserved it. Are you going to apologize to everyone you’ve bullied or only what’s on video?”
The commenter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Miles alleges this incident occurred last year, when Milich trespassed in his home, and threatened his family with violence.
Miles told The Standard he had been under stress the day of the incident, dealing with equipment issues, staffing shortages and a medical problem. “The sciatic nerve pain I got — it just makes me have no patience,” he said.
Still, he acknowledged that his actions weren’t consistent with the good vibes he tries to spread through skating culture: “Stress is no excuse. The bottom line is, I gotta control this anger.”
Miles, who grew up in Kansas City, Mo., before making San Francisco his home, said he is determined to maintain the welcoming spirit of his events while addressing the challenges that come with a growing skating community.
“I’m going to keep hoping. I’m gonna listen to the bright and the light, not the darkness,” he said, before joking about the theme for Skate Week’s Thursday gathering. “You know what? Tonight is Goth Night.”
Correction: This story has been updated with a response from Miles about the allegation made by Donna Norcom Milch.