The UK’s Defficiency in Roller Sports
I’ve been reading quite a bit about a real revival in Roller Derby in america recently - a sport that i can imagine alot of you first-time skaters finding a horrific idea. Not only do you have to learn to skate (on quads), but when you skate you have to compete against a team of elbow-shoving competitive fellow racers, who will do all they can to overtake you (or wipe you out, by the sounds of it!). It’s almost ice-hockey without the puck or stick… or speed skating with a sense of aggression.
But if one thing has become clear it’s that Roller Derby is a real team-sport, despite the fact that you end up competing against that team. The sense of community is supportive, and it’s an excellent outlet for aggression and stress. Added to that, learning to skate in such a physical sport is going to lead to real confidence on wheels! Skating on a pavement is going to be easy after that.
Here in the UK there was a brief attempt to start a Roller Derby league by Blaze UK Skating in 1998. It was disbanded in 2001 however, and remains in that state. For the moment, in terms of recreational skating sports we have Roller Hockey and Speed Skating. And for those of you willing to check out your local skate parks you will find Freestyle and Aggressive Skating going strong.
The existence of formally organised skating groups, and lessons, is few and far between however. Those lucky enough to live in London have access to lots of skate instructors, but the rest of us have to struggle along with what help we might be able to find in our area, or on the net. If you can’t find a local skate sport for you, and there are no instructors around, try the forums at Serpentine Road for tons of information on techniques, and a supportive community who are often up for helping someone new to skating.
