UrbanSkaters

For the past few years there has been a growing interest in Roller Discos around the UK, a trend which has almost literally come back from the grave. Roller discos were pretty huge around the world throughout the late seventies and most of the eighties. Nearly every leisure centre and roller rink across the UK would attract large numbers of people on a regular basis to skate around to the music of the day and get hot and sweaty along the way.

The majority of the roller discos now available in the UK take place in nightclubs and are aimed primarily at the over-18’s who are reminiscing on their youthful exploits on 8 wheels. However, what started as a retro skate revival is now taking off in a big way that is not just a gimmicky night out. People up and down the UK are finding that roller discos are a great way to have fun, express themselves, have a cheap night out and get fit all at the same time. As soon as you strap those roller-skates (yes, as in the old-fashioned wheel-at-each-corner variety) to your feet, you’ll forget about the so called “credit crunch” and all the other worldly weights on your shoulders. The music will flow and within minutes of taking to the rink you will be asking yourself where roller disco has been hiding all these years! The vast majority of roller discos now found in nightclubs around the country will have well trained roller-marshals on duty to help you find your feet, but don’t worry about the odd bump- it can be a great way to “meet” that foxy lady you’ve had your eye on all night.

It may seem to many that roller disco has just emerged from nowhere, but this is not the case. The skate community in London supported the legendary roller disco at Canvas, Kings Cross for several years whilst the management worked out the formula for a roller skating night to be enjoyed by the masses. A music video from Madonna on roller-skates and a few high-profile reviews of the roller disco meant that it was only a matter of time before the public’s interest in roller-skating would be revived. Today there are roller discos in most cities; Canvas unfortunately shut down due to the redevelopment of the Kings Cross area but they have now moved on a permanent basis to Renaissance Rooms at Vauxhall and are well worth checking out if you happen to be in the capital city. Outside of London there is the excellent Skate Fever Roller Disco in Leeds every Wednesday, Superfunk Roller Disco offering funky nights out in many northern cities on a monthly basis and a number of other events taking place at nightclubs and student unions around the country. A quick Google or Facebook search should be able to identify your nearest roller disco if you don’t already know.

As more and more people are finding a place in their hearts for roller-skating, it is becoming increasingly popular as a way to get fit too. There are now people skating in parks (especially in London) and along promenades in ever increasing numbers. A lot of people are put off as they feel that they’re too old to learn to skate or wouldn’t have the confidence to pick up the skills required to skate… Roller discos are a great way to learn to skate in a safe environment where most people are in the same boat! All of the roller discos recommended in this article will offer basic tuition at no extra charge to new skaters. If you’ve got a roller disco nearby but aren’t sure if they will have any instructors or marshals on duty to assist, it’s always worth making a phone call or sending an email to check first. Alternatively there are many private skate instructors throughout the country that will be happy to teach (on roller skates or inline skates) if you’d really rather pick up a few hints and tips before you take the plunge and go to boogie the night away on 8 wheels. Roller disco is all about having fun and whether you take lessons or opt to just pick it up as you go, remember just to enjoy yourself and accept that the odd tumble is all a part of the learning process!

So finally; who goes to roller discos? The truth is that there is no set type of person that goes to roller disco. Roller discos appeal to a wide portion of the population and so it is not uncommon to find yourself skating alongside 18 year old students and 50+ year olds at the same time! Roller discos are truly “anything goes” places; you can usually wear what you want (which for many people at the moment is ‘80s inspired neon fancy dress), you can sing, dance, express yourself and nobody will bat an eyelid. In an age where people are often overly concerned about how their hair looks or what other people think of the way they dance/dress/look etc, roller discos offer a night of pure, unadulterated fun where for a couple of hours, you almost become 15 years old again.

Northernroll.co.uk – roller-skating and roller dance lessons in and around Leeds
Skatefever.co.uk – weekly roller disco in Leeds