We are thrilled to announce that we made the Season Premiere episode of the Dragons’ Den, Season 18!

As we say in rollerskating, FALLING IS LEARNING!  We’ve learned so much from our experience pitching the Dragons.

Although they failed to recognise the incredible value of the community you’ve helped us build, WE know how meaningful that is. We hear from our community daily about how coming to Rolla Skate Club helps them with their mental health, helps them to feel connected to others, and helps them to move their bodies in joyful ways!

So, we’re not letting a setback on the Dragon’s Den stop us from achieving our mission together with you.

We’ve decided to move away from “the F-Word”… Franchising! Instead we are now ready to launch our Partner program with a much simpler, lower-barrier-to-entry licensing model. Learn more about becoming a Rolla Skate Club Partner and opening your own club right here!

We want to make it easy for up and coming entrepreneurs from underserved communities to get started on building their dream.

And we’re asking for your help!  We’ve launched an Indiegogo Campaign to help raise a seed fund to launch our Partner Program.

We want to raise $35,000, with our community’s help, to cover the legal costs and content creation. But most importantly, this money will help subsidize our first 10 partners to get off the ground for an even lower startup cost!

Be a part of our story, and collect some excellent perks while you’re at it! We’ve got some great give-back offers to say thank you for your support! Contribute to the Indiegogo here! 

WATCH THE EPISODE ON CBC GEM HERE!

If you missed it, check out the CTV News article with Carla and Lucy talking about their journey and experience facing the Dragons in the Den.

Thank you to everyone in this incredible community and to everyone that has supported us over the years, in even the smallest of ways (high fives count!).

We’re so proud to have been part of this community for over 15 years, we couldn’t have done this without you.

The post Rolla on Dragons’ Den! appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Our last day of classes and events at Rollerland will be Saturday, July 29th, and we’ll be back in the building on Tuesday, September 12th.

Don’t worry, we still have all of July to have fun together at Rollerland, and some extra stuff planned for August too!

All current monthly members who keep their memberships active until July 29 will receive the following:

• 2 free tickets to ALL Rolla events in July & September
• 1 free PNE Fair ticket
• 3 Golden Ticket events in July to invite your friends to skate with you – July 6th, 13th & 20th!
• An invite to our Birthday Party Skate Jam Bash on July 27th
• Members Potluck Social on July 16th
• July Rolla merch Sale – 20% off everything!
• Unlimited Golden Tickets for the Oct 5 Skate Jam – First one of the Fall/Winter season!
• Access to the Rolla Discord channel throughout the Summer

All members who keep their memberships active through August will also get access to these ADDITIONAL perks!

• All the benefits listed above for July
• Rolla Online Membership until the end of 2023 – Enjoy tutorials & classes online to work on your skills at home or outside! $145 value
• FREE Weekly social skates around False Creek throughout the Rollerland closure – come skate with a supportive social crew! We’ll have a skate-in-place group and a skate-the-paths group that will start and finish together – something for all levels. Social experiences are invaluable!
• A bonus PNE Fair ticket! (2 total per member) $50 value
• A 20-minute one-on-one session with a Senior Rolla Coach in September to help you unlock or perfect a skill! $60 value..but actually priceless!
• 1 free guest ticket to the October 15th Van City Soul Skate Fall kickoff – $20 value

Maintaining your membership during the hiatus will have a huge impact on our little start-up business. Your support will help us reach our goals to improve your Rolla experience when we come back in September.

If you would like to pause your membership for the hiatus period, please fill out this form by July 14th.

In order to manage the administrative load, ALL summer hiatus pause requests must be received by July 14th. Any pause requests received between July 14th & July 28th will incur a $40 administrative fee.

Our offices will be closed during the hiatus, so no summer pause requests will be processed after July 28th, and your billing date will remain the same. 

Thank you for your support!

PLEASE NOTE: As stated in our Membership Policies, members can pause for up to 3 months per year with no penalty.

Questions? Maybe these FAQs will help!

Q. If I pause, what happens to my membership?

A. You will not be able to register for any classes, events or sessions on GloFox during the pause. You will retain your regular monthly fee when your pause ends, but your usual billing date will be moved forward according to the length of the pause.

For example, if your account bills on the 1st of the month, here’s what it would look like:

Credit pack expiry dates will be extended as well.

Q. Where can I skate while Rollerland is closed?

If you keep your membership active through August, we’ll show you the way with our weekly social skates in the False Creek zone! Dates and times coming soon.

Vancouver has loads of great outdoor spots. We love the Seawall and the Arbutus Greenway for trail skating. Sunset Beach is a great scene for skaters, especially on Thursday evenings. Lacrosse boxes, basketball courts and tennis courts are great flat spots, too (but don’t forget to share with other public space users). Really, any relatively smooth, flat and not-too-busy spot works!

Make sure to join our Discord server to share or find great outdoor skate spots, plan skate meetups and road trips with pals, or even start a heated debate about the best outdoor wheels.

 If you’ve never skated outdoors before, we have some helpful tutorials to get you started:

Getting Your Rollerskates Ready for Outdoor Skating

Rollerskating Outside For the First Time

Rollerskating Outside – Level 2

Q. Will there be any off-site Rolla events or classes during the Rollerland closure?

A. Yes! For Active monthly members only (in other words, folks who aren’t on pause) we will be offering a weekly social skate, led by our Rolla Coaches! You can skate in place, or choose to join the skate-the-path group. We’ll start and finish together, and there may even be picnics and sunset drinks after If anything else is planned, we’ll spread the word via Discord and the GloFox Community tab, as usual

If you have any other questions about our summer hiatus, you can email hello@rollaskateclub.com. Have a great skating summer!

The post Rolla Members: Summer Hiatus Information appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Did you know that beyond being fun, rollerskating has a ton of added benefits to your mental and physical health?

As the world’s first Rollerskating Gym, we want to show you how rolling on eight wheels can add to your typical exercise routine.

Check out these graphics we’ve created demonstrating all the reasons why you should add rollerskating as part of your day-to-day feel-good routine!

Community

Mental Health

Can Prevent Injuries

Builds Strength & Endurance

Better For Cardiovascular Health

Fun, Variety, A Challenge

Helps Improve Balance & Coordination

The post Benefits of Rollerskating appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

We’ve created a graphic demonstrating the different Rolla pathways to help you make the most of your membership at Rollerland to get you to your ultimate skate goals!

We recommend a minimum of 3 months of consistently skating 1-2 hours a week, via our All Access Membership so that you can attend lots of Learn classes and Open Skates to practice, before moving on to other classes!

What’s your rollerskating goal?

• Take a few Learn classes, then move on to a Play and/or Power class before taking the Dance, Derby Bootcamp, or Skatepark 8- or 4-week progressive courses. It is recommended to put yourself on a progressive course’s waitlist ASAP after registration opens, then deciding when the time comes if you are ready.
• Take a few Learn and Play classes, then Dance Level 1, then Dance Level 2 drop-ins, then take additional workshops.
• Take a few Learn, Play, and then Power classes before Derby Bootcamp or Skatepark.
• Once you get confident with Play classes, take the 8-week Derby Bootcamp progressive to elevate your overall skate skills with drills, agility, and coordination training – Derby Bootcamp is an excellent course to take even if you don’t plan on playing Derby afterwards!
• Take a few Learn and Play classes, then Skatepark 101, then join us for any Open Skates (self-guided) or a Skatepark Session Meetup which occur every Sunday from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, or Thursday from 8:00pm to 10:00pm to work on what you’ve learned in the skatepark, ask questions, and get additional support in a low-key meetup vibe like we do when skating the parks outdoors!

xo Rolla Team

The post Rolla Pathways – What’s Your Skate Goal? appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Rolla Skate Club co-founders Lucy and Carla flew to Toronto for filming on May 22nd where they pitched for investment in the next stage of Rolla Skate Club – taking this business model out into the world!!

Over the next 10 years our goal is to inspire 1 million people to reach their potential through joyful movement, athletic competition, entrepreneurship and education.

We’ve created a business model that can
keep our roller rinks open
create a welcoming community
support our courageous athletes
provide joy, strength and connection
uplift new entrepreneurs

Now it’s time to share it with the world!

Thank you to everyone in this incredible community To anyone that has supported us over the years, in even the smallest of ways (high fives count!) We’re so proud to have been part of this community for over 15 years and we can’t wait to take it to the next level.

This is just the beginning. Let’s Roll Strong Together

Check out this great CTV News article featuring our Founders, Carla & Lucy and their journey to the CBC Dragons Den. They head to Toronto this weekend to pitch the Dragons! The episode will air in the new season starting in September.

June 5 update from Lulu and Bizzy:

We did it! We flew all the way to Toronto and pitched Rolla Skate Club to the Dragons Den investors.

It was an incredible experience and we couldn’t have done it without the love and support of this amazing community.

We have both been huge fans of the show for many years before either of us started our own businesses. Dragons Den has inspired countless entrepreneurs over the last 20 years – ourselves included. So this was a full circle moment for us and an adventure we will always treasure.

We are so grateful to the guest skaters that joined us in the Den to help show the Dragons what Rolla is all about. Especially the ones that flew all the way from Vancouver – you are our heroes!

To everyone that sent or posted messages of support – know that they meant SO MUCH and it literally felt like you were there in the Den with us. We rode that wave of love right the way over the country and into that studio.

And as with all reality TV – we are now sworn to secrecy! Everyone in the Den signed an NDA which means we really can’t tell you what happened. No, not even a hint!

But as soon as we know the air date (fall 2023) you will be the first to know. And yes of course we’ll have a screening at Rolla 🙂

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rolla Skate Club (@rollaskateclub)

Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts. We couldn’t have done this without you.

Later skaters,

Lulu & Bizzy

aka Lucy Croysdill & Carla Smith

Rolla Skate Club Co-Founders

The post Rolla Skate Club Face the Dragons! appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Plan Ahead

• You can book a class 8 days in advance, so if you know there’s a popular class you definitely want to take, set yourself a reminder on the day registration opens.
• Our most popular classes are mid-week evenings after 6pm and weekend afternoons. So if your schedule allows, why not check out a Saturday or Sunday morning, Tuesday to Thursday lunch break, Monday evening, or other weekdays before 6pm?
• When you arrive at a class that you definitely want to take the following week, check on GloFox before you leave to see if there is a spot, or ask our friendly Welcome Team to check for you.
• If you are dying to skate that day and there is an Open Skate session at or around the same time as the class you’re hoping for, come to Rollerland anyway! People very often cancel at the last minute, and if you’re in the building, you can get the spot. Just tell the Welcome Team what class you’re hoping for, and they will let you know if a spot opens up. If you don’t get a spot, you can still practice your moves, say hi to friends, and get some skate time in.
• Put yourself on the waitlist for every class you want if you know you can make it. People always cancel, and there is a good chance you’ll get a spot. If you don’t know how to use our waitlist system, keep reading…

Turn on your notifications!

SUPER IMPORTANT: if you add yourself to class waitlists, you need to turn on your GloFox app notifications. Otherwise, you won’t know if a spot has come up in the class you were hoping to get into, and waitlist spots are first come, first served! Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Scroll down to GloFox and open it. 
2. Turn on the toggle switch to Allow Notifications, and choose whatever way you want to get them. 

(We promise we will never, ever, ever send you any marketing or spam through your GloFox notifications. These are only for class and scheduling alerts.)

Waitlists – How-To

1. Find the class you want. If it says “Waitlist Open”, click on the class, then tap “Join Waitlist” at the bottom. You’ll go to a confirmation screen and the class will be added to your Bookings.
2. Make sure your GloFox notifications are on (see above)
3. If you do get a spot in the class, you will be notified through GloFox. You’ll get a pop-up notification on your home screen, a notification will show up the next time you open your app, and you can see it in your Notifications list, which you can access through your Profile (tap the little round photo of you in the top left corner).
4. If you have never downloaded the app before, you’ll receive an email notification.
   
5. If you want the spot, go to Bookings, then Waitlist, then open the class. Tap “Join booking list,” and you’re in! 
6. If you no longer want the spot, please cancel ASAP so someone else can get on the list. To cancel, go to your Bookings, choose Waitlist, tap on the class you no longer want, and click the Cancel button at the bottom. Then you’ve opened a new spot on the waitlist for someone else who can take it! 

Hope these tips help you get in as much skating as you desire. Can’t wait to roll with you!

The post How to Get Into the Classes You Want! appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Rollerskating is rooted in Black culture, and the style, technique, and dance moves that have captivated so many of us have been created by and kept alive by Black rollerskaters worldwide long before many of us were skating. Contrary to what you might have read over the last 2 years, rollerskating did not make a “come-back” during the pandemic, and using such language is harmful and undermines the history of where the sport comes from.

• Video: How Black Culture made rollerskating popular

For non-Black skaters, there is a responsibility to become educated and knowledgeable on where the roller style comes from, and the origins of iconic jamskate and rollerdance moves. When learning and posting videos of rink moves, it is required to learn from and credit the originator.

“Style Roller Skating

An athletic art form comprised of numerous regional tempo based roller skating styles; a unique mixture of stride, stroke, footwork and movements to set tempos; it is the fusion of music culture and roller skating.

Style’ roller skating developed in the African American community when roller rinks began to use [vinyl] records at public roller skating sessions. During the late 1950’s roller skating rinks began to convert from playing organ music to playing popular records during public roller skating sessions. Skaters who hat [waltzed] to the sound of pipe organs began to roller skate to the same music they heard on the radio. Just as the music industry has had a profound impact on other areas of America’s artistic and social culture it impacted roller skating. The way skaters moved around the roller rink began to change, the entire body of skaters was transforming; skate innovators and daredevils who had always added their unique variations, stunts, and tricks, began to take things to a new level. Playing records meant an infusion of all types of music; no longer was the music mono, and there was a full range of instruments and beats to move to. As the country entered its musical revolution, black roller skaters began putting together the movements, strides, and steps that is “STYLE’ roller skating.”

• Tasha and Norbert “Smooth” Klusmann from the National African American Roller Skating Archive at the Sk8-a-Thon in Atlanta

Rinks and skate communities across the world have regional styles and signature movements, click the link below to read more about each unique style and watch videos.

The Difference Between Rolling and Skating: Style

• Some regional styles, with many more
  • JB “James Brown” Style (Chicago)
  • NY Style (New York)
  • Trains & Trios (North-East)
  • Bill Butler “Jammin’” Style
  • Snapping (Washington, DC; Baltimore)
  • Fast Backwards (Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware)
  • Detroit Open House Slide (Detroit)
  • Rexing (Pittsburgh)
  • Cali Slide (California)
  • Backpackin’
  • Slow Walk
  • Richard Humphrey’s Rollerdance Style

Resources to follow and better educate yourself:

• National African American Roller Skating Archive
• @billjammabutler on instagram – Godfather of Rollerdisco and creator of Jammin’
• @skatelyfe_tv on instagram 

The post Skate History & Style | Skate Culture Series #1 appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

Find tickets to all Rolla Skate Club events through TicketLeader Find tickets here 

All tickets must be purchased online in advance through TicketLeader

Expect: Our DJ keeping the hype high, live play-by-play announcers and MC, halftime performances, a beer garden, hundreds of raucous cheering fans, and LIVE, un-scripted, athletic roller derby before your very eyes!

Join us before the bout for an All-Ages Early Skate jam, or after the bout (19+ only on the rink) for the Adult Late Skate after-party. Spectator-only fans are also welcome!

UPCOMING EVENTS: TBA

Bout Spectating Seating
All seating is General Admission. We have limited bleacher and bench seating, first come first served. You may bring your own folding chair for sideline seating! Floor cushions are also welcome for “danger seating” on the floor (no kids under 16 in this area)

THE NITTY GRITTY:

• Proof of vaccination will NOT be required to attend the event
• Masks are optional, but recommended
• Check up to date Parking info here
• Check out our FAQ here
• Important: Please carefully read the Assumption of Risk notice
• Ticket sales are final; tickets are not transferable or refundable. Contact info@ticketleader.ca for any administrative or technical issues with your ticket purchase.
• Organizers reserve the right to refuse entry to, or remove, anyone who is intoxicated, or wearing attire deemed offensive, or otherwise disrupting everyone else’s good time. There will be no refunds provided in this case.

The post Roller Derby Bouts – 2023 appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

All tickets must be purchased online in advance through Ticketleader.
Rolla Events Calendar

Join us for Our Upcoming Saturday Skate Events:

September 16 Too Cool for School Skate Night | 5 – 7 PM  All Ages & 8 – 11 PM Adult 19+ 

Roll right into those Back to School vibes tonight! Are you a cool kid, a prep, a misfit or a jock? Bust out your lunch box and get your locker decorated, cause it’s Too Cool for School night at Rolla!

September 23 Glam-O-Rama Roller Disco | 5 – 7 PM All Ages & 8 – 11 PM Adult 19+ 

If you’re celebrating a birthday, milestone, or just making it through the week – this celebration night is for you! Special offers for birthday groups and more. More Info Here. Bar open. 

Sep 23 All Ages Session Tickets Here

Sep 23 Adult 19+ Session Tickets Here

September 30 – No Event

October 7 Glam-O-Rama ’80s & ’90s Retro Skate Party | 5 – 7 PM All Ages & 8 – 11 PM Adult 19+

Dress up in your favourite throwback styles – shoulder pads, rolled-up pants, neon everything, spandex, hair scrunchies, and blue eye shadow; we want to see it all! More Info Here. Bar open. 

October 14 Saturday Skate Night | 5 – 7 PM  All Ages & 8 – 11 PM Adult 19+
October 14 All Ages Session Tickets Here

October 15 VanCity Soul Skate with DJ Alibaba | More Info Here!

October 21 Saturday Skate Night | 5 – 7 pm All Ages & 8 – 11 pm Adult 19+ 
Oct 21 All Ages Session Tickets Here

October 28 Disco is Dead: Halloween Edition | 5 – 7 PM All Ages & 8 – 11 PM Adult 19+ 

Halloween Editon! If you’re celebrating a birthday, milestone, or just making it through the week – this celebration night is for you! Special offers for birthday groups and more. More Info Here. Bar open. 

Oct 28 Halloween All Ages Session Tickets Here

Oct 28 Halloween Adult 19+ Session Tickets Here

Rental rollerskates and protective pads are FREE with each ticket, or bring your own. If you love your noggin’ (and you should!) we recommend you bring your own helmet (a bike helmet works great!)

All regular and theme Saturday Skate Night events have the following ticket options and timing:

Looking to celebrate a birthday, milestone, or life event? Check out our Glam-O-Rama Celebration events for group party options! All ages and Adult options for all kinds of celebrations.

Looking for VanCity Soul Skate? More info here!

> 5 – 7 pm All Ages Skate

• All Ages Skating Ticket – $16 before taxes/fees
• All Ages Non Skating Ticket (NO RINK ACCESS, LOUNGE ONLY) – $12 before taxes/fees

> 8 – 11 pm Adult 19+ Skate 

• 19+ Session Skating Ticket – $22 before taxes/fees
• 19+ Session Non-Skating Ticket (NO RINK ACCESS, LOUNGE ONLY) – $18 before taxes/fees

Doors open at the time indicated. Skating ends 15 minutes before the hour.  Roller Disco, Roller Derby, and special events have unique ticketing and timing.  

All-Ages Skate Only:

• All skaters 13 years old and under MUST BRING AND WEAR a helmet (bike helmets work great!). 
• Minimum recommended skater age is 5 years old. 
• Music is by playlist, no DJ unless otherwise noted.
• Each attendee, including chaperones must have a ticket to enter our venue.

Glam-O-Rama: Roller Disco and 80s + 90s Retro Skate have different pricing – Check it out here
All Ages Event: (5-7pm) Skater Tickets: $20 before taxes/fees Non Skater Tickets (Lounge ONLY): $16 before taxes/fees
19+ Adult Event: (8-11pm)  Skater Tickets: $26 before taxes/fees Non Skater Tickets (NO RINK ACCESS): $22 before taxes/fees

The Nitty-Gritty:

• Check out our FAQ here
• All attendees including non-skating pals must have a ticket, with the exception of non-skating siblings 5 and under.
• Proof of vaccination will NOT be required to attend the event.
• Masks are optional. We respect all guests and staff members choices.
• Check up to date Parking info here
• Ticket sales are final; tickets are not transferable or refundable. Contact info@ticketleader.ca for any administrative or technical issues with your ticket purchase.
• Important: Please carefully read the Acknowledgement of Risk notice
• Organizers reserve the right to refuse entry to, or remove, anyone who is intoxicated, or wearing attire deemed offensive, or otherwise disrupting everyone else’s good time. There will be no refunds provided in this case.

The post Saturday Skate Nights – 2023 appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.

VCSS Oct 15 Tickets

DJ Alibaba spins the hits to get you groovin’ on the rink with funky rhythmic tracks. From total beginners to advanced rhythm skaters, everyone is welcome to come join the party.

This event is Adults 19+ ONLY

Please bring 2 pieces of ID if you will be purchasing drinks at the bar

All tickets must be purchased online in advance through Ticketleader. Tickets are not available at the door.

The vibe: classic rink skate.

The music: Soul, R&B, Funk, New Hits, Party Anthems, Reggae and more.

The hype: DJ Alibaba, one of the leaders in the VanCity hip hop scene and former on-air personality for the Beat 94.5.

The crowd: centering around the BIPOC community and welcoming skaters of every race.

The bar: It’s open to skaters and those who just want to come feel the vibe.

Tickets for this event are $18 each before tax. Rental rollerskates and protective pads are FREE with each ticket, or bring your own. If you love your noggin’ (and you should!) we recommend you bring your own helmet (a bike helmet works great!)

Non Skating tickets (LOUNGE ONLY, NO ACCESS TO RINK) are also available for this event at $12 each!

The Nitty-Gritty:

• Check out our FAQ here
• This event is 19+ ONLY
• All attendees including non-skating pals must have a ticket to this event
• Proof of vaccination will NOT be required to attend the event.
• Masks are optional. We respect all guests and staff members choices.
• Check up to date Parking info here
• Ticket sales are final; tickets are not transferable or refundable. Contact info@ticketleader.ca for any administrative or technical issues with your ticket purchase.
• Important: Please carefully read the Acknowledgement of Risk notice
• Organizers reserve the right to refuse entry to, or remove, anyone who is intoxicated, or wearing attire deemed offensive, or otherwise disrupting everyone else’s good time. There will be no refunds provided in this case.

The post VanCity Soul Skate Sundays – 2023 appeared first on Rolla Skate Club.