If nothing else, 2020 has certainly been the year of outdoor fitness. For many of us, our daily walks around our suburbs have become a lifeline and a chance to escape the house and get some air and exercise.
But if regular shoes are great, wheely shoes are infinitely better. Worldwide, roller skates have become the must-have item of 2020, as people look for a socially distant outdoor activity. In fact, many roller skate manufacturers are sold out until the end of the year.
Roller skating is great for fitness, as well as being a hell of a lot of fun. But it's not as easy as you remember it being as a kid. Adults have a lot further to fall, and the feeling of standing up on skates is unsettling at first. So if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a pair, how can you learn to use them and go zooming around your suburb?
Rolla Bae is here to help. The skate club set up shop in a very cute pink retro caravan last summer on St Kilda Beach, hiring out skates, gear, bum bags and portable speakers to live your best '80s roller life. The caravan will be back in late October, but until then, Rolla Bae's Instagram provides the skate know-how you need to get rolling. You can learn how to start and stop, how to fall safely (for knees' sake, please wear protective gear. I've been skating for half a decade and wouldn't go out without kneepads and wrist guards) and how to do crossovers. When you've nailed those, you can also learn harder, fancier moves, like moonwalking and toe sliding, dancing on skates and how to master the backwards strut that has taken over TikTok.
When you nail these skills you'll be ready for a summer of skating. You can hire skates and protective equipment from Rolla Bae or bring your own down to St Kilda beach when restrictions end to meet like-minded skaters, learn some new tricks and tips or just get rolling.
