“Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”

Jake the Dog, Adventure Time

Jake just about sums it all up, right there. If there’s anything you want to learn, from roller skating to quadratic equations, you’re going to go through a period of sucking. Depending on your background and experience with a subject area, that period may last weeks or months, or you may get through it in minutes. However long it lasts, there’s no way out but through. Believe me, I know. I learned to skate as an adult, and it’s still one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.

Learning to roller skate can be frightening. It’s hard, as a big, tall, breakable adult, to stand up on slippery things and start moving, but, once you get the hang of it, it’s also freakin’ awesome. Whether you want to skate the seawall, dominate the roller derby track, or just rock out to cheezy pop hits at a public skate, you can learn to do it. All it takes is the willingness to embrace the suck, get through it, and you’ll be sorta good before you know it.

At Raw Meat, all levels of roller skater are very welcome. We’ve had lots of skaters come to us with their skates still in the box, and many of them are now champion roller derby players. We also welcome experts who just want more time on their skaters, and everyone in between. No matter how advanced a skater you are, there’s always something you can start sucking at today, so that you can be sorta good at it tomorrow.

At Raw Meat, you’ll learn all of the non-contact portion of the WFTA basic skills, including stops, falls, agility, jumps, skating with others, and more. We also introduce basic roller derby drills, and play many games. Raw Meat sessions are always non-contact, so you can learn with confidence. You’ll get a great workout, and have an even better time. What are you waiting for?

If you want to start roller skating, and you don’t have your gear yet, check out Rollergirl.ca. Their shop is at Main and 11^th, and they have everything you need to get going. If you aren’t ready to commit to purchasing gear (or if you are visiting without your heavy gear bag), they also rent gear.

All skaters need to have roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. Stretchy athletic clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty is recommended. You will sweat, and you will be on the floor.

Raw Meat Roller Skating meets every Saturday all summer from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, 75 East 6^th Avenue in New Westminster. Sessions at RCCC are $12, and they are drop-in. All you need to do is show up!

Raw Meat has just two simple rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Don’t be an ass-hat.

See you on the track!