Roll With It
Time to get your skates on and try out your dance moves at Glasgow’s only roller rink
IF you’ve never experienced the pure exhilaration of gliding around on a pair of roller skates, then now is your chance to rectify that. Take a spin round the super-smooth rink at Rollerstop, bopping along to hits old and new, as the colourful disco lights twinkle above you.
In the heart of Glasgow, Rollerstop is the city’s only roller rink and one of just two dedicated venues in Scotland.
Welcoming skaters aged from four, coaches are on the rink at every disco – whether you’ve never skated before or you’re a bit rusty, they’ll happily give you a few tips to help you get rolling.
David Gillan, venue manager at Rollerstop, says, “We get people who’ve been skating for years and others on their first time. It has such a big appeal to all ages, and is a really versatile sport.
“Skating had a bit of a renaissance in the pandemic – interest in it has just exploded. But there aren’t many venues like this in the UK.”
Open six days a week, Rollerstop offers roller discos, skating sessions and lessons for both children and adults.
There are family-friendly sessions, as well as some for over-16s, with the venue’s theme nights proving particularly popular.
David says, “Discos have decade themes like the Noughties, as well as featured artists such as Harry Styles. The Bowie night was a huge hit – lots of thunderbolts on faces!
“The atmosphere really makes it – there’s an amazing skating community in and around Glasgow.”
Skate hire is available, and safety equipment such as wristguards and helmets can be provided to visitors, too.
As well as being a fun social activity, skating is also great for improving fitness. David says, “It’s good exercise – people get really surprised, especially the first few times! It’s definitely functional fitness.” Lessons will teach new and less confident skaters how to balance, skate forwards and backwards, and stop, before moving on to more specialist skills. And once you’ve mastered the basics, you could even try learning some jam skating dance moves. So what are you waiting for? Get your skates on!