In February, Sugartown Skate Club owner Angie Russell welcomed a full house of young roller-skaters to her first class at Helensburgh Scout Hall.
It was proof of the roller-skating renaissance, which was born out of the pandemic and taps into nostalgia as well as the resurgence of the fashion, disco beats and synthpop tunes of the 70s and 80s.
“I think skating’s really contagious,” she said. “I just love the feeling I get when I strap my skates on. I just feel like it’s the closest thing to flying.
“I know that heaps of people got into it just as something to do during the 2020 lockdowns… you couldn’t actually buy skates [because] the whole of Australia bought up all the skates.”
Seeing young girls roller-skating around town, Angie realised there was a niche waiting to be filled. “And I really love new skaters, teaching new skaters, because there’s a real infectious joy and excitement about learning to skate.
“I love being able to nurture that in young kids and even [in] adults.
“When they get on their wheels, they’re always saying, ‘Oh, I loved doing this when I was a kid’. There’s a youthfulness to it that I think is just a joy.”
Though she’d roller-blade at the rinks as a kid, Angie didn’t pick up her skates again until 2018. But when she did, she was hooked.
Angie joined Wollongong Illawarra Roller Derby (WIRD) as a coach for newbie skaters and, while after a couple of terms she discovered derby wasn’t for her, she did find that she loved teaching.
So Angie opened a seniors class (for ages 14+) for all abilities at her Roller School. “It’s so fun to do with friends,” she said. “It’s a very women-dominated sport… I’m inspired by derby skating and some artistic skating, some roller dance and some free skating as well, so we just mishmash all these different skate styles in class.”
Though kids and teen lessons were full in term 1 – with 25 full-time and six drop-in students attending – just five adults registered for weekly lessons, so Angie would love to see more grown-ups enrol. “I would definitely encourage everyone to give it a go,” she said.
“It’s a really good workout, the endorphins are pumping… it’s really social as well, just having a laugh with other people and having a chat but doing it with wheels on our feet.
“We get the music cranked and the kids love playing games… so I try and incorporate heaps of games and racing, and a few games here and there for adults, but we mainly focus on fitness, technique and having fun.”
Helensburgh Roller School’s timetable aligns with school terms. Under-14s and adult classes are run two days a week. Mondays: Teens Intermediate (age 12-16): 5:30-6:30pm. Adults All Levels (age 14+): 6:30-7:30pm. Thursdays: Kids All Levels (age 13 and under): 4-5pm and 5-6pm.
Students receive a 10% discount on street coaching. BYO skates and safety gear.
Visit sugartownskateclub.com/roller-school or call/text Angie on 0435 874 997.
