We can't wait to skate with you! This year we are excited to invite you to join us for an all-levels fun skate night. Absolutely no experience or skating ability is required.
What is it?
This is a lightly-structured multi-level skating session for adults, hosted by skaters and coaches from Green Mountain Roller Derby. Whether you're an absolute beginner looking for 1-on-1 instruction or a seasoned skater who wants a place to skate around and get extra practice, this night is for you. We'll do a warm-up, cool-down and offer some optional group instruction and activities as well as individualized support and space to practice independently.
What is it not?
Although our coaches come from a roller derby background, we will not be providing formal training in the sport of roller derby and the skating activities will be non-contact. Fundamental skating skills are applicable to a variety of activities, such as trail skating, skatepark tricks, dance, roller hockey, etc. Many roller skating skills are also transferable to ice skating with some adjustments.
Roller Derby refs and officials are encouraged to learn to skate, but we'll be holding additional, separate events for aspiring officials. If you are interested in officiating, please fill out this form and we'll be in touch about that.
Unfortunately, this program is not open to minors (under 18 years old) for insurance reasons. We usually run summer camps for juniors, so stay tuned for that if you’re under 18.
Location: The bootcamp will be held at the Champlain Valley Exposition. We expect it will usually be in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion, but sometimes we use alternative spaces so please check your email for updates.
Cost: $20/month. We will hold 2-5 sessions per month, scheduled according to space availability. We will have you set up the monthly payment at your first session.
Schedule: Practices will usually be held on Thursday nights from 8:30-9:30. Arrive at 8 to warm up off-skates and get your gear on while we finish out our roller derby practice. If the space is not available on a Thursday, we may sometimes hold sessions on Wednesdays or other week nights. The first 4 sessions are February 12th, February 19th, March 19th and March 26th. This program will be ongoing, subject to participant interest and availability of coaches.
Gender Policy: All genders are welcome at Learn to Skate.
Gear: If you have your own skates and protective gear, we highly recommend bringing this with you. If you don't have your own setup, we have loaner gear that can be borrowed. To skate you will need the following protective gear, please bring any you already have, or note below the loaner gear you may need to help us plan:
*Skates - the emphasis will be on quad skates but roller blades are allowed.
*Helmet
*Wrist guards
*Elbow pads
*Knee pads
*Mouthguard Please bring a mouth guard and ensure a proper fit before you arrive. We recommend the SISU Aero guard or something similar, these slim style mouth guards help you be able to talk while wearing them. We will have a small number of mouthguards available for $30 if needed, but because the fit is so personal we really recommend getting one ahead of time to ensure you have the right size for your mouth.
