DO STUFF: Roller Skating with Ottawa Quad Session!

OTTAWA QUAD SESSIONS: ROLLER SKATES ARE BACK!

What has eight wheels, knee socks, and super-sore quads? Me, once a week, when I skate at the Ottawa Quad Session skate night.

Watch the interview with Ottawa Quad Session!
Kisses and hugs to Rob Dupuis, our cameraman and videographer. 

Ottawa Quad Session is a new all-welcome roller skate night, put together by Carleton U professor Pascal Gin. Pascal fell in love with roller skating as a kid in the 80s, but rediscovered his love of old-school quad skates when he recently attended a roller disco party. Determined to find indoor space to enjoy this great hobby/sport, he started booking time at Norm Fenn gym right on Carleton U campus, and invited people to skate for a low cover charge. He started the skate nights in November, and has already gone from four attendees to twenty-five.

The appeal of roller skates is hard to explain. They’re slower and less maneuverable than the modern inline skates, and they’re nothing like ice skates at all; but there’s something wonderful about the way they roll, the way you can play on them, and the way people grin like idiots when they try them out. As a retired derby girl, I already had the roller ‘bug’, but I’ve been waiting for a non-derby place to use my skates through the winter months—and even the rainy summer days. I was thrilled when I heard about Pascal’s quad sessions and couldn’t wait to check ‘em out.

The venue isn’t what you’ll remember, if you happen to be familiar with the traditional roller discos; they’re aren’t any disco lights (yet) and the music isn’t blasting. But in some ways, this is great for newbies who may be nervous of trying quads, and it’s good too for the derby girls who do show up and run some casual drills. There’s a great mix of first-timers and old-timers, and the vibe is very welcoming.

I’ll let the video speak for itself. You’ll see lots of guys and girls skating around in the background, just enjoying the track or trying out some fancy footwork. Over time, I suspect we’ll see more skate dancing and trick-skaters coming out of the woodwork, especially with a roller skate shop right here in town, finally.

And I mean what I say: if you come out for a skate night and I’m there (which I try to be most nights), say hello! If you’re new, I’ll make sure you know a couple good stops and anything else you may wanna learn. I used to coach, and I love helping skaters get started. If you’re not-so-new, I’m always happy to talk skating just for fun.

Stay in touch with the Ottawa Quad Sessions on their Facebook fanpage, and be sure to click ‘get notifications’ so you don’t miss any announcements. See you on the roller rink!

Okay, and because it's pretty great: here's a picture of my hip after one of my more epic roller derby crashes...ah, memories.

I don't know if my dad has ever been prouder than when I showed him this.