After years of making do in parking lots, tiny yoga studios, art galleries and churches, a Vancouver roller skating club has found the perfect space to keep on a-rollin'.
Earlier this week, Rolla Skate Club announced the group would be opening its doors at the PNE’s aptly named Rollerland building. With the search for a permanent space coming to an end after three years and a global pandemic, Rolla co-founder Carla Smith was ecstatic to share the hard-earned triumph.
“It’s been a long time in this community that we have been working under one umbrella or another to find a permanent home for roller skating in this city,” Smith said in a recent release. “Having found a space for roller skating not only means a big win for Rolla Skate Club, but also for the growing roller skating community in Vancouver.”
The space went from being a Pure Foods Building in 1931 to housing teenage boys during the Japanese internment in 1942, to later becoming Rollerland and serving the roller skating community in the 1970s-80s. The building maintained its name even as it became an all-purpose space, hosting small consumer shows and banquets.
“For the team at Rolla to be able to settle in a space that has a history of roller skating has also made it more special to bring the skating groove and community back to it,” states the PNE’s release.
The grand opening of the new and improved Rolla Skate Club home at Rollerland will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4, for which tickets are currently on sale.
Along with the announcement, Rolla Skate Club painted a picture of what activities or events skaters could expect to see at the new space. These include weekly themed roller skate parties on Saturdays, roller skating classes and fitness training, kids and teens programs and a roller derby team.
If you’re looking to join the team at Rolla Skate Club, check out the club’s website or social media pages for more information.
