We had 20 people at that first session, and over the summer, we had 20-50 people every session. We had no idea what we were doing, but we gradually figured out some drills, and somehow, everybody learned to skate. Some fabulous skaters from the TCRG lent a hand teaching us the basics.

Our group didnâ€t have a name at first, until Puncheon Meat suggested that since everyone was trying to be fresh meat, really we were all just Raw Meat. The talented Yogi Bearings then created our fabulous logo.

That fall, we moved to Thunderbird Community Centre, and Pie Voltage (aka Coach Drop Bear) stepped up to help organize Raw Meat when Snow Crash entered fresh meat with the TCRG. We learned, and grew, and formed a community with so many spectacular people.

In summer 2011, we added advanced sessions at Royal City Curling Club, and recruited so many wonderful skaters from the TCRG and the Mainland Misfits to lend a hand guest coaching. Every single one of guest coaches brought something special to Raw Meat but it has to be said—Tiki Time Bombâ€s Pride sessions brought the sparkle.

Early on, we settled on two rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat. Those two rules cover every possible eventuality, and they have stood us in good stead.

Over the years, Raw Meat skaters have moved on to every derby league in the lower mainland and beyond, and guests from all over the world have dropped by our sessions. Some of our skaters now play derby at the international level, and some people just take a spin around the seawall from time to time.  No matter how you choose to do it, roller skating is still some of the best fun you have standing up.

The Raw Meat community is a truly wonderful group of people, and I love you all.

Raw Meat sessions are drawing to a close, but weâ€ll keep skating, and teaching people to skate. If you want to get together and skate around any time, just message on Facebook, or email info@rawmeatvancouver.com.

See you Saturday!

 

The post June 18: The Ultimate Raw Meat Session appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Iâ€m so sad to have to tell you that after this Saturday, Raw will only go on for one more week. On June 18^th, weâ€re packing it in after six great years. Itâ€s simply become too expensive to keep it going. We know this is short notice, so please hang tight for a Raw Meat party that will take place later in the summer. And, if you want to hang out and skate, just send me a message!

In the meantime, we’ll see you on June 11th and 18th from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, 75 East 6th Avenue in New Westminster.

The post We’re six! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Skaters of all levels from complete beginners just taking their skates of out the box to all-star derby skaters are welcome to join us at Raw Meat. The skills we work on include stops, falls, jumps, skating backward, transitions, pace lines, weaving, agility, speed skating and more. We emphasize the basic skills that derby leagues will test in their try outs, but the same skills are also a great foundation for jam skating, or just being a strong, confident outdoor skater.

All skaters must have roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you donâ€t yet have your skates, check out www.rollergirl.ca to buy or rent everything you need to get started roller skating.

Raw Meat meets on Saturday from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, at 75 East 6^th St. in New Westminster. Sessions are just $12.

At Raw Meat, we just have two rules: 1. Be safe. 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat.

See you on the track!

The post June 4: Fun with roller skates appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Skaters of all levels from complete beginners to all-star derby skaters are welcome to join us at Raw Meat. The skills we work on include stops, falls, jumps, skating backward, transitions, pace lines, weaving, agility, speed skating and more.

All skaters must have roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you donâ€t yet have your skates, check out www.rollergirl.ca to buy or rent everything you need to get started roller skating.

Raw Meat meets every Saturday all summer from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, at 75 East 6^th St. in New Westminster. Sessions are just $12.

At Raw Meat, we just have two rules: 1. Be safe. 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat.

See you on the track!

The post May 28, learn to roller skate with Raw Meat! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Oh, itâ€s such a purrfect day
Iâ€m glad I spent it with you
Oh, such a purrfect day
You just keep me skating on
You just keep me skating on

Get your long weekend off on the right wheel by joining us for a very special session of Raw Meat Roller Skating! This session will be out of this world with our guest coaches InterStella Burst and Beverly Bonecrusher from the Terminal City Roller Girls†Faster Pussycats. These fantastic felines will have you seeing stars when they work you to the bone in a series of fun roller skating and roller derby drills.

As always, Raw Meat Roller Skating sessions are open to skaters at all skating levels, from beginner to expert. If this is your first time on roller skates, weâ€ll show the basics and get you going safely.

For those of you who are thinking of trying out for a league in the fall, weâ€ll show you all of the basic roller skating skills youâ€ll need to rock tryouts, as well as introduce you to the basics of roller derby rules and strategies.

If you are not interested in roller derby, but just want to learn to skate, thatâ€s ok too! The techniques we teach are just as useful for dodging tourists and tiny dogs on the seawall. Plus, Raw Meat sessions are always non-contact, so you can learn with confidence.

All skaters at Raw Meat need: roller skates, mouth guard, helmet, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. Your safety gear must be worn at all times when on the track at RCCC. The floor is beautiful to skate on, but itâ€s also very hard.

If you donâ€t yet have all the derby gear you need, skates and safety equipment can be rented from Rollergirl at Main St. and E. 11^th Ave.

Sessions at RCCC are just $12.

Raw Meat will be at Royal City Curling Club all summer, every Saturday from 10 am to noon. In September, weâ€ll change venue and time.

Raw Meat has just two rules: 1. Be safe. 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat.

See you on the track!

The post It’s such a purrfect day for roller skating with Raw Meat! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Yes? Well, then what are you waiting for? Come learn to roller skate, roller-derby style, at Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating. Join us this Saturday, and every Saturday all summer, from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, 75 East 6^th Avenue in New Westminster.

At Raw Meat, youâ€ll learn all the basic skills you need to know to successfully try out for a league, including: stops, falls, transitions, skating backwards, jumps, weaving, skating with others, and more. Weâ€ll also teach you the basics of roller derby strategy and rules, but our sessions are always non-contact, so you can learn safely and with confidence. These sessions are also great for current derby skaters who want to tune up the basics, or just spend more time on eight wheels. Because weâ€re non-contact, itâ€s also great for extra practice if youâ€ve been injured and arenâ€t ready to return to full contact, or if you are just feeling a little tender but still want to get your skate on.

Not interested in derby? Thatâ€s ok! The skills youâ€ll learn at Raw will also have you skating around the seawall in style, or a great foundation for starting jam skating.

To skate at Raw Meat, youâ€ll need roller skates, a helmet, a mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you need gear, check out Rollergirl.ca. Their shop is at Main and 11^th, and they rent gear, so you can give skating a try. This is also a great option if you are derby girl visiting Vancouver this summer. Just rent some gear and drop in, to keep up your skills.

Sessions are just $12.

We just have two rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Donâ€t be an asshat.

See you Saturday!

The post Carpe Diem, Derby Dreamers! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

*If you arenâ€t familiar with “27-in-5”, itâ€s one of the tests that derby skaters need to pass to skate for a Womenâ€s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) team. Skaters need to be able to skate around the track 27 times in 5 minutes.

Are you a beginner? Never fear! Everything we are going to learn will help you get started skating with really good roller skating form that you can build on as you gain strength, speed and confidence. Even if this your first time on roller skates, youâ€ll get a lot out of this session.

Donâ€t worry, weâ€ll also play some games and have a little fun.

So, what are you waiting for? Please join us this Saturday at 10 am at Royal City Curling Club, 75 East 6^th in New Westminster.

About Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating

At Raw Meat, we teach roller-derby style roller skating. If you are dreaming of playing derby one day, come join us. Weâ€ll show you all of the basic skills youâ€ll need to try out for a roller derby league, including stops, falls, pace lines, weaving, agility, jumping, transitions, backwards skating, and much more. We also teach the basics of roller derby rules and strategy. Please note: our sessions are always non-contact, so the one thing you wonâ€t learn is hitting. This lets you get a feel for the sport in a fun, low-risk environment.

Not interested in derby? Thatâ€s ok too! All the skills that we teach can be put to good use skating on the seawall.

To skate at Raw Meat, youâ€ll need roller skates, a helmet, a mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you need gear, check out Rollergirl.ca. Their shop is at Main and 11^th, and they rent gear, so you can give skating a try.

Raw Meat meets at Royal City Curling Club every Saturday from 10 am to noon all summer. In September, our venue and time will change.

Sessions are just $12.

We just have two rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Donâ€t be an asshat.

See you Saturday!

The post May 7: Raw Meat Grinder appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Question: How many times have you said, “I want to learn to roller skate”?

1. 10
2. 100
3. 1,000
4. I lost count a while ago.

Answer:  Get off your butt and do it already!

Join Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating to learn to roller skate, learn the basics of roller derby, and have the most fun you can while (mostly) vertical. What are you waiting for? All levels of roller skater are welcome, from total beginner to total rock star.

We meet from 10 am to noon every Saturday all summer at Royal City Curling Club, at 75 East 6^th Avenue in New Westminster. Itâ€s a delightful surface to learn to skate on.

At Raw Meat, youâ€ll learn the basic skills youâ€ll need to try out for a roller derby league in the fall, or just skate around the seawall in style. Skills youâ€ll learn include: stops, falls, skating backwards, transitions, pace lines, jumping, agility, weaving, crossovers and more. Whether you want to dodge blockers on the derby track or tourists on the seawall (or both), youâ€ll learn what you need to know at Raw Meat—except for hitting skills. Our sessions are always non-contact.

To roller skate at Raw Meat, youâ€ll need roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you donâ€t yet have gear, you can buy or rent it from www.Rollergirl.ca. Our sessions are drop-in, so just come on by! Sessions are just $12 for two full hours of skating instruction.

At Raw Meat, we just have two rules: 1. Be Safe, 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat.

So really, what ARE you waiting for? Come learn to roller skate with Raw Meat this Saturday!

The post April 30: (Roller) Skate it until you make it! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

“Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”

Jake the Dog, Adventure Time

Jake just about sums it all up, right there. If thereâ€s anything you want to learn, from roller skating to quadratic equations, youâ€re going to go through a period of sucking. Depending on your background and experience with a subject area, that period may last weeks or months, or you may get through it in minutes. However long it lasts, thereâ€s no way out but through. Believe me, I know. I learned to skate as an adult, and itâ€s still one of the scariest things Iâ€ve ever done.

Learning to roller skate can be frightening. Itâ€s hard, as a big, tall, breakable adult, to stand up on slippery things and start moving, but, once you get the hang of it, itâ€s also freakin†awesome. Whether you want to skate the seawall, dominate the roller derby track, or just rock out to cheezy pop hits at a public skate, you can learn to do it. All it takes is the willingness to embrace the suck, get through it, and youâ€ll be sorta good before you know it.

At Raw Meat, all levels of roller skater are very welcome. Weâ€ve had lots of skaters come to us with their skates still in the box, and many of them are now champion roller derby players. We also welcome experts who just want more time on their skaters, and everyone in between. No matter how advanced a skater you are, thereâ€s always something you can start sucking at today, so that you can be sorta good at it tomorrow.

At Raw Meat, youâ€ll learn all of the non-contact portion of the WFTA basic skills, including stops, falls, agility, jumps, skating with others, and more. We also introduce basic roller derby drills, and play many games. Raw Meat sessions are always non-contact, so you can learn with confidence. Youâ€ll get a great workout, and have an even better time. What are you waiting for?

If you want to start roller skating, and you donâ€t have your gear yet, check out Rollergirl.ca. Their shop is at Main and 11^th, and they have everything you need to get going. If you arenâ€t ready to commit to purchasing gear (or if you are visiting without your heavy gear bag), they also rent gear.

All skaters need to have roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. Stretchy athletic clothing that you donâ€t mind getting dirty is recommended. You will sweat, and you will be on the floor.

Raw Meat Roller Skating meets every Saturday all summer from 10 am to noon at Royal City Curling Club, 75 East 6^th Avenue in New Westminster. Sessions at RCCC are $12, and they are drop-in. All you need to do is show up!

Raw Meat has just two simple rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Donâ€t be an ass-hat.

See you on the track!

The post April 23: Sucking at something is the first step appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.

Youâ€ll love skating at RCCC. Thereâ€s a full size roller derby track, plus plenty of extra space. The floor is polished concrete, and itâ€s a joy to skate on. As always, skaters of all levels are welcome, from total beginners to experts looking for more time on eight wheels. At Raw Meat, youâ€ll learn all the roller skating skills that youâ€ll need to try out for a roller derby league in the fall. Skills include stops, falls, backwards skating, transitions, agility, jumps, weaving, skating with others and more. Plus, weâ€ll through in some fun and games as well. If you arenâ€t interested in roller derby, never fear, all of these skills will serve you well skating the seawall, too.

All skaters must have roller skates, helmet, mouth guard, and wrist, elbow and knee pads. If you have white tape on your pads from skating at Thunderbird Community Centre, remove it before you get to RCCC, and youâ€ll have a lot more fun.

See you Saturday!

The post April 16: Raw Meat Roller Skating at Royal City Curling Club! appeared first on Raw Meat Vancouver Roller Skating.