I LOVE a good roller disco party!! I enjoy sharing my passion with skaters and non-skaters alike. However, it’s a complete bummer when a few people are acting thoughtlessly and ruining all the fun. Safety is extremely important so that we can ALL enjoy ourselves without fear or frustration.

In the spirit of education & fun, I’d like to share some basic tips and etiquette for your next skate shindig;

1. The Glide Lane
This is where you generally find people skating around in a large circle (Counter-clockwise, unless the DJ says otherwise). Try to maintain the pace of the general flow.

• Please don’t skate against traffic for any reason. If your friend falls, don’t turn around and start going the wrong way to retrieve them. Chances are, they are fine and they will catch up with you. If not, a more experienced skater can help your friend and prevent other skaters from falling over them.
• If you fall, no big deal, just GET UP. Especially on a crowded floor. Oncoming traffic does NOT STOP.
• If you’re at a crowded party, it’s probably not the best time to try and learn how to skate backwards or some other super crazy move you’ve never done before.
• Experienced skaters, don’t stop and bust a move in glide lane where everyone has to stop or skate around you. Keep it moving, you know better.

2. The Middle
This is an area reserved for skate/line dancing. This area is for slightly more experienced skaters who wish to practice/perform moves that can’t be safely done in the glide lane.

• NO PARKING ON THE DANCE FLOOR. (Please do not stand in this area.)
• ONLY if the session is not crowded, this can be a good place to practice. Just make sure to keep watch for others. (Especially over your shoulder.)
• Seasoned skaters, please look out for each other as well.
• If for some reason you don’t have skates on and still wish to dance, please DON’T dance anywhere in the skate area. Because space is very limited, it’s very dangerous and you are basically in the way of all the people trying to skate.

Or I’ll be forced to give you a ticket, so GIT WITH IT!

3. Skating in Large Groups
Everyone loves to skate with a buddy, (COUPLES SKATE!) but if you’re with a large group of pals huddling around talking, or hand-to-hand in a chain, please know that you could be a potential road hazard. If people cannot move around you and cannot stop, they may have to run into you and no one wants that. Break it up every once in awhile so people can pass.

4. Horseplay/Showing off
Please remember a roller disco party is not a race or a derby bout. Please don’t chase others, play tag or any other kind of fast, erratic skating. Predictability is important in a crowded area of less-experienced skaters.

Also, don’t be that person who starts showing out beyond your actual skill level and winds up wiping out and taking a bunch of people down with them. It does not make you look cool or impress anyone, it makes you look like an obnoxious JERK. (And you could seriously hurt yourself or some one else.)

5. Food/Drink
NEVER EVER bring food or drink onto the skate floor. I mean EVER! If you do accidentally spill something, make an effort to clean it up. (Your MOM doesn’t work here.) Spilled liquid on a skate floor is EXTREMELY dangerous. Try to find someone to help locate a mop/towel, or at the very least try to alert oncoming skaters that there has been a spill.

6. HAVE FUN!!
Above all, just be friendly and courteous, the same way you’d like to be treated. Be aware of who is around you at all times. Respect the space and the rights of other skaters who are also just there to have a funky good time!

Was there anything I missed? Did you have an experience you wanted to share? Am I just a big party pooper? 😉
Leave a comment below!