Vancouver Roller Skate Group brings the party on wheels to downtown Vancouver

When Andrea Fraser-Winsby played roller derby, her name was Andi Struction. She retired from roller derby after seven years due to the wear and tear on her body, but she still found a way to keep her love of skating alive.

Fraser-Winsby started Rollerskate Vancouver in 2017 to bring together like-minded rollerbladers for social skates along the sea wall.

“First of all, it’s medically impossible to be in a bad mood on roller skates,” said Fraser-Winsby.

“Roller skating makes people happy. It’s fun, it’s super accessible – if you can walk you can roller skate. You can do it as slowly or as fast as you want.”

Rollerskate Vancouver is now expanding its horizons with a series of roller pop-up events scheduled throughout the summer. The first is scheduled for Saturday at Robson Square.

Fraser-Winsby says the goal of the Pop-Up Rink is to have “a little something” for enthusiasts of all skill levels. The day begins with a family skating, followed by a roller derby fight, then the evening ends with a party for the adult skaters.