A historic stash of roller skates stored in Victoria three decades will roll again, this weekend at Roller Skate Victoria’s May the 4th Be With You Star Wars Roller Disco in Esquimalt.
The skates, first used in the early 1980s at a roller rink in Kapuskasing, Ontario. The skates, which are primarily Canadian brands Dominion and Bauer, were put in a moving van driven west from Ontario in 1985 and have been stored in Victoria ever since.
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“It is really something that we found these amazing vintage skates around the same time we are both throwing this big Star Wars roller disco, and launching Friday night roller skating in Esquimalt, which is a throwback to my youth when I roller skated there in the ’80s,” said Martin Newham, co-owner of Roller Skate Victoria. “I’m really excited to see these skates rolling again.”
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The group hosts public roller skating every Friday night at Esquimalt’s Archie Browning Arena in addition to bi-annual big roller disco parties such as the May the 4th Star Wars disco this Saturday.
Public roller skating happens Fridays at Archie Browning from 7 to 10 p.m. until the end of August. The May the 4th Be With You Star Wars Roller Disco is Saturday with a family skate from 5 to 7 p.m. and a 19-plus skate from 7:30 to 11 pm, also at Archie Browning.
c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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