Six years ago, Snow Crash posted on the TCRG message board, to see if anyone wanted to get together and rent Central City to have some extra skate time. It was 2010, the year of Whip It, and everyone wanted to roller skate.

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 didn’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 Bomb’s Pride sessions brought the sparkle.

Early on, we settled on two rules: 1. Be safe, 2. Don’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 we’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!