The Fabulous Sin City Roller Derby used to be a small operation, says Cindy Moreno. The derby skater and co-owner of Death Drop Roller Skate Shop (238 S. Decatur Blvd., deathdropskates.com) has seen remarkable growth in membership in her time. 

“We used to be a small league of 15 to 20 skaters. Now, the league has about 120 members. Sixty-five of those are active skating members,” she says. “I feel like the skate revival started during COVID—not just for derby, but just for roller skating in general. The skate community called it a ‘skatedemic.’”

Moreno, who opened the “by skaters, for skaters” Death Drop in 2021, says her No. 1 customer is new skaters and people getting back into skating.

“We have a lot of skaters that are like ‘Oh, I haven’t skated in 25 years.’ And they’re buying new skates now. We also have customers that haven’t skated in that amount of time, and they bring these really old skates that they want to refurbish,” Moreno says. “A lot of them are nervous since they’re getting back into it. But it’s like riding a bike.”

The same goes for Amanda “Fresa” Quintanilla. The owner of Fresa’s Skate Shop (1300 S. Main St. #140, fresasskateshop.com), which opened in the Arts District in 2022, says 80% of Fresa’s customers are new to skating.

“They always come a little embarrassed or shy,” she says. “First of all, skating doesn’t have any age limit. [Too] big, small, round or square—there’s no such thing when it comes to roller skating.”

Quintanilla has made it her mission to welcome as many people into the fold of the skating community as possible—and not just quad roller skaters. Her shop welcomes inline skaters as well, and even allows skateboarders on its indoor ramp. The inclusive environment stands in contrast to what she and her colleagues have experienced at local skateparks, which she says tend to be male-dominated and can be intimidating for new skaters.

“We want to make you feel comfortable,” Quintanilla says. “We cheer you on when you get that trick done or drop in.”

Fresa’s also hosts monthly “ride outs” where all wheels—skateboarders and bicyclists included—are welcome, creating opportunities to enjoy the emotional and social outlet that skating can be.

Attendees of all backgrounds at the May 18 rideout told the Weekly the roller skating community has welcomed them with open arms. Skater On Ritthiphon says the activity is helping him to readjust to civilian life after serving in the army in the Middle East.

“Now that I’m retired and moved back to Vegas, back home, I find myself skating again just to help reintegrate back into regular society. And it helps me feel better, not just with exercise. I get to meet a lot of random people. ... And they don’t judge me by my past,” Ritthiphon says. 

Quintanilla says it doesn’t take much for roller skating to make a difference in your life.

“If you are looking for an outlet, roller skating can open that for you. And I’m not talking about being hardcore at the park or hardcore tricks. It could be literally just putting your skates on and skating down the street for 20 minutes around the neighborhood,” she says. “It will just open your mind. And you’ll be like, ‘Man, why don’t I do this more often? Why don’t we do this every day?’”

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