While generally people should not be judged by their gender, guys have their aggressive skates and girls have their roller derbies. Roller skates aren’t just inline – we at Skates.co.uk sell a wide range of quad skates as well, which are just as popular. We imagine some of the reason is the growth of roller derby clubs in the UK, since one of the unbroken rules is that you wear quad roller skates. What is a roller derby?

Like many things, it came from the United States. Initially a mixed sport of the Depression era, today it’s a ladies-only contact sport. Whereas guys win points with aggressive skates and a few challenging ramps, players win points by hitting their opponents with full body-armour force and a touch of glamour. Gum-shields, reinforced helmets and gold lame are the norm.

Today, the Roller Derby leagues number 135 in the US, and the sport is growing in popularity in the UK. The first club opened in London in 2006, and although the London Rollergirls is still the best-known Derby league, several more are springing up across the British Isles.

The rules of Roller Derby are simple – you whip round an elliptical track as fast as you can, winning points for each person you overtake. By whatever means possible. So long as contact is above the belt, anything goes. Broken limbs sometimes happen in the bigger leagues, which is why the average age is twenty plus. This is definitely not a sport for little girls on their first set of Disney roller skates.