If you want to get fit, get on wheels.
Boulder has a reputation for runners, but roller skating is big here, too. We’ve got a great roller derby team, skate fitness classes and nearby skating rinks, plus inline skating opportunities.
Research shows roller skating is just as good for you as jogging, in terms of calories burned, leg strength and fat loss. Yet inline skating has 50 percent less impact on the joints as running, according to a University of Massachusetts study.
Prefer to skate on a board? Boulder County’s got skateboard parks, too.
In colder months, there is also ice skating (although that lacks the wheels). Sports Stable even offers ice skating year round. Check out the Friday night Cosmic Skate, 10:30 p.m.-midnight: lights off, loud music, lasers and fog.
Here are six places where Boulder’s skaters hang out — and how you can get in on the action.
1. Boulder County Bombers Roller Derby, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont
The Bombers are Boulder’s flat-track roller derby league. If you’re great at skating and not afraid of some bumps and bruises, you can try out for the team. Or enjoy the entertainment from the sidelines at one of the action-packed games. The Bombers have several teams: the Daisy Nukes, the Shrap Nellies and the Night Witches, plus travel teams.
There’s also the Boulder County Bottle Rockets Junior Rolly Derby.
Upcoming home games for 2018 include:
- June 23: Round Robin, 5 p.m., Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont
- July 14: Team championships, 5 p.m., Boulder County Fairgrounds
- Sept. 14: B52 Tournament, 8 a.m., Boulder County Fairgrounds
2. Colorado Skate Fitness, 4800 28th St., Boulder
A fun way to get active is in private skate lessons, classes or events.
The fitness classes use all kinds of fitness science (like high-intensity interval training, bodyweight exercises and skating drills) to help you get more fit.
Colorado Skate Fitness offers events at two different locations. Classes in Boulder run 7-8 p.m. Wednesdays June 6-July 11 at the Hartmann Inline Rink at Gateway Fun Park, 4800 28th St., Boulder.
Classes in Broomfield are 9-10 a.m. Sundays June 10-July 15 at the Broomfield Industrial Park Sports Complex, W. 116th Ave. and Teller St., Broomfield.
3. Hartmann Inline Rink, 4800 28th St., Boulder
Hartmann Rink isn’t just for skate fitness. It’s where to go if you love inline hockey. This nonprofit rink has two adult leagues, drop-in games, youth clinics and all-level pick-up games 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. Advanced inline hockey pick-up games are 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays. (Although start times do change throughout the year.)
4. The Boulder Skatepark, 1505 30th St., Boulder
This is for the skateboarders and inline skaters. The 16,000-square-foot Boulder Skatepark at Scott Carpenter Park, 1505 30th St., Boulder, welcomes skateboarders and inline skaters daily from dawn to dusk. BMX bike riders are welcome 7-10 a.m. every day.
The park was designed by an experienced skateboarder and well-known skate park designer.
Warning: Skate here, street-style (on rails, curbs and bowls) at your own risk.
5. The Lafayette Skate Park, 111 W. Baseline Road, Lafayette
Lafayette, just east of Boulder, has its own skate park, too, at 111 W. Baseline Road. This park is bigger than Boulder’s, spanning 19,000 square feet of bowls, streetscape, obstacles and more.
You can even rent the skate park for special events.
Other nearby skate parks:
- Sandstone Ranch Park, 3001 E. Colo. 119 in Longmont
- Broomfield Skate Park, 150 Lamar St., Broomfield
- Erie Community Skate Park, 450 Powers St., Erie
- Louisville Skate Park, 964 W. Via Appia, Louisville
- Lyons Skate Park, Fourth and Broadway streets, Lyons
6. Square State Skate, 3044 Valmont Road, Boulder
Square State Skate runs skateboard camps, clubs and lessons in Louisville, Erie, Boulder and along the Front Range. Kids of all ages and abilities can learn how to skateboard in a safe environment.
Sign up for 90-minute Saturday Sessions, full-day skate camps when there’s no school and more. Classes are offered year-round, even in winter, as long as the parks are safe.
For Saturday Sessions, Square State Skate alternates locations on Saturdays throughout the month. The first Saturday is in Louisville and Arvada. The second is in Erie and Boulder, out of the Satellite Boardshop, 3044 Valmont Road in Boulder. The third Saturday is in Denver and the last Saturday of the month is in Lafayette and Wheat Ridge.
