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Running rings around the park - 11th December 2020

Last in vogue when 1970s disco fever took the world by storm, roller-skating is making a stunning comeback.

Gliding around the city’s rinks, eight-wheeled skaters at their weekly meetup are sharing the thrill of this retro form of rolling.

Gemma: "I will do it again. But now I feel, my butt’s really painful. I, I fell once - but I guess that's how you learn."

While trending on social media may have raised its profile, the sudden resurgence in the sport’s fortunes appears more closely related to Covid restrictions. Gyms shuttering and indoor exercise losing its appeal led to a bounce in socially distanced, open air activities.

Gigi: "The feeling of freedom, you know. The wind in my hair and then just go and skate and, and meet a whole community. That's so nice."

Niki: "It's, it’s literally been the only upside so far - this entire 2020 - this, actual picking this up and meeting the amazing friends, like, and the community with it."

Unprecedented demand outstripping supply chain capacity has left retailers overwhelmed with enquiries for quad skates and customers disappointed. Their predicament even made the pages of Vogue’s July edition, which discussed spiralling demand and the supply bottlenecks. This echoes the experience of Milanie Bekker, who co-founded Hong Kong retailer Madame Quad.

Milanie: "Definitely the manufacturer’s kind of struggling to keep up with the demand. And then as soon as there are, there’s any new stock, it's immediately sold out. Like, it's, it’s pretty crazy."