Locations

Rock Creek Park ● Carter Barron Amphitheatre, 4850 Colorado Ave NW, Washington DC

Salvation Army ● Sherman Avenue Corps Parking Lot (indoors in the cooler weather), 3335 Sherman Ave NW, Washington DC

Lessons

We have loaner skates and protective equipment available for free during our lessons.

Private Lessons

Outdoor Private Lessons ● Available for adults, children and families, beginner to advanced skaters, covering the skills of your choice.

Group Lessons

Check out our Rink Night page for the current group lessons we're offering.

Available On Request

Group Lessons

Learn to Skate ● Covers proper use of protective equipment, falling safety and prevention, basic stride, turning and stopping.

Skate Fitness ● Get in shape for longer skate sessions; incorporate skating into your fitness program. Improve your balance and strengthen your core.

Skating for Kids ● Send us the times you have available and we'll schedule times with the most interest.

Jam Skating ● Focusing on freestyle self expression while skating to music.

Slalom Skating ● Covering the art of doing complicated skating maneuvers along a row of cones.

Trail and Street Skating ● Focusing on safety and skills while skating outdoors.

Group Lessons

Check out our Rink Night page to see the group lessons we are currently offering.

Skate Cats 🐾 new

Join our group practice & classes at SkateCats.com. Here are the sessions we operate through the Skate Cats program:

Group Classes

Skate Workshops ● Level up your skating skills as we cover the techniques for mastering more advanced skate moves.

Group Practice

Outdoor Skate Practice ● Self directed skate sessions at one of our locations, open to inline and roller skaters of all ages.

Skate Practice

Indoor Skate Sessions ● Informal self directed skate practice at the Salvation Army Sherman Avenue Corps, open to inline and roller skaters of all ages.

Private Lessons

Indoor Skate Sessions ● Informal self directed skate practice at the Salvation Army Sherman Avenue Corps, open to inline and roller skaters of all ages.

Core Program

Private Lessons

Core Classes

Specialty Classes

Newsletter

Aggressive Skating ● Covering the basic skills for skating in a skatepark and an urban skating.

Private Lessons

Notes

  • Private lessons run for 60 minutes.

  • Our instructors are generally available select weeknights.

  • You can also ask about custom sessions (shorter lessons, multiple lesson discount packages, group discount packages, teaching at student supplied venues, etc.)

  • If you don't see a compatible date you can request one below.

Private Lessons

Be sure to review and agree to our waiver packet here.

Learn to Skate

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Skate Fitness

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Trail and Street Skating

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Jam Skating

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Skate Lab

Slalom Skating

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Aggressive Skating

Can't sign up?  Request this class.

Skating for Kids

Notes

Indoor Skate Sessions

  • Register in advance; pay what you want at the door as a donation to the Salvation Army.

  • Protective gear required; we have free loaner gear available for use during the session.

  • Adults must accompany minors throughout the skate.

Notes

  • Register in advance; sessions are free but there is a limit to the number of skaters we can host.

  • Protective gear required; we have free loaner gear available for use during the session.

  • Adults must accompany minors throughout the skate.

Outdoor Skate Sessions (do up form)

Fill out this form to get more information about becoming a skate instructor or skate coach at our skate school.

Teach With Us

Sign Our Waiver

Sign Our Waiver Packet

Rink Night

630-830pm Saturday, September 16

Our DJ'ed Roller Rink Night Cookout Fundraiser

Enjoy both longtime and new skating friends as we turn the Salvation Army parking lot into a roller rink for inline and roller skaters. We'll bring a DJ playing a mix of danceable tunes, plus food, drink, good cheer from the community, and plenty of skaters to meet.Pay what you want for entry. Proceeds to benefit the summer kids camp at the Salvation Army.Bring your skates and safety gear. We'll also have loaner skates and safety gear available.This is a rain or shine event. If it rains, we'll relocate indoors in the Salvation Army gym.

SkateInstruction.com/#rinknight

Rink Night

End of summer edition.

630-830pm Saturday, September 16

Our DJ'ed Roller Rink Night Cookout Fundraiser

Enjoy both longtime and new skating friends as we turn the Salvation Army parking lot into a roller rink for inline and roller skaters. We'll bring a DJ playing a mix of danceable tunes, plus food, drink, good cheer from the community, and plenty of skaters to meet.Pay what you want for entry. Proceeds to benefit the summer kids camp program at the Salvation Army.Bring your skates and safety gear. We'll also have loaner skates and safety gear available.This is a rain or shine event. If it rains, we'll relocate indoors in the Salvation Army gym at the same address.

RSVP for Rink Night ● Space is limited; sign up in advance for guaranteed entry at the event.

Not ready to skate? Use the link below for a free lesson.

Learn to Skate ● Free ● Covers the proper use of protective gear, falling safety and prevention, basic stride, turning and stopping.

Ready to step up your game? Take some post beginner classes and build your skating style.

Skate Lab ● (Learn to Skate "Part 2") ● A mix of balance, fitness and skating to music to get the most from skating outdoors.

Skate Lab is offered on a pay what you want basis.

Jam Skating ● (Learn to Skate "Part 2") ● Coached sessions to work on rhythm and self expression to music to develop some disco moves.

It's a wrap for our May Rink Night. Thank you to everyone who came out and to all our volunteers. Stay tuned for additional Rink Nights in the future.

Rink Night/Open House

630-830pm Saturday, May 6

Our DJ'ed Roller Rink Night Cookout Fundraiser

Enjoy both longtime and new skating friends as we turn the Salvation Army parking lot into a roller rink for inline and roller skaters. We'll bring a DJ playing a mix of danceable tunes, plus food, drink, good cheer from the community, and plenty of skaters to meet.Proceeds to benefit the summer kids camp program at the Salvation Army.This is a rain or shine event. If it rains, we'll relocate indoors in the Salvation Army gym at the same address.

Notes

Protective gear required to skate . We'll have some protective gear and skates available at the event. We'll also have certified skate instructors there to help you get going.For those of you who want to strengthen your skating skills ahead of the event, we've set up the following 30 minute class.

● ● ●

SkateInstruction.com/#rinknight

Rink Night Cookout Donation

Dinner is on a pay what you want donation. Recommended: $25 dinner and a drink, or $5-$10 per a la carte item.

RSVP for Rink Night

Space is limited; sign up in advance for guaranteed entry.

Invoice 20230520

Sign Up/Get Info

Get in the loop about our classes and events, including Rink Night and learn to skate sessions.

Glitter Roll

Skate Care

Because your skates deserve care just as much as you do.

Part of skating is the relationship you build with your skates -- starting from picking the right pair, to showing off your gear, to providing your skates the proper care so they can always be a joy to wear.

Skate Care Sessions

Skate Maintenance ● 10am-noon Saturday June 17 ● Grab your tools and roll up your sleeves as we take you through the steps to get your skates in shape and keep them rolling smoothly.

About Adrienne, our Resident Skate Expert

  • Owner of the Department of Skate, Washington DC's only skate shop.

  • Long time roller derby skater as Velocity Raptor.

  • Actively skates, sells, sets up and offers maintenance and advice on all skates far and wide.

  • Adrienne is a great resource with a vast ocean of knowledge and you can reach out to her anytime to get her help.

The Check My Skates session is designed to be a place where you can take pride in the gear you have, get some brief answers to any problems, and to figure out next steps on what you can do with your skates.

Check My Skates ● Show off your special setup, bring those skates from mom's attic, or your current skates to look at. We'll admire your gear & give you some helpful tips.

Skate Buyer Workshop ● Can't decide what skates to get?

Notes

Skate Maintenance

10am-noon Saturday June 17 at the Salvation Army parking lot (indoors in the gym if it rains).

Notes

  • Cleaning material and bearing lube provided.

  • Tools are not provided. You'll need to bring the following: skate tools (a T-tool and a bearing puller) plus a wash bottle.

  • If you don't have tools, buy whatever you need when signing up.

  • Don't forget to bring your skates. We'll be taking them apart and putting them back together.

Register for Skate Mainteance

Check My Skates

Instructors

All our instructors have First Aid/CPR certifications, are certified and insured through SkateIA and bring substantial experience from a deep skating background.

Teach With Us

...and this could be you.

  • Teaching experience is not necessary but is welcome. (Skating skills are required.)

  • If you haven't taught before, we offer training and hands-on teaching practice.

  • You can teach the sessions we have or use your unique talents to build a program of your own.

About Lead Instructor Andrew

  • Andrew has been street skating, teaching and organizing events for 30+ years.

  • He learned to skate on the streets of Manhattan and routinely organized and led group street skates with hundreds of participants safely.

  • Andrew skates and teaches on inline and roller skates, indoors and outdoors.

  • SkateIA Certified Level 2 Skate Instructor, with a roller fitness endorsement.

  • USA Roller Sports certified Skate Coach.

About Skate Instructor Danny

  • Danny has been tirelessly teaching beginners at the learn to skate clinic, which originated in Rock Creek Park, the past 20+ years.

  • He started on inline skates and teaches both inline and roller skaters.

  • SkateIA Certified Level 1 Skate Instructor.

About Skate Instructor Nikita

  • Nikita started skating at roller rinks at the age of 3, played roller derby and coached newcomers into the sport.

  • As a street skater she taught safety to roller skaters and helped steward groups through local club rollouts.

  • Most recently Nikita has developed her teaching skills to become a skatepark instructor and also a skatepark examiner.

  • SkateIA, multiple certifications.

{{url.classtype|error}} Request

Contact Us

Thank You!

Thank you for reaching out to us. Getting feedback from you helps us build better programs.

Your form has been submitted, we'll check out what you sent and be in touch with you soon.

Skate Cats 🐾 Info

Thanks for signing up and joining our litter of Skate Cats! Here is some information to help you have the best experience:

Places Where We Teach

Depending on where we've indicated to meet, we'll be at the Salvation Army or Rock Creek Park. Here are the directions for each spot:

Salvation Army

We'll meet at the Salvation Army on Sherman Avenue in Petworth. The address is:3335 Sherman Ave NWPark on the streets nearby and meet at the front entrance, at the corner of Sherman and Morton St NW.  We'll have people coming out periodically to meet you and bring you to the parking area where we are teaching.If you are taking public transportation, it's a short walk from the Petworth metro station.

Rock Creek Park

We'll meet at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre Parking Lot in Rock Creek Park. The address is:4850 Colorado Ave NWIt's an enormous parking lot; turn in from Colorado Avenue. Unless we specify otherwise we'll meet near the entrance.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

We'll send out a note if we need to cancel the session and reschedule it.  It could be due to bad weather or a parking lot that's too wet, among other reasons.  If that happens, we will provide a date for when the session is rescheduled, or we'll try to get you into another class.

Be There Early and Start Early

We start on time but you can come out fifteen minutes early to get a jump on filling out the paperwork and putting on your skate gear.

What to Bring

The following items are mandatory. If you don't wear them, we can't teach you to skate:

  • A face mask (depending on current CDC guidelines)

  • A helmet

  • Wrist guards

  • Elbow pads

  • Knee pads

  • And your skates of course! 😎

We do have loaner skate equipment; if you need something, please let us know as soon as you can.Finally, you should wear comfortable clothing appropriate to the weather.

What to Expect

We'll get geared up, and start doing some skating! The plan is to skate safely and have some fun.  You'll get some time with instructors and for practice on your own.  And we'll work to have something fun to learn for whatever skating level you are at.For any other questions, you're welcome to reach out to me by text or a phone call, I'm the lead instuctor and am reachable at 410-394-9483.Looking forward to seeing you there!Andrew Barabasz

Skate Maintenance Confirmation

Thanks for signing up!  We're very excited that you will attend.  Here is the key information you'll need to have the best experience:

Where We'll Meet

We'll meet at the Salvation Army on Sherman Avenue in Petworth. The address is:3335 Sherman Ave NWPark on the streets nearby and meet at the front entrance, at the corner of Sherman and Morton St NW.  We'll have people coming out periodically to meet you and bring you to the parking area where we are teaching.If you are taking public transportation, it's a short walk from the Petworth metro station.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

We most likely won't reschedule or cancel the session. If it's raining, we'll relocate indoors at the same address, into the Salvation Army gym.We'll send out a note if we need to cancel the session or reschedule it.  If we cancel, we'll send you a refund. If we reschedule and you can't make the new date, we'll send you a refund.

What to Bring

Here is a list of what you should bring:Your skates (they can be inline skates or roller skates).Plus the following items:

  • A t-tool - you'll use this to remove and reattach your wheels

  • A bearing puller - you'll use this to remove teh bearings from your wheels to clean them

  • A wash bottle - you'll put your bearings in it to clean them

If you purchased any of these items while registering, they'll be there for you when you arrive and are yours to keep and take home.

What to Expect

We'll show you how to clean your skates. We'll have tables and chairs set up for you to do that comfortably. The parts of the skates we'll focus on are your wheels and bearings as they receive the most wear.For any questions, you're welcome to reach out to me by text, I'll be leading the class and am reachable at (202) 262-7364.Looking forward to seeing you there!Adrienne Schreiber for Department of Skate

Skate Lesson Confirmation

Thanks for signing up!  We're very excited that you will attend.  Here is the key information you'll need to have the best experience:

Places Where We Teach

Depending on where we've indicated to meet, we'll be at the Salvation Army or Rock Creek Park. Here are the directions for each spot:

Salvation Army

We'll meet at the Salvation Army on Sherman Avenue in Petworth. The address is:3335 Sherman Ave NWPark on the streets nearby and meet at the front entrance, at the corner of Sherman and Morton St NW.  We'll have people coming out periodically to meet you and bring you to the parking area where we are teaching.If you are taking public transportation, it's a short walk from the Petworth metro station.

Rock Creek Park

We'll meet at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre Parking Lot in Rock Creek Park. The address is:4850 Colorado Ave NWIt's an enormous parking lot; turn in from Colorado Avenue and we'll meet near the entrance.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

We'll send out a note if we need to cancel the session and reschedule it.  It could be due to bad weather or a parking lot that's too wet, among other reasons.  If that happens, we will provide a date for when the session is rescheduled.

Be There Early and Start Early

We start on time but you can come out fifteen minutes early to get a jump on filling out the paperwork and putting on your skate gear.

What to Bring

The following items are mandatory. If you don't wear them, we can't teach you to skate:

  • A face mask (depending on current CDC guidelines)

  • A helmet

  • Wrist guards

  • Elbow pads

  • Knee pads

  • And your skates of course! 😎

We do have loaner skate equipment; if you need something, please let us know as soon as you can.Finally, you should wear comfortable clothing appropriate to the weather.

What to Expect

We'll get geared up, and start doing some skating! The plan is to skate safely and have some fun.  You'll get some time with instructors and for practice on your own.  And we'll work to have something fun to learn for whatever skating level you are at.For any other questions, you're welcome to reach out to me by text or a phone call, I'm the lead instuctor and am reachable at 410-394-9483.Looking forward to seeing you there!Andrew Barabasz

Skate Clinic Confirmation

Thanks for signing up!  We're very excited that you will attend.  Here is the key information you'll need to have the best experience:

Where to Go

Check your sign up confirmation. Depending on where we've indicated to meet we'll be at the Salvation Army or Rock Creek Park. Here are the directions for each spot:

Salvation Army

We'll meet at the Salvation Army on Sherman Avenue in Petworth. The address is:3335 Sherman Ave NWPark on the streets nearby and meet at the front entrance, at the corner of Sherman and Morton St NW.  We'll have people coming out periodically to meet you and bring you to the parking area where we are teaching.If you are taking public transportation, it's a short walk from the Petworth metro station.

Rock Creek Park

We'll meet at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre Parking Lot in Rock Creek Park. The address is:4850 Colorado Ave NWIt's an enormous parking lot; turn in from Colorado Avenue and we'll meet near the entrance.If you can't find us, please call or text skate instructor Danny at (202) 617-7971.

Be There Early and Start Early

We start on time but you can come out fifteen minutes early to get a jump on filling out the paperwork and putting on your skate gear.

Cancellations and Rescheduling

We'll send out a note if we need to cancel. It could be due to bad weather or a parking lot that's too wet, among other reasons. If that happens, you are welcome to sign up for one of our other sessions.

What to Bring

The following items are mandatory. If you don't wear them, we can't teach you to skate:

  • A face mask (depending on current CDC guidelines)

  • A helmet

  • Wrist guards

  • Elbow pads

  • Knee pads

  • And your skates of course! 😎

We do have loaner skates and protective equipment; if you need something, please let us know as soon as you can.Finally, you should wear comfortable clothing appropriate to the weather.

What to Expect

We'll get geared up, and start doing some skating! The plan is to skate safely and have some fun.  You'll get some time with instructors and for practice on your own.  And we'll work to have something fun to learn for whatever skating level you are at.For any other questions, you're welcome to reach out to me by text or a phone call, I'm the lead instuctor and am reachable at 410-394-9483.Looking forward to seeing you there!Andrew Barabasz

Indoor Skating Confirmation

Thanks for signing up!  Here is the key information you'll need to have the best experience:

Where to Go

We'll meet at the Salvation Army on Sherman Avenue in Petworth. The address is:3335 Sherman Ave NWMeet at the corner of Sherman and Morton St NW.  We'll have people coming out periodically to direct you to the gym.If you're coming out for the first time, please don't be late.

Cancellations

There may be times when the space becomes unavailable. We'll send out a note if we need to cancel. If it's a last minute thing, we may need to cancel at the door. If a cancellation occurs, you are welcome to sign up for one of our other sessions.

What to Bring

When you come out for the first time, be sure to bring the following:

  • A helmet (a bike helmet is fine)

  • Wrist guards

  • Elbow pads

  • Knee pads

  • And your skates of course! 😎

We do have loaner protective equipment available; if you need something, please let us know as soon as you can. (We have a limited number of free loaner roller skates too.)Finally, you should wear comfortable clothing to skate in.

What to Expect

We'll get geared up and practice skating! The plan is to skate safely and have some fun.  Practice is self directed: you can work on any skate moves you want. Keep in mind that this location is in the middle of the city and our space isn't enormous.For any other questions, you're welcome to reach out to me by text or a phone call, I'm the organizer and can be reached at 410-394-9483.Looking forward to seeing you there!-Skate Instructor Andrew

Be sure to review and agree to our waiver packet here.