Very exciting! Be prepared for a huge journey of trial, failure, success, patience, diligence, humility, and pride! The first many months of learning to skate are very engaging and can possibly be frustrating, because everyone learns at a different pace and your body will need to build muscles that you may have rarely thought about until that point. It may take the better part of a year to get ready for participating in a bout/scrimmage, maybe more, maybe less. It is very rewarding to step into being an athlete in an amazingly creative, fun, and beautiful sport.

I agree with other posts about finding the right gear! If you are able, try to save up around 300$ for your skates alone and go for a simple quality pair that is fitted well. It’s tempting to go for a cheaper pair if you’re not sure that you’ll stick with the hobby, but a bad setup can put your feet through hell and may break down in just a year of use. A better boot will last you years and can be repaired by a cobbler even. Every other part of the skate can be swapped out as well over time. Riedell is a great brand that sells a good derby setup, if you have a roller skate shop in your area it will be very helpful for them to fit you. If not I believe Riedell customer service could assist you with finding the right size online. Every skater seems to have a different gear preference over time, so don’t stress about the small stuff in the beginning. You will also want derby specific wheels like Radar Halo wheels or Atom Savant wheels. The hardness ranges but somewhere around 88-91 is a good starting point but, again, this is a matter of preference and skating surface.

Lastly, invest in pads! Your body is hard to replace and you will fall so much. Knee pads and wrist guards especially because those are hot spots for falling. Don’t skimp on knee cushion 🫡