There’s a new rollerblading store in town, and it aims to be the rollerblading store in town. Vancouver’s Shop Task, the largest aggressive rollerblading store in Canada, has opened an outpost at Queen and Coxwell, taking over long time sex shop Naughty by Night’s old space.
The store’s AJ DeLong, an Oakville native and passionate rollerblader, worked at the Vancouver business for a few years before coming back to Ontario.
“I think it’s a great spot for a shop like this,” he says. “We’re close to Lakeshore and so we have that path that goes along through to the Beaches … and it’s close to Ashbridge’s Bay Skate Park.”
The spot is so great, apparently, that DeLong opened up shop months sooner than planned. Originally, the idea was for Shop Task to open up in the new year, but here it is.
“We’re going to try to be the best place to come for people who want to get into rollerblading or who have been rollerblading. We’ll have anything they may need to keep them going,” he says.
If that’s not enough, the store has a lowest price guarantee, and it does repairs, too.
“We’ll be servicing skates, rotating wheels and installing new wheels and bearings in people’s skates.”
For the more experienced, passionate bladers, DeLong says his store carries many items that aren’t available elsewhere. The store has clothing from Vibralux (Alex Broskow cords $69.99), safety gear, laces, DVDs, and aggressive skates from such brands as Remz, Razors, Xsjado and Valo. (Prices range from $140 for Razors to $400 for Valos). Fitness and offroading skates are also in stock.
“Besides our store in Vancouver, there are two other shops that carry these types of skates,” DeLong says.
Almost everyone who walks by seems to notice the rollerblading sign DeLong’s parents, Lana and Brian DeLong, made for the store.
“(Bladers) come in the store and are really positive about it,” he says. “There is finally a rollerblade shop for them to go to that specializes in what they do.”
Shop Task, 1624 Queen St. E., 416-698-7405. Open Wednesday to Sunday
