The pastime seemed to be something of a bygone era but post-COVID life seems to have brought with it a resurgence of the roller skates. Not only are people once again skating around the lake, but the pastime has taken over social media platform TikTok and featuring in pop culture in the form of music videos and Instagram posts.

So yes, there is a roller-skating resurgence but according to Canberra's Matt Wheeler, its momentary disappearance was just a blip on the radar.

"It's kind of weird that roller-skating wasn't big in the 2000s and 2010s, because it's been really popular every other decade since the 20s," Matt Wheeler says.

"You can probably imagine the black and white photos of skaters in the 20s and also in the 50s with the rolling-diner era. You've got the 60s and 70s, with disco emerging. All of that kind of 80s exercise craze. And then the 90s with rollerblades expanding it outside. So the 2000s and 2010s is a strange lull."

COVID saw many people return to roller skating - in the process causing a worldwide shortage of roller skates. While some saw it as a return to the nostalgic, Matt Wheeler's wife, Amelia says for others, it was just a continuation of something they've always done - that side of it just may not have been seen in Australia.

"It's always been here. We have been taught by a lot of particularly black skaters from the US and the UK and Europe, who say this is part of their lifestyle, this is part of their culture and so it never really went away," Amelia Wheeler says.

If it isn't clear yet, Matt and Amelia Wheeler know a thing or two about roller skating. It's this reason they are the perfect couple to host Canberra's first Roller-Fit classes. (The fact the duo may just have the perfect name for the job is just a coincidence).

RollerFit brings together a combination of skating skills, fitness, conditioning and rink games to skaters of any levels.

"I spent the other day making limbo polls in our garage, so we're trying to keep it fun," Matt Wheeler says.

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"It's a real mix of that sense of progression, making sure people are always learning every week, and are adding to their routine. But it's also social in that it's the same group of people every week, all learning and having fun together and you get all those endorphins from that constant exercise that you don't even notice because it's so enjoyable."

Skating has been part of the couple's relationship since day one. Their first date - at the age of 14 - was at a Sydney roller rink. It was sometime later that the pair went to a roller disco run by the same people who started RollerFit and from there, started going to classes. About five years ago, the couple became instructors in RollerFit and when they moved to Canberra, it only seemed natural that they would set up classes in the capital.

And what a time to set it up - during Australia's roller skating resurgence.