About Us
2025, Left: Glitter Right: Rae
MEDUSA TEAM 2022. PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: RUGRAT, BUFFY, GLITTER & HANK, SYDNEY, RITZ.
Medusa Skates is a roller skate shop born from our love for roller skating and for the roller derby community.
The modern roller derby revival movement began in Austin, Texas in the early 2000s. By 2011 the derby scene was growing, and players needed a local shop to outfit them with skates and gear. Texas Roller Derby (TXRD) skater, Glitterotica (Glitter, for short), began selling skates and equipment from her garage. After receiving positive feedback from the community, she opened the official storefront in 2012.
FIRST SHOP IN GLITTER'S GARAGE
EARLY DAYS AT MEDUSA
OLD STOREFRONT ON HYRIDGE DR.
Since then we have grown into a vibrant retail shop where beginners and pros alike can find the right roller skate equipment. We specialize in roller derby, but we've expanded our selection to cover many different skate disciplines. We provide a necessary service to the diverse community of roller skaters in the Greater Austin Area. Depending on the day you may catch us repairing vintage roller skates, helping junior derby players choose their first skates and pads, building a custom JB or slider skate, gving advice on the best local, outdoor skating trails, sizing you for a premium artistic roller skate, or installing a grind block for the skate park.
We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in 2022. In August 2023 we moved to our current home at 6005 Burnet Road. We are so fortunate to have support from Texans, visitors from around the world, and online customers who have supported our shop. Medusa Skates is a true passion for Glitter and the Medusa Skates team.
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
MEET THE MEDUSA TEAM
Glitter, Owner (She/Her)
Glitter was a roller derby player from 2006-2016 for Texas Roller Derby (TXRD), Austin’s banked track roller derby league. She played for the Hellcats and skated with the home team, The All-Scar Army. When she’s not obsessing over her vegetable garden and her chickens and goats, she’s busy teaching her toddler, Hank, how to skate. You'll find her catching up with old derby friends whenever they stop by the shop!
Rae, Manager (She/Her)
Rae inline skated as a kid before starting quad skating in 2019. She mainly hits local skate parks and backyard ramps, with the occasional street sesh and trip to the roller rink. She has participated in several regional park skating competitions and is one of the Team Antik skaters for 2024-2025. Rae joined the Medusa team in 2023, where she handles much of the social media and web maintenance, as well as various requests from customers. Outside of skating she enjoys making art and pranking her friends.
Ritz, Skate Maker & Problem Solver (He/Him)
Ritz is our wonderful skate creator. He makes custom shoe skates and all our custom roller skates. He is a retired City of Austin police officer. In his retirement, he does just about everything– bee keeping, gardening, wood working, yoga, riding motorcycles and of course, making and fixing skates!
HALL OF FAME
Lilly The Kid
Rugrat
Buffy
Dexter