In this era of rising gas prices and ever-spreading gridlock, we need new ways to make the trip between points A and B. Here's one you may not have previously considered: roller skates.

Fast Girl Skates is a collaborative venture between Jennifer Savaglio and Sarah O'Donoghue — better known to fans of Seattle's flat-track roller-derby league, the Rat City Rollergirls, as La Petite Mort and Wile E. Peyote, respectively. Their Wallingford store, located next door to the Hawaii General Store & Gallery, is a one-stop shop for derby girls or anyone who aspires to break through a pack of blockers and pivots. (Full disclosure: My girlfriend is a Rat City girl. Can you tell?) Here, derby girls can direct the creation of a fully customized pair of quad skates: boots, trucks, wheels, bearings and even the socks to go under them. Savaglio and O'Donoghue know their craft inside out — after all, they're literally riding on their own reputations.

But you don't need to be an aspiring derby girl — or even female — to benefit from Fast Girl's stock and expertise. The Fast Girl team is more than happy to fit you for a pair of recreational skates that are perfect for trail skating — just the thing for a Sunday afternoon at Green Lake. Skates for children, secondhand skates and even in-line skates are either on hand or just a quick custom order away. Not ready to roll? Browse through the shop's T-shirts and hoodies, or pick up tickets to the next Rat City bout.

Plus, the place is just plain fun to visit. The vintage high-school-gymnasium seats and lockers — from Second Use — give the place an atavistic feel; it's easy to imagine that Fast Girl has been operating since the 1950s, selling bearings and custom T-shirts to Ann Cavello and the like. And the proprietors are friendly and extremely helpful. They might even tell you a few stories from the shove-or-be-shoved world of flat-track derby... if you ask nicely.

Copyright © 2010 The Seattle Times Company