Remembering roller skating days

[golfgal]

Oh, the bus trips to the roller rink in 6th grade were the be all to end all of a 12 year old's social life back in the day . The 'couples only' followed by "Snnnowball" when you had to switch partners. In 7th grade we moved and lived within walking distance of the roller rink and we walked up there every Friday night. That is where you got to meet the kids from the other junior high, pretty hot stuff then.

Our twins went with their 6th grade class to the roller rink not too long ago. Talk about feeling OLD!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Well, I'm back from roller skating and it was a BLAST!!! I felt like a kid again. Guess what??? They played my roller skating song "Another One Bites The Dust". I actually screamed in excitement. Dd6 looked at me in question and I tried to explain it was a very important roller rink song from my childhood but she thought I was crazy.

I was fighting the urge to let go of her hand and take off around the middle of the rink swaying and skating fast. The realization that I would mow down a bunch of elementary school kids stopped me and I remained a responsible parent. It was a tough call!

I've really enjoyed reading these posts reliving the glory days. Roller skating should make a comeback!!!!

Good times

 

[PoohnPglet]

I remember "Downtown" and everytime it got to that part of the song, every had to get down.
My skates were white with red wheels and black and red poms.

 

[koopa]

Agree with cardaway that the carpet hasn't changed in 20 years. Same goes for the air hockey table.

Skating at the kids birthday party, I had a hard time with the old style of skates. Rollerblades were much easier for some reason.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'm sure I can't be the only one who has fond memories of the roller rinks from the past. I have so many songs that immediately bring back the good old roller days. "Another one Bites the Dust" is one of them!

OK...I was sweating reading this until you said Another One Bites the Dust.... You see I am almost 42.

You have to measure "roller rinking time" by the music played.

 

[doodlebugs]

This thread is great! So many memories. My first kiss-4th grade right after couple's skate. The song was "Take It To The Limit!" The guy I was "going with" (I was wearing his ID braclet of course ) took the song to heart and stole a kiss. Such good memories--maybe I'll borrow my kid's rollerblades and give that a try this afternoon.

 

[MushyMushy]

Ahhh, those were the days!

I had my first "job" at a roller rink when I was only in the 7th grade. I got the pleasure of working the cloak room and got paid with free admission to the rink and free drinks and one snack from the snack room. Woohoo! Eventually, they started giving me $5 on top of that. I was living the life!

 

[KyDerbyMan]

Ah, the days of satin jackets and Foreigner.


Now, I take my iPod along and crank my own tunes. I mean, how many times can a parent put up with the Macarena or Christina Aguilera?

 

[SDFgirl]

OOOHH! I used to love to skate! When I was a kid, it always made me feel like a worldly, cool "teenager."

I remember whipping around that rink to "Electric Avenue," thinking that I was all that and a bag of chips!

We're gonna rock down to ELECTRIC AVENUE! And then we'll take it higher...

 

[KerriSue]

I was like Tuddy from Facts of Life, I lived on my roller skates. I loved those days.

Its funny that I found this thread. Took my family skating last night. Let me tell you, we all crawled out of bed today. We are so sore. Even my kids-12 & 9-are having trouble walking today. My DD said she needed an ice pack for her bum.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

I miss rollerskating!! It's been over 16 years since I have done that. I would go if I knew of a place in vermont that even had a place to rollerskate.

 

[snowwite]

We used to go on Friday nights pre roller blades. I had sneaker style roller skates and a pink satin jacket.

 

[sydally9367]

This thread has really put a smile on my face; what great memories!! I fondly remember going roller skating and everyone would kick it up a notch when "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne would come on Of course the most important thing was perfecting the crossover when going around corners...ahhh those were the days!

Our local Girl Scout Troop went roller skating a few months ago and my DH and I had a BLAST! It was the first time I had been on skates in well over 15 years and of course, I had to perfect the crossover DH even busted out the backwards skating and was the envy of the Girl Scouts!!!

We would go much more often, but our local skating rink here in Reno STINKS; I'm positive they haven't changed the carpet in well over 20 years..eww. Someone could make a fortune opening high end, new "hip with the times" roller skating rinks. Look at how far bowling has come with Neon Bowling and all that stuff, they could definitely kick it up with roller skating too. It's really a fun family thing to do and it's relatively inexpensive. With all the technology now, I'm surprised no one (that I know of) has done something like this.

 

[Becky2005]

II did the couples only skate once and the guy tripped me from then on I always pretended I had to go to the bathroom when they would announce "Couples Only Skate"

Similar thing happened to me, except I think I ended up tripping the guy...he was backwards skating & me forward instead of side by side! Let's say we had a big crash because I (even WITH skating lessons at the skate rink with my Girl Scout (I think it was Juniors not Brownie) troop!) can't do the cross-over turn for the corners.

The most embarrassing part of this was I had never met this guy in my life before! Did you guys have skate guards (or patrols but we always called them skate guards i.e. people with the whistle who would blow it whenever there was someone down for the count for more than a second?) That was embarassing because not only did I practically fall on top of this guy I just met, but avoided that, but then having to have the whistle blow to alert everyone was fun.

I don't recall couple skating again after that either.

I remember the songs everyone has mentioned for roller skating. I had blue skates that looked like gym shoes (and this was WAY before heely's -- they had the regular old 4-wheels on them like normal skates should! None of htis inline stuff!!!) though rather than the ones that went up your ankles.

We would hang out at the skating rink all the time...they also had an arcade there, so we hung out for both, you'd either go to the arcade before open skate or afterwards.

The skate rink I hung out at still is operational today with a few add-ons but basically looks the same.

 

[Becky2005]

DH tried to rent out a rink near our house for my 30th birthday but they wouldn't let him. He didn't think I wanted 30 something adults partying it up next to some kid's Power Rangers birthday party at the same time so he nixed it and took me away to Cape Cod instead.

Oh well. It was a great idea though!

Oh what a bummer, that would have been fun, ours rents out for groups like that but you have to do it at odd times. Although, it was nice to take you to Cape Cod too.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

DH tried to rent out a rink near our house for my 30th birthday but they wouldn't let him. He didn't think I wanted 30 something adults partying it up next to some kid's Power Rangers birthday party at the same time so he nixed it and took me away to Cape Cod instead.

Oh well. It was a great idea though!

I did notice a sign that said birthday parties for Adults and underneath it said "Bring your own Beverages". Might have to consider that for my next birthday party. That would be so much fun!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers those days fondly.

I am jealous of all of you with your HOT skates. I had to do rentals.

 

[mamacatnv]

We would go much more often, but our local skating rink here in Reno STINKS; I'm positive they haven't changed the carpet in well over 20 years..eww. Someone could make a fortune opening high end, new "hip with the times" roller skating rinks. Look at how far bowling has come with Neon Bowling and all that stuff, they could definitely kick it up with roller skating too. It's really a fun family thing to do and it's relatively inexpensive. With all the technology now, I'm surprised no one (that I know of) has done something like this.

Yep, Roller Kingdom is the dive of all dives! The Coconut Bowl in Sparks was originally going to add a skating rink where the restaurant is (used to be a roller rink back when) anyway, no dice, insurance issues since there is alcohol served on the premises. Only 1 insurance co. in the country covers roller rinks and they have a strict no alcohol clause in order to write the policy. Too bad, Neon bowling with skating would have been a blast.

 

[sydally9367]

Yep, Roller Kingdom is the dive of all dives! The Coconut Bowl in Sparks was originally going to add a skating rink where the restaurant is (used to be a roller rink back when) anyway, no dice, insurance issues since there is alcohol served on the premises. Only 1 insurance co. in the country covers roller rinks and they have a strict no alcohol clause in order to write the policy. Too bad, Neon bowling with skating would have been a blast.

My kids are constantly asking to go to Roller Kingdom, but it's just too nasty I had no idea about the Coconut Bowl, that would be a great idea..that stinks about the insurance issue! You would think they could add a skating rink at the new Grand Sierra Resort or one of the other casinos, but again, they would run into issues with alcohol being on the premises.


Someone could definitely make a killing recreating some new, hot roller rinks!

 

[mamacatnv]

My kids are constantly asking to go to Roller Kingdom, but it's just too nasty I had no idea about the Coconut Bowl, that would be a great idea..that stinks about the insurance issue! You would think they could add a skating rink at the new Grand Sierra Resort or one of the other casinos, but again, they would run into issues with alcohol being on the premises.


Someone could definitely make a killing recreating some new, hot roller rinks!

My DD went there for a birthday party this summer and I was afraid to let her eat the provided pizza

It would be great to have a new one, although I don't know if they are as popular as they used to be. There was a nice facility in Sparks years ago but it closed down and became the batting cages, then when Coconut Bowl bought the property there was hope of bringing it back but alas, no.

I am looking forward to the indoor water park the GS has on the drawing board. My son is a lifeguard at Wild Island in the summer and a year round water park would give him a year round job that would be nice when he gets to college in a year and a half.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack this thread, back to the black lights and Angel Flights of our youthful skating days......

 

[chewbacca]

Ah yes... the roller skating days! We had one here in town until last year when some punk kid burned it down. The owners said they were originally going to rebuild but the insurance co. starting fighting over payment so they just tore the place down.

Its really sad that DS will not be able to enjoy it they way we used to. Our closest one now is about 30-45 min away.

BTW I had the white skates with pink poms and a little bell on top.