Do you remember roller rinks?
By KATRINKA
@KATRINKA (1624)
United States
July 4, 2007 4:07pm CST
My dad is 78 years old, and every Tuesday night he goes roller skating. He drives an hour away to go to a rink that still has live organ music. When I was a little girl, he took my sisters and me to a roller rink weekly. There was live organ music. He showed me how to do front cross-overs when going around corners so I didn't fly into the wall. He taught me how to skate backwards and to do the waltz. When I became a teenager, my friends and I frequented a different roller rink. It played disco and 80's music and had strobe lights that blinked with the beat. My girlfriends and I stood at the railing during every couple's skate hoping someone would ask us to skate.
What are your roller rink memories?
2 people like this
6 responses
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
4 Jul 07
when i was a kid every one had roller skates. They clipped on to your saddle oxfords. we did go to the roller rink and rented skates as a church group a lot od saterday nights. I lived in Arizona then and the rink was out side. Later I moved to Nebraska and the rinks was inside. it also doubled as a night club to bring entertainers like Johnny Cash. I was in my thirties the last time I went skating. It was the last because my feet went streight upp in the air and I was flat on my back. Shortly after that I developed Rheumatiod Arthertis
1 person likes this
@KATRINKA (1624)
• United States
4 Jul 07
I remember those skates! My parents still had them when I was a kid. I remember my friends and I fighting over who would get to use them. We had to take turns.
I remember rented skates. I hated that part. If you were cool, you had your own, and you put poms poms on them. I would love to be able to skate outside! That sounds so cool.
I'm sorry you have rheumatoid arthritis. I hope it's not debilitating. Best wishes...
1 person likes this
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
5 Jul 07
I had forgotten about the pompom. Some of the girls would wear short full ruffed skirts too. I sometimes envied them. I always thought they were so cute. When I had The clip on skate we would skate up and down the side walk all day long. The arthertis comes and goes. Thanks for caring
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
9 Jul 07
Yes!! I loved taking my children to roller rinks when they were young. The one thing they liked best was when teh rollerink played 'The Hokey Pokey' song. The small children all skated to the middle and did the 'Hokey Pokey' dance on rollerskates! I too, remember the couples skates..and teh 70's and 80's music! Too bad this type of place has fallen by the wayside. Perhaps our children wouldn't have such a weight problem if they skated instead of played video games all the time!
1 person likes this
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
4 Jul 07
I do remember roller rinks very well as me and a friend used to go every friday night during school week and roller skate. It was a lot of fun and a good place to hang out and check out the girls. We would skate really fast to the more upbeat songs and play video games during the couples songs. We still have a couple rinks nearby but never go to them anymore. My only skating now is rollerblading.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11658)
• United States
11 Jul 07
I would regularly skate as a child, but now the local rink is really crowded. There is only one rink in my area, so now I spend that time walking around my neighborhood. I do miss the spins and dancing on skates.
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
9 Jul 07
We actually have a roller rink about 10 minutes from our house. We've taken the kids a few times and it always seems to be very busy. They also have inline skates there as well as the traditional roller skates which probably helps with the appeal for the younger kids.
1 person likes this
@celestemichelle (429)
• United States
5 Jul 07
I remember roller skating as a kid, and going to birthday parties at the roller rink. Unfortunately as I got older the roller rink in my town became infamous for fights and eventually closed. There is a rink near my college and about once a semester they have a college night which is fun.
@celestemichelle (429)
• United States
9 Jul 07
I didn't have much of a problem because while I wasn't going to the roller rink, I was able to go ice skating once or twice a year, and roller skating is much easier than ice skating.
