The Decline of Roller Skating Rinks

[larryoracing]

Personally I live in Southern, Ca and I probably have 7 skating rinks that are within driving distance.

I think the closest one is Fountain Valley and that is the Rink I chose as home base. It is probably 30 miles from my house and I personally think that is the perfect drive. Nominally it will take 1 hour to drive 30 miles in Southern, Ca...ie...the traffic and such.....lol! I think a lot of things in life could be a lot worse than sitting in traffic, but not much...lol!

1) As some people think driving 50 miles to a skating rink, is too much, I use to travel 5 hours to go to a roller skating competition where your skating routine is only lasted 3 minutes. How many people would travel 300 miles to skate 3 minutes.

a) Well,l there are a lot of Olympic ice skaters who practice 20 years up to 40 hours a week, just to skate a 5 minute routine. Why would they do that and spend so much money ($100,000's) on something that my bring zero dollars in return?

2) I personally think the basis of a skating rink staying in business is based on clean moral principles. At one time skating was regarded as a clean, wholesome American Pastime. A place to go, socialize and build up good health and hygiene.

Then the 70's came, disco an the craze. It wore off and the big office attendance dropped off and the price of real estate rose. The only people who could stay in business were those who had purchased the property and could afford to ride out the slow times.

These people also had a love affair with skating and a passion to keep the dream alive. They had a deep connection to a Roller Skating Promise and Ethic to provide for the General Public a way of relaxation, exercise and competition.

All these Rinks, Redwood City, Ca, Fountain Valley, Ca, Glendale, Ca, Northridge, Ca and Ventura, Ca have a deep background in Artistic Competitive Skating. Not only are these rinks family owned, but their tradition has long be founded in the RSROA (Roller Skating Rink Operators of America).

The key to Rinks staying in business is connected to origin of skating established in the 20-30s. These traditions can be found in many of the founding skating rinks, their owners and means of operation. Competitions and the deep connections to the community for good wholesome entertainment for the whole family.

sincerely,

Larry Otani

[Joey]

Some drastic changes have occurred since the '60s through the '80s that have had direct or indirect effects on skating rinks as well as many other recreational opportunities. Here is a list of the obvious that come to mind.

1. Parents are frightened to let their kids out of their sight since the mid 80s. Back in the '60s and '70s my friends and I rode our bicycles to skating rinks. This meant our parents did not have to be involved time-wise.

2. Skating rinks were in or near our neighborhoods. Often more than one choice. This is still the case for some lucky few but as a rule, kids can't get themselves to a rink even if they wanted to.

3. Children are the future of anything. If young people can't or won't get involved that industry will perish.

4. The growth in popularity of soccer as a team sport in the USA. Any kid can play and the outlay of cash for the parents is minimal. Unlike baseball and football, soccer for little kids takes zero skill or special equipment. And there are soccer fields EVERYWHERE in urban or rural areas and require very little maintenance and outlay of cash.

5. The invention of polyurethane. Now skaters were off the clay wheels and onto big, soft, cushioned, outdoor capable wheels. No need for perfect outdoor surfaces any more.

6. The advent of popularity of Inline skates. This created a drastic increase in skaters, but drove many out of rinks and onto bike paths or streets. Aggressive skating lured most of the kids. This was something they could do near home on their own and the expense was minimal. Rinks cost money every time you want to skate, and the hours of operation were finite. Purchase a nice pair of inline skates and skate for free any time you want until the wheels/bearings need replacing.

7. Increased popularity of skateboards. See "Boys of Dogtown" for more info.

8. Video games. Now kids can stay entertained IN THE HOUSE which makes fearful parents happy and sucks up amazing amounts of time for many kids.

9. The expense of cell phone service. Every kid wants a cell phone. Some parents are spending $500 every month on cell phone service. Throw in High Speed Wireless internet and some decent cable TV stations and the outlay could reach $1000/month for a household. Throw in the cost of movie theaters (which are also dinosaurs just looking for a place to lie down and die) and there is no money for kids skates as well as no time to skate with all of the electronic entertainment available.

10. Water parks, lazer tag, miniature golf, go-cart racing, fantastic amusement parks, bicycling, rising costs of health insurance, amazing price tags for family cars filled with more electronic pacifiers and safety systems, and we could go on and on naming competition for skating rinks, even if someone could afford the land near a populated area.

Certainly there are hundreds of other factors, but you get my drift. Skating rinks and those who use them are dinosaurs. It is just a matter of time before we are fossils in the Smithsonian unfortunately.

[Bill]

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.4329...8i6656!6m1!1e1

cal skate closed in 2011
this looks like it was recorded right before closing.
you can click tour way around the rink.

[Derrick]

A good skater is hooked for life.

[Gee]

It gets more difficult to skate every day without having to visit several rinks. Skate Estate in New York State is about the only rink I can get to that has open skating on every day.

[JHB]

Originally Posted by Gee

It gets more difficult to skate every day without having to visit several rinks. Skate Estate in New York State is about the only rink I can get to that has open skating on every day.

Skate Estate in Vestal, right?
I worked in Owego for the second half of last year, and unfortunately I never made it to a Skate Estate session.

[Gee]

Originally Posted by JHB

Skate Estate in Vestal, right?
I worked in Owego for the second half of last year, and unfortunately I never made it to a Skate Estate session.

Yes, that is the one. It is a game area with laser tag, water slide, miniature golf and roller skating. The roller skating area is not that big because it circles the laser tag room.

[jotson]

Originally Posted by Gee

Yes, that is the one. It is a game area with laser tag, water slide, miniature golf and roller skating. The roller skating area is not that big because it circles the laser tag room.

About 3-1/2 hours from Buffalo. If I'm ever in Binghamton, sounds like a good place to visit.

[rinkraptor]

I have lost four rinks in the past 12 years. The rink in my old home town of Wilson NC closed up, Roanoke Rapids and Greenville closed, and most sadly of all, the great Skate America rink at Mechanicsville VA closed - not for lack of business but because the not-so-good Goodwill bought the building when its owners retired and decided to sell it. Those vultures destroyed that beautiful floor, hope they go out of business.

The Former Mechanicsville Rink:

[Newskaterink]

Originally Posted by okie

I used to ride all the way from Phoenix just to skate there once a month. Outstanding floor and mostly good skaters. 95mph on IH-8,750 Ninja. What a blast.

RINK CLOSINGs. I promise I will try to keep it short? First of all I am 66 years old,started skating in 1991 and have skated every week at least 2 times ever since. I have been to 94 Different Skate Rinks in the 11 western states. (retired in 2001 and just roam around) I collect a rink info flyer from each rink and will paper the nursing home wall with them one of these days.
I have seen what works and helped 3 local rinks do it with much success.(now I know there will be some detractors etc). I moved here because there is 6 rinks in 50 mile radius with turnpikes to get there.
FIRST and foremost the rink owners have to MAKE!! good customers! Have some FREE nights for 18 and over only. When you get them there,put your SKATE CATALOGS on the counters,sell anything in the BOOk for costs plus 10%,(10% of something is better than 100% of nothing?)>give free pass 2 for 1 with sale for set time period. You want your people on the best stuff at the least costs. Much more fun and they will be more commited.
The Music, 3 fast songs same beat 2 slower songs 3 fast songs again this method all night.
THE FLOOR!!!!! You want the good skaters to to able to skate! On the outer edge all around the floor I paint a 4 foot wide line, Faster better skaters here ONLY. When you want to cross over it you hand signal. I know it sounds goofy but the faster rhythm skaters do not have to worry about crashes or constant interruptions etc,you can skate!!!! UN-impeided.
Think about skating? First you do not have to think to walk,you just do it. Skating you have to think,plan ahead etc,kinda like riding dirt bike fast in the woods,always looking ahead to allow for evasive manuvers. "Stay out of the high speed lane" if you want to YAK,if you want to break dance,rex dirty dance etc go to the middle of the floor. No standing here,you keep shucking and jiving or move out,and NO cutting thru this center section.Floor control!
THE people: I do a thing I call Advancing Couples. I have ever body on skates pick a partner go on the floor. Slow quiet song, after a couple laps I blow whistle and guy moves up to next girl,I do this till everbody meets. Up to them what they do later? Our adult nights have become singles nights where girls and guys show up to not only skate but to meet others. And NO! means NO! if they say No leave them alone,always will have a few hound dogs.
Regular sessions friday and sat nights. Owners Please! have 2 sessions,again so you good skaters can come and skate. Second session,NO games,More hip music, just better skaters will attend,tiny tots will be headed for home after 10 etc. This will help pay your bills.
Owners!!!!! You need to put pressure on the 4 largest skate manufactures about new and better wheels. The Girls Derby boom has brought many girls (with jobs and husbands with money) back to rink skating along with there derby events. They want good stuff. The big four manufactures are still stuck in the newbie market. Very reluctant to produce quality quad wheels. They ain't listening to us skaters,But they will listen to you the rink owners.
And,I am always open to ANY suggustions for improvement from the customers,I encourage it. So lets here some others.

THANKS for this! I have done many things and owned numerous businesses, I am opening a rink in north Florida and putting in close to one million dollars. I talked to many people and this short post gave me a lot to think about and instill!

[angoraknitter]

So I've been looking for a rink and possible new hometown near the DC metro area as the chances of retirement from army life was looking good. I'm so overwhelmed by NOVa I really wanted to move to the more rural side of the area. I found this rink in the middle of farmland, which had a giant roller skate out in front of it. Nice place, surprisingly spacious inside. Then two weeks later, they put a message out on facebook they are closing.
I've been wondering what the formula for a fiscally secure rink must be.

[AZSHOT]

There is a new "greenway" (in brown Arizona) with a smooth bike path. My wife is a good skater, both of us were late 70s/80s skaters. She wanted to do some outdoors though, so we've gone there twice. It's all bicyles and some walkers, but I heard s young teen riding with his dad say "that looks like fun" when she skated by. That's what you need, more people realizing there is more fun in life that simulated activities on a video game.

After they've tried it some outdoors, a visit to the rink shows how much smoother, cooler, and social rinks are.

[sk84luv]

Hallelujah, praise God, thank you Jesus - rink saved from going to hell.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/o...rink.html?_r=0