Skating Rink Bans Rollerdancers

[rollerdanceman]

Recently at our regular R&B skating session the manager got on the mike and said that we can no longer dance in the middle of the floor. I spend 95% of my time in the middle. His comments were that "if we wanted to dance, then go to a club". Can you imagine the shock on everyones face. He said it was a hazard to dance in the middle.. I don't know of anyone ever getting hurt in the middle of the floor. We all left the building and don't plan on going back anytime soon. To top it off they even raised the price to skate there. This came unannouned after being a regular at this rink for the last 16 years. Thats like going to a club and told not to dance. This is 2006 not 1966. Reminded me of the movie Footloose.

I always believed that a roller rink is where you go to unwind,exercise, learn the art of rollerskating and have fun with family and friends. What happend! What if figure skaters were told not to practice jumps and spins. The writing is on the wall.

Has anyone else gone through this madness, and if so what did you do. Lets hear your experience.

[Spins]

Rollerdanceman,

This happened at one of the rinks I currently go to sometime back and at a this same rink where there was an artistic skate club prior. Since no rink owner wants to turn down a buck it seemed to me a stab in the back of skating in the worst degree. At the time I could only sum it up to insurance fears but that rink owner actually cut the lifeline of many future skaters for years to come. It is those very skaters who reinforce a sense of higher calling to the next generation.

My answer was to never go back for years. He didn't realise the loss of revenue and still doesn't. Turning the back works both directions and you may never know what real motivations were behind the act nor anyone. The Saxons are coming!!! Or going...(ha, ha)!!

I have just had a stroke of insight, however. At the rink where I currently go there are shuffle skaters. Now these are the most self-taught people I've ever met on the floor and the most undisciplined. They've pounded me in the back knocking to the floor and regularly skate not on the end to do their tricks but in the direct line of skating flow! Last night one of these types knocked down a woman who complained she'd had surgery on that knee. On another night one of these in the traffic flow tripped a 5-year-old with his back to the kid and even as the kid got up in disbelief the shuffler never looked behind to see the victim.

Maybe there are some rollerdancers who are so reckless--I doubt it.

Gary
o-o

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[hungryrollerblader]

when he loses a lot of his customers he'll come around. especially with the price-raising deal

[hikkergurl]

Mmmmmmmmm,

I tend to confront situations head on (my husband calls me his bulldog).

IF I were in your situation,I'd probably go to the rink and ask the guy "what gives?" Don't do it in an angry manner, but be honest and say his remark was shocking and took you and your friends by surprise and you just want to know why, all of a sudden ,he has an attidude about your skating. You've been a good customer there for many years, and you deserve a logical explanation. If you aren't satisfied or he cops an attidude, find a place that will gladly accept your business.

Skate on
Liz

[artisan555]

this is one of the most shocking things i have heard yet. and if i'm not mistaken rollerdanceman (are you richard?) is one of the most prominent skate dancers in the country. how could they stop you and your crew????

i think hikkergirl has the right idea; you have to sit down with management and get an explaination for this outrage. i'd be interested to find out what his reasoning is.

[fablemaker2]

As long as I can remember, at any rink whether it's wooden or ice, the middle has been reserved for those graceful spinners, the people who could skate backwards, and "cool" teenagers who hang and talk about whatever cool teenagers talk about. It was a coveted spot that one had to earn and, if you strayed across the line, you were politely asked to return to your place in the circle of traffic with the rest of the cattle.

If you go to talk to the manager, and he doesn't back down, let him know that (if there is another rink in the area) now would be the time to capitalize on a perfect marketing opportunity, if you know what I mean. Do up a fake advertisement, complete with "lower prices, dance area where artistic skaters can show off their skills, and friendly staff who cater to their guests' needs". Show it to him.

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by fablemaker2

As long as I can remember, at any rink whether it's wooden or ice, the middle has been reserved for those graceful spinners, the people who could skate backwards, and "cool" teenagers who hang and talk about whatever cool teenagers talk about. It was a coveted spot that one had to earn and, if you strayed across the line, you were politely asked to return to your place in the circle of traffic with the rest of the cattle.

If you go to talk to the manager, and he doesn't back down, let him know that (if there is another rink in the area) now would be the time to capitalize on a perfect marketing opportunity, if you know what I mean. Do up a fake advertisement, complete with "lower prices, dance area where artistic skaters can show off their skills, and friendly staff who cater to their guests' needs". Show it to him.

in this area most of the rinks dont allow skating in the middle anymore, they use to in the old days and dont allow any jumps or spins either anymore,,,, just go in circles, now isnt that fun.

Rick

[Spins]

Originally Posted by rwsz

in this area most of the rinks dont allow skating in the middle anymore, they use to in the old days and dont allow any jumps or spins either anymore,,,, just go in circles, now isnt that fun.

Rick

Rick,

I wonder if there might not be some way to get them colluding together under the RICO laws as in racketeering for skating rink profits and fear mongering? It should be criminal (ha, ha).

Gary
o-o

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[badnews]

I hate people who go into a public place and feel like they can do anything they want to do...and then get cranky when told they shouldn't...and THEN threaten to leave because their tender little feewings have been hurt <sniffle>.

Obviously what some of the "middle of the rinkers" were doing was causing some problems for others and it's telling that those who were causing those problems couldn't care less what they were except that they have been inconvenienced by being told not to do what they were doing which was causing problems for others.

Liberals. <spits>

[Spins]

Badnews,

Interesting take on the situation. Have you first-hand news or is this a good guess?

I've always thought of rollerdance people as a prey animal. Hard to get agressive looking for all that grass to eat (ha, ha)!!!

Gary
o-o

********************888

[badnews]

Originally Posted by Spins

Badnews,

Interesting take on the situation. Have you first-hand news or is this a good guess?

Gary
o-o

I don't know the "author" of the beginning post in this thread, but I smelled a rat with the whining and the "Oh, I've been dissed by the manager of a roller rink."

I do know people, however, and I can see zero purpose in a manager of a rink coming down on R&B skaters who were just there "minding their own business having a good time" ...and harrumph!!

People who bitch about people bitching about their behavior in a public arena probably should be tossed out like a drunk from a bar.

My suggestion would be: Hey, man...don't like it? Invest your own money and start your own friggin skating rink.

[badnews]

Originally Posted by artisan555

this is one of the most shocking things i have heard yet. and if i'm not mistaken rollerdanceman (are you richard?) is one of the most prominent skate dancers in the country. how could they stop you and your crew????

i think hikkergirl has the right idea; you have to sit down with management and get an explaination for this outrage. i'd be interested to find out what his reasoning is.

I can already tell we're gonna get along as best friends.

Can't get enough smart ass on a board, that's for sure.

[Bill]

I can't figure out what happened either. I've been to the rink in question and they have been skating in the middle of the floor for 20+ years. It's adult night 25 and older and the skaters act respectfully. From what I understand it's just one of the managers who has a problem with doing Roller Dance in the middle.

It's a skating rink and you expect to go there and skate. I took a video of some of the activities that the skaters do in the center of the rink. The video is the group skating at another rink doing what the management had an issue with. They are all adults 25+ and a really nice group of skaters. Many of the skaters go there to specifically to do the type of skating that's done in the middle of the floor.

The Dance scene with Richard in the Lead
http://skaterbill.com/web-images/sanjoseskate2.wmv

I fail to see why their activity should be banned, especially after allowing it for over 20 years. Here's a link to the other thread with a few more video clips.
http://skatelogforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=490

Bill

[badnews]

Okay. We've heard from the "banishee" and that there was "no good reason" for being told to stop what they were doing.

I'd like to hear from the manager and hear the other side of the story.

Could the manager be a jerk? Of course he could. Was the manager working under the direction of the owner of that rink? Who knows?

I rarely formulate an opinion or conclusion when hearing ONE side of the story. Anyone who does is brain dead.

This place really does need a "crying" smiley.

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by badnews

Okay. We've heard from the "banishee" and that there was "no good reason" for being told to stop what they were doing.

I'd like to hear from the manager and hear the other side of the story.

Could the manager be a jerk? Of course he could. Was the manager working under the direction of the owner of that rink? Who knows?

I rarely formulate an opinion or conclusion when hearing ONE side of the story. Anyone who does is brain dead.

This place really does need a "crying" smiley.

could be any of those reasons or maybe even a simpler one,,,,sometimes the insurance industry dictates what can and cant be done, not saying thats the reason but could be their rates would go up if they didnt change.

Rick

[badnews]

Originally Posted by rwsz

could be any of those reasons or maybe even a simpler one,,,,sometimes the insurance industry dictates what can and cant be done, not saying thats the reason but could be their rates would go up if they didnt change.

Rick

I think we all know what the "real" reason is. Rollerdanceman™ goes to a public skating rink where he spends "95 percent" of his time in the middle of the rink doing his groovy moves and monopolizes the rink with his buddies and the peon "regular skaters" are shunned from the Lime Light of super coolness and have to do their "thing" round and round so as to not get in the way of the Hip Crowd at the rink.

There's no doubt a lot of superciliousness is going down with some skaters. I am highly amused at how some of you take this "sport" and make it into a career.

It's supposed to be fun...for everybody.

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by badnews

I think we all know what the "real" reason is. Rollerdanceman™ goes to a public skating rink where he spends "95 percent" of his time in the middle of the rink doing his groovy moves and monopolizes the rink with his buddies and the peon "regular skaters" are shunned from the Lime Light of super coolness and have to do their "thing" round and round so as to not get in the way of the Hip Crowd at the rink.

There's no doubt a lot of superciliousness is going down with some skaters. I am highly amused at how some of you take this "sport" and make it into a career.

It's supposed to be fun...for everybody.

your right its suppose to be fun for all the people skating, in the middle of the rink and around the edges, depends on what you want to do i guess, just enjoy it. no career here i would starve

Rick

[spinjumpsk8]

Exactly Badnews....it's suppose to be fun...for EVERYONE....INCLUDING those who want to rolldance in the middle. That's their thing, it's what they paid their money to get in to do. Unless they are endangering anyone, they should be allowed to enjoy what they paid for.

[badnews]

Originally Posted by spinjumpsk8

Exactly Badnews....it's suppose to be fun...for EVERYONE....INCLUDING those who want to rolldance in the middle. That's their thing, it's what they paid their money to get in to do. Unless they are endangering anyone, they should be allowed to enjoy what they paid for.

I agree 100 % with your post. I keep asking myself what did Rollerdanceman and crew do to cause the ire and disrespect of the manager of the rink?

Was the manager just a prick who hates to watch R&B skaters? Is he at odds with his masculinity and is fearful of men in skates? Does he secretly hate skaters?

Unless "something" was done to cause this manager's psycho outburst of saying "Hey, no dancing on the floor," R & Crew have a legitimate complaint.

They should bring it up with the owner of the rink, unless, of course, the owner IS the manager.

[zerio]

Originally Posted by badnews

I hate people who go into a public place and feel like they can do anything they want to do...and then get cranky when told they shouldn't...and THEN threaten to leave because their tender little feewings have been hurt <sniffle>.

Obviously what some of the "middle of the rinkers" were doing was causing some problems for others and it's telling that those who were causing those problems couldn't care less what they were except that they have been inconvenienced by being told not to do what they were doing which was causing problems for others.

Liberals. <spits>

You obviously know nothing about skating then... The middle area has always been reserved for figure skaters, dancers, jumpers whatever... c me on you guys..as long as I am in a democratic and free country.. I AM PAYING FOR FUN...JUSTLIEK EVERYONE ELSE...as long as I dont put anyone into risk... noone is gonna tell me what to do.. No way DUDE.